My English romance

Josie remembered like yesterday when she first kissed Derrick. It was cute. She couldn't forget that because he was so clumsy. They were friends then. Or so she thought. Just friends making out. Of course, he was the new boy at school. And she sort of had a thing for new boys.

Neal had never been new to her. He listened quite well, but really she bore of him quickly, and it felt as if she were stuck. Why had things gone so strange in her life? Other girls found the right guy. It made her sick, listening to her girlfriends' problems down at the Youth Center. What did they know? Dating the same guy since seventh grade. How could they be honestly happy?

Still she thought for some time there, she could have been happy with Derrick. It was just this little glitch he had. She wasn't sold on him completely being gay. But things turned for the worst, and she hadn't meant to be so bitter. Josie was trying to be who everyone thought she should be. But she couldn't say it was entirely working.

She so wanted to be good. She did. But she wanted to be loved to. And that seemed quite artificial at the moment. Even if Neal kept leaving notes. Messages on her phone of his devoted love. This was not what she wanted.

So she situated herself at the library. Well, Ian would be there. Possibly, that Jules would show up too. Of course, she spent her afternoons there for over a week and hardly found a moment alone with Ian.

It was funny, how she'd centered all her happiness on someone she didn't even know. But soon it filled up her thoughts of this imaginary lover that would take her from this little town. To some place special. He'd want to bring her home, and she'd find a way to stay with him. Away from here. Away from all the rules and gossip she'd  endured over the years.

People knew about her parents. They knew how her father had a breakdown after her Mom split. How her mom had to come home, and he went away. It was just a house now. No one really lived there anymore. And they said things were getting better, but somehow Josie couldn't quite see it that way.

So when she saw Jules that day, he took her breath away. If anyone could co-star in her very own movie, it had to be him.