TWO AND HALF MONTHS LATER

The country part of America is so much different then the cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Jocelyn wasn’t lying when she said her tiny town Genesis was well—tiny! You could pass the town in easily five minutes and everyone knows everyone.

But today was the first day of high school for me. I wonder if the schools here in America are different from the ones back home or Italy. My host parents I’m staying with were rich couple who gave me a huge room with my own bathroom. Maybe it helped a little that my father did a little arranging to get me to stay in this kind of place.

While I was brushing my teeth, my phone had gone off and I picked it up, seeing it was a video call from my mother. I groaned, rolling my eyes before I spit out the tooth paste, rinsed my mouth, and putting a smile on my face for her as I answered it.

“Good Morning, Yuri,”, she said in Russian, giving me a smile.

“Hello, mama.”, I said, continuing my brushing, “I know we agreed to talk once a day, but don’t you think this is kind of early?”

“I know  but I wanted to wish you good luck on your first day of an American school.”, she said. She then gave me an annoyed look I knew to well and I knew who she was going to bring up, “You father sent me a message tell me to wish you good luck also.”

“Amazing he remembered this time.”, I said. “You didn’t give him my number still?”, I chuckled.

“I’ve been busy.”, she said, then sighed. “I’ll give it to him later but enough of him. I miss you so much Yuri.”.

“I miss you to, mama.”, I said. “But we talked about this, I need adventure before you force me into college.”.

“Which I’m sure you’ll stay to do over there.”, she said. “When am I going to see you again—in person I mean. I miss my child.”

“Demyan and Ivanna are enough for you company, I’m sure.”, I said, mentioning my little sibling to my step-father.

“I want all my children to be enough.”, she said. “Look Yuri, I know you don’t want to talk about this, so I’ll stop. I just wanted to see you before you go to school. I love you, Yuri.”.

“I love you to, mom.”, I said.

“Tell Joyce I said hello.”, she said.

“It’s Jocelyn.”, I reminded her.

“I know, but that’s just so hard to say. Westerns, I swear.” ,she said, rolling her eyes.

“That’s okay, she can’t say your name either, Nadezhda.”, I said, chuckling. “Goodbye mama, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”, I said before hanging up the call.

I got dressed in something and made my way town the steps of my host parents home. They were rich, so the house was pretty big and nice. I walked into the dinning room where Karen was making breakfast and her two children were laying their heads down on the table, looking like they rather be in bed instead of going to school.

“I wish my kids could be morning person like you, Yuri.”, she said, walking over to her kids and pinched their arms. They sprung up and rubbed their arms, making whining sounds. “Hey, I want none of that crying. Your going to school weather you like it.”.

I sat at the island table and twelve year old Daniel leaned across it, “Ready for high school, Yuri? Can I tell all my friends about you? I want them to know I actually know a guy from Russia. I would be so cool in school.”.

“Yeah.”, Emily said, the obvious look on her face telling me she has a small crush on me. “Can I to?”

“Hey you to.”, Karen said. “Enough with that, you shouldn’t use Yuri for your own personal need.”

I chuckled, “Okay but I want something in return.”, I said to both of them and they both look curious. “I want both of yours desserts for the next two months.”, I said and Karen put her hands on her hips, shaking her head but grinned.

“Deal!”, Emily said but Daniel looked hesitated.

“I don’t know…”, he said.

“Then I will just tell your friends your lying.”, I said.

“No!”, he said. “Okay, you can have them. I mean, I’m joining the soccer team this year anyways, I shouldn’t have dessert, it’s bad for me.”.

I chuckled when Karen put a plate of pancakes in front of me when Emily asked, “So Yuri, do they have soccer in Russia?”

“Da Emily but back home in Russia, soccer would actually mean we would be playing football.”, I said.

She looked confused, “Why? I mean, soccer is where you kick the white ball.”.

“Because football starts with foot and don’t you kick a soccer ball with your foot?”, I said to her, hoping it would explain better then the actual reason which I don’t even know.

“Oh, true.”, she said, blushing.

“Okay you both, enough with the questions. Eat your pancakes before they get cold, you need to fuel up energy.”, she said. “Yuri, is Jocelyn parents going to pick you up still?”

“Da, she should be any minute though, but knowing her, she’ll be ten minutes late.”, I said.

{}

JOCELYN

I was running my eyeliner across the eyes when my mom ran over a bump, making me groan as I moved the eyeliner away before I could mess up, “Mom!”.

She chuckled, “You should have never over slept and wouldn’t have to be forced to do your makeup in the car.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t let your son stay up all night playing video games.”, I said.

She chuckled, “Since when did you care about looking so nice for school? In sophomore year, you did nothing but wear sweat pants and t-shirts. I amazed you find a guy like Buck and dated you.”, she said and I groaned when she brought him up. “Or could be this be for a certain new student?”, she asked. "Hmm?"

I scuffed, playing it cool by smiling, “Uh, I don’t know what you mean.”.

“Sure you don’t.”, she said, chuckling.

“And a girl can change in one year.”, I said. “Italy is the country of fashion, I did a learn a few things there.”.

“And most of the clothes were bought by Yuri.”, she said. “Who are his parents again?”

I shrugged, finishing my makeup, “I don’t know, Yuri just said his father a rich business man and his mother married to some politician.”

“He spoils you to much.”, she said.

“I tell him not to and I even tried to return some of the things but they wouldn’t take it back without a receipt”, I said.

I looked in the mirror and played with my brown highlighted hair, making sure everything was perfect for the first day of school. My mom finally pulled into Yuri host parents house which looked like the rest of houses in the block. She beeps the horn and it was a minute before Yuri came out.

My heart missed a beat when he came out. He always manage to look handsome in the most average clothes. I would never tell him that or I would fill his giant ego.

He jumped into the back seat and leaned forwards, kissing my mom and I on our cheeks. Common European thing, but it still made my stomach flutter in my stomach and smile, “Ew, what have I said about that, Yuri? I don’t need your Russian cooties on me.”.

“Well I like them.”, my mom said and I rolled my eyes.

The drive to Genesis high school was a short drive, making it there in three minutes by car ride. We got out the car and waved bye to my mom. Like always, Yuri and I put our arms around each other but I was kind of hanging my arm in the air around his shoulders since he is like six inches taller than me.

I started to notice some people looking at me and I quickly brought my hand down, not liking the way they looked at me. The looked start on us curious but then turned to Yuri, wondering who he was. It made me nervous for people to think we were a couple. It was different back in Italy, everyone in the school knew us and knew we were friends but here there would be rumors going around fast like wild fire.

“It’s a good thing we have first class together.”, I said to him.

“Da,”, he said. He was blind by the way all the girls were looking at him, dreaminess in their eyes but I saw it and it angered me but I wont show I’m jealous in front of Yuri. I don’t want him ever think I have feelings that way for it. It would be weird and awkward, not to mention the possibly ruin our friendship, which I don’t want to ever happen. I like Yuri to much, he always seems to understand me.

We made it to the senior hallway and we have to part ways since our lockers were in different ends but all I had to really do was put my bag away and grab my binder, so I hurried to my locker and put my knew combo in.

When I finally got my stuff ready, I closed my locker. I turned and started down the hallway, making my way around the crowed hallway of students. I was closing into Yuri when he closed his locker. It wasn't until he closed his locker and turned that I saw his locker neighbour

I should have recognize Buck from his flannel red and black shirt and washed out blue jeans with one cut hole in the right knee part. I slowed my pace and Yuri looked confused, turning his head around to look at Buck.

When I made it to Yuri, Buck finally turned his head away from his iPhone, looking a little surprise when he saw me, “Jocelyn.”.

I forced a smile and awkwardly hugged my ex-boyfriend. I mean sure, it’s been over a year since we last saw or talked to each other but it was awkward still. “Buck! How are you doing?”, I asked, trying to play everything cool and not like I wanted to rip my hair out.
“Good. Wow, it great to have you back. I didn’t know you got back—I mean, I know you would of have to come back but I didn’t hear from you when you did”, he said.

“Yeah,”, I said, rubbing my right arm. Yuri coughed and I did a small jerk, “Yuri, this is Buck. Buck, this is my friend Yuri I meet in Italy.”

“Hello.”, Yuri said, holding his hand out.

“Hey.”, Buck said, shaking his hand. “So you to know each other.”

Yuri put his arm over my shoulder, pulling me really close to him and my cheeks heated a little, being so close to Yuri like this, “Da, I thought it would be fun to come to the country part of America, I have never been to this part but the cities.”

“Oh.”, he said and I felt Buck eyes on me, making me look up at him. Something in his eyes showed he didn’t look so surprise to see me anymore. “Well um, it’s nice to meet you Yuri but I better get to class. Catch you around.”, he said before leaving.

When he was gone, Yuri spoke, “How do you exactly know him?”, he asked, knowing there must be a real way we know each other.

“Uh,”, I said, chuckling, “I dated Buck before I left to Italy.”

“You dated a guy name Buck?”, he asked, sounding amused and I hit him.

“Shut up, it’s just a nickname. His real name is Dwayne.”, I said.

“Okay. Why’d he break up with you?”, he asked.

I scoffed, getting out his hold, “How do you know he broke up with me? I could have broken up with him.”.

He gave me a ‘whatever’ look and I hated him for doing that, “Come on Jocelyn, I know you.”

I stood there, my lips pressed together tightly hesitating. “He didn’t want me to go to Italy, so he broke up with me.”.

His amused look disappeared and his eyes soften, “Oh.”, he said.

“It’s nothing, Yuri.”, I said, not wanting him to feel sorry for me. “It was over a year ago, I’m over it.”

“Why didn’t you ever mention him before?”, he asked.

I shrugged, “Cause we broke up and I thought I would never have to talk to him. Talking about him would have just been more painful.”

To my surprise, he smile, “Well good, I don’t want to hear about any guy but me and how wonderful I am.”, he said.

“More like how annoying you are.”, I said.