The Walls Between US

Chapter 2 - Jonah - The Boy Who Makes Everyone Laugh

Everyone loves the funny guy.

Nobody asks why he's always performing.

I should've walked away.

That was the first thing I thought when I reached the doors of the student center.

I should've left Imani alone.

She'd told me she was fine.

Twice.

Actually, knowing Imani, it was probably closer to seventeen times.

But something about the way she'd said it bothered me.

Of course.

Not I'm fine.

Not I'm okay.

Of course.

Like there wasn't another option.

I glanced over my shoulder.

She was still sitting at the table.

Laptop open.

Phone facedown.

Shoulders tense.

And the smile she'd been wearing ten minutes ago was gone.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

"Beck!"

I turned.

Levi jogged toward me, football tucked beneath his arm.

"You coming?"

"Depends."

"On?"

"Whether you're planning to throw that thing at me."

He looked at the football.

"We have practice."

"Then unfortunately, yes."

Levi laughed and tossed it anyway.

I caught it against my chest.

"Assault."

"You're a football player."

"Still assault."

"You coming or not?"

I looked back one more time.

Imani was staring at her phone again.

Levi followed my gaze.

Then looked at me.

Then back at Imani.

A slow smile appeared.

Oh, hell no.

"Don't."

"I didn't say anything."

"Your face did."

"My face?"

"Very loud face."

Levi grinned.

"You like her."

"I like lots of people."

"Not like that."

"Kennedy has ruined you."

"How?"

"You believe in love now."

He laughed.

"And you don't?"

"Absolutely."

Levi raised an eyebrow.

I handed him the football.

"I love pizza."

"Jonah."

"I love sleeping."

"Jonah."

"I have very strong feelings about chicken wings."

He shook his head.

"You're impossible."

"And yet you keep inviting me places."

We started toward the athletic center.

Levi kept smiling.

I knew that smile.

It was the same one he wore whenever he thought he'd figured something out.

He hadn't.

Nobody had.

And I planned to keep it that way.

Practice ran late.

By the time Coach finally dismissed us, the campus had gone quiet.

Most students had already disappeared into dorms, apartments, parties, or whatever normal college students did on a Friday night.

I took my time showering.

Then I took my time changing.

Then I retied my shoes even though they weren't untied.

"You planning on moving in?"

I looked up.

Levi stood near the locker room door.

"Rent's reasonable."

"You know we have to be at Kennedy's in an hour."

"I'll be there."

"You need a ride?"

"Nah."

"You sure?"

There was that question again.

Not the same words Imani had gotten.

But close enough.

I smiled.

"Blackman, are you asking me on a date?"

He rolled his eyes.

"See you tonight."

"Tell Kennedy I expect food."

"Bring something."

"That's not how invitations work."

"It is when you're invited every weekend."

He disappeared down the hallway.

The smile left my face.

I sat alone for another ten minutes.

Then fifteen.

Eventually, there was no excuse left.

I grabbed my bag.

My car knew the route home better than I did.

Left at the light.

Straight past the gas station.

Right after the pharmacy.

Another left.

Then the neighborhood.

I drove slowly.

Not because I was tired.

Because every red light gave me another thirty seconds.

Every stop sign gave me another five.

Every car in front of me was doing me a favor.

Eventually...

I turned onto my street.

My hands tightened around the steering wheel.

The house appeared at the end of the block.

Lights on downstairs.

His truck in the driveway.

I stopped breathing for a second.

Then forced myself to inhale.

"Great," I muttered.

I pulled into the driveway but didn't turn off the engine.

One minute passed.

Then two.

My phone buzzed.

For half a second, my stomach dropped.

Then I saw the name.

Kennedy

Don't forget tonight. 8PM. And bring something besides your appetite 😂

I smiled.

Me: My personality is my contribution.

Three dots appeared.

Kennedy: Then we're still waiting on your contribution.

Damn.

I laughed.

Out loud.

That was the thing about Kennedy.

Sweetest person you'd ever meet...

until she decided to roast you.

I typed back.

Me: Imani's influence is ruining you.

The front porch light came on.

My smile disappeared.

The front door opened.

My father stood there.

Even from the car, I could tell he wasn't happy.

He didn't wave.

Didn't smile.

Just stared.

Waiting.

I locked my phone.

Turned off the engine.

And sat there for one more second.

Just one.

Then I opened the door.

"You're late."

I hadn't even made it to the porch.

"Practice ran over."

"Practice ended forty minutes ago."

Of course he knew.

"I talked to Coach."

My jaw tightened.

I forced a smile.

"Didn't realize I had a curfew."

His expression changed.

Wrong answer.

I knew it the second the words left my mouth.

"You think you're grown now?"

There it was.

I adjusted the strap of my bag.

"I'm in college, Dad."

"That wasn't my question."

I looked toward the door.

Anywhere but directly at him.

"I have somewhere to be tonight."

He stepped closer.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you."

My body went still.

Not visibly.

I'd gotten good at that.

Inside was different.

Inside, every alarm I had was screaming.

I looked at him.

His jaw was tight.

Shoulders rigid.

I recognized the signs.

I always recognized the signs.

"Sorry," I said.

One word.

Easy.

Safe.

His eyes stayed on me for another second.

Then he stepped aside.

"Get inside."

I walked past him.

No joke.

No smile.

No Jonah Beck.

That version of me didn't live here.

My room was exactly how I'd left it.

Bed made.

Desk clean.

Nothing out of place.

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it.

My phone buzzed.

Imani

I stared at her name.

That was unexpected.

I opened it.

Imani: Kennedy said you're supposed to bring drinks.

I smiled despite myself.

Me: Wow. You texted me first. Should I frame this?

Her response came immediately.

Imani: Don't make me regret it.

Me: Too late. This is basically our anniversary now.

Imani: Buy the drinks, Jonah.

Me: What kind?

Imani: I don't care.

I thought about her phone facedown on the table.

Her shoulders tensing.

That fake smile.

Me: You okay?

Nothing.

Thirty seconds.

A minute.

Then:

Imani: Why do you keep asking me that?

I stared at the screen.

Good question.

Maybe because I'd recognized something.

Not what she was hiding.

I didn't know that.

But I knew what it looked like when someone changed the second their phone buzzed.

I knew what it looked like when a smile appeared too quickly.

I knew what it felt like to want someone to stop asking questions...

while secretly wishing they'd ask one more.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard.

I typed:

Because you didn't look okay.

Deleted it.

Then:

Because I'm secretly sensitive.

Deleted that too.

Finally:

Me: Because I'm annoying. It's one of my best qualities.

Three dots.

Then:

Imani: At least you're self-aware.

I laughed quietly.

There she was.

A knock hit my bedroom door.

Three hard taps.

My entire body stiffened.

"Jonah."

Dad.

I locked my phone.

"Yeah?"

"Come downstairs."

I closed my eyes.

Just for a second.

Then I stood.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

Same dark hair.

Same face.

Same guy everyone at McKinley knew.

I smiled at my reflection.

Perfect.

Nobody would know.

I opened the door.

And just before I walked downstairs, my phone buzzed again.

I looked.

Imani: And Jonah?

Another message appeared.

Imani: I'm fine. Stop worrying.

I stared at those words.

Then laughed once under my breath.

Not because they were funny.

Because for the first time all day...

Imani Samuels and I agreed on something.

We were both liars.