Joshua's Island (James Madison Series Book 1)

by Patrick Hodges

  I took the long way back to get to Science class, past the basketball courts on the north side of the school. I carefully made my way up the stairs, through the gathering crowd, until I found myself outside Mr. Taylor's classroom. I knew it would be only minutes before Eve joined me, but those minutes seemed like hours.

  My classmates milled around, waiting for Mr. Taylor to return, and finally I saw Eve climb the central staircase. As soon as she hit the upper concourse, she saw me standing outside the classroom, and she made a beeline straight for me.

  When she was about ten feet away, I said, “So, how did it …”

  Eve ran the last few feet, grabbed the back of my head and kissed me harder than she'd ever kissed me before. She was clearly choked up, and after getting over my initial surprise, I just eased into it and let it happen, wrapping my arms around her. I heard a chorus of “Woooooooh!” from my classmates, who had formed a semicircle around us and were staring in amazement at what they were seeing. Screw discretion. Screw the flu. THIS is awesome.

  After a few long seconds, she broke contact and immediately brought her forehead close to mine, caressing my cheeks with her hands. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was breathing rapidly. I waited for her to say something, but nothing was coming out.

  I smiled and said, “So … it went well?”

  She nodded, smiling through her tears.

  Another perfect moment. So much could have gone wrong, but it hadn't. As Eve's tears subsided, she finally found her voice, though it only came out as the faintest whisper. “Thank … you.”

  I could feel myself getting choked up too. “You're welcome,” I replied.

  She closed her eyes and hugged me, so hard that I almost couldn't breathe. “I love you,” she whispered in my ear, still quite breathless. “I love you, I love you …”

  Wow.

  A tiny tear trickled down my face. I tightened my arms around her. “I love you, too,” I said, a little louder than I meant to.

  I heard three girls in the crowd go “Awwww.” A few yards in front of me, a guy named Kip that I'd known back in the third grade gave me a silent thumbs-up and a naughty grin. Oh, yeah.

  It would be several more minutes before Mr. Taylor came back from lunch. I honestly didn't mind the wait.

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, we got off the school bus at Eve's stop. Kelsey hadn't been there today; I figured she'd caught the same bug that was going around. While waiting under a tree for Kirsten and Sophie's bus, Eve touched her forehead to mine again. The science test had been an afterthought, and now we were alone, however briefly. “I can't believe you did that for me,” she said.

  “What happened, exactly? After I left, I mean?” I asked.

  We sat down on the curb, keeping an eye out for the bus.

  “Seeing them … standing there … I was so overcome. I burst into tears.”

  I chuckled. “You? Come on …”

  She smiled. “I was barely able to get the words 'I'm sorry' out. I said it over and over again. I thought I was going to faint.” She sniffed. “They both ran forward and held me. I couldn't stop crying, I was so happy. I just couldn't believe they were both there.”

  I exhaled again. “I was so afraid that all the bad stuff would come out, and that you would start fighting again.” I paused. “I had to try, Eve. It was a longshot, but I had to try.”

  It looked like she was just about to say something else, but at that moment, the school bus rumbled into view. We stood up, holding hands, waiting as the bus screeched to a halt.

  Kirsten got off first, followed by Sophie. Kirsten immediately ran forward and hugged Eve, but Sophie headed straight for me. “Joshua!” she yelled gleefully as she wrapped her arms around my waist.

  “Hey, you,” I replied, hugging her back.

  Kirsten noticed Eve's eyes were red and swollen. “Evie?” she asked. “What's wrong?”

  Eve smiled and pointed at me. “You're not going to believe what this guy did for me today.”

  They both looked at me. “What?” Kirsten asked.

  “Let's get home first,” Eve replied.

  Fifteen minutes later, in the Devereaux's family room, Eve sat her sisters down and told them what had happened during recess. Emily and Susan had forgiven Eve almost immediately, and after many minutes of make-up hugs, Eve had satisfied Emily and Susan's insane curiosity about how I, of all people, had become her champion. “I have my two best friends back,” Eve said, “thanks to him.”

  Kirsten and Sophie were looking at me like I was Superman. I knew what was coming next; this was a family of huggers, after all.

  Chapter 37

  DAY 46

  EVE

  As tired as I was, and despite my lingering sore throat, I was still giddy, long after Joshua had gone home. This had been, easily, the greatest week of my entire life.

  Staring up at my bedroom ceiling, clutching my heart-shaped pillow, I flashed back to the moment Joshua had brought me face-to-face with Emily and Susan. I was so shocked, I could feel my knees buckling. Before I could fall, though, they ran forward and kept it from happening. They supported me, just like they always had.

  Susan was as much of a teary mess as I was, and to hear Emily's voice say, “We forgive you, Evie,” in my ear was … well, indescribable. It felt like a two-ton weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. My worst mistake had been wiped away like it never happened. My world was whole again.

  Yes, I was still an outcast, and very deep in Rhonda's doghouse, but that problem seemed so small in comparison: I had my two best friends back in my life, and I was never going to put our friendship in jeopardy ever again, no matter what it took. And then there was Joshua.

  Joshua. Dear, sweet, incredible Joshua. Emily and Susan had told me what he'd said to convince them to forgive me, and I could only listen in sheer amazement. What a magical gift for words he had. Practically everything he'd done since the day we met, he'd done for me. For me.

  When I told my parents about Joshua's latest selfless act at dinner, even they were speechless. Eventually, my mom had said, “That boy's got a good heart.”

  Sophie, unable to resist, had piped up, “Wish I were a few years older.” She'd almost hugged poor Joshua into a coma after I finished telling them about his latest deed. Kirsten had followed by doing the same thing.

  As my mom often told us, when you find something special and wonderful in life, you hold onto it with both hands. Joshua was that something. Joshua, the boy that everyone had either abandoned, ignored, written off or looked down their nose at, had proved to have a bigger heart than anyone I'd ever met, myself included.

  He loved me. And I loved him. And that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

  Chapter 38

  DAY 47

  JOSHUA

  The flu bug that hit me earlier in the week claimed a few members of my soccer team as well. Rick was not his usual energetic self, and neither was anyone else. We were still a disorganized mess, and, playing our first road game, we got our butts kicked, 4-1.

  My dad was not pleased with our efforts. He told us after we dragged our butts off the field that we were going to practice like hell from now on, before the rest of the season got away from us.

  I knew at some point I'd have to have Eve in the stands cheering me on. Not only would it be great to have her there, but it would definitely make me look good in front of my teammates. But Eve told me before I left on Friday that she'd been invited over to Emily's house, and would be spending all day Saturday with her and Susan.

  This news actually made me very happy, and I hoped that by Monday, their friendship would be like it was before Rhonda had stuck her nose where it didn't belong. Besides, there'd be other soccer games. Maybe even a few that we could actually play well in.

  After the game, I sat in the back seat of my dad's car with one of my teammates, a sixth-grader named Charlie, whose house was on our way. He was a nice kid, and we were already on a friendly level wi
th each other even though we were two grades apart. Like me, he was short for his age, with sandy brown hair and ears that stuck out rather strangely from his head.

  After sitting silently for half the trip, he turned to me and said, “Are you doing okay, Joshua?”

  I looked back at him, puzzled. “I'm … doing fine. Why do you ask?”

  He looked embarrassed. “I just heard … you were having trouble. That's all.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  “You know … with bullies.”

  I eyed him curiously. “Who told you that? Was it Rick?”

  “No, it was some girl. She said her name was Bryanna. I think she's in the fifth grade.”

  I wondered if he was playing a practical joke on me. “I don't know anyone named Bryanna.”

  “Well, she knows you.” Charlie had a very honest face, and he seemed to be dead serious, which made me even more confused.

  “That's … weird, Charlie. A fifth-grader I've never heard of is telling people that I'm having trouble with bullies?”

  He nodded. “Unless there's another Joshua at our school …”

  I smirked. “Well, that must be it, then.”

  “… who has a girlfriend named Eve,” he finished. “Is that you?”

  I didn't respond. My personal problems were being talked about all the way on the other side of the school? I wasn't sure whether to be angry or flattered.

  Something very strange was going on.

  Chapter 39

  DAY 47

  EVE

  It'd been months since I'd been to Emily's house. As before, it was my home away from home. It felt so good to be there again, in the company of the two best friends I'd ever had. And thank goodness, my flu had mostly gone away.

  Emily was an only child, and now that she was a teenager, her parents had finally decided she was mature and responsible enough to be left at home unsupervised. They owned their own business, and once a month they made a two-hour drive to chair some sales seminar or something. Emily was so relieved not to have to go with them anymore, or to be babysat.

  I came close to crying several times over the course of the day; it was hard to be near them without being overwhelmed by the guilt I was still feeling. Finally, both Emily and Susan had taken turns whacking me in the head with some couch pillows until they were satisfied I'd learned my lesson once and for all. Now, that was a fitting punishment.

  I told Emily and Susan everything I'd learned in the last few months. Before I'd met Rhonda, I'd never even been on a date; and now, much to their amazement, I was hopelessly in love with the school outcast.

  Even though I'd tried to convince them that Joshua was a person worth getting to know, and in desperate need of friends, I wasn't sure whether they'd agree to let him into their lives or not. The last thing I wanted was to have to choose between their company and his, but Emily assured me that wouldn't be necessary.

  “Eve, I'm as guilty as you were. I believed all the stuff I'd heard about him, and I treated him the same way you did. After what he's done for you … and what he did for us,” she motioned to Susan, “I think he's more than earned our respect.”

  “He brought you back to us, Evie,” Susan added. “That's good enough for me.” She smiled. I'd so missed her gentle smile.

  A sad look came over Emily's face. “I'm so sorry, Evie,” she said, “about how I treated you before.” She looked down at the ground. “I was so … angry with you. I just couldn't get over it, even after Rhonda made you an outcast.”

  I walked over to the couch and sat down next to her, placing my hand on her shoulder. “Don't be, Em. I completely deserved it. I probably wouldn't have forgiven me either.”

  Emily looked up, and she was crying. “You don't understand, Evie. Susan wanted to forgive you, after you were banished. I … I wouldn't let her. Every time you tried to talk to us, all I could think about was how angry I was.” Susan came and sat down on Emily's other side.

  “What finally changed your mind?” I asked.

  “The last thing Joshua said before he walked away … was that he loved you. It was so unexpected, and yet … I believed it. It made me realize that I feel the same way.” She exhaled. “If he hadn't come to us … I might've stayed mad at you forever.” Another tear rolled down her cheek.

  I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her head down onto my shoulder. When she returned the hug, I whispered softly in her ear, “It's done, Em. It's all behind us now.” Susan joined in, putting her head on Emily's other shoulder. We both just held Emily, exactly as she and Susan had done for me the day before.

  After a few moments, I sat back and looked at them both. How could I have ever wanted something better than this? Such a thing doesn't exist. I don't think I'd ever loved them more than in that moment.

  “So …” Susan said, finally breaking the silence. “What happens now?”

  “Get to know Joshua, you guys,” I told them. “You won't regret it.” I had a sudden inspiration. “You know those bleachers where we talked yesterday?”

  “Yeah,” Emily replied.

  “That's become our place. We call it 'the Island.' It's where we got to know each other, where we became boyfriend and girlfriend, where we first kissed, where we said 'I love you' for the first time…”

  “Really?” Emily asked, thankfully smiling again. “That's pretty awesome.”

  “It is,” I replied. “I'd love it if you could join us there from now on.”

  Susan looked at Emily, who nodded. She smiled even more broadly than before. “Just try to keep us away.”

  Life is good.

  Chapter 40

  DAY 49

  JOSHUA

  I was actually looking forward to school this week. A month had passed since I'd last gotten beaten up, and it'd been nearly three weeks since Rhonda's threat. Eve told me on the morning bus that her mom had scheduled a personal meeting with Principal Baird for sometime this week, and I trusted Liz's ability to see through his empty promises in no time flat.

  Eve also told me about the day she'd spent at Emily's house, playing five months of catch-up with her and Susan. I was glad to hear that all of Eve's mistakes were now water under the bridge. I was even gladder to hear that I would be seeing a lot more of Emily and Susan from now on.

  * * *

  During the short break Mrs. Cox gave us between third and fourth periods, David gave me a gentle back-slap. “Congratulations, Josh,” he said. “You've really moved up in the world.” I didn't like being called 'Josh' like I did when I was younger, but David and I'd had a longer friendship than anyone else I knew, so I didn't correct him on it.

  I looked into David's blue eyes, and I was happy to see something besides sadness in them. The fact that he was having actual conversations with me again was a huge step for him. “Well,” I replied, “I wouldn't really call it 'up'… it's more like I'm no longer alone at the bottom.”

  “I heard what Rhonda did to Eve,” he replied. “I think it's so great you two found each other.”

  I was touched. “Thanks, Dave,” I said, smiling slightly. I'd been hesitant to ask him about his home life since he'd started speaking to me again, but I figured if we were going to rebuild our friendship, I had to make the first move. “How are things going with you?”

  He sighed heavily. “Taking it one day at a time, I guess.”

  I thought about his sister Heather, who was always so nice to me whenever I came over to his house. Never had a little girl loved her older brother more than her.

  I patted his shoulder. “You do know you can call me anytime, right? If you just want to talk or something, I'm here.”

  He didn't answer, but simply nodded. I saw how slumped his shoulders were, as if the events of the past year were like a weight on them. I wondered if that was how I looked before I met Eve.

  * * *

  As anticipated, the Island's population increased to four today. Watching the three girls walk up to the bleachers together was a sight to beho
ld. Eve's face had lost all of its sadness, and Emily and Susan seemed like completely different people to me. The hostility that had weighed them down for the past few months was gone.

  The four of us sat down on the bleachers, and I started to get to know Emily and Susan. I'd known all of them for a much shorter period of time than they'd known each other, so I expected to feel like an outsider; but Emily and Susan treated me like we'd all been friends for years. They were pretty amazing, these two.

  Emily, as it turned out, was an avid music-lover and was considering taking piano lessons. She'd discovered a talent for judo that summer – which surprised me a lot, given her reputation as a brainiac – and she also had an uncontrollable sweet tooth. Susan, I was surprised to learn, had a huge soft spot for animals, and had aspirations of becoming a veterinarian. For her entire life, she'd found it hard to open up to people, and I felt really honored Eve had convinced her to open up to me.

  “Are you guys doing Halloween in a couple of weeks?” I asked.

  “Hello? Chocoholic!” Emily said, grinning.

  “How about you, Joshua?” asked Susan.

  “I'm not sure,” I said. “Don't you think we're getting a little old for it?”

  Eve shook her head. “I don't! Besides, I have to walk with Kirsten and Sophie while they go begging for candy, so I might as well dress up too.” She edged in closer, taking my hand. “Come with us?”

  I smiled. “Oh, okaaaaaaay,” I said.

  All three girls laughed. It was a delightful sound.

  I sat back and looked at their smiling faces. I lost myself in the moment. It really was insane just how happy I was now. Why couldn't this have happened to me before?

  Suddenly, a wave of sadness washed over me, and I lowered my head. Sensing my sudden mood change, Eve asked, “What's wrong, Joshua?”

  “Three … years.” Shaking my head, I continued, “All that time, look what I missed out on. Three years I spent, hiding in the shadows, afraid to show my face. And for what?” I lowered my head again, running my hands through my hair.