The Journey Read Online Free PDF

all you wanted to say?”
    I didn’t answer.
    “It shocked me when you remembered my name.”
    I blushed. “Of course I remembered your name.”
    “Why’s that?”
    I bit my bottom lip. “Because I wanted to.”
    “I’d love to be able to say the same thing, Ladybug. Yours is a name I don’t ever wanna forget.”
    I swallowed hard. “It’s Jem… with a J.”
    He smiled and I swear I nearly swooned.
    “Isn’t Jim normally spelled with a J?”
    I blushed again. “Umm… No. It’s spelled with a G.”
    He cocked one blond eyebrow and sort of tilted his head to the side.
    “Jem… like in Gemstone—rubies, sapphires. Ya know?”
    Drella smiled again.
    Oh dear lord… I wish he’d never stop doing that.
    “I see. It’s Jem, J- E -M.” He chuckled. “Maybe next time you should say Jem with an E, seeing as how Jim with an I is pretty normal.”
    “Yeah, if you’re a dude.”
    Drella leaned closer. “And if there’s one thing you’re not, Ladybug, it’s a dude.”
    Two men walked by us and on into the store. The ringing of the door chime brought me back to my senses.
    “Oh, I better get back to work,” I said quickly, then ran back inside.
    “Later then, Ladybug,” he called out.
    I was still giggling when I got to the register.
    “I never thought I’d see the day,” Doug said when the place had quieted back down.
    “What day?”
    “The day you’d act like a giddy little school girl over some boy .”
    “What are you talking about? I am a school girl.”
    “Only for a few more months.”
    I didn’t say anything. I just pulled the overhead rack down and started filling up the cigarette bins with new packs. Doug kept eyeing me, but I pretended not to notice.
    “What about Baron?”
    I froze while ripping open a new carton of Salem regulars.
    “Crap,” I mumbled, closing my eyes and wincing.
    “Crap is right. Did you forget you had a boyfriend?”
    “Yeah. I sorta did.”
    Doug laughed then. “Man, it hit you hard, didn’t it? The whole two years you’ve been here, I’ve never seen you bat those pretty lashes at a guy. I don’t even think you act like that with Baron.”
    “That’s because I don’t bat my lashes.”
    “No, you didn’t used to bat them. That’s all changed now, Ladybug .”
    That same night while I was cleaning up the hotdog machine and putting on fresh coffee, the door chimed and a frazzled-looking lady came inside. She had on sweats and a t-shirt, best I can recall. No makeup, and I believe her hair was wet.
    “Who’s Jem?”
    My stomach dropped. I was immediately nauseous.
    What in the world— Who in the— “I… I am.”
    She came stomping towards me. Doug stepped out from behind the counter. I wanted to take a step back, but I was frozen in place.
    “You’re Jem?”
    “Y-yes, Ma’am. How can I help you?”
    “I was sent up here to find the pretty little Ladybug named Jem who had stolen my son’s heart. Drella has called me four times since he got back to school. He’s not gonna let me sleep until I at least try to get your full name and number.”
    Needless to say, I was in shock. “Oh… It’s—”
    “Here.” Doug handed me a deli order book and a pen. “Just write it down for the poor lady.”
    “Oh… Okay.”
    “Thanks,” she said, turning to Doug. “Kids—they’ll drive you crazy. But I’d do anything for him.” She turned back to me as I handed her the paper. “But this is a first. I’ve never seen him act like this over a girl before.” She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. Take care with my boy’s heart.”
    I only nodded my head. She sort of hmpfted and gave me a half smile before turning to go. Once she was out the door, my knees turned to jelly. I slowly slid into one of the nearby booths.
    “And just in the nick of time, too,” Doug said, looking out the window. “I do believe today has been your lucky day. Better hope you didn’t just use it all up.”
    I looked over at him, not understanding what in the world