It had been almost a year since Jake had last seen Brooke. It had been the longest they had ever been without seeing each other. For as long as either of them could remember they had lived next door to each other, seeing each other practically everyday, hanging out at school, walking home and sharing pretty much everything with each other, she was his best friend.
Now at the age of 19, they were both at separate universities, studying different things, their lives taking new and diverse paths. He had expected to have seen her during their Christmas break, but she had called him a few days before he went home to say that she and her family were spending the holiday with her grandparents. Jake was sad that he hadn't seen her, but knew there was nothing he could do about it. At the same time he knew he could have tried to keep better contact with her, instead spending the year partying with his housemates or in classes.
He had changed over the previous year. Where once he was scrawny and a bit lanky, he had bulked up with the influence of his friends encouraging him to go to the gym. It had worked too, his arms and shoulders had filled out and he was now starting to see the forming of a six pack coming through. He wondered if she would have changed as much as he had.
The morning after he arrived home, Jake went to join his mum as she was making breakfast, passing his things which were still piled up in the hallway. He could smell the bacon frying from his room, his mum breaking into a wide smile as he entered.
"Morning sweetheart, how did you sleep being back in your old room?" His mum, June, asked softly.
"As good as always mum, what you making?" He asked.
"Bacon, eggs, sausages are in the oven, with toast and coffee. Is that ok?" She asked knowing full well it would be.
"Sounds perfect, but you know I can cook now? I have looked after myself for the past year." He told her laughing at her motherly nature.
"Oh is that so? So I guess you don't want me to do your washing?"
"No, no, let's not go crazy here." He joked looking at the grin forming on her face. "I mean, I wouldn't want to take away all your favourite jobs."
"Little sod. Sit down, it will be ready in a minute."
It took longer than a minute but they were soon sitting down together to a hearty breakfast. His mum always tried to look after him as much as she could after his father had passed away a few years earlier. At first he felt guilty about leaving home for university, he didn't want her to be lonely, but he knew she wouldn't have wanted him to stay just for her.
They sat together eating their breakfast, catching up on the things they hadn't discussed the night before. It didn't take long for his mother to broach the subject of girls.
"So I noticed you haven't brought anyone home with you. You not seeing anyone?" His mum asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
"No, my engineering course is pretty full on, I haven't really had the time." He lied easily.
The truth was that university life hadn't worked out as he had hoped. He had expected crazy parties, like in the movies, with all single girls dancing around him, but it wasn't like that at all. His flat had hosted some big parties which always ended up with going to a bar or nightclub in town. He had had a great time for his first year, but every girl he met had either not been interested or was in a relationship. It had been a year since the first and only time he'd had sex.
"Well that's ok, there's plenty of time for girls after university. You know that Brooke came home yesterday too?" She said, finally getting to where she was trying to direct him.
"Oh yeah. How is she?" He asked looking down at his food. He had hoped she would be home soon, but didn't want his mum getting any ideas, she had often made comments about the two of them and that they would have made the perfect couple.
"Why don't you go and see her today?"
"Mum, don't start. I'm sure I will bump into her. Is there anything you need me to do today?" He asked.
"Oh changing the subject are we? Fine, you know what I think." She added unable to help herself.
"We are friends. We have been friends forever. That's it, the end. I just got home, I don't want to argue, so please, any jobs you need me to do? Or will I just be sitting out in the garden drinking a beer?"
"No it's fine, there's nothing really I need you to do. You could mow the lawn while I'm out if you want. I'm going shopping."
An hour later, the sun was high in the sky, the temperature rising steadily, for English weather it was pretty nice. He got into the shed, pulling out the lawnmower, and set it up at the top of the garden. Within a few lengths of the lawn, he was already feeling warm, stripping out of his t-shirt, using it to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"Remind me to order a gardener." Came a familiar voice behind him.
He turned round to see Brooke peering over the fence, her face and shoulders showing over the wood.
"I don't think you could afford me." He replied trying to keep a serious face.
"I'm sure we could come to some arrangement." She bantered back as she hopped herself over the fence landing neatly.
She looked just as he remembered. Her long blonde hair resting casually over her shoulders, framing her slim face, her blue eyes almost shining in the brightness. She had filled out over the year just as he had, her legs only partially covered by a pair of blue shorts, her calves clearly defined. Her chest had grown too, her vest top showing a bigger cleavage than he remembered but she was still the quintessential girl next door.
"How you doing Jakey?" She asked, grabbing him around his shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug.
"I'm good, and please don't call me that. We're not ten anymore." He said smiling from ear to ear, he had missed her more than he thought.
"How long you been home? How come you haven't messaged me saying you were back? I had to see you out the window like some creepy pervert."
"You didn't have to keep staring out the window, you would have seen me soon enough. You missed me?" He asked laughing at her absurdity. They hadn't spoken properly in ages but as soon as they were back home it was as if they had seen each other only the day before.
"How could I not, I need my best friend." She replied pulling him in for another hug.
He had never felt this strange attraction to her before. He wasn't sure whether it was the time they had spent apart, or the way that they had both changed, but he was looking at her in a completely different light now.
