The Future of Us by Jay Asher Read Free Book Online Page B

same date when they were both in their nineties. We loved the idea that they never had to live a day without the other. That’s how we got the names for our Hamburger Helper couple, and also how I picked my password.
    We were standing right next to Clarence and Millicent when Josh said, “I really like you, Emma.”
    I smiled. “I really like you, too.”
    “I’m glad,” he said, and then he stepped close like he was about to kiss me.
    I stumbled back. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “You’re . . . Josh .”
    As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I could see how much I hurt him.
    But I meant it. For my whole life, Josh had been the one person I could always count on. If something happened between us and it didn’t work out, I knew I would lose him. But in trying to protect us, I ended up losing him anyway.
    I close my eyes and, for the first time all day, let exhaustion overcome me.
    A short while later, my mom startles me awake.
    “Emma?” she calls from downstairs. “Can you hear me?”
    “Yeah,” I say. I sit up and rub my eyes.
    “Josh is here. I’m sending him up.”

14://Josh
    BEFORE ENTERING EMMA’S ROOM, I take a deep breath to calm down, but my fingers are clenched. The last time I saw Emma, she was getting felt up. While I considered not coming over tonight, I need to see what she read about me. I want to prove this is a hoax, tell Emma to get over it, and then go back to acting like I don’t live next door to her.
    Emma is sitting on the edge of her bed, still in her orange and black track uniform. Her hair is matted, and her cheek is creased like she just woke up. She smiles weakly, but she’s having trouble making eye contact.
    Emma shakes her head. “I’m sorry if—”
    “I don’t care,” I say, looking at her computer. “Let’s just forget it.”
    “I’m sure it hurt, so I want you to know—”
    “It didn’t hurt,” I say. “I was just surprised because I thought you were breaking up with him.”
    “Not that it’s any of your business,” Emma says, “but I am going to break up with him soon.”
    “Oh, I see. You just needed your tits grabbed one more time.”
    Emma’s eyes flash with anger, and I know I’ve gone too far.
    “You’re lucky I’m a nice person,” she says, “because I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. I know why you said it, but—”
    “ Why did I say it?” I ask. I want her to tell me that I’m jealous of Graham so I can laugh in her face.
    “Josh, if you want me to show you that website, then you really need to shut up.”
    Emma stomps to her desk. It feels good to know I’m not the only one pissed off right now.
    The brick wall screensaver is running. Emma jiggles the mouse. I can see her enter “[email protected],” then begin typing “M-i-l-l-i-c”
    “Is your password seriously Millicent ?” I ask.
    Emma looks up at me. “How did you guess that?”
    “I saw the first several letters and . . . do you want to hear something weird?”
    Emma shrugs, but doesn’t say anything.
    “On the school email accounts they gave us,” I say, “I chose Clarence for my password.”
    “No way!” Emma says. “Our Hamburger Helper eating—”
    “Ice-cream-truck driving—”
    “Middle-aged married couple.”
    “That’s them,” I say, and for the briefest moment we exchange a look as if we can both remember what it felt like to be best friends.
    Emma hits Enter and the computer beeps and crackles as it dials up to AOL.
    “Did you see Sydney today?” she asks, swinging her chair around.
    “We have Peer Issues together.”
    Emma smiles. “Did you say anything to her?”
    “I didn’t need to. My stupid face did all the talking.”
    Emma points a finger at me as if looking down the barrel of a gun. “But you didn’t think this was real.”
    “I still don’t,” I say. “While being able to see my future—especially that future—would be unbelievably awesome, it’s also unbelievable.”
    “ Welcome! ” the electronic