🏃Clark's POV🏃

I stood in front of Jasmine's front door, crossing my arms and sighing as I waited.

I had texted Jasmine to come and open the door for me but she hadn't responded and I wondered if she had forgotten that we were going to hang out today and left for some reason.

I sighed and looked up, staring at the intricate details that were added to the outside of the mansion. Jasmine's parents were really rich.

I couldn't imagine having grown up in such a huge house with so much money.

Yet, that was how Jasmine and her brother, for the most part, grew up. I briefly think about how well Jasmine's parents raised her since she was very down to earth and grateful despite the wealth that she was surrounded with. I knew a person or three who could use some of that humility.

I finally heard the twisting of the door handle and smiled when my best friend Jasmine swung open the door.

"Oh, frick! I'm so sorry Clark!" She apologized in a rush, grabbing my arm and pulling me inside of her house.

I took off my shoes as she continued to apologize and soon we were walking towards her room.

"What took you so long Jazz? I thought that you might have left or something," I asked her with light confusion.

Jasmine rolled her eyes and huffed as she walked me up the stairs.

"I wish that was the reason. I got a little bit too excited with my mom's food last night and it got excited right back. Did you know that food likes to get turnt in the bathroom as it leaves your butthole?" Jasmine tried to keep a straight face but started cackling when my face contorted. I rushed down the hall to her bedroom to get away from her.

"I did NOT need that visual Jasmine," I complained, quickly walking over to her bed to stay away from her stink ass. "That is disgusting."

Jasmine just grinned evilly and I cringed at what she was about to say.

"Oh Clark, we're both humans here. We both pee and poop, just like our mammal cousins." She preached, her voice getting incredibly dramatic as she spoke. "It is . . . the circle of digestion."

I burst out laughing and Jasmine grinned cheekily.

"That was good wasn't it." I just shook my head and sighed. I waved Jasmine over to me and she came quickly, ready to hear something juicy.

"I hope you know that I only keep you around for laughs." I told her with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and sat besides me.

"Okay, yeah, I believe you." She clearly didn't but I wasn't being serious. "Now that that is out of the way what's wrong?"

I was surprised then. I was planning on telling her what I was thinking about but much later, not right after we started talking.

"What? How- what are you talking about?" I asked her, still stunned that she had known. She sighed and shook her head at my thick skull.

"Clark Robinson, I have known you for more than two years. And, during those years have spent every weekend watching you and learning just about everything about you. How am I not supposed to know when something is bothering you?" She went on to ask. I wanted to argue but I couldn't really. It was Jasmine.

I was now glad that Mason and Mark weren't here to make this conversation even heavier. The two had both been busy for some strange reason but I was not complaining since it gave me even more hope for my ship.

I sighed and leaned back to rest my weight on my hands behind me.

"I guess that I have to tell you what is bothering me then, huh?" I wondered aloud, ignoring Jasmine when she nodded like a crazy person.

I looked away from Jasmine and thought for a moment, wanting to make sure that what I said came out right.

"Jazz, I don't know what to do with my life," I confessed, my shoulders dropping as the dark thought grew. "I have no idea what I am going to do in the future, I can barely see any change happening within the next year." Jasmine didn't do anything for a bit before she finally responded.

"Okay, so why do you think so?"

I pondered her question for a second.

"Well I have been working at Micheal's Bookstore for eight months now and I don't think that it will do much more for me but I can't imagine doing anything else," I tried to explain, meeting Jasmine's eyes again. "I think I want to do something else but I don't have a good idea. Can you help me?"

Jasmine raised one well-done eyebrow and looked me dead in the eye.

"You want me to decide your future for you." She confirmed, causing me to scrunch up my face for a moment.

"Not exactly what I had thought in my head but I guess when you say it out loud . . . " I trailed off, letting her assume.

Jasmine stood up and clapped her hands.

"Okay, options." She said and started with the obvious. "What about college? Ethan is loaded and would be happy to pay for you, and even if he wasn't my whole family is so you have tons of people willing to cover your fee."

I shook my head at her suggestion.

"That is sweet but I thought about it already. I don't want to go because I have no idea what I want to do. You guys would all just be wasting your money on me learning stuff I might never use in the job I eventually chose." I reasoned softly. Jasmine hummed in understanding.

"Then I guess a job, do you have any idea, at all, of what you might be good at?" She questioned from where she stood. I bit my lip and tried to rack my brain for the good talents I had.

"I don't know, I dress nicely- this is hopeless!" I groaned in frustration, throwing my face into Jasmine's mattress and not noticing Jasmine, who was mouthing the words I said as I said them. "I'm probably terrible at everything!"

"Yes Mr. 3.9 GPA, you are terrible at everything," Jasmine sarcastically agreed. "Gosh, you are dramatic. Can you please focus Clark, what are you interested in?"

I sighed pitifully before dragging myself until I was sitting up again.

"Why don't you decide Jazz, since you know me so well and all." I offered instead to a lightly frustrated Jasmine.

Jasmine was looking up at the ceiling when her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea.

"Oh! My sister Meaghan offered you a job, didn't she? She works at a place that decorates homes and wedding venues and funerals and stuff right?" Jasmine blurted out, turning to me enthusiastically.

I tilted my head and shrugged.

"Yeah, why?"

Jasmine looked at me incredulously and flailed around her hands.

"What do you mean 'why'? Meaghan makes a ton of money, she already offered you the job and you watch Mr. Kate and those other random decorating YouTubers like crazy!" She explained, counting her points off on her fingers. "It's perfect!"

I thought about and realized why Jasmine thought it was perfect, but I was quick to come up with reasons why it wouldn't work out.

"In theory, yes. But Jazz, Meaghan hasn't talked to me about it for a hot minute now. Even if she still wanted me to work for her I just watch those people on YouTube for fun, that doesn't mean that I will be great at it." I argued. Jasmine shook her head ruffly and threw her hands onto her hips.

"Oh please, you are just scared." She stated, not giving me a chance to disagree. "This is a great opportunity Clark, and even if you don't love it you make money and you get more experience, both of which will help you in the long run."

I sighed, looking at Jazz to see that she was completely convinced.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it since I trust you and all." Jasmine cheered and threw herself on top of me.

After a few seconds she got off and I straightened my clothes. Jasmine giggled when I huffed.

"I will never get used to that," I tell her honestly.

"You don't have to, I can still jump on you all the same," she told me with a content smile.

The two of us went in to talk about our usual randomness when I was an idiot and decided to mention her birthday.

" . . . You can't keep talking like that Jasmine, you're going to be seventeen soon." I teased her with a laugh, the color then draining from my face when Jasmine remembered her birthday was coming up.

"You just reminded me!" She squealed in excitement, unfortunately also permanently damaging my eardrums in the process. "I don't think I told you what I have planned yet Clark!"

I shook my head.

"No, you didn't tell me." I croaked painfully, still rubbing my ears.

"Yes! Okay! I'm going to go classic and have a ball theme. It is going to be like modern Cinderella but about me. Everyone will have to wear blue, white, and black only and oh! We can bring dates and there will be dinner!" She gave me the rough outline of what her party would be like, her words trying to join together in her haste to tell me all of it.

I smiled tiredly.

"That sounds awesome Jazz, I'm sure your party will be great."

Jasmine agreed. She agreed so much because she said that my interior decorator boss and I would help organize and set up the party along with all of our friends.

I just can't wait.