meant to be | j. parker¹

FORTY-THREE

It had been a quiet few weeks for JJ and Aaliyah. The couple was still trying to recover over their recent loss...They both had different ways of grieving: JJ tried his best to work out his anger by hitting the field and running drills while Aaliyah on the other hand did her best to stay holed up in her room once she got released from the hospital and put all her energy into avoiding people.

"Hey, do you need a ride? Or does JJ have a car yet?" Liv asked walking into her sister's room.

"We're actually walking to school today," Aaliyah told her, turning around to look at the worried expression on her sister's face. "I promise I'm fine. We just wanted to walk to school for a change. He should actually be outside soon."

"As long as you're not having some PTSD over being in a car again. Then I'm not worried," Liv said, holding her hands up defensively.

Aaliyah shrugged her shoulders. "No PTSD over here. Come on, let's go downstairs."

Walking down the steps, the two girls were cheerily greeted by their father. "Cinnamon doughnuts for my favorite daughters."

"What?" Liv shrieked. "You haven't made these in like forever, dad."

"Yeah..." Aaliyah nodded, squinting suspiciously at him. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," he chuckled. "It's a, uh, token of our appreciation. You both have handled yourselves with grace and maturity this entire week. So, thank you."

"Of course. I mean, going to school in your PJs is pretty boss I'd do it again," Liv told them.

"I haven't even been to school," Aaliyah hummed. "So, that's been nice."

Liv looked around the room, patting her pockets down. "Have you guys seen my keys?"

"Uh, I have them," Billy told her. "Yeah, uh, just to be safe, I don't think you should drive alone."

"School's like ten minutes away. I'll be fine," she argued.

"It's just for a couple of days, please, for me," Billy pleaded.

"Aww, are mommy and daddy gonna take you to school?" Aaliyah teased, poking her sister's cheek.

"We're living in the craziest time of times, and y'all don't lock your front door?" Willie questioned, bursting through the front door. "Also...there's a white boy standing by your gate. I threatened to call the police on his ass."

"That's my boyfriend," Aaliyah softly chuckled, walking past her grandfather. "And we're walking to school. So, see you later!"

JJ's eyes immediately lit up once he saw his girlfriend walk towards him. "Hey, your grandpa threatened to call the police on me."

"Sounds like him," she giggled, lacing their fingers together and stepping on her tiptoes to kiss him.

"Why was he here?" he asked.

"He's driving Liv to school," she shrugged. "My parents don't want her driving since she got pulled over."

"Of course, makes sense," he mumbled. "So, my dad's are getting me a new car after school and then we're getting dinner. Wanna come with? I don't really want you walking by yourself."

"No. You should spend time with them. I could use the walk by myself," she responded. "It's not that far of a walk."

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, quickly stopping her from entering the school. "Are your stitches healing alright? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine," she reassured, pressing a kiss against his bicep. "Now, come on, let's get to class. Ooh, before I forget, we should go to the game tomorrow. Crenshaw versus Westlake should be good!"

"I'll pick you up!" he yelled, as the two went their separate ways heading towards class. The couple was basically inseparable during the school day up until the very last class which they, unfortunately, didn't have together.

"Aaliyah! Wait up!" Asher yelled out after the last bell rang and the two exited their class together.

"What's up, Ash?" she asked, shoving a binder into her backpack.

He held his keys up and waved them around at the girl as they walked out to the parking lot. "I have been ordered to drive you home."

"Did my boyfriend put you up to this?" she asked looking at him nod in confirmation. "He worries too much. I could've walked home."

"He's just worried about you," Asher said, opening the passenger door for her. "He told me what happened. I'm sorry, by the way."

"It's fine," she sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Thanks for the ride. See you, tomorrow."

"I'm here if you or JJ want to talk," Asher softly told the girl watching as she picked her backpack off of the floor.

"We know. Thanks, Ash," Aaliyah smiled.

✯✯✯

The following day was the South Crenshaw versus Westlake game. Aaliyah sat on the edge bed actually contemplating whether or not she wanted to leave the house.

"So, I met your grandma," JJ announced, walking into her room. "She's way nicer. She said I was handsome," JJ grinned walking over to his girlfriend. "Hey...what's wrong?"

"Sorry, I just don't really want to go anymore," she admitted. "I promise I have no PTSD about getting into a car with you or anything like that. It's more...me not being ready to go. I haven't really been outside in like, a week. Today was my first day back at school and—"

"I get it," he said, sitting beside her on the bed and picking her hand up from her lap. "I understand...What if we just stayed in your room? I can order some food and we can just binge watch that stupid show that you got me into," he suggested, pressing a kiss against her forehead.

"Yeah, that sounds nice and for the record, I know you secretly love Vampire Diaries," Aaliyah grinned wrapping her arms around him. Both of them were in Aaliyah's bed, after she had given him some spare clothes that she had stolen from him so he wouldn't be uncomfortable in his jeans while she just threw his patterned button up over her body. The two had spent the entire night binge watching Vampire Diaries and eating a bunch of junk food.

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