Hostage of Love (Teacher/Student)

Chapter 9

Picture is of Julie.

The end of the chapter is rated NSFW. You have been warned.

-CFF

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"Joey, wait for me!" Joey stops at the end of the hedge that we've been walking alongside for the past little bit. He turns and smiles at me, his cheeks bold and round to match his grin. He says nothing as he waits for me; he just stands there and smiles, his hands shoved into the front pockets of his overalls. I change the position of the picnic basket that I'm carrying, switching it to my other arm. Joey takes one of his hands out and holds it up for me to grab. I smile down at the boy and take his hand before we continue on our way.

We enter to park that's located in the center of town. Its filled with trees that are set in a circle, spiraling outwards from the center. There's a row of hedges that creates a fence, marking the outer boundaries of the park. It's always green here. Whether the flowerbeds are in bloom, the bright grass that forms a carpet beneath our feet, or simply the green paint on the benches, there is always green in this place.

Joey's unoccupied hand stretches out in front of him, his finger pointing to one of the trees. As we keep walking, my eyes follow his finger and discover our destination. John is sitting on a blanket that is laid at the bottom of one of the trees. Eden lays beside him on her stomach. She props herself up by her elbows and uses her hands to keep the book in front of her open.

Joey lets out a giggle and removes himself from my grip, before he begins to run to my friends. John opens his eyes at the sound and stands up. His arms reach out to grab the little boy and he hugs him tightly. Both Eden and John have close ties to Joey, especially since they know all of the difficulties that he and I have been through.

Joey absolutely adores John and I can hear his greeting as I approach. His voice is filled with happiness and he has a smile to match. "Jawn! I miss Jawn!" John waves at me before giving me a response. "You did? I missed you too mini." He's called Joey that for as long as I can remember. I set down the basket on the colorful blanket and take a seat next to Eden.

"What book are you reading?" She corrects me immediately. "Re-reading. Its Dangerous Attractions." She turns to look over her shoulder. "You seriously need to read it." I reach into the basket and pull out a jar of preserves, and a loaf of bread to go with it. "How many times have you read it now?" Her fingers lazily flip a page. "This is my fifth." My eyebrow raises slowly and stays there until she notices it. "What?"

I shrug. "Oh nothing. Except you never. Never. Read books that much." Eden sits up as I unscrew the lid of the jar. "Okay.. but I really really like this one. So I'm re-reading it." She sticks her finger into the dark jam and pops it into her mouth, sucking on the sweetness. I hold it away from her as she tries to repeat her actions.

"Use a knife. And wait. This is for the picnic, not just for your usage." Eden closes her book, setting it out of the way. "Fine. I'll wait. But I get first sample!" I smile at her. By this time, John's stopped talking to Joey and he sets the little one down. Right away Joey scampers to my side, taking a seat beside me. John sits opposite him, making our company form an awkward circle.

We start to take items out of the picnic basket, sharing with each other. The jam went by quickly, surprisingly. It was an old tradition between the three friends. For as long as the Hayes had lived in their farm, Arista Hayes had been preserving things since the days of her early marriage. Even before Adrianna had been born, it was a routine for her. After the birth, once Adrianna was old enough Arista had made that routine include her daughter. John, Eden, and Adrianna would eat those preserves every summer, no matter the kind.