Joey is New Orleans' newest resident. With no family or friends, she takes a job as a photographer at Marley Gym to scrape by.
Her muse: Harold Beaumont, the merciless boxing champ.
"Want breakfast?" I ask my leggy one night stand. After training yesterday, I made a new friend at the bar a block away from the gym. The girl with black hair, and dark eyes sleepily grins up at me from my messy bed.
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"You offering to make me breakfast?" She asks, smiling a perfect smile framed by lipstick. She's wearing makeup? I thought I felt her get up early this morning. Stifling down my laughter, I hide my grin behind my hand in an effort to spare her feelings.
A majority of my one night stands sneak out of bed at the crack of dawn, reapply their makeup, then pretend they woke up naturally looking like that. It's hilariously dumb to me, but if it makes them feel pretty, then who am I to stop them?
"After breakfast you wanna go for round two?" The girl smirks up at me, pressing up against me.
"I would," I detangle myself from her, "but I have to go."
"Work?" She asks.
"Yeah, something like that." I don't bother to explain I'm a boxer. I already slept with her. Settling for our morning after breakfast, my one night stand finds her clothes.
Today just feels like it's going to be a good day.
------ "Good morning, Joey." I greet the dirty blonde photographer. Oddly surprised, Joey's hands abruptly drops her camera. The expensive camera would have crashed into pieces on the floor if it was tied around her neck. With an apprehensive glance over her shoulder, Joey manages a weak grin up at me.
"Hi Toby." Joey tries her best to sound upbeat, but her hoarse voice, the voice my angry exgirlfriends would tell me off in after sobbing all night, gives her away. Her hazel eyes are puffy, and swollen. Her nose is an irritated red. Her face is splotchy, yet pale. The usual beaming, genuine, caring Joey is nowhere in sight. It's heartbroken expression, that's just as heartbreaking to look at.
"Joey, what's wrong?"
"That obvious?"
"Please tell me you watched the Notebook last night." With a small shake of her dirty blonde head Joey confirms that something serious ruined her good nature. I've never felt so upset over a teary eyed girl before, but seeing Joey sad makes me upset.
"I rather not talk about it." Joey shrugs off.
"If you do, I'll be here." I offer, wanting to find a way to alter her sulk into a smile.
"Thanks, Toby."
"Come on, let's go annoy Harry till he loses form." Harold Beaumont surely will cheer her up, since she likes that gloomy, angsty boxer so much.
"Um, I'll stay here." Joey's face pales, then worsens into an ugly red. Her hazel eyes tear up, but she quickly ducks her face behind her camera.
Oh.
"I have a lot of work to do." She obviously lies, busying herself with taking pictures.
That's who made her cry all night.
Without calling out her obvious lie I cross to the other side of the gym to Harold's corner. Harold angrily wails on a poor trainer in not enough padding up high in a ring. His impacting fists slapping to hard against the poor guy.
"Hey." I call out for Harold's attention. With one more furious punch, he allows my interruption, and wonders over to me. The trainer limps out of the ring when Harold isn't looking, and bee lines for the infirmary.
"What?" Harold angrily pants, more pissed off than usual. His flared temper proves that something went down between him and Joey. Normally, I wouldn't be concerned if Harold made a girl cry, he or Noelly do it to much to keep count of. Also, Harold wouldn't be so bothered if he did, but he's practically breathing fire. More important, this isn't some one night stand expecting more or who offends easily, this is Joey.
Joey, who greets everyone with a smile, no matter if you're rude to her, like Harold and Noelly. Joey, who congratulates us after every win, and is proud of us. Joey, who tries her hardest to make sure that every photo of us isn't subpar, but something really beautiful. Joey, who started making the gym fun. Joey, who is the first real female friend I've ever had, that actually takes an interest in me, and likes who I am.
"What did you do to Joey?" I cut straight to the point. Harold's face storms over into a livid glare, his nostrils flared, and his brown eyes darkening. Everyone is terrified of Harold, everyone except Noelly and I. Standing my ground I unblinkingly stare back, unfazed. I've seen the worse of Harold, endured his most awful fits, and been at the end of them. This doesn't scare me.
"What the hell did you just say to me?" Harold seethes. He jumps down from the ring with a loud thud, menacingly cracking his knuckles at me.
"Joey hasn't looked in your direction in days. She's over there crying." I point over at Joey, whose crying into her camera on the other side of the gym, her trembling shoulders the only distinction.
"She is?" The glare falls off his face, a concern I've never seen him experience knocks that glare right off his face. That's something I never thought possible. Just as fast as it happened, Harold's glare instantly covers his face.
"Mind your own damn business." Harold barks, going to push at my shoulders, but I dodge away. Is he seriously about to get physical with me, his best friend, over a girl? Whatever Harold did to Joey, he aware that he ruined their relationship, and he's extremely mad at himself for it, that anyone near him will know just how upset he is. Instead of retaliating, I brush off Harry's blow, because he's my best friend, and he's hurting just as much as Joey is.
With a heated huff like a bull, Harry walks off, hitting every nearby punching bag even if it's preoccupied or not.
Joey'sPOV
I can't bare this. When no one was looking I've been crying my eyes out all day. It hurts. It feels like the jagged pieces of my broken heart have been jabbing their sharp ends into my fleshy vital organs, bring tears to my eyes with each stab.
Just when I felt like I could take a steady breath, and my cheeks were dry, I started bawling all over again. Having to be near Harold all day was torture. I had to painstakingly force my eyes in his opposite direction for days, but all I want to do is go up to him, and wrap my arms around him. I want to hear his voice, I want to see that grin he always tries to hide, I want to be with him. He kissed me, yet I'm the one who ruined everything with my feelings.
Something collides into my back, sending me stumbling into a nearby punching bag.
"Sorry." A familiar, angry voice gives me chills. Harold storms past me, glancing at me with his usual glare. My heart shoots up into my throat, painfully and, unevenly beating hard lodged up against my throat.
My mouth opens, then clams shut. Our eyes lock, making my stomach churn. Even though he's been ignoring me all week, my feelings don't falter. Not even a little bit.
"Leave me alone." He grumbles, stomping off. Hot tears prickle my eyes like thumbtacks, leaving trails down my cheeks. That hurt, a lot, too much. Choking down a sob I reach into my pocket for my lens cap, but instead pull out a small pack of tissues that certainly wasn't there before Harold bumped into me.
A/N: please take note how Toby stops going by nickname (Harry) when's he's mad at Harold.
Also, I beg everyone not to assume that Joey and Toby are going to cause a love triangle just because they get along.
Female and male friendships are just as important as romances.
