Teach Me To Behave

14. February 14

Staying smooth with Justin wasn't exactly the easiest task. We were completely different people with our mind sets beyond connection. He's outgoing and I'm shy. He's spontaneous and I'm a planner. He's the life of the party and I'm the girl in the corner. For the past month we've continuously pushed each other with our desires and our ways of work. Despite it all though, we can't stay away from each other.

"Hello, you look familiar. Have we met before?" I'm covering the freshly cooked croissants when Joey steps up to the front counter and jokes.

"Haha, very funny." I sarcastically laugh. Joey and I hadn't been seeing each other as much as we would've liked. Besides the fact that college is hectic enough, me now living off campus made it much harder to see Joey, Vicky, or Travis around anywhere.

"How's living in an actual home with Bizzle? You ready to move back on campus yet?" Joey slides into the stool on the opposite side of the counter from me.

I raise my brows, "Actually, it's going pretty well."

Joey slums his head, apparently not believing what I said, "You guys fight like every other hour," He chuckles.

"Yes, but we make up in between each argument." I defend and Joey rolls his eyes. "Couples have little fights all the time, it's not like they're that serious." I cross my arms. Joey stretches his arms up in surrender, he gives into what I was saying. "Can I get you something?"

"A French Vanilla would be great," Joey smiles sillily.

I turn around to the cappuccino machine and get his drink ready in a small white coffee cup. "One condition, it's on the house." I offer.

"Well in that case, throw in one of those croissants." Joey jumps and I giggle before walking over and placing a fresh piece in a plate.

I hand him his order when it's short prep time is complete. "What's with the hospitality?" He asks before biting into his croissant.

I shrug, "A thank you." I slide my hand into the back of my jeans and pull out a small folded paper. Joey glances at it with his mouth full. "It's a check for the grand you loaned me in the beginning of the last semester."

Joey nods, remembering his kind gesture. "So you're doing good then?" He asks and I nod genuinely.

Joey kills the sentimental mood a few moments later by going right back to critiquing my relationship, "So how many times has Bizzle ran away in the past month?"

I roll my eyes contently, "Really?"

Joey laughs at his own joke, "Legit question," he puts his hands up, "You know when I first met him, we used to call him the runaway. Even back in high school, he would always disappear for a days, weeks sometimes."

I furrow my brows. Justin was still living with his parents when he attending that one year of high school. If he'd run away, I highly doubt he'd come back to that wretched home. He wasn't running. He was being hid by his parents. And it made perfect sense. If Justin ever showed up to school with bruises or outer damage, people would start asking questions. His parents were slick, in a cruel way of course.

I choked up and further decided not to respond to Joeys comment. He had no idea what had actually happened to Justin, but that wasn't my story to tell.

Joey and I chatted for a while as he finished up his late breakfast. I cleaned down the counters, so ready for my shift to be over. I also didn't have class today, that meant I got to go home and lay on the couch. All day long.

"Bizzle got anything planned for V-Day tomorrow?" Joey asks while he scoops up the crumbs in front of him.

I shake my head, "Not sure. Though I can't imagine him being the romantic type like that, so I doubt it." I shrugged. I didn't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, I really loved Justin! I just figured, since he hadn't mentioned it yet, that he probably wasn't into that kinda stuff. In all honesty, I wasn't to really into it either.