Loving Jemima

17. Pick a damn side

Matty

"Max?" Jem asked half asleep "my head hurts, it feels like it's being squished"
"You hit your head Emmy, remember?"
She shook her head at him "I don't remember max" she sat up "can you hear ringing?"
"No that's just from where you hit your head"
"Oh hello" she said to Laura who laughed
"Hello Em, how you feeling?"
"I'm Max's girlfriend"
"That's right Emmy!" Max said grinning ear to ear "you remember"
"But Matty doesn't know so Laura has to keep it a secret"
"I know Jem" she screwed her eyes up at me looking me over then shuffled closer to max nervously.

"Max? What's my dad doing here?"
"No thats matty" Max looked as confused as me, she looked at me closer examining me
"Are you sure?" She asked, Max nodded "I don't like my dad, he shouts and breaks the furniture. He hits my matty! He broke his arm and locked him in garden in his underpants, in the snow!"
"Jem it's me look, I don't even look anything like dad I look like grandad on mums side if anything." I moved closer taking her hands and putting them in my face, I don't know why, she could clearly see it was me, touching my face wasn't going to help. "I didn't know you remembered that winter." I sighed, that was a tough winter before dad finally left, I had hoped she'd forgotten it.
"Matty you came back for me" she smiled and gave me a hug, I squeezed her tight, she looked at Laura again "hello" we all laughed and Jem looked confused, her bruising looked worse and was now multicoloured. She sat snuggled up to max while he fussed over her telling her bits and pieces trying to jog her memory. Her phone rang and max passed it to her looking over at me smugly, I cocked my head at him. "Oh this is going to be interesting" he said to me.

"It's peter, Petey's my bestest friend" she told Laura who nodded wide eyed and smiled, talking to Jem right now was like talking to an over excited forgetful toddler. When I realised it was a FaceTime call and I rubbed my face worriedly, max continuing to smirk at me, knowing full well peter was going to kick off. Jem lay back on max and he held the phone up for her.
"Hola doodlebug, William just rang me, he's really upset, he was crying and ranting about...Wait it's true! what the fuck!"
"Hola petey" Jem waved down the phone happily
"She's very confused and all over the place at the moment mate, hi" max explained from behind Jem, giving him a wave
"Am I?"
"Yes baby, you hit your head remember"

"Hit her head! That's not What William said! He said..."
"She can't remember and we haven't told her yet"I called out stopping him
"Max hit me" Jem said to peter "no wait that's not right" she shook her head "William hit me?" She turned asking max
"No baby"
"My head hurts peter!" She whined at him "and they won't turn off the the ringing noise, I asked them but they won't switch it off! They're being really mean to me Petey! can you make them switch it off Petey?"
"What?"
"She has ringing in her ear, part of the concussion but she thinks it's...I'm not sure what she thinks it is" max giggled kissing her head

"Hello" Jem said to Laura for umpteenth time, Laura waved, she seemed to actually quite like the sweet interaction however repetitive it was becoming, Jem hadn't spoken more than a few words to the poor girl in months unless it was in an argument or rant, every time Ed bought her round to try she'd retreat away to her room, leave the house or just stare and nod. "That's laura" she told peter pointing at her, max turned the phone so Laura could wave to peter.
"Ummm hola Laura" peter waved unsurely
"She's fucking Ed"
peter burst out laughing at Jem's matter of fact statement "oh my god Jemima! Oh boys sounds like you've got drunk Em on your hands, Oh Laura I hope you're prepared love! She's taken a liking to you clearly."
Laura laughed, her and Ed exchanging smiles. "I don't mind honestly I think she's cute"
"What are you all talking about?" Jem asked confused again making us laugh "Max why is Petey inside my phone? Is he stuck? help him get out max! Petey get out of the phone! Peter can you hear me! GET.OUT.OF.THE.PHONE!" Max laughed at her kissing her head again explaining that Peter was in a different country and we were FaceTiming. Peter said goodbye and yelled that he wasn't done with me and would call me later, telling max he needed a man to man with him as well now he was dating his girl.