𓈊 A Poppy By Any Other Name

Act IX

"Well," Lizzie began. She shifted a bit to make herself more comfortable. "I think that if you're cuddling up to me instead of pushing me away and calling me sappy, then..." She gave Jimmy a gentle squeeze. "That might say a little something."

Jimmy huffed. "I'm just tired, okay?" he attempted to excuse.

Lizzie smiled. "Jokes aside, I don't think whatever you're upset about is stupid," she scolded, gently but sternly. "What's going on?"

"Scott," Jimmy huffed. He tried to sound and act frustrated, but the fight left his body immediately when he recalled the time they'd spent together earlier. "He... he doesn't want to spend time with me anymore. He called me a bad influence, and I don't even know what I did wro-" He cut himself off with a painful sob. "What did I do wrong?" His voice was small and much higher in pitch than he would've liked, and Lizzie responded with another light squeeze.

"Some people are just jerks," she said quietly. "And-"

"Scott isn't a jerk, though," Jimmy protested angrily, pushing away from Lizzie. "If you guys would only take the time to realize who really is a jerk, then you'd know that Scott is fun and he's kind and only ever wants to make everybody else around him happy before himself." Lizzie didn't reply this time. "Maybe you should look in a mirror before you call Scott a jerk."

Lizzie nodded. "I'm sorry, Jimmy," she said calmly. "I've never been around Scott one-on-one before, and you have. You know better than I do about how Scott acts. But from my experiences, Scott has only ever been rude to you, to Grian, to me and Joel, and to everyone else." She rested her hands on Jimmy's shoulders and leaned forward. "I'm only going off of what I know, and I'm sorry that offends you."

Jimmy huffed, crossing his arms. "Well, I'm telling you so you do know. Scott is not a fucking jerk!"

The pinkette flinched when Jimmy shouted, but called out his profanity instead. "Watch your mouth, Jimmy Solidarity," she said firmly. "Being upset does not mean you can use that type of language with me."

"Shut up, you're not my mom."

"Don't you dare bring her into this-"

"Why?" Jimmy questioned, subconsciously attempting to egg Lizzie on. "What are you going to do?"

Lizzie stayed quiet for a moment before sighing. "Jimmy, I'm not here to fight with you," she said in surrender. "I'm sorry for calling Scott a jerk, and I'm sorry for angering you." Jimmy simply stared at her, and she decided to continue to fill the uncomfortable silence. "I'm sorry Scott said those things to you. You're not a bad influence on anyone." She chuckled lightly to herself. "If anyone's a bad influence, it's Joel for using profane language around you boys."

Jimmy couldn't help but smile at that, recalling when Joel used to cuss out everything in sight when he was upset.

"Look at me." Jimmy obeyed, and Lizzie craddled his face gently in her hands. "No matter what Scott says or does, don't let it get you down, okay? You're amazing, and you should always know that despite what anyone else says. Okay?"

Jimmy nodded, letting his sister pull him into an awkward embrace. He fell asleep not long after, and they woke up in a tangled mess of limbs.

Sunday went by quick - maybe even a little too quick - and soon, it was Monday again.

Jimmy had practically forgotten about Scott's text with all of the craziness of Grian and Joel having access to sugar on Sunday. He had forgotten. Until he and Scott ran into each other in the hallway. And by "ran into," I mean that quite literally.