𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ∽ 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘍𝘖𝘜𝘙𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘕

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▏INVISIBLE STRING ▕
➫ ———— act one. gold rush
CHAPTER FOURTEEN ─── not worth loving back
to listen to ➺ all too well by taylor swift

i'm afraid of a lot of things, but mostly, most sincerely, i am afraid of being completely unraveled by you, and you finding nothing you want in here.

— l.m. dorsey, she is made of chalk

Happy lucky chapter fourteen! A little preface: any dialogue that is accompanied by ASL will be underlined and italicized unless stated otherwise. such as when I say Naomi is interpreting everything being said, I wouldn't need to then underline the dialogue. also, there is only a second of weight shaming by a parent that quickly passes, but I warn you just incase! AND I just wanted to say comments are ALWAYS welcome! Love you!


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THE SIGHT IN FRONT OF JOSIE NEVER GOT EASIER TO DIGEST, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES SHE'D BEEN FACED WITH IT. She stood, unmoving, in her position at the threshold between her bathroom and bedroom. Her wide-eyed stare rested on the boy on the other side of the glass, while he observed his surroundings outside.

Just the sight of him made Josie want to turn back into the bathroom and empty her stomach.

Even from her view across the room, she could easily spot the obvious wounds sprouting across his angelic face. His jaw was tightly clenched, grimy and bruised as it sat in place.

She rushed to the window, undoing the latch and shoving it open, and reached out for the distressed boy. She was unable to get her arm or any words out, before JJ tumbled into her room and wrapped his arms around her waist. She was quick to reciprocate the desperate embrace and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting them atop his backpack.

JJ's hat fell from his head as his face dropped into Josie's neck, but he paid it no attention as it fell onto the white rug at their feet. The sparse drops of his tears had already dampened her skin, and she sniffled to keep her own rapidly growing ones at bay.

"I couldn't do it. I couldn't do it. I couldn't. He was right there, right fucking there, but I was too chicken-shit to do it. I just couldn't." His voice cracked through the repeated cries as he shook his head.

And Josie, however clueless she may have been, could do nothing but comfortingly shush him and cradle the back of his head as he sobbed into her skin. "It's okay, Jay. I'm right here; you're okay. You're with me. You're alright."

The weight of his body slumped into hers was enough to strain her. She could feel herself struggling to keep the two of them standing. So she made the decision to move them backward toward the foot of her bed.