Certainty | TSITP

N I N E T E E N .

"Ana..." JJ whispered, waking the girl up.

"JJ?" She rubbed her eyes gently and turned to look at him, only to see him looking at her in pure shock, "I'm not a pretty sleeper, huh." She joked.

"Jesus, Ana!" He hushed, grabbing one of his shirts and rubbing her forehead with it.

"What? What are you doing?" She said, pushing his hand away to see blood on the shirt, "holy fuck!" She shouted.

She got up quickly and ran out of the bedroom and to the bathroom.

"Hey!" Conrad said, in only a towel when she barged in, "holy shit..."

Ana looked in the mirror and saw a huge gash on her forehead and dry blood, "holy shit..."

"Let me help you-"

"It's fine, man. I got her." JJ mumbled, peaking his head into the door.

The three of them heard fighting from belly's room, and that suddenly became more important. Ana started walking out into the hallway, Conrad following her. They heard a huge smack and then belly came rushing out of her room, everyone now standing there and watching.

"Uh... you're bleeding." She mumbled to Ana, and then pushed past her quickly.

~

"Start packing." Ana yawned walking back into the room that JJ sat in, she cleaned up her cut the best she could, but it was obviously going to leave a scar.

"What do you mean? Didn't you come here to save the house?" He asked, standing up and looking to her.

"I... yes. I mean I really just came for jere, and maybe to see Conrad a little, I don't know- it doesn't matter. Either way, I want to leave. I want to go back to finch, with you." She smiled, packing her stuff, it wasn't much... so she did it quickly.

"What about Conrad and jeremiah?"

"I'll say my goodbyes..."

"You should do more than that. Dont leave without actually talking to them. About what happened between you guys. I just want to know... there's no string attached to you. I just want you." JJ finished, a small smile.

Ana walked over to him and nodded gently before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, kissing him intensely.

"Maybe you should talk to Kie?" She mumbled, a shy smile on her face.

"I have... the moment you texted me I told her, John B and pope about you. And sarah probably knows too... but yes, I told them about you. All about you." He smiled proudly, making Ana giggle.

"It's noon now... we'll leave at four, if not, earlier." She walked out of the bedroom after kissing him quickly.

~

"Hey, Jere..." Ana started, seeing him sitting in the living room, "can we talk?"

"About what?"

"I just need to say some things, and maybe you do too... but I'm leaving today. I can't stay here any longer so I just want to make sure you understand everything and... we're good."

"Can I go first?" Ana nodded with a laugh,
"I love you, Ana. I think you are my first love... you're everything anyone wants. And I messed it up. I made a plan with belly to pretend to be dating and maybe we could make you and Conrad jealous. But it just pushed you both away more and I am so, so, sorry. I didnt mean to hurt you."

Ana sighed and took his hand in hers, sitting next to him on the couch, "you're an asshole... but it's okay. I- I love you, just- I just don't love you in that way and I am realizing that now. You hurt me, and that's okay. Because I hurt you too... I just need my best friend, and when you come to finch it would be really cool to have another person by my side."

Jere was crying at this point... she didnt love him romantically. Which is all he ever wanted. That and he was starting to realize, maybe he wanted her because everyone else wanted her too... maybe shes right and this wasn't love.

"Id love that." He responded, wiping some tears away, "so, uh, you and Conrad?"

"I'm going to talk to him, if he chooses to tell you what's said, than he can. But for right now, I just want it to be between him and I." Jere nodded in agreement as the two just sat there listening to talking throughout the house.

After about ten minutes they finally started talking again. Just little stuff like college, or dorms. But it was nice, they laughed a little, cried a little more, just everything. And for the first time in a while they both felt like things were off to a good start.

"Hey, can I steal Jere?" Steven asked, "I was wondering if he could go see if belly's okay... she wouldn't want to talk to me."

Ana and Jere both nodded before Jere left to go find belly. Steven stayed back and waited until everyone was out of ear shot.

"Are you okay?" This threw Ana off. I mean sure the two talked before, but it was always quick and short. Almost as if they were coworkers passing each other during switching shifts.

"I- I'm sorry?" She asked.

"Are you okay...? I know about everything, all the drama. I try to stay out of it, but being around the fishers seems to take a toll on you that it doesn't on everyone else."

"Yeah... no. I'm not great, but I'm okay... I think. I have to talk to Conrad... I'm leaving today. Do you think he'll hate me?"

Steven laughed and shook his head, sitting where Jere once sat, "Ana, we're not tight. But, from what I've learned, no one can hate you... belly can't even hate you for long."

Ana laughed at the boy before reaching over and squeezing his arm gently, "you're very sweet, and smart. And I knew you and Taylor were gonna end up together." She teased.

"Shut up." He laughed before, enveloping her into a small hug, "this is the last time I'm going to see you for awhile, huh?"

Ana nodded sadly, "like you said, seeing the fisher boys takes a toll on me."