dyad | ᵇᵒᵒᵏ ᵒⁿᵉ

⁹ ⁻ ᶜʳᵘˢʰ.

                                         ⁹ ⁻ ᶜʳᵘˢʰ. 

"Guys, please stop!" I pleaded, trying to get out of the hot seat they had put me in. "No way!" Kai exclaimed, grabbing onto my arm. Kai, Jennifer, and Tiffany sat around me, their eyes huge, trying to make me crack. Someone had opened their big mouth about me going over to Josiah's, and failed to mention that it was for a project. "You lied to us that night! So what's his name?" Jennifer had a smile on her face, eagerly waiting for my answer. I shot daggers to the big mouth in the room, Joshua. He was standing near the fridge, his arms crossed over his chest, a smirk on his face. Joshua was going to pay for this, I was already making plans in my head. 

"Please, Mo! You have to tell! If you don't tell us his name, can we at least know what he looks like?" Tiffany begged. 

Oh yes, Joshua was going to get payback for this.

"Guys.." 

Looking passed them and towards the window, I sighed. It was almost pitch black outside, and soon enough, they were going to have to go to bed. It was also raining, and I wasn't sure that the commute to school would be But, with them bothering me like this, they were going to keep me up until they had gotten their answers. I was going to go over to Josiah's tomorrow and I hadn't even told Mary yet. I knew I was going to get a lecture on that, as she didn't like for to tell her at such short notice. "Aw, come on, Monroe! Please! Just tell us one thing about him." 

"Alright, alright. This is the only thing I'm telling you about him." 

The girls beamed at me, each of them squealing. "Oh my god!" Kai cheered, and they all pulled their chairs closer to me, their eyes expectant and eager to hear what I was going to say. I decided to keep it vague, since they had bothered me so much. I smiled, and placed my glass of juice down. They leaned in closer to me, and so did Joshua, who came up to the table, placing his hands flat on the tablecloth. 

"The Bloom you guys are referring to, has cur-"

"What's this I hear about a certain someone going over to a Bloom's house?"

The girl's faces drooped, and I slowly turned around in my seat. Mary stood there in her jacket, her hands on her hips. She was staring right at me, and her eyes narrowed. "Girls, you put them chairs back where they belong and get those butts upstairs," Mary ordered, to which the girls groaned. "Come on, Mary..just a little while longer? Monroe was about to tell us something good!" Tiffany groaned. The girls placed the chairs back, and left the room, dragging their feet. "It's so not fair," Jennifer murmured. "Girl, who you tellin'?" I heard Kai respond. Soon the sound of their footsteps faded out, and Mary's eyes were still on me. 

Joshua let the room, but not without smirking at me over his shoulder. I cut my eyes at him, which only made him smile as he disappeared up the stairs. Now, Mary and I were alone, and I watched her take off her jacket, hanging it up on the coat rack. She then began putting food from earlier up, not saying a word to me for a while. "Now, what's this about you going over to that Bloom's house tomorrow?" I swallowed hard, digging my nails into my palm. "It's for a project," I told her, my voice barely audible. 

She finished putting the food away, and sat down in a chair across from me. She pushed her long, dark brown hair away from her face, sighing. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? When did you two make plans?" "Last week, Friday. I promise, it's strictly for a project. Nothing else, Mary.." I locked eyes with her, letting her know that I was being truthful. She leaned over and kissed my forehead, running her hand through my hair. "I know, baby. I just don't want you to get hurt.." I looked down, trying to prevent the tears in my eyes. 

Again.

Again was the word she was missing.

I heard her stand up, and she came over to me, kneeling down in front of me. "Look at me, sweetie," she lifted my head, taking one of my hands. Mary gave me a smile, kissing my nose. "Remember how you acted when you first arrived?" she asked. I nodded, and she continued, "You were shy, scared of almost everything." It was true. I was fourteen when I had arrived in Mary's care, after wandering down the road. Jerold found me first, and took me to Mary. Mary welcomed me with open arms, but..I wasn't so happy about being here. It was such a different place from where I had lived. They were barely getting by, but somehow they were so happy. I used to be surrounded by everything I wanted, and in a split second, I had nothing, but the clothes on my back and the bag I was holding. 

"But look at you now, baby girl! You've grown to be a beautiful young lady, a striking contrast from the little girl you once were. You're smarter, wiser..and Monroe, what did I tell you when you told me what happened?" 

I looked into her eyes, and nodded. 

"You promised that you wouldn't let anyone else hurt me."

"And I won't."

I started to smile, and Mary pulled me into a hug. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and I wrapped mine around her neck, us hugging each other tightly. She kissed my temple, and stood up. "Do you have your best clothes out for tomorrow?" she asked me. "Good, go tell Joshua to pull his out too." My eyes widened,  and I stood up, pushing the chair under the table. "Why?" I questioned. "Because, he's going with you." Mary grinned, "You think I would let you go to a boy's house, alone? You must be crazy, baby." She kissed my forehead once more, and I groaned.

 "But Josh is embarrassing! Mary.." I pleaded. 

Plus, I think Josh was planning on embarrassing me in front of Josiah. He's been being really sneaky lately, and I simply can't have him over at Josiah's. Also, Joshua might have something to do. He doesn't need to be down my throat anymore than he already is. "I don't want to hear it, Mo. Now go tell Josh." I sighed, leaving Mary alone in the kitchen. Heading up the stairs, I went to Joshua's room, which was all the way at the end of the hall. It was raining much harder now, and you could hear it pour down against the roof. I knocked on his door, "Hey Josh, Mary said to-" 

Joshua was just standing there. 

He was still, staring out of the window. "Josh?" I softly called, entering his dimly lit room. I approached him slowly, placing my hand against his arm. His eyes were closed, and I shook him, lightly. "Joshua..Joshua?" Maybe he was in one of his spells, again. Sometimes, at night, he would just freeze in place. When I first moved in, they would happen almost every night. One time he froze in the doorway in front of my room. 

The rest of us don't know why he does it, but Mary does. 

Joshua's eyes opened, just as a flash of lightening illuminated the room. He looked at me, his body relaxing. "You okay?" I asked him. He shook his head, taking a hold of my hand, squeezing tightly. "Do you want me to stay?" He nodded in response, looking down at the floor. I went ahead and closed his door, as he climbed into his bed.  I climbed in next to him, and he pulled me close to him, wrapping his arm around my waist. 

I sighed, and he looked at me. 

"I hate being treated like shit," he said, his voice low. This was my first time hearing his voice in a while. He didn't talk often, but when he did, it was memorable. He sighed deeply, and closed his eyes. He turned over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. I did the same, and for a while, we just laid there. 

"Do you think we'll ever be treated like normal people..or at least become Blooms?" I asked him, glancing at him. 

He nodded. "You're going to marry a Bloom, Monroe. I can already feel it." 

"Why do you say that?" 

"You'll see..just promise me that we'll always be friends, alright?" 

I nodded. 

"Always and forever."