Pining- JJ x Kiara

nine

JJs POV

I walk into my house after getting a text from my father asking to come home. I wonder, what could this be about? Did the police also find out stuff about John B and Sarah? Could he be finally getting his shit together?

As I enter the living room, see my dad face the wall with his hands on his hips. This isn't gonna be good. I address him and as soon as ny father detects my voice, he turns around and bolts to me with a face full of rage and hatred. I briefly glimpse a fist heading towards my face.

All I see is red.

Then, I wake up.
-
It took me five hours the next day to realize that I didn't wake up from a nightmare. It was real.

Before I told Pope and Kiara about my call from John B and Sarah, I found their number and texted them about my boat, wondering if they were on it or if it sunk.

Clearly, my dad went through my phone like the fucking weirdo he is and found out that I stole his boat and gave it to them. I knew it was gonna happen, but not in this way. I know that I hate my dad, but it was nice having some hope of a better relationship with him. Instead, he beat me up everywhere , leaving me to decay in my own living room. Luckily, there are no bruises on my face. My neck, however, is fucked. I think a hoodie will distract from the purple and yellow colors forming on my neck. I'm lucky my work has casual dress.

Speaking of work, that is the best place to be right now. Away from my father. There is no way in hell that I am gonna deal with his abusive ass the day after he beat me. I think i'll be able to convince Pope to sleep over. I just can't face my dad. Everything he has done to me has been the root of all my problems. Going through another abusive rant is too much for me to handle at the moment.

Luckily, work starts early. So, I get up and bolt out of my room with a bag of clothes and shit to sleep somewhere else. Anywhere but here.

I breeze through work with no notice of my bruising. Shit, I really am good at this. I got a few weird looks but I'm pretty sure it's not because they've seen anything on me. There is some...interesting...art in the tackle shop.

Once my shift is done, I silently pray to God that Pope lets me sleep over.  Lord, I know that I am not a Catholic, and I always say heaven is bullshit, but please listen to me. Let Pope be a likable human being and let me sleep over tonight. I'm really fucking struggling right now. Just let me escape my dad. Thanks.
Amen, I guess?

I call Pope and luckily, my prayers are answered.

Pope may be 'likable' now, but he sure is fucking stupid. I sounded like I was being held hostage asking him if I could sleep over and he thought nothing of it. I get to my house and enter my room to  get ready to leave.

I hear a couple of creaks nearing my room and I throw all my shit into a duffle bag and sprint out of my house into my car. Once I look into my rear-view mirror, I see...bruises. FUCK.

Did I not cover it enough? As it turns out, the bruises creaked up my neck like a fucking rash. Okay, I need a game plan. Pope is overprotective as hell and if there's any chance that Kiara is there and sees the bruises i'm DEAD. I start to drive in hopes that my brain will work and come up with a solution to these bruises. As i'm driving, my eye focuses on a CVS.

What could be in a CVS? Clothes, probably not. The only clothes I could wear to cover it is a turtleneck. There's only one option left...makeup.

Yep. My shame has reached its high point. I pull into the CVS parking lot and text Pope that i'm gonna be late. I enter the makeup aisle and I look at the entire thing confused as fuck. Wait...didn't one of my ex friends do this with a hickey? It was with concealer and another thing I don't remember. I then browse with some idea of what the hell i'm doing and I find the cheapest concealer there is and pay.