Later that night, JJ and I were sitting on my bed, talking and holding hands. We were laughing, and I felt so happy. Then, Pierre walked in completely shirtless, with a towel wrapped around his waist and another thrown over his shoulder. His abs were dripping with water.
"Your grandmother said I could take a shower," he stated, knowingly flaunting his physique.
"You couldn't have had a shower at your place? You're only across the road," JJ remarked.
"Oh well, that would be silly. There's a shower here," Pierre replied.
"Okay, well, you can't get changed in here," JJ asserted. She tapped my shoulder, and I snapped out of my trance.
He left the room after doing a pull-up on the door frame.
"Do you like him?" JJ asked.
"What? No, I like you," I assured her.
"I think he likes you," she noted.
"Yeah, me too."
"Why did you kick me?"
"Huh? I didn't kick you."
"Yes, you did at the table."
"Oh, I just don't want her to know yet. I admitted I liked you less than two hours ago," I chuckled.
"You know she's going to find out, right? Our grandparents talk."
"I know, but when it happens, it happens," I shrugged.
She leaned in for a kiss, but at that moment, Pierre walked in. Luckily, I turned around, and he didn't see. He was wearing a white tank top and a pair of my shorts.
"Thanks for the shorts, by the way," he said, but they looked really small on him, as if he might as well be wearing his underwear.
"You're down there," JJ pointed at the pile of blankets and pillows on the floor.
"Oh, come on, why don't you sleep on the floor?" Pierre suggested.
"Because I'm a girl?" JJ retorted.
"So?"
"It makes sense that the two girls share, and the boy sleeps on the floor."
"Whatever, idiot," Pierre laughed.
"I understood that," she yelled. He laughed to himself. JJ hugged me to sleep again, feeling her body against mine made me feel like I was floating through space.
I woke up; it was 2:30. Pierre was standing at the door.
"Oh, désolé, did I wake you?"
"Yeah, it's okay."
"I was just coming back from the bathroom."
"Oh, okay."
"You two are really close, oui?" He pointed to JJ, who was fast asleep and still had her arm on my lap, drooling with her hair in her face.
"Yeah, we're best friends."
"Just best friends?"
"Yeah, what else would we be?" I tried to pretend to laugh, but a croak just came out instead.
"What was that? You sound like one of those rib-its," he burst out laughing.
"Rib-its?"
"Oui."
"You mean frogs."
"Yes, frogs. I forget the name."
"Ribbits," I said, and we both laughed.
JJ groaned beside me; we were being too loud. He put his fingers on his lips, and after a moment of silence, she turned over and faced the wall.
"You are so beautiful," Pierre suddenly said.
"What?"
"You heard me." He sat on the empty part of the bed next to JJ's legs.
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are. You are much prettier than that Gabriela girl."
"Yeah, sure," I laughed. "You could get most of the girls in the school. Why are you here?"
"Because you interest me. Those other girls, they are boring, but you are different."
"How so?"
"You are sweet and innocent, and I will do anything for you."
"Really?"
"Of course." He put his hand on mine. "And mon cœur est à toi pour toujours."
"You do know I can't understand you, right?"
I laughed.
"You will."
"I can search it, you know."
"Don't. Wait till the time comes, and I will tell you." He stood up and stretched.
"Goodnight, mon amour," he said before laying back down on the floor.
What the heck just happened? Pierre just made a thousand butterflies flutter in my stomach. He lay down on the floor, and I moved JJ's hair from her face. I couldn't say JJ was a beautiful sleeper. I slowly laid back down, holding JJ close and putting my face on her back.
The next morning, I woke up alone. Pierre and JJ weren't anywhere to be seen. I got up and went downstairs to see them in the kitchen, cooking with Gran.
"What's going on?"
"We're making pancakes," Pierre said with a smile.
"Yeah, we would be if Pierre wasn't cooking so slow," JJ added, and they both laughed.
"Why are you guys acting so weird?"
"We're not acting weird, silly," JJ pulled me in close to kiss me.
"Leave her for me," said Pierre, and he kissed me. Then, they both kissed each other before grabbing my arms and pulling me.
I looked down, and I was ripping in half. I woke up with a gasp, drenched in sweat.
"What the heck," I said to myself as I lay back down, trying to catch my breath.
"Are you okay?" JJ said.
"I just had the weirdest dream."
"Tell me." She pulled me into her and kissed my neck.
"I can't remember," I lied. It was too weird, and I was also distracted by all the kissing. I turned around to her.
"Are you okay?" I asked, looking her in the eyes.
"Better now that you're awake," she said and kissed me.
"How long have you been awake?" I asked.
"Too long," she laughed.
"Wait, where's Pierre?"
"He had to go," she said as she sat up, putting on her sweatpants.
"Why?"
"I don't know, something about his dad."
"Oh."
"Why do you care?"
"I don't, I just wondered where he went."
"Okay, well, I need the bathroom." She got up and left after giving me one last kiss.
What was that dream about? I couldn't believe I would dream about something like that. what the fuck is wrong with me. I like jj I don't like Pierre and they 100% they do not like eachother
"Hey your grans just sitting in her chair staring at the wall"
"Not again" I got up and went downstairs
"Gran are you ok?"
"Yes dear just hanging out the washing"
"Ok gran here do some knitting" I gave her her ragady scarf
"How long she been acting like this"
"I don't know a few months"
"She needs help mi"
"She's fine" I shouted
"Mi you can't look after her you need someone to look after you"
"She does we look after eachother"
"Mi" she took my hands and looked at me
"She needs to be in a care home with people who know how to look after her"
"I do know" I cried
"You don't you spend all your time looking after her you don't look after yourself"
"I do" I paused and noticed "why are you worrying about me you need to look after yourself"
"I'm perfectly fine thanks" she said crossing her arms
"No your not why are you lying" I was screaming
"What?, I'm not lying about anything" she didn't look me in the eyes
"Don't you think I notice you don't eat"
"I eat" still not looking puffing out her breath
"No you don't why don't you eat"
"I'm just not hungry"
"You can't never be hungry"
"Just leave me alone"
"Ok I'm sorry" I said "But I don't want you here"
"What why"
"Your always telling me what I'm doing what I need to be doing im fed up of it You just need to leave" I was so angry I didn't know what I was saying
"I'm sorry"
"Get out"
"I don't have anywere to go"
"I don't care"
She turned to the door
"You need to sort out you anger issues j" I said. jj really did have anger issues she once broke a boys arm 8th for taking her crayon but can you blame her living in a house where you go unnoticed you would do everything to get attention from your mother
"Your the angry one"she replied
"This is a reasonable thing to be angry about you come into my house and try to take over my life"
"No I'm not" she took a breath "I'm just trying to look after you"
"I don't need you to look after me" I pushed her out the door
"My mom hates me she doesn't want me back" grabbing on the door frame
"I don't care" fighting her waving arms
"Please mi I'm sorry don't make me go back there please" she broke down to the floor and practically begged me before she stopped and just cried
"Is everything OK j"
"Yh everything's fine" she sat up and wiped her tears
"What's wrong tell me"
"Everything's okay I promise" i could tell she was lying she was laughing trying to leave
"Tell me now" I yelled trying to get awnser out of her I pulled her back down by her shirt she flinched like I was attacking her
"J?"
She looked up at me and lifted her shirt slightly not alot but just enough for me to see a big purple bruise on her Rib
"What happened who did this to you"
"No one I fell"
"Stop lying to me and tell me the truth"
She took a breath and said "my dad hit me when my mom told him about me and I guess Kacey"
"What you said your mom did the worse how long has he been doing this"
"Not long and only when I deserve it"
"You think you deserve this for what kissing a girl"
"If he thinks so"
"What else does he do"
"Nothing I swear"
I grabbed her face "j tell me I can't help you if you don't tell me" I let go
"He urm he.. he" she looked down at herself and pulled her knees to her face before breaking down into tears it didn't take long for me to connect the dots
"Jj how did you not tell me about this it's a crime"
"He didnt always only since he started drinking its the drink that does it and its only over the clothes stuff" she laughed through the grief
"What kind of a man blames the drink and is it really"
"Yes I promise I really promise but he's sweet in the day time you know I think he thinks I'm my mother we look kind of simular in the dark" still laughing
"Stop making excuses for him jaje he's a horrible man he always has been making you perfect he probably caused this thing with food"
"I told you there's no thing with food" she looked up at me
"Please you can't tell,please mi I need you to promise you won't tell"
"I promise" i said" Your staying here I won't let you go back there"
"Thank you" she lent forward and squeezed me tight "i love you"
"Love you too" am I a bad friend how did I not know about this jj knew every little thing in my life she even knew my favorite scene from my favorite show.i can't believe her father had been doing this to her and I didn't know I always knew Mr Jones was A bit weird he would always look at jj but I stupidly didn't think anything of it i thought it was a father relationship since i never had one of my own.Then I remembered one time jj and i was watching a movie in her room when her dad came in and asked to talk to jj i stayed in the room and after a while she came back in crying. I asked her about it but she just said watch the movie i should have asked more questions.why didnt i ask more questionsi could have stopped all this but i didnt i could never forgive myself.