Hey guys. I haven't been feeling well at all for the pas two days because when I came back from school I had a major headache and my neck was hurting and after sleeping for about an hour I still had a headache and I didn't want to take any pills for it (I tend not to unless it gets really bad) so eventually I couldn't take it so I took a pill. Literally five minutes after my stomach starts to hurt, i'm breaking out in sweats and I have the chills. My vision goes weird and everything gets super blurry and I feel like i'm about to faint. So yeah.. that's how my day went.
Basically I have some sort of stomach virus so yeah :/
Anyway, hope you guys are doing good. Sorry for the little pre-chapter rant.
~
Bea Ashby:
"Bea, you look great," Jennifer smiles as I make my way down the stairs. Dad is standing next to her, a smile on his face. "Well, look at you." It was the night of the fall dance hosted by Stephanie Manor. It's one of the most exciting events of the year.
"When will Grant be here?"
"Around six twenty. We'll spend ten minutes here taking a few pictures before we go. We need to be there by seven. Also, Jamie and Brandon will be here soon. We're all going together." I mention to my dad and Jennifer.
Noah is soon emerging from his room, dressed up in a tux. He's cleaned up nicely and for once I send a genuine smile in his direction. "You excited?" He asks, walking to my side.
"Yeah. I'm a little nervous though." I admit, looking down the time on my phone. It's only 6:10. Grant will be here in about ten minutes or so.
"Noah, who's your date for tonight?" Dad asks him. Noah explains how he was going solo this year since the girl he originally wanted to ask already got a date. "That's what you get for waiting," I snort and Noah shrugs, "Yeah, I guess."
I felt a little bad for Noah. He was obviously going to go on his own to the party and it's clear he's a little bummed out about not going with the girl he originally wanted to go with so I decide to ask him if he wants to join my friends and I instead of driving on his own.
"Really?" His head snaps up, his hazel coloured eye wide in shock. A tiny glint of hope is clear in his eyes and he looks like a sad kid who's been offered his favourite candy in a way to cheer him up.
"Really." I reply, chuckling.
"Thanks, Bea." For once Noah is a little shy and I can't help, but be a little amused by it.
Noah is usually very obnoxious, cocky and rude around me, but for once I see no signs of any of that in him. "Don't worry about it." I reply smoothly. I couldn't help but check the time every now and then. As time went on, I could't help, but feel even more anxious.
I guess the idea of having Grant Darwin as my date made me nervous. What if he decides he hates me after the dance? Of course he wouldn't hate me! This is Grant Darwin we're talking about! He's the sweetest person on the planet. But then again... there's someone sweeter than him. My eyes trail back to the room Justin was in, studying with his tutor Mr Lawfeld.
The doorbell rings and I yelp, my phone going up into the air.
Noah acts fast and catches my phone before smashes right into the floor. "Thanks," I breath out, still a little startled. He laughs, "No worries, clumsy pants."
"I'm wearing a dress." I point out.
Noah rolls his eyes at me, "Whatever."
Jennifer goes to open the door and I try my best to look as possible. When the door is opened, Grant comes right into view. He's dressed up nicely in a tux like Noah, but instead of a plain black tie, he's matching with my dress.
When he steps into the house, I notice the small flower in his hand and blush a little. It's not the same blush I have when I'm around Justin, but it's still there.
"Hi," Grant sends me a smile.
"Hey."
Noah rolls his eyes before pretending to gag and I frown, smacking him in the arm with my purse. "Shush you."
Dad has his camera out. "Let's take some pictures before the others arrive."
Jennifer is soon by his side. "Good idea."
We start to take some pictures. A few are group pictures with both Noah, Grant and I, dad also takes a few pictures of just Noah, just Grant and a few of the two boys together and a few of just Noah and I. "Bea, let's take some solo pictures of you."
I stand in the centre and smile to the camera when the door to dad's office opens and Justin exists. When his eyes land on me, he stops right in his tracks and looks me up and down.
My cheeks instantly go red and I try to stay calm. "Grant, let's get a few photos of the two of you." Dad waves my date over and Grant does as so.
As soon as Justin's eyes land on Grant, the nice look in his eyes is gone within a flash. He grits his teeth together and clenches his fists, making me frown as soon as the camera flash goes off.
"I know you might think I'm annoying sometimes, but at least pretend to like me in the pictures." Grant jokes with a laugh, but I don't laugh with him.
His eyes follow to see where I was staring at and that's when he see's a very irritated Justin. "Hey, Justin." He waves, making everyone turn around to look at the man.
"Oh Justin, where's Mr Lawfeld?" Dad asks, referring to his tutor. Justin points to the office and dad quickly hands the camera back to Jennifer before excusing himself.
He takes notice to Justin's emotion, but simply pats his shoulder, whispering something in his ear. Justin nods, keeping his eyes on me as he does so.
Grant awkwardly coughs. "So... here," He hands me the flower and I smile down at it. "Thanks. You didn't have to."
The doorbell rings again indicating that both Jamie and Brandon, her date and Grant's best friend, have arrived.
We continue to take a few photos, but this time as a group thing and a few of just the guys and just Jamie and I. Once the photo taking is done, we decide to head out at six thirty.
"Crap, I left my I.D on the console." I suddenly remember, mentally face palming myself.
"Want me to go and get it?" Both Grant and Noah offer at the same time, but I shake my head. "I'll get it."
"Be quick."
Nodding, I rush back inside and go to get my I.D for the dance. I take my I.D and that's when someone grabs my wrist, startling me again tonight. "Oh my god," I breath out when I see it's Justin. "You scared me there for a second."
"S-sorry," He stutters, taking a step back.
"Something wrong?"
He shakes his head no. "Avocado... looks," He pauses for a second, trying to find the right words. "Lovely?" He says, almost questioning if he said the word right.
Smiling, I look down my I.D which is now in my hand. "Thank you, Justin."
Looking back up, I see Justin already slightly smiling at me.
"I have to go,"
He frowns. "Leave Justin for Grant?" He says Grant's name with spite, making me knit my brows together.
Sighing, I shake my head. "I'll only be gone for a couple of hours. And i'll be with Grant for just a little bit. I'll be back soon, I promise." I assure him. "I really have to go."
"Wait!" Justin grabs onto my wrist again before I can leave. He holds out his pinky and I look at in confusion before releasing he wants me to picky promise. Did he really remember that from the first time I showed it to him?
Playfully rolling my eyes at him, I take his pinky in mine and squeeze it. "Promise." I repeat before letting go.
The drive to the dance is filled with lots of chatter. Noah is getting along great with the guys and I start to feel a friendship between them coming on.
When he get to the event, it's already packed with people. Stephanie Manor is at the entrance greeting people and she smiles brightly at our group when she sees us. "Hey, guys!"
Once we're past the entrance, we head out onto the dance floor. I spend the night with my friends and Noah and to say it went well was an understatement. The night was going great until Brandon had a little too much to drink.
"I hate to cut the night short, but I should really take him back home. I'm sorry, Bea." Grant apologizes, looking back at his drunk best friend with a scowl on his face. Of course Brandon would get drunk at an event like this.
"Don't worry about it." I say, not wanting to show my disappointment. Grant's a good friend, I respect him for that. I just wish Brandon hadn't gotten this drunk.
For a second, Grant's eyes linger down to my lips and I freeze.
Was he going to kiss me?
My mind is buzzing with different questions, but one of them are answered when he starts to lean in.
I let out a sign of relief when his lips land on my cheek. "I'll see you later, Bea." Grant says, squeezing my hand with his own before letting go and walking over to Brandon who was leaning against the wall with the help of Noah.
Oh my god. That was a close one. As much as I liked Grant, for some reason I didn't want him to kiss me. I'm not sure why and it was starting to bug me a little bit. Was I supposed to feel relief when the guy i'm having a crush on doesn't kiss me on the lips? Shouldn't I be a little disappointed?
I shake my head from my thoughts and I turn to Jamie who was smiling at me. "Aww," She coos and I roll my eyes at her. "Come on, let's go dance."
The night eventually comes to an end and we get a ride home with a few other friends. When we get home, Noah and I part ways to our own bedrooms.
I'm exhausted and my feet were killing me from wearing high heels for so long.
After kicking off my heels, I unzip my dress and let it fall to the ground and have it pool around my legs. I step out of the dress and pick it up, hanging it up neatly.
It's one A.M and I'm really not in the mood to remove my makeup so I keep it on and decide I'll have to deal with it tomorrow morning even though I know I'll probably regret it. I run my fingers through my styled hair and change into some joggers and a t shirt.
I'm about to get into bed when I freeze, looking back to my door. Is Justin awake? My mind starts to question whether or not I should go see. I promised I'd see him after I returned, but I doubt he'd stay up all night and wait for me.
Instead of getting into bed, I go across the hall and knock very softly onto Justin's door. I get no answer. I'm about to leave when for some reason, I get an instinct to open the door anyway.
"Justin?" I whisper in a hushed tone, looking inside.
Gasping, I open the door wider when I notice that Justin's bed is empty and looks as if it hasn't even been touched. The lights to the bathroom and walk in closet are off and he isn't dozing off the on the couch either.
That's when I noticed his balcony window wide up.
"Crap," I muttered, rushing to the balcony. There was no sign of him on the balcony which confirmed my thoughts. He climbed out the balcony.
Leaving the room, I quickly grab a sweater and sneak downstairs and open the glass door that opened up to the backyard, praying that I wouldn't wake any up. Luckily, dad and Noah are both heavily sleepers. Jennifer, on the other hand, not so much.
Once outside, I start to search forJustin in the dark. I couldn't make out his figure and eventually sigh. Where could he be? Was he somewhere in the house? Did I just presume that he was out here because I saw the balcony open?
My mind was filled with questions when suddenly, I spot something moving in the tree's up in the distance. My heart starts to race as I crept closer. "Justin?"
The movement stops right away and I look up, noticing something laying down on the branch. It was Justin! He was laying down on the big tree that he had once climbed when my dad freaked out and placed the punishment that I wasn't allowed to be around Justin. The strange thing was, Justin was actually sleeping like a lion or a panther would in the jungle.
He had laid his body in between two branches, placing his head on one and the rest of the his body hung off the other.
"Bea?" Justin sat up when he heard my voice. "Down here."
Justin looks down and instantly drops down from the tree landing right into his feet with ease. He's so done this before.
"What are you doing up there?" I ask in utter surprise.
Justin meerly looks back at the tree before looking back at me. "Sleep there."
My eyes widen from his words. Did he just say he sleeps up there? That's when I realized. Justin has not once slept in his own bed in the room he was staying in. That's why his bed is always made and looks as if it has never been slept in! The pieces are finally coming together.
"Why would you sleep out here? You know it's going to get colder and colder, right?" I instantly say, worrying a little. He was going to catch a cold if he continued doing this. This wasn't Hamix island where it's warm twenty four-seven. He can't just sleep out here during fall and winter! And what happens when it starts to hail or snow?
"You have to get inside," I grab onto Justin's hand, but he rapidly shakes his head, pulling away from my touch. "No." He holds his ground.
"But-"
"Justin s-sleep here! Sleep in Jungle!"
My heart slightly breaks from his words. Of course he misses the Jungle, we've been over that. Sleeping out here was obviously the closest thing he got to being back home and he clearly didn't want to sleep anywhere but here.
My lips pull down. "But Justin," I softly say, "This isn't the Jungle. You're in New York. You can't sleep out here. Please, just come inside."
Justin continues to hold his ground, refusing to return back into the house where he would have his own bed, pillow and blanket. Sighing, I rub the sleep from my eyes in hopes it'll keep awake for a little while longer. "At least let me bring you a blanket."
The man thinks over it before slowly nodding and I head inside to bring him a blanket. I sneak back in and out with no problem and hand him the blanket.
"Thanks," He mumbles, taking the blanket from my hands.
"I'm off to bed. Goodnight, Justin."
"Night," Justin murmurs and I walk over to the patio where we had a few outdoor furniture for the spring and summer time. I lay myself out onto one of the couches and pull up the zipper to my sweater, also pulling up the hood. If he's going to sleep out here then so will I. I can't let him keep sleeping out here. He needs to come inside whether he wants to or not. I understand that he misses home, but he needs to come in eventually. Plus, I don't like the idea of him being out here on his own.
Closing my eyes, I try to fall asleep. I don't have to worry about dad or Jennifer catching me sleeping out here. Dad isn't up until ten and Jennifer sleeps in until noon whenever she can.
I adjust myself on the couch, trying to get comfy. I'm almost completely asleep when I feel a blanket be draped over my body, shielding me from the cool October wind.
My eyes flutter open and I see Justin's back as he walks a few steps away. Instead of returning to the tree like I thought he would, he drops onto the grass and lays down in front of the patio.
Its almost like he's trying to protect you from anyone getting close to you. The voice in my head says.
When I'm sure that Justin has fallen asleep, I slip out from the covers and open the chest that holds the couch cushions during the winter time to pull out a blanket we kept in there. I place it over Justin's sleeping body and watch as he instantly warms up to it.
Smiling, I walk back to the couch and pull my own blanket back over my body. Now I can sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N:
Wow another shit chapter written by yours truly!
Okay I'm tired and need to study for my math test that's tomorrow or else I might forget everything. Let's hope that doesn't happen!
Vote, comment and add if you want to.
-Diana