Alice
I wake up to darkness.
I can feel Jonathan's arms around me, and my head buried in his chest.
His chest moves slowly up and down, indicating he's still asleep.
I lift my head up and looks at his nightstand table clock.
3:46 AM
Dang it.
I was hoping it was at least 4.
I look to Jonathan as my head lays back down on his pillow.
He's so pretty.
His soft hair is scattered around his pillow, but there is a section covered half of his face.
I move it out of the way with my fingertips.
He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping.
It's almost like he's an angel sent from above.
That's weird, I know, but it's true.
My finger takes control and very lightly (almost not touching it) brushes his jawline.
His jaw is literally unreal-
I trace up to the end of his left eyebrow, then down his nose.
His skin is so soft.
My finger traces a little scar above his right eyebrow that I had never noticed before.
I go down his cheek and to his lips.
They are so plump and perfect.
I slowly trace his top lip, then bottom, and back again.
I look back up at him after a moment and see his sleepy eyes watching me.
My finger flinches away. "Sorry." I whisper.
"Don't-don't stop." He whispers back.
My finger slowly goes back to his cheek, making his eyes flutter closed.
Once I finally get back to his lips, I notice that he's already asleep again.
I lean up and kiss his forehead and snuggle into his neck, his arms instinctively tightening around me.
I go to sleep listening to Jonathan's slow and steady breathing.
———
The next morning Jonathan wakes up before me.
"Good morning." He says in a deep raspy voice that I didn't know I needed to hear.
"Hi." I smile and stretch my arms out.
"How'd you sleep?" He brushes some loose strands of hair off of my face.
"Perfectly." I play with his hand.
I did sleep almost perfectly.
I didn't have any night terrors, and I only woke up once in the night.
Jonathan kisses my cheek before hopping out of bed and running to his bathroom.
"Wow!" I say sarcastically.
"Gotta go when ya gotta go!" He yells, and I can hear his pee hit the water bowl.
I laugh, and get out of bed.
This has been the best 24 hours I've literally ever had.
I go over to his desk, where there are lots of papers piled on.
I look at them.
They aren't papers.
They're drawings.
Drawings of space, trees, nature, and... me?
I brush my finger over the drawing of me in class.
It was dated two weeks ago, in History.
I'm looking to the left, oblivious to the fact that he was drawing me.
Just then two arms wrap around me, and Jonathan rests his chin on my shoulder.
I draw little circles on his arms still looking at all of his art.
"I see you've found my little hobby." He whispers in my ear.
"Jonathan, you're like, super talented." I turn around in his arms so I'm facing him.
He blushes. "Ya think?"
I drape my arms around his neck. "I know. You need to do something with your art. It's... beautiful."
"The only beautiful thing in my art is you."
I scrunch up my nose and lean into him. "You're so cheesy."
"But it's true." I laugh softly at his remark.
Then the doorbell rings.
~~~
Jonathan
I hold Alice for a little longer, but my damn doorbell keeps interrupting this very valuable moment.
"Ugh. I'll be back. Stay right there!" I let her go and run down the stairs and to the front door.
I open it up while saying, "It's 9 A.M., what could possibly be this importa-" then I see Gary.
"Oh... hey Gary." I scratch the back of my neck.
"Hey Johnny. Got a minute?" He looks eager.
"Um... no, actually, I- I don't."
His eyebrows crinkle. "Really? What are you busy with?"
Then Alice comes in just at the right fucking time. "Jonathan? Who's at the door?"
Gary looks behind me and his eye widen with anger. "What the hell, Jonathan?! You-you... her?!" He pushes past me and into my house.
"Gary, get out of my house!"
"No no no! You have some explaining to do! Why the hell are you with the weird girl?! And is she wearing your clothes?!"
He spins around and glares at me. "All this time, when you were cancelling on me, you were with this, this freak?!"
Now he's really done it.
I rush up to him and grab the collar of his shirt and push him against the wall. "Don't say that shit about my girlfriend, you hear me!" I bang his head against it.
"Are you fucking crazy?!" Gary tries to get past me but I punch him in the face.
"Jonathan! Stop!" Alice shrieks, but she sounds far away.
Like she's miles and miles away from me.
"You will never, ever disrespect my girlfriend and I ever again. And if you do,"
Gary's eyes turn into fear.
"You will regret it." I let him drop to the floor and he skidded up and ran out of the door.
I turn around and see Alice in tears, looking at me with fear.
"Alice-"
"You could've hurt him, bad, Jonathan! Why did you do that?! I told you that you couldn't beat anyone up over me! Yet you go on ahead and threaten your best friend because he called me a freak?!" She's slowly backwards walking away from me.
"Alice, he insulted you. I can't let that happen. I have to protect you."
"I don't need protected!" Now she's getting angry.
And so am I.
"I don't care! I want to protect you! Do you know what I'd do if something were to happen to you?" Her eyes soften just a little bit.
"I-I don't know, I don't know." I whisper as I'm now thinking about losing her.
I look at the ground as tears prick my eyes.
"Jonathan?" Alice runs up to me and cups my face.
"Please don't leave." I say quietly after a moment.
"I won't, as long as you control yourself."
I look up to her and sigh. "Okay."
———
Damn damn damn damn damn.
AKAKXJEIKWBDIENEUIDBEIW
🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺😤😤😤😤😤😤.
End of chapter eighteen.