*ON HOLD* Behind the Scenes *ON HOLD*

New Beginnings

Eunice POV

I sighed sitting on the couch next to Jojo. I could see him moving out of the corner of my eye before he stood up.

“You know what.” he paused turning the TV off and looked at me. “Tie up your hair, and change into a tank top and shorts.” he pulled me up.

“What?” I giggled as he led me to the bedroom.

“Just do it.” he opened my drawer. “Meet me downstairs when you're done.” he walked out.

“But why?” I called out after him.

“Just do it.” he chuckled. I giggled shaking my head and changed into what he said. After tying up my hair I walked out the room to the door that led downstairs.

“Jojo?” I walked down.

“Yeah?” he met me at the bottom.

“What are we doing down here?”

“Just follow me.” he led me to a room. “Since we aren’t really doing anything I figured it's time to show you one of your hobbies.” he opened the door and turned on the light. “Go ahead.” he stepped to the side and let me in first.

 “All this is mine?” I looked around at the framed pictures on the walls and table in the middle of the room.

“Yep.” he followed after me. “And the big mural that's upstairs.”

“I took those?” I looked at him in shock.

“Yep.” he nodded smiling.

“Wow.” I mumbled shocked to learn I had that talent.

“This was our latest work together.” He picked up a sheet of wood that had been cut and carved into a start of a frame, putting it on the table. “We started the frame but then you disappeared and I haven’t done anything to it since then." he paused. "Do you think you can try to remember what design it’s supposed to be?” he looked at me. I walked up to it slowly, examining it. “Go ahead touch it, maybe that’ll help.” He spoke after I put my hands on the table leaning closer to it. I looked at him before pulling it closer to me. Nearby I saw a carving tool and picked it up. “Need music?” he asked as I hovered my hand around the end of the starting design.

“Umm do I usually have music playing?” I looked at him.

“Yeah we listened to my brother and his ‘band’,” he used area quotes. “Secretly making fun of him.” He chuckled walking to the corner of the room where a stereo sat on a wooden nightstand. I watched as he pressed play and a song started playing. The more it continued to play it, the more familiar it sounded.

“This sounds familiar.” I commented as he walked towards me.

“It should, we listen to this all the time.” He smiled.

“Hey where’s the picture for this?” I looked at him.

He shrugged. “You didn’t know. You always made a frame before taking the picture.” He responded as I looked at the picture. “You always say the picture and the frames choose each other.” He smiled. I brushed my bangs back studying the frame, trying to remember the design. I got an idea and used the tool to carve into the wood. I sighed smiling when I finished, fifteen minutes later.

“I'm done.” I looked at him to see him smiling happily. “What?” I smiled.

“It’s coming back.” He spoke walking to the night stand and opened the drawer. I watched as he pulled out a paper and walked over to me. “Look.” He held it up for me to see. I analyzed it to see that was the same design I put on the frame. We stood there smiling at each other. “I wanted to see if you could remember it or if you’d make up another design before I showed this you.” He spoke.

“Wow, so I drew out the design first?” he nodded.

“But you never looked at it while making it.” He added. “Do you wanna stop or continue?” he asked.

“Take a break; work on something else to help my memory.” I answered.

“Okay.” he nodded and put the paper back in the drawer of the nightstand.

“How did we meet?” I asked as we started to clean up the wood shavings.

“Well it’s actually kinda funny that we’re dating because of the way we met.” He answered taking out the broom. “It was freshman year of high school.” He started to sweep. “We were both freshman. And you were one of the smart kids while I was a quote-unquote thug wanna-be. I thought I was the baddest nigga up at Warner’s High. At fish camp we saw each other and I thought you were cute but I didn’t say anything to you because I was with my boys and you were with your friends. But then we ended up meeting because we were put in the same group for the school tour. Me, being the wanna-be thug made stupid irrelevant comments to anything the tour guide said just to get laughs. Throughout the tour, my comments started to piss you off, and when it ended our friends were coincidently standing next to each other. They asked you how it was for you and you told them about me and how, if I remember your exact words were ‘wanna-be Tupac over there made irrelevant comments to everything. I swear I felt my IQ points declining drastically just by listening to his voice,’ and one of my friends heard you and started going off on you. To which you turned and said ‘motha-fucka I wasn’t talking to you. Stay over there thank you very much,’ and then looked at your friends and said to them ‘I’m walking away before my IQ drops anymore,’ and then you walked away.” He paused sweeping the shavings into the dustpan.

“Really?” I giggled looking at him.

“Yeah you were pissed off.” He chuckled. “So fast forward to two weeks later; the first day of school. Everybody’s trynna find their first period. I saw you from the other side of the hallway, and figured our classes were on the same hallway. So anyway, I found my class and walked in to see you talking to one of your friends. But then my friend had called my name and when they did you ‘died’,” he used air quotes. “It was an elective cause you were in honor classes, and somehow we ended up having both lunches, and three elective classes together.” He gave a side note, dumping the shavings in the trash. “Man it pissed you off.” He chuckled. “At one point I heard you say to this guy that liked you ‘I’m gonna be dumb as hell by the end of this semester,’ and then I went off on you and the guy told me to mind mine and I got kicked out the class.” He paused taking a breath. “Then by sophomore year, I had calmed down a bit and started getting more serious about school. Second semester of that year, we had to work on a project together, which you hated but stuck threw it somehow.” He chuckled shrugging. “Over the course of the project we kinda got closer, more like you started to understand me in a way, if that makes sense. I mean like you didn’t dislike me as much is what I'm trynna say.” He paused putting the broom away and leaned against the table. “Over the summer we kept talking, and I started to like you more so for your birthday I got us tickets to my brother’s concert. While there I basically spoiled you in hopes that you would start to like me back, which you did but not immediately. You kinda friend-zoned me, but I still decided to ask you out around Homecoming of junior year. You said yes, surprisingly and my friends were mad because they remembered from fish camp and freshman and how you hated me. And since then we’ve been dating.” He smiled at me.

“Wow.” I spoke mesmerized.

“Yep and my friends still don't get why because you hated me so much. But we always tell them, it’s not their business to know.” He chuckled. “Wanna go eat?” he looked at the clock making me realize it was lunch time.

“Sure.” I nodded smiling and walked up the stairs followed by him as he turned off the lights.

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My bad guys. I'm so sorry. I've had a lot going on lately. But today I finally finished typing this chapter. Hope you enjoy it, and I promise this story will start to make sense if it doesn't already. I'm on spring break so I shall attempt another chapter (hopefully) lol anyway stay tuned!!!! XOXO