The Boy I Knew

Chapter 32

Soon we get back to the office. We all walk in, and Madison is laying on the couch watching TV. She perks up when she sees us walk through the door. She immediately gets up and walks over to PJ.

"Dad! You didn't die!" She yells with a joking tone. We all burst out into laughter.

"Nope, you're stuck with me forever, Chicken!" PJ says, playfully shoving her.

"Ah man!" She says with a mischievous smile, shoving PJ back. She is literally just like him. She looks like him, talks like him, acts like him. It's honestly pretty cool. I love seeing PJ with a kid. It was a surprise to me at first, of course. But it's honestly amazing, he's so grown now. PJ puts his arm around her neck in a loose, pretend choke hold. She just giggles and giggles trying to break free.

"What was that, punk??" He teases.

"Nothing!! Nothing, dad!!" She pleas through giggles.

"That's what I thought!" PJ says, letting her go. She runs away laughing. Pretty soon you hear a loud shocking sound, and PJ screams holding his ass. We turn around to see Jeff with a stun gun, laughing his ass off. Everyone erupts in laughter, even PJ.

"Ah, you bastard!!" PJ yells, shoving Jeff.

"That's for Madison!!" He yells back with a shitty grin on his face.

"Thanks Jeff!" Madison yells from across the room. PJ looks at me with raised eyebrows and shakes his head. I've been laughing too, I mean it's hilarious. After a few minutes of standing around and talking, everyone starts to slowly leave. PJ walks over to me.

"Ready to roll?" He asks. I nod in agreement, it's about lunch time, and I'm starving. PJ smiles and nods back.

"Alright Jeff, we're outta here. I'll see you tomorrow for the meeting and shit. Maybe some cards after we wrap up shooting." PJ says, fist bumping Jeff.

"Word brother. I'll see you tomorrow, and Saturday for the wrap-up party." Jeff says back.
"Bye Camille." He waves at me.

"See ya, Jeff." I say back. PJ gets Madison's attention, we say bye to the rest of the guys, and we walk out. What an experience.

I listen to PJ and Madison bicker back and forth on the way home. Occasionally I hear PJ quietly singing to whatever is on the radio, his window down, one arm out the window, his messy hair gently blowing around. It all brings a smile to my face, and soon I remember that I have a big life decision to make soon....Today is Thursday, and I fly back home Sunday. Things have been going great so far, but it's such a big decision to make, I'm not going to rush it. If it feels right, it feels right. Tomorrow they finish filming, and some of the guys are coming over to PJ's to play cards and hang out. The big party is Saturday, and PJ told me to wait to make my decision until after that, so I know if I can handle his life....Which makes me even more nervous. How can I make such a big decision in such short time?

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It's about 11:00pm, and I'm sitting on the couch watching TV. PJ comes downstairs from tucking Madison in.

"Finally get her to sleep?" I ask.

"Finally!" PJ answers, disappearing into the kitchen.

"Her mother loves when she comes back from my house." He says sarcastically from the kitchen. I hear the fridge open and close.
"Because I let her go to bed whenever she wants....So Melanie can never get her to bed at her 8:00 bedtime." He finishes with a chuckle, opening the beer he got from the fridge and taking a few gulps, sitting down on the couch next to me.