everything about you •• jj maybank

twenty

My throat was soar from crying so much the last twenty four hours. Every swallow I took made me wince in pain. I had sobbed in Topper's arms for what felt like forever until he had carried me upstairs and into my room.

"This doesn't mean that I forgive you, by the way," I had told him, my words jumping with every breath I took.

That was true. I didn't want him for a second to think he was off the hook just for consoling me when I was upset. It was the least he could do.

"I know," he told me, giving me a pained smile as he set my favorite water bottle on my bed side table.

After I had taken a much needed nap, I did end up going to the hospital to get some tests ran, confirming exactly what my mother had thought all along. I had a concussion and had to take it easy for a few weeks.

This definitely had put a dent in my extraordinary summer plans, but nothing about this summer had been at all what I had expected anyway.

When I had woken up the next morning, it was from a faint knock on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I croaked out, immediately reaching for my water bottle as I sat up. I took several refreshing sips of water and watched my dad step into my bedroom.

"Hi daddy," I smiled softly, letting him kiss me on the forehead as he sat on the edge of my bed.

"How you feeling, Pumpkin?"

I shrugged softly, leaning back against the headboard. "Alright, I guess."

I watched as he pulled his hand from behind his back, revealing a brown paper bag with "Poppy's Cafe" written across the front. I felt my lips turn up into a grin and happily reached up and grabbed the bag. When I looked inside, I hummed softly as I took in the smell of warm blueberries. There was one blueberry muffin in the bag, along with a small white paper that I assumed was the receipt.

"Thank you, dad," I smiled, reaching forward and hugging him quickly.

"Well, as much as I'd love to take credit for this, I wasn't the one who got it for you."

I furrowed my eyebrows together and cocked my head to the side. "Hmm. Mom?"

He shook his head and I watched his eyes slant as he stared at me.

"Think he said his name was... JJ?"

I turned my head and mentally cursed myself as my cheeks immediately began to heat up and turn crimson.

"Didn't say much. Just asked me to give those to you and walked off," he explained, running a hand over his scruffy chin.

I tried not to smile at the thought. JJ drug himself all the way to Figure Eight to buy me my favorite blueberry muffins. Come on, that was the sweetest thing in the world.

But I was angry with him.

"Hmm. That was nice of him, I guess," I muttered, putting the bag on the table and crossing my arms.

When I met my dad's eyes again, I pursed my lips as I noticed this was his, 'You have some explaining to do' stare. But I didn't have much to say.

"Josephine," he began, resting his hand on my knee. "Is there something going on with you and this boy?"

"Oh my gosh, dad. No. No, absolutely not," I immediately denied, running my hand across my face. "No. I don't know he kind of... wasn't very nice to me, and I think this is just a peace offering," I shrugged, avoiding eye contact as he stared me down.

"I imagine this is more than just a peace offering by the way you're blushing."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head as he chuckled softly.