KISS ME (J.P.)

CHAPTER 4 (3/3)

Doe only went here with her father a few times, no more than what would be remembered. But she still felt wholey embarrassed she didn't remember. That if she hadn't found the origami song bird map, she would have never this cloistered park.

She pulled at her blue dress, feeling ruefully indisposed, seeing the drought of a fountain, standing here knowing she'd spent the better park of a week searching for a place her father wanted to be their own, a commonplace.

More so uncomfortable with James here. Doe huffed, thinking about the second he'd finish his current attempt at the déjà vu skipping game and look at her face with chaste wait for commend, wanting a sycophant, which she wasn't.

He'd see her and somehow know everything. She hated that, and she hated being here more than everything. She hated that and hated being here more than everything.

The taste of cherries in her mouth made her sick. The fact she could only see the metal framing of the bench her father sat on.She hated everything about this. Thinking about her father's tired face, and being here next the James the Alnwick boy, she got angry for even letting someone from Alnwick here; she didn't want to give him the chance to read her mind.

Doe got insecure about how angry she was, trying to rationalize him at all. James was two steps away from finishing when Doe crossed her arms, stopping his run. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

James looked up, slowly lowering his leg that was raised. Looking at her expression of guard, almost pain, he was confused. What thought had her mind given her in a few moments to cause such a veering. "To find the treasure?"

Doe lowered her head, seeing James look at her. "The treasure isn't here. It's six locations away, and however long that takes to waste weekends on finding them."

It's not a waste. James laughed a little, giving a shrug. "Then I'm here to help you find them."

Jane turned away. Why am I doing this? "Why to make yourself feel better?"

"No." James tilted his head to see her frown, angry brows. "I mean, Bon-" She looked in such contradiction, like she was in full need of finding some hidden motive. At the same time, she looked like she didn't mean any of this at all. "I don't feel worse."

Doe turned back to him. All she could see was Alnwick's red tie uniform, and pushed further with venom. "Cause you're so selfless?"

James frowned. Just a few minutes ago they were laughing. He was thinking about how maybe at the end of finishing the game she'd taught him he'd attempt to bring up the ball. He didn't understand how someone could be so hard to make sense of.

Of course, that was one the very reasons James like Doe, aside from her bluntness and beauty, the mystery she was to James.  Like a challenge as insulting as it sounded. James felt even if he would manage, she would never let him win anything, and as degrading as it sounded, he liked her most for that.

James responded, not moving her eyes. "I'd like to think so."

Doe kept pinching herself, shaking her head. "Well, I don't want you doing this if you think it's some pity job for your saviour complex."

I don't have a savior complex. I have a self-denying one. James wanted to get her out of her head, and in that, didn't think about the honesty of his words. "Doe, for every selfless thing I do, this is me being selfish."

Doe blinked, her face getting to the root of her dark hair. Why'd he make it sound to romantic? "What?"

James rolled his eyes at himself. "I mean, this-this is fun. I wanna- I want to see what's at the end."

It was quiet, and James waited for her next insult.Even the mere mention the end of the map eased her. Doe uncrossed her arms.

"Fine." She started walking back to the bush they left their bikes in.

James nodded, still a little testy.  "Fine."

Doe pushed his shoulder as James got caught up to her. She still had to get the last word in and said this in the same way she would deliver an insult. "But you should be more selfish."

James smiled, almost giggling as he pulled his and Doe bikes out of the rosebush. "Why do you care about me?"

"James, this morning I saw you individually taking out all the orange skittles from a bag all because Pettigrew doesn't like them, while I know you were feeding to make the prew." Doe pointed out, taking her bike from James.

"He's picky." James reasoned.

"The movie theatre." Doe said.

"Mmm?" James question not totally hearing. There was a little dragon fly, flying around her head.

"The theatre we're going to tomorrow after shift." Doe made the plans without asking James.

"Great, good-sure-fine." James nodded, smiling. Watch Doe get on her bike. "I could ride you back to yours."

Doe turned around, glaring. "Go home, James."

Authors Notes:

Took a break from posting very busy with exams.

Date: May 21st, 2024