Joi
Phoenix, Arizona
A Couple Days Later
"Come on Joi".
Joi spoke to herself as she furiously wiped her tears. She had spent the last hour crying to herself and she was tired. She was tired of feeling the guilt of holding her mom's secret, every time Joi looked at her mom she felt guilty. She felt like it was her fault her mom almost lost her life. Had she said something to her dad sooner her mom wouldn't even be hurt.
This has been Joi's mood for the past week, although she sat around and smiled with her family it was all fake, she was hurting inside and they didn't realize it. It wasn't just about her mom either but the fact that Jonah would be leaving her soon, her and Jonah has never been apart so it pained her that he would be leaving for college, it wasn't even the college part it was the fact that he would be in another state as well.
Joi and Jonah were thick as thieves minus the sibling fights they'll have every so often. She couldn't see life without her brother and she didn't want to. What also hurt her was the amount of time he spent with Gia, Joi loved Gia no doubt and she was happy for her brother but she felt like Gia was taking her spot in his life. If Jonah wasn't with Gia he was at baseball practice and when he did come home he was too tired to really talk to her. Joi felt alone.
She barely had any friends because she felt like none of the girls really liked her especially with her being with Cassius, since he was one of the popular guys in the school outside of Jonah people hated her for it.
Yes Joi could lean on Cassius but it's only so much she can dump on him. She wasn't trying to have their relationship based on trauma bonding and he had bigger things to worry about like graduating and going off to college as well. She wasn't ready for her and Cassius to part ways because outside of her family he was all she knew and had even though it felt like they were drifting apart. Joi felt like her world was being turned upside down.
Hearing faint knocks at her door made her head snap up, turning down one of her many comfort shows: A Different World, Joi wiped her face putting her glasses on. "Come in". She called out sitting up making sure to pull the cover up with her as well.
The door opened revealing her dad, he had on a crisp white Polo Tee with some red Cargo shorts and slides, he was dressed as if he either came back from somewhere or was going somewhere. "Why you cooped up in here in the dark?". Jah questions as he took a seat on the bottom of her bed.
Joi shrugged, "I was watching Tv". She muttered making him furrow his eyebrows. Standing up he cut her bedroom light on making her hiss. She had been in the dark for so long her eyes couldn't adjust to the light. "You've been crying?". Jah walked towards her in which she turned her head trying to hide her evident red eyes. "No". She replies folding her arms.
"Joi you know how I feel about lying, you don't ever have to lie to me sweetheart. I'll never judge you nor will I make you feel like you can't talk to me. I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere". Jah sat down next to her pulling her into his chest.
It's like the embrace triggered her emotions because she found herself weeping. Joi tightly held onto her dad soaking his new T-shirt with her tears. Jah didn't say anything but instead rocked her back and forth, he learned from Liyah to let them cry it out and then speak. Sometimes people just need a good cry instead of a lecture or commentary.
"I f-feel so sad dad, I-I feel like I'm the reason mom is hurt. I should have told you sooner dad, I-I'm the reason her arm was broken it's because of me. I-I just tried to not say anything because I promised her and I didn't want to break her trust, I'm sorry". She sobbed against him making him squeeze her. Pushing her curly fro back he gave her forehead multiple kisses.
