Lower- Ed novel

8. little JJ

I, Winter, wake up next morning earlier than usual, and go out to buy alot of pink wrapped chocolate bars with my café payment for Maggie, determined to settle our beef today. I put them in a pretty gift box as well, then walk to school, feeling kinda energetic comparing to previous days, maybe it's for the fact that I actually ate a full dinner yesterday after I weighed 107lbs, or that Jacob relieved me by saying Leo isn't going anywhere. I go to the library after I take my classes, in hopes of seeing Maggie. I send her a message saying it would mean alot to me if she comes just this time. I wait and wait for her, losing hope with every minute that passes, until I lose completely hope of her coming. I get up to the librarian and ask him if it's okay to leave something for someone that visits the library often, he nodes and as I am handing him the box, Maggie comes in.

"Oh never mind" I tell the librarian, "thank you for your time", then head to her, when she finally sees me. We stare at each other for a second, then I give her a soft smile, holding the gift box in my hands. She gives me a big smile and yells out "oh I'm so sorry Winter I've missed you!" As she jumps loudly to hug me before the librarian shushing us for being too loud lol.
" should we take a walk?" I suggest, and with a nod of her's, we leave.

" I'm sorry Winter, I thought you knew all along.. but I found out that you only knew as much as I knew" she apologizes,
" it's okay I'm sorry too, I should've called you the moment I found out about it at the project meeting, and truly I was going to tell you when I saw you again but you stormed off lol" I reply, "yea lol, It was a childish act, things just weren't as I wanted and I let it out on you" she continues, "it's okay now" I say.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" She asks me, making me confused, "about what?" I ask. "Are you not eating?" She stops me, "Of course I do, I have just been busy at the cafe" I lie before I continue trying to convince her "I know I've lost weight, but it's barely any, trust me, everything will get better once the year ends". "Okay wini, as long as you're  taking care of yourself", "will do" I end, then we leave to our separate ways after I decline her offer to give me a ride home, not wanting her to see the neighborhood I live in.

I reach home and open the door, meeting my little brother, "yay you're back!" He jumps up from in front of the TV to give me a hug, "where are mom and dad?" I ask him, " they went to uncle  Jerry's, " Why didn't you go with them?", " I told them I wanted to stay with you" he says as he warms my cold heart. I've just been so fed up with myself, I have forgotten how much I love him.
I take out the extra chocolate bar that couldn't fit in the gift box, "here, I got you something", I say as I give it to him, "OH My God best sister EVER" he replies with joy exploding his veins, although it was in pink wrapper and he was a boy, he was easily pleased, and anything would make him happy.
I sit down to keep him company as he watches cartoons on our old TV.
"Where's your chocolate?" He asks as he's eating his, "oh I'm not hungry " I claim.. 
I then prepare his favorite meal, spaghetti as an early dinner since mom and dad left a message saying they'll be back home tomorrow, and he eats as I have a couple of bites for his sake.
I get ready for work, getting concerned about leaving JJ alone again by himself, It made me realize he gets left alone alot, and that made me sad.
" can I come with you to work..?" He asks me, " well I don't know if they allow kids young boy" I say as I play with his hair, "please?" He asks with big puppy eyes, I giggle as I nod, then call the Cafe to make sure if it's okay, and thankfully they don't mind.

We walk out of the apartment to "our" work now, and play games along the way to keep him entertained, it seemed like he was having the best day of his life, even tho everything was normal, maybe even below normal, but it made him smile, and that's what matters.

I walk in the shop and greeted everyone, then everyone greeted me and my young brother, saying how cute he was, and how adorable. He was liking all the sudden attention, that also made me sad,  making me notice how the bare minimum made him so so happy.

I find Dae- hyun sitting with JJ as I finish the last of orders for the day, them laughing and drawing on table napkins silly drawings gave me a vision of a father and son relationship for some reason, then say to myself I hope my kids get to get a good father as I smile weakly. Dae-hyun looks at me then gets up my way after he assures JJ that he'll be back to see his superhero drawing.

"heyy how's it going..?" He asks me as he puts his hands in his pocket, "unexpectedly good, I expected him to give me a hard time today but he was a good boy" I answer, "I'm talking about you" he cuts me off softly that got my heart skipping beats, " What about me?" I say, " your studies, your health? Are you eating well?" He asks and I reply with a simple "yea..". "I think you're lying to me Winter.. are you?", "maybe?", " your little brother told me you cooked spaghetti for him today, did you have some?", " I actually did you can ask him!" I say anxiously as I started to freak out, " heyy...heyyyy I didn't mean to scare you little one, I just want to make sure you're okay" he assures me kindly.
" you want a hug?" He offeres and I accept into a long warm hug before we close the shop with the manager that gave my brother a giant donut for him to have on our way home.

I walk for a little bit holding JJ's hand as we chat, crossing a basketball court that got me thinking about Leo once again, and about JJ as well that wants to play basketball when he's "taller" as he says. "You will be the biggest basketball player ever!"I tell him as he fantasies about basketball, but it gets colder outside, and JJ reveals that he's cold. I didn't think ahead that it was going to be cold for him at night, and apparently he didn't bring his jacket with him, I only have mine.
"Hey do you wanna wear mine?" I tell him in hopes he doesn't mind, " okay" he replies as he yawns, for it is already past his bedtime. I crunch down and help him put it on, then stand up, and hold his hand so we can go home, but I am stumbled by someone I know very well.

"We meet again hhh.." Leonardo states, with an actual basketball in his hands, and a gym bag on his shoulder that indicates he has just finished practice, but none of that mattered to me for i fell far into his eyes, " you're so tall!" My little brother tells him breaking the awkward moment, "finished practice?" I ask, "yea" he replies not taking his off of me only if JJ spoke to him. " Good luck on  your match" I say, then add "you're a very talented player, the school is lucky to have you", "will you not be coming to watch?" He asks me, " oh I? I don't know,  I never really go to events" I answer.
"It would mean alot to me if you come, just this time" he says with words that reminded me of when I asked Maggie this morning. "Okay" I reply to him, that got him to smile so charmingly, that got me smiling. We walked togather to the end of the street, where we had to separate our ways, then JJ and I got onto the bus, where he fell asleep in my arms as all I thought about for the night was that smile.