RUIN ME | JEAN DUPIN

04| Something with a P

                            Breakfast the next morning was more akward than Josephine had expected, of course she hadnt relized the Merces would be joining them, since she thought he'd still be in Paris with her two other brothers. Laramie and Mathieu, who she would much rather be here than him, though Jacques was too focused on his newfound work to even spare any attention to the people around the table, earning a scolding look from Merces and their father.

"Jacques." He began warningly, pulling the book away from him.

Jacques looked up, his eyes widening, "Sorry."

"I didnt bring you here, for you to slack off on your manners." Laurent told him, "I brought you here, so you could get away from those parisian hooligans, and get a proper education!"

"Yes sir." Said Jacques quickly, shoving the book into his bag.

Merces checked his watch, on his wrist, "I think its best if the two of you head off to school."

Jacques nodded, shooting up from his seat, and giving Merces a thankfull look, "Your right, we dont want to be late. Come on, Josephine."

Josephine had managed to keep her mouth shut the entire morning, her manners were perfect, everything about her seemed tidy, but as soon as she exited the house it was almost like she was letting out a breath of fresh air, her shoulders untensed, and her bones finnally seemed to be easing.

"You alright there, Josephine?" Jacques sent her a concerned look as she shook out her shoulders.

"Just fine." She nodded, though it didnt seem very convincing to Jacques, who gave her another pointed look, but Jacques didnt push her any farther, instead choosing to walk the rest of the way to school in silence. Though it was interrupted as soon as they walked through the front gates.

"Hey Josephine!" Called out Charles vergoux, who was sitting beside Descamps on one of the stone walls.

"Why are they talking to you?" Asked Jacques as they trailed to a stop.

"Thats a good question." She shrugged, choosing to ignore them, as she watched Descamps hit Vergoux on the shoulder, whispering something to him before he pointed behind Josephine. "I'll see you later though."

Jacques nodded, handing over her bookbag while giving a glare over to the two boys.

Just as soon as Jacques had walked away, Josephine felt a hand wrap around her shoulder, rolling her eyes she shrugged him off, "goodmorning Dupin."

He stepped beside her, "How'd you know it was me?"

"Who else would be bothering me this early in the morning?" Dupin frowned.

"You know if I wasnt so persitent, I'd start to think you didnt like me." Dupin frown quickly turned into a smirk, "but good thing I dont think."

Josephine gave him a confused look as they neared his two friends, who were already shining smirks at her, "you do relize you just insulted yourself, right?"

"Yea, nice going there Dupin." Teased Descamps.

"I dont think." Mimicked Vergoux with a laugh "real clever."

"Oh shut up." Dupin shoved them, "I'd like to see you come up with any better."

"Surely anythings better than that." Josephine smiled, "it was a cute attempt though."

"You thought it was cute?" Asked Dupin, his face lightning up.

"No." Josephine covered her mistake, for some reason she found herself wanting to talk to Dupin, he was amusing after all, and after her gloomy moring she could use it.

"You wound me, Josie." He touched his heart, and puckered his lip.

"Was that your brother?" Asked Vergoux suddenly, as Descamps lit the cigarrette between his lips. Dupin pulled out his own, grabbing the lighter from Descamps after he was done.

"Who? Jacques?" She frowned, wondering where the question was coming from. She didnt expect Vergoux to he curiouse about who she was walking in with, "Yeah hes my brother."

"And hes friends with Jean Pierre." Scoffed Descamps, his voice muffled as he let smoke out of his mouth. Dupin quickly swatted the smoke away from Josephine, mumbling a soft sorry as he sent his smoke in the opposite direction.

"Be respectful, Joseph." Dupin's eyebrow's knitted together, but Descamps only shook his head.

"Yea not his brightest moment I suppose," shrugged Josephine, "I know you guys arent very fond of him."

"He just has to wait till I get my hands on him, he'll be dead." Dupin sneered, glaring across the courtyard at the boy.

"That or we can take it out on Magnam, that'll really irk him." Vergoux suggested.  "Hey— Josephine, you coming to the game tonight?"

The quick change of topic startled the girl, her eye sight quickly snapping to the three boys who were already looking at her.

"What game?"

Dupin snickered, taking the cigarrette out of his mouth for a quick moment, "The soccer game, between the students and the teachers. I heard Casiro made a bet about a lounge for us."

"Do you think we'll win?" Asked Josephine hopefuly, a lounge did sound nice, even if she wasnt that big of a soccer fan.

"No," said Dupin quickly, "The teachers have won for the past three years, its totally rigged."

"We can hope though." Vergoux sighed, "so you coming?"

Josephine thought about it for a moment, she didnt have anything better to be doing, "sure, why not."

The three boys cheered exitedly. "Atta girl!"

"Jean I think thats the first win!"

"shut the fuck up, vergoux!"

"Ill see you boys around." Josephine laughed, turning away from the three of them to head into school.

"You better," Dupin called after her, "hey do either of you know her last name?"

"Yea no clue."

"Isnt it something with a P? Porsche, Polley?"

"No I dont think its that."

"Dammit— Hey Josie!" Dupin yelled, "whats your last name?"

"Figure it out!"

"Fuck!"

Of course Dupin took her words 'figure it out.' Quite seriously, so the entire day he was listing names that started with a P to his friends.

"Ponte."

"Porkey."

"Praline."

"Prine."

"Pichon?!"

"Oh come on, man. Just give it up wont ya?" Vergoux groaned, rubbing his temples.

"I didnt think it'd be that hard, im invested now." Dupin sighed, hitting his pencil against his notebook. Descamps who sat infront of him was too busy scarfing down his lunch to even care, but for a moment he glanced up.

"Why dont you just ask someone." Descamps grumbled, grabbing the first
Person who walked past. Pichon squeeked, tensing up as he stood infront of the group, "whats Josephines last name?"

Pichon glanced towards Josephine, swallowing. "Its Pierre."

"Pierre?" Descamps raised an eyebrow.

"Why didnt I think of that!" Dupin huffed, leaning over the table so he could face the girls better, "Hey Josie— your last name is Pierre?"

Josie frowned, "how did you even guess that?"

"Trust me, he didnt." Vergoux told her, stealing some of Dupin's eggs out of annoyance.

"Shut that mouth of yours wont you." Dupin sneered, hitting Vergoux over the head.

Vergoux scowled, "Says the one whos been yapping my ear off this entire day!"