Thirteen Summers

thirty-six

J O S I E

tw: mentions of self-harm

"You took your fourteen year old kid sister to some stupid party with a bunch of older kids and let her get high, really Kai?"

"She's nearly fifteen! And I didn't know there was gonna be a party, it just got out of hand."

They didn't close the door properly so we could hear literally everything from the dining room.

Kai was currently in the sitting room, getting his ass handed to him by both Cameron and Roman.

Roman was reluctant to leave my side but after I took some medicine for my headache, he finally left to join in on the reckoning.

When Cameron found out, he went ballistic.

It was ten minutes of ongoing ranting in French, he'd only recently gone quiet as Roman began his turn berating Kai.

"You know she's vulnerable, I told you guys you need to be careful about the things you're saying and doing and what do you go and do?!"

That was Roman. He was absolutely losing it in there too.

"Taking her to some party and letting her get high meanwhile, you're so fucking strung out you don't even know what day it is."

My eyes squeezed shut at his words, I hated that everyone thought I'd been smoking.

"I'm not..strung out, it was just a little weed and I didn't even know she was down there and she's not high, stop saying that." I heard Kai tried to defend himself.

Roman laughed loudly but there was nothing humorous about it. "Ah, you hear this? Just a little weed he says, just a little weed."

I stood up from my seat, Nick tried to pull me back down but I was too quick for him.

"Josie." He called after me, putting his fork down. "Josie!"

I ignored him and walked into the sitting room.

All three of them, wearing very different expressions, faced me.

"Please don't be mad at Kai." I pleaded, "I didn't mind it, honestly! Mom used to do it all the time, I was fine. I'm just not used to this much."

"The fuck?" I heard Nick saying from behind me.

"I didn't smoke anything in there, I would never smoke."

Roman took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"Josie, go back in and finish eating your dinner." Cameron told me, not even looking at me.

"No!" I yelled this time. "We didn't mean to be bad, we're sorry."

"Josephine." Cameron repeated firmly, I could see the vein in his forehead popping out but he tried to remain calm.

"Josie, please." Roman pleaded with me to stop, disappointment and a bit of anger was written all over his face. "I'll come speak with you later, go on, sweetheart."

"No." I shook my head, feeling a sudden sense of panic overtake me. "No."

Kai wore a defeated look, he shook his head at me as if telling me that there was no point in trying.

"Jo, come on. Let's go upstairs, okay?" Nick ushered me.

"She needs to finish her dinner first, who knows when she last ate." Cameron protested, glaring at Kai again.

"Well, she's not gonna want to fu- freaking eat if she's being forced to, is she?" Roman snapped at Cameron now before regaining his composure. "She's not feeling well."