Gutters & Scissors {Her Bright Skies; Jaybee Fan Fiction}

Chapter 2: Jaybee

CHAPTER 2: JAYBEE  

“Where is she? Her flight landed fifteen minutes ago,” I said, moving up and down impatiently. I looked up at the arrivals screen for what seemed like the hundredth time. I was at the airport with Jolle, waiting for Faye and her friend to arrive.  

“Relax, bouncy,” Jolle said from beside me. “They need to collect their luggage and shit, it takes time.”  

“I can't. I'm a bit excited.” I was – much more than a bit.

“I know I have that effect on you, Johan, but we’re at an airport – please,” he said.  

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help smiling just the same. “You’re an idiot.” Jolle, you see, had a habit of calling me ‘Johan’ to annoy me, and I realised that the more I showed it did annoy me, the more he called me by my actual name. However, I was bothered less by it that day.

“An idiot that you'd do ... So, what’s the girl like?” Jolle asked.  

“Faye? Oh she’s brilliant,” I said. “Hilarious – very hilarious and fun. And she’s sweet; listens to me, gives great advice – you know. And she’s pretty; you’ll like her.” I looked at him at that last part, waiting for his remark.

“Sounds like you have a keeper there, Brolin.” I rolled my eyes again, but a small smile couldn't help making its way to my face. My eyes continued scanning the crowd; which either consisted of people doing the same as I, or people welcoming the ones that had just arrived.

“Are you still with Nea?” Jolle asked.

I groaned. “Since the last time you asked – which was exactly twenty-four minutes ago – yes.”

Jolle shook his head – and there came the lecture. “And why are you still with her? Honestly, Jaybee, why the fuck are you still with her? You know you’re like a brother to me and I want you to be happy and all that crap, but she treats you like complete shit; you can’t possibly be happy with her. You’re not. All four of us have noticed that. You deserve someone better. You deserve someone who isn’t sleeping with everyone in Jönköping.”

“Thank you for that speech there, Jolle,” I mumbled. “Again.” The guys had been pulling interventions because of Nea for the previous two months. I just didn’t want to give up on our relationship just yet. We’d been happily together for nine months before things started going downhill. I wanted things to go back to the way they were. I wanted to talk about it – but she didn’t. Yet, I still didn’t want to give up on us.

Maybe I really was an idiot.

“You bet your pretty ass I’ll be giving you speeches until you fucking get it.”

“Got it.”

“Oh, you better.” We stood in silence for a few minutes, while I fidgeted and continuously searched  the crowd. “What does she look like?” Jolle finally asked, his tone lighter now.

“I think I’d shown you a picture of her before...” I pulled my iPhone out of my pocket and unlocked the screen.

“Well, I forgot.”  

“Here,” I said, as I chose a recent picture I had of Faye.  

“You have pictures of her? On your phone?” A smug look grew on his face.  

“Well, we send pictures to each other. That’s what friends do,” I said simply. I sent him a small smile as I put my phone back into my pocket.