badnews { jace norman }

forty-one

"Has he been taking his meds?"

"Jesus, for the last time Margo, yes"

"I just need to make sure. I know how responsible you are."

"Im perfectly responsible"

"If that's the case, you need to stop the smoking, it smells terrible in this house and it's not good for him"

"He has bipolar disease, not lung cancer. Calm down."

I purse my lips, bring my voice back up from the long time whispering.
"Im gonna go back in the livingroom"

I walk through the doorway from the kitchen, pulling myself out of Sam and I's conversation.

Sitting on the couch next to Jace, I wait in the silence for one of us to come up with something to say.

The room cold with the lack of a furnace made me shiver silently, my teeth restraining from chattering.

"How are you feeling?"

"The same as a few hours ago when you stopped by"

I nod

"You dont have to check up on me three times a day margo"

"I just want to make sure you're okay"

"Im fine"

"Well sue me for caring- jeez"

He rubs his hands over his arms, attempting to push away the goosebumps that rise on his arms, I pull the blanket off the back of the couch, draping it over him.
He looks at me annoyed, rolling his eyes back to his phone.

I ignore his childish gesture, leaning my body aginst him, my head gentally on his shoulder, watching his screen.

"Bank management?"

"My moms still in jail" He states sourly

"I told you not to worry about that anymore-"

"I cant just let her sit there"

"Im working, a lot- im getting money for it"

"Im not a fucking charity, let me work it out on my own"

"You can't go back to work"

"Why? I'm on my medication"

"I just- I want to make sure you're okay"

"Stop"

My eyebrows raise in surpise as he grabs my hand in his, his thumb lightly swipping small lengths across my skin.

"Im okay, I told you that" He continued.
"Its my mom, im the one that fucked it up. Let me be the one to fix it"

I let out a sigh, unattached myself from him and moving to the other side of the couch. I rummage through my bag, finding the crinkled white envelope, folded in half.

I move to him, handing it over.

"Whats this?"

"About three thousand"

"Dollars?"

"No, fucking fortune cookies- yes, dollars"

"Where did you-"

"Work... I've been saving up the past four weeks or so, tips and paychecks"

He sits silently, running his fingers through the cash within the envelope,

"Thank you M.."

I nod lightly, smiling at his soft expression of happiness.

"I have five thousand" he mummbles