Duly Noted

Duly Noted Part 6

There's a loud banging sound that fills the air. Joy moans and tries to ignore the annoying nuisance of a noise. But it wont stop, it almost sounds like someone is calling her name in the mix of the rhythmic banging.

"Go away," she whines and buries her head deeper into the crook of her arm.

"Jo-jo come on wake up," Castel's deep voice calls through the wooden door.

"No. Never. Let me sleep forever," Joy mumbles trying to hold on to her last shred of slumber.

Castel sighs and runs his hand over the top of the door frame. Finding the spare key, he unlocks her bedroom door and walks in.

"J-bird?" He asks concerned.

He walks in seeing the room is a complete mess! Joy isn't the most organized person, but her room has always been sort of organized chaos. But this? There are papers and school books all over the room, as well as empty chip bags and coffee mugs. Her bed is a mess, but she's not in it. Instead Joy is hunched over curled up on her desk in front of her laptop, her head cushioned by her open math textbook.

He frowns deeply and walks up behind Joy.

"Joy?" He shakes her shoulder gently earning him an exhausted whimper out of Joy. He smiles a little, "Come on Joy it's noon."

She groans and slowly sits up, her body is completely stiff–falling asleep at her desk was not the best decision to make. She rubs her eyes and leans back to look up at Castel.

"Hey Cassie," she smiles tiredly.

He grins sweetly, "Hey Jo-jo."

"What's up?"

"Well I thought you had died or fallen down a well," he chuckles, "I've been texting and callin' ya all day."

"What?" She asks and digs through the pile of crumpled up papers and textbooks until she finds her phone. The screen shines reading several missed calls and texts from her dork-a-doo wanting to hang out and asking if she was alright.

Her cheeks turn a bright pink and she smiles sheepishly, "Oops sorry C-bear."

He smiles, "No big deal I just was worried something was wrong. I'm used to hearing that little chime immediately after I text you." He looks around the room, "What happened in here? Did you stay up all night?"

Joy yawns and stretches, "Yeah I was trying to get some work done."

"Did you accomplish anything?" He asks and plops onto her bed.

Joy glances at the page and a half of gobbledy goop she has written for her essay. It's supposed to be five pages! She's only finished half of her English homework, a fourth of her science, and she hasn't even begun to attempt her math. Not to mention the history test that's tomorrow, she fell asleep studying the material. Ugh! This is bad!

She forces a smile, "Sorta."

His smile falters. If she was struggling with her homework why didn't she call him? He's always helped her when the work became overwhelming. Well he has kind of been pushing her away. Even before the epidemic in the cafeteria now that he's thinking about. He was sinking into a dark whole of self-pity long before that humiliating day, and he wasn't exactly the friendliest to her. Several days that he wanted to be alone, or shutdown any offer she made to hang out. Wow he didn't realize how much of a jerk he's been to her. His best friend...his only friend. No wonder she didn't reach out to him for help.

He feels like a grade A heel. He rubs the back of his neck trying his hardest to internalize his self-hatred.

"Well," he smiles weakly, "not gonna lie Jo-jo you look awful."