It Started With Joy - A Schoolboy Q Fanfic

Chapter 10

Yesterday was a crazy day, both good and bad. Looking back, I wouldn't change a thing. Well, except for what Joy said. I know there's nothing wrong with missing your dad, but I kind of wish she hadn't said it, so I wouldn't feel so bad. When she said that's all she wanted for her birthday, it almost broke my heart. You could hear how strong the pain in her little voice was. I mean, who couldn't? It was almost impossible to miss.

At least that was something I could fix. If I tried really hard, I knew I could help her take her mind off of it. At least,  just for a little while, so she could enjoy her birthday.

On the other hand, there was a problem that I couldn't fix. Not because I didn't want to, I just didn't know how.

The problem was Tez. Well maybe it wasn't his fault, but what kind of girl comes to mess up someone else's room? Maybe ransacked is a better term.

Not only do I care why she did it, but also, how she did it. How did some woman come into this gated community and gated house without being caught? It baffles me, how this unknown woman was only caught by me and not anyone else.

Who was she? Why was she here? Why did she only mess up Tez's room? What did Tez have to do with all of this?

I had so many questions to ask, but I didn't want to go to the source of the problem. Then I thought, what if Joy caught her? Anger overcame me. How could Tez be so careless and let some woman come in the house and destroy his room when there is a little girl living here? This wasn't even his house. It belonged to Joy more than it did to Tez or I.

I was getting ready to go to Tez's room and I heard the melody to "Break From Toronto" start to blast. Looking at my night stand, I saw my phone light up. 'Who could be calling?' I thought. No one knows my number except for two people, and one of them was in the room right next door. I laughed to myself when I thought of PartyNextDoor.

Walking over to my nightstand, I hesitantly looked at my phone. It was my brother Ray. Just before the tone was over, I picked up the call.

"Hello?" I whispered. I whispered because I had an irrational fear, that if I spoke too loud, he would find out where I was.

"Hello, Tina can you hear me?" Ray said in panic.

"Yes, I can hear you." I spoke a little louder.

"Oh thank God, where are you? I haven't seen you in days. At first, I thought 'Maybe she was just with some friends.' Then I remembered, you don't have any. So I waited and waited but you never came home. Where the hell are you Tina!?"

Okay first of all, I had friends, I just haven't seen them in a while but to hear, all of that I-waited-for-you crap from my brother, after he insulted me first, made me want to hang up right then and there. Why I didn't, is beyond me.

"Tina did you even hear what I said?" he said impatiently.

"Yeah I heard you." I said without a care in the world.

"Then are you going to tell me where you are?" he asked.

"No I'm not. Why the hell would I tell you anything after you just insulted me?"

"Fine, I'm sorry. Are you at least coming back home from wherever you are?" he said slightly sincere.

How the hell can you be slightly sincere? Well it means, he's telling the truth but not all of it. I knew Ray was sorry, but he wasn't sorry enough to take back his words.

"Are you telling me, that you miss me and want me to come back home?" I blurted out seriously.

"Yes Tina! I want you to come back. God, will you stop playing around and come home already? I've been worried sick for the longest an-"

 I hung up the phone because I didn't want to hear what he had to say anymore. Sitting on my bed, I started to do breathing excersies. Weird, I know, but I needed to do something so I could calm down.

"Are you leaving me now?" I heard a soft voice say. Turning around, I saw Joy standing at the entrance of my bedroom.

"It's okay if you want to leave too, everyone else does." When she said it, I could already see tears forming in her little eyes.

Standing up, I walked over to her and kneeled to her size.

"What are you talking about Joy? I'm not leaving you." I said sincerely.

"But he said he wants you back home cause he misses you. Don't you miss him too?" she said with a tear rolling down her face.

Thinking to myself, I wondered, how much of the conversation she heard. Maybe, I should of closed the door before I picked up the call. I took her face in my hands and wiped the tear away.

"Joy, just because he misses me, doesn't mean that I miss him. You see, he's a part of my past and that's something I dont really care for anymore. Besides, I have this amazingly sweet little girl I want to take care of more than anything." I smiled as I spoke those last words.

"Oh? who is she?" she said sadly.

I couldn't help but laugh at how cute she was.

"I'm talking about you Joy!" I said as I tapped her nose.

"Oh!" she giggled, dragging out the word.

"Now come here, and give me a hug before I tickle you!"

She wrapped her little arms around my neck and hugged me tight. It was as if she was saying, she didn't want me to leave her. I knew, I had to say something to ease her mind. So I told her the truth.

"Joy, I want you to know that no matter what, I will never leave you,  I will always be with you."