3 am; joji miller

2.6

     Time passed by, sights flew past as he drove. I watched out the window, not breaking my focus. Neither of us payed attention to Zayn's cries and whines about being uncomfortable and hungry.
  
     I just wish he'd shut up. He's not making me feel any better about everything that happened. I want to talk to Joji, but I don't at the same time.
  
     "Rose, baby, are you okay? You've been quiet this whole time," Joji spoke, breaking the silence. I swear, it's like he can read my fucking mind.
   
     "George, I'm scared. I...I..." I couldn't get the words out. I didn't want to repeat it. He reached over and took my hand, intertwining our fingers.
   
     "You don't have to talk about it. I know you don't want to. I don't want you to. I know it's something that you can't forget, but we need to put it behind us for right now, at least until we get home. Where we can figure all of this out."
   
     His voice, there's something about it, it's just so calming.
   
     "Are we almost there? I'm starving and about to piss myself," Zayn piped up from the backseat. I rolled my eyes and turned around, facing him.
   
     "You know, I have so much that I wanna say to you. But you're not worth my breath. So shut the hell up before I force you too," I said, turning back around and readjusting in my seat.
   
     Joji bit his lip and huffed a small laugh. I looked at him, giving him that 'what' look. He smiled and shook his head.
   
     "You're a lot tougher and more badass than you give yourself credit for. I wouldn't have wanted to get stuck in Japan with anyone else."
   
     I took his joke lightheartedly and laughed a little bit. I took his hand again and he continued to drive.
   
-
   
     "Okay Rose, you sit tight with this fag and I'll get us a room," Joji said tossing me the keys to the car and getting out and heading towards the front desk.
   
     I sighed and nodded to him. I sat back in my seat and twiddled my thumbs back and forth. "Rose..."
   
     "What the hell do you want?" I spoke coldly, not even turning towards him.
   
     "I just wanna say, that I'm-"
   
     "Don't even bother. There's nothing you can say to make what you did better."
   
     "I never meant for it to get this far. I just needed the money."
   
     "So you were gonna kill us? Or take us to them, so they could kill us? Listen to yourself man. You've gotta be better than that."
    
     "Well your boy toy needed money! He worked for Scar!"
   
     "That may be true, but he never killed anyone. Drugs are different then murder."
   
     "I never killed anyone, either. You can't say that I have because both of you are still breathing."
   
     "Yeah, and you're lucky that I called Joji off, or else you wouldn't be right now."
   
     Zayn shut up, and I watched as Joji came out of the hotel. He opened the car door and popped his head in. "Alright come on. Zayn, I swear to god, if you make a move, I will kill you and I won't regret it," he said opening the back door and undoing Zayn's make shift handcuffs.
   
     We began to walk inside, me first, then Zayn, with Joji bringing up the rear. We went for the elevator. There was an older couple already in there. They smiled and said hello, in Japanese of course. I guess they asked how we were doing. Joji answered them and Zayn and I just nodded and smiled politely.
    
     The elevator opened and we got off on our floor, waving goodbye. We walked towards the end of the hallway, and our room was on the right. Joji had given me the key, so I opened the door to a single bed room.
   
     Joji pushed Zayn into the room and came in after him. Zayn sat down on the couch and stayed quiet. Thank god. I collapsed on the bed, letting out a sigh.
  
     Joji came and sat down on the bed next to me. He leaned down and kissed my forehead lightly. "I'm starving," he said, sitting up.
  
     "Me too," Zayn mumbled. We both glared at him and he looked away from us. I shrugged and looked at Joji.
   
     "I guess I could eat," I said, sitting up and leaning against him. Joji put his arms around me and held me close to him. It was super comforting. He nodded and pulled away from me.
   
     He stood up and checked his pockets. He had 47$ on him. I stood up and patted myself down. I only had 32$. "This should be enough to get us something," I said and shrugged, "I'm guessing we're taking him with us?"
    
     "We have too. Look, Zayn," Joji said directing his attention towards Zayn, "I wanna say sorry for how I acted. But you gotta understand where I was coming from. Dude, you tried to kill us. We're gonna get you back to the states, and depending on how things go, we might let you go. Just please, cooperate with us."
    
     "Why are you doing this? Why are you being so nice to me?" Zayn asked.
   
     "I don't know. I just know how Scar treated me and everyone else who didn't belong in there. I don't think you belonged with him. I guess you could say I just wanna help out because I know how you feel," Joji said.
  
     Zayn didn't say anything else, but he looked up towards me and then to Joji and nodded. I smiled softly at Joji, and walked up behind him and hugged him.
   
     "Look, I don't wanna get in the way of your bromance, but I want food. Zayn, do you have any money on you? When we get back tonight we need to call the hotel and see if we can get the rest of our shit," I said.
   
     "I think I've got about 20 bucks on me," he said. I walked to him and held out my hand and he gave me the money. "I'll make sure you get your change, it's just best if one of us holds on to it," I said, handing Zayn's and my own money to Joji.
   
     "Okay, lets go get something. Remember to stick together. Don't fall behind. And if you see anyone sketchy or suspicious, then we need to get out of there," Joji said looking from Zayn to me. The two of us nodded.
   
     I was kinda skeptical about Zayn still, he tried to kill us yes, but then again he didn't want to. At least I think. I just hope Joji's gut is right on this situation.
   
-
   
     We were sitting in the restaurant, Joji and I on one side of the table, and Zayn on the other. Our food had already come, and to be honest with you, I had no idea what it was called, but it was delicious.
   
     We had all gotten something on the cheaper side, but the food was very filling. We were finishing up dinner. The three of us had been talking, and Zayn told us how he had gotten caught up with Scar and his men.
   
     "Both of my parents had died, and it was left to me to take care of my little sister," he said. "Things were going great, I had a good job in the states. We had a two bedroom apartment, she was doing well in 5th grade. But one day, I came home and there were these men sitting on my couch, a gun pointed at Addie's head. They told me the only way to save her was to go to Japan and do what they asked me to do. It was to find and kill you guys. I had no clue who you were. I refused, and they wouldn't take no for an answer. And they, they-" Zayn couldn't finish the sentence before the tears choked him up. I gasped and began to cry too. Joji's eyes were watering as well. I reached my hand out and put it on top of Zayn's.
   
     "I'm so sorry, Zayn. I had no idea," Joji said, looking down, feeling terrible. Zayn looked up and wiped his eyes.
   
     "The only way that I might ever feel better again is to get those bastards behind bars. It's all my fault, that she's gone," Zayn said.
  
     "Zayn stop, it's not your fault. Don't worry, we're gonna get them. They're gonna pay for everything they've done," I said.
  
     Zayn's story couldn't keep me from worrying about my father. I guess Joji was thinking the same thing, because he whispered to me. "It's gonna be okay, he's gonna be alright."
  
     We payed for the food and left. We were walking back to the hotel, and we made it back safely. Thank god. "Okay, I don't know about you, but I'm gonna take a shower, watch a movie, and go to bed," I said, walking into the room.
   
     "While you do that, I'll call the hotel," Joji said, sitting down on the bed, picking up the phone. Zayn sat back down on the couch.
   
     I stepped into the bathroom and shut the door. I started the shower and stripped. I got in the shower and began to wash myself off. A shower never felt so good.