The Girl Next Door

Chapter 13

Later that day Jesy entered her house tiredly after her drama practice around six. Jade and Perrie had sort of been trying to flash it in her face that they could tell Leigh about her mistake but she hardly paid them attention because one; her mind was on other things (Leigh-Anne and how pretty, perfect and nice she was) and two; Leigh was not there for them to tell. The girl had had a class to go to so could not stay as support. That meant that instead of getting a ride in Leigh's mother's car, Jesy had to ride on her skateboard back home.

She might not have been able to come anyway, she's banned from staying there . . . Jesy still had to talk to Ms. Marigold about that.

It had been a long day. She and Jade had had to tackle all of their characters altercations during practice. The drama teacher had been impressed with both of them because they had appeared to truly despise each other.

Jesy walked into her room with the intent of sleeping in it but gasped in happy surprise at what she met in there. "Aye, what are you doing here you old goose?"

Johnny stood from the bed and hugged Jesy tight. "I got the evening off for all of my hard work over the past few weeks." He lifted her off her feet and then brought both their bodies into the bed. It bounced and they both laughed.

"Well that is just the sweetest thing." Jesy kissed his cheek messily, leaving saliva. "Boy do I love the old."

Johnny wiped it off with a cringe. "Ewwww. And when I spit on you it's a problem." He noogied her. "Why have you just come home? Were you at the skate park or what?"

Jesy bit at his arm so he would stop. "I was- oh! I was at practice. D'you remember the play I told you about?" Johnny was not here often. She would only see him for a little on early morning sometimes. The last time she saw him had been sometime last week when she just woke up. That was when she updated him on as much as she could.

"Oh yeah. How was it my little soon to be money maker? I want a million dollars Jes, just saying." He had his arms at her waist as she sat on one of his thighs.

Jesy laughed lamely then tapped his cheek. "Don't worry, I won't forget you when I'm soaring above all the irrelevant."

Johnny rolled his eyes. "I'm not talking the regular millies that are pale. I think they make notes in gold." He grinned wide and then made the 'ca-ching' noise with his mouth.

"Shut up." Jesy pushed his forehead back with her fingers. "I'll take care of you, don't worry." She sighed while brushing some of his hair back. "Now about practice . . ." She was ready to go off on how heinous Jade and Perrie were but stopped, not wanting to stress him more than he was already stressed. "It was great. The drama teacher, Ms. Francesca Marigold, thinks that I'm the best thing since sliced bread." She bounced in his lap with a smile.

Johnny snorted on a laugh. "Francesca? Marigold? Did her parents hate her and their family?" He laughed freely now.

"Don't laugh Walrus. She's nice." Jesy looked down wearing a little smile. "She kind of takes care of me."

"Aww, well I'm glad someone does my job while I'm gone." He blew a raspberry in her neck.

Jesy screamed on a laugh. "Dumbass! We're only two years apart. Half the time it's me taking care of you." She nuzzled the side of his face

"Whatever." Johnny brought them down to lie on their backs. "What else is new with you? I'd say what's new with me but there's really nothing that is. I mean, I tried prune-soup for the first time but that was pretty gross."

Jesy gagged. "Prune soup? What jackass would do that?"

"Her face says it all." Johnny laughed. "Come on. Share sister."