Phrase

•|Coming of Age|•

     Chapter 1

     Jenni squeezes her soft green eyes closed and pulls down her shirt sleeve, placing her opposite hand over her wrist and pushing out a very choppy exhale. She was extremely nervous...
Until the clock chimes 12 AM the next day, she doesn't say a single word, all in keeping the suspense of the situation.. When the clock finally does sound, she shakily pulls her hand away and opens her anxiously dilated eyes. She blinks rapidly, swiping a bark brown lock of hair from in front of her face and looking down at her wrist, a cheek to cheek smile now formulating on her face. Silently she reads the phrase she was given. Only for her friend, Archie, to witness her expression fall as she finishes reading the dainty lettering now forever pressed over her pale skin.
"Well??"Archie chimes in from across the room, eager to hear what she got.
"What does it say??" He questions a second time, tilting his head to the side.
Archie was an old high school friend, and Jenni wanted to have him over for her special moment.. But, after viewing the new words drawn over her wrist, Jenni wasn't so sure if this was just a sick joke or if she'd actually meet someone who'd say this to her.
"Arch... it says, 'Watch it, asshole!'"
There's then long pause between the two after the trio of midnight words are shared.. The quiet is brought to last for about 2 long minutes before the blonde haired boy pushes himself off of the floor and makes his way over to sit with Jenni on her pink and still childish bedding.
Once Archie's sat beside her, he gingerly taps Jenni on the shoulder to grab her attention before opening his arms and offering her a warm smile, "Bring it in, J.J." his soft voice falls over her. He figured a hug might lighten the mood just a tad, knowing Jenni had always adored his platonic gestures of love.
Jenni debates accepting the gesture at first, but is quick to give in and roll her eyes at the boy, leaning up and against Archie's muscular frame.. and allowing his giant arms to wrap around her, flooding her chilled skin with immediate warmth. Taming the goosebumps littered around her arms.
The two friends stayed cradled like this for most of the night, until they had both fallen into a deep sleep by bodily command. And staying asleep until early morning later the same day.

•••

     By the time Jenni wakes, Archie is long gone. After about an hour or so of pondering under her bedsheets, Jenni makes her way down stairs.
Now standing at the kitchen counter, she sleepily tugs a navy colored robe the rest of the way over her bare shoulders and slips on a pair of severely overused house slippers. While doing this, she feels for her phone on the counter next to her, taking it between her fingers once it's pinpointed and dragging it in towards her waist, Afterwards, dropping it down into her pocket before tying belt of the robe around the curves of her hips and allowing a gaping yawn to escape her mouth.
"Morning, Jen." Reese says suddenly, shuffling up behind Jenni and wrapping her arms around her waist.
Reese was Jenni's adopted sister. The family took her in when she was about 3 years old.. and legally having adopted her since she was 5.. The youngster is now around 14 and is just as stubborn and adventurous as Jenni when she was that age. Which obviously has it's downfalls sometimes..
"Morning, Reese." Jenni chuckles warmly, turning around to face the smaller framed girl. "How'd ya sleep last night, kiddo??" she asks whilst tucking her cold hands into her pockets, leaning her back against the edge of the marble countertop.
Reese backs away slightly and places a hand on her hip, a slight smile forming on her face, "How did you sleep last night? You're always up through all hours of the night."
Jenni jokingly tips her head down, covering her face with a previously pocketed hand. "I'm innocent.." she laughs before returning to her previous stance. "I stayed up until midnight, though, and then actually went to sleep, thank you very much." Jenni tosses a slight smile towards the kid, nodding in a sisterly manner before sticking her tongue out.
"Because it's your birthdayyyyyy!!" Reese exclaims a moment later, throwing her hands up and clapping in the space above her head.
"Yes, it is! Now shush!!" Jenni suddenly runs forward, covering the kids mouth, "I don't want mom to wake up before I can get out of the house." Jenni utters in a hurried whisper almost directly after releasing Reese from her ginger grasp.
Reese responds by pushing Jenni back towards the counter and cocking an eyebrow, "Where are you going..?" she asks with a slight crack in her young teenage voice.
"I'm going to go see Archie.. We have to.. talk about something.."
"About what??" Reese questions, knitting her eyebrows together in temporary confusion. "Wait..you aren't pregnant are you?"
Jenni covers her mouth almost immediately, stifling the laughter threatening to break through her lips. She frantically shakes her head no and works on pulling her hand away from her face without expressing a load of embarrassment.
"No no no- I'm going to see Archie so we can talk about my Phrase, Reese."
"Oh, shit–"
"Language!" Jenni interrupts.
Reese just dismisses the comment with a swipe of the hand and continues, "I forgot you got one of those when you're 18.. What does yours say..?"
Jenni allows the room to fall silent for a minute before opening her mouth to speak, but as she does, she shuts it again and just shakes her head, dismissing the topic.
"It's nothing.. Now get yourself some breakfast." Is all Jenni says to her sister before ruffling the hair on her head and walking away.