After Headlines

33: Aggravated Assault

" Is it still considered aggravated assault if I throw a banana at somebody?" JoJo walked into the lounge. Bexley looked up from her book, looking utterly confused.

" Yes?"

" Is it considered murder if I give them a heads up first?" JoJo continued, catching the attention of the Toursies.

" That's called a threat." Bexley nodded.

" Damn." JoJo sighed.

" Do I want to know what's happening here?" Ben cut in.

" I want to know if I'd get arrested for rearranging someone's organs." JoJo said.

" Yes, yes you would." Josh looked slightly horrified. He was happy that Penny had her headphones on, deaf to the world.

" Even if it's JP?" JoJo asked.

" Oh, have at it." Sky said as he walked into the conversation.

" No Cara?" Bexley knit her eyebrows.

" She's not feeling well." Sky shook her head. Jeff immediately perked up.

" No Jeff, she's not pregnant." Sky shook his head. Jeff visibly deflated.

" I want to be an uncle." He complained.

" You already are an uncle." Josh nodded to Penny.

" And I love my little Penny to the ends of the earth, I want to be an uncle again." He stated.

" Sorry Jeff." Sky clapped him on the shoulder.

" Plus, there are two married couples..." Iain trailed off.

" I'm sure that it'll be Sky and Cara next." Jeff shrugged.

" Why?" Nick asked.

" I JUST KNOW, NICOLAS!"

" So, about rearranging JP's organs?" Sky returned to the original conversation.

" He's just so annoying." JoJo exclaimed.

" JoJo, just-"

" Knee him in the groan."

" Punch him in the throat!"

" Kick him in the kneecap."

" Poke him in the eyes!"

" Ignore him..." Bexley finished.

" Don't forget to stomp at his ankles." Ben added in a loud whisper.

oOOo

Bexley sat in the lounge, invested in her book. Anthony entered quickly noticing Bexley. Hoping she didn't notice him, he tried to back out. She noticed him.

" Anthony, come sit your butt down and tell me what's wrong before I make you." Bexley said without looking up.

" I swear your mom senses have heightened since you got a kid." Anthony grumbled.

" Funny, pop a squat." She set her book aside.

" You wanna tell me what's wrong?" She took note in his tear stained cheeks.

" Emma just called me, she was having a panic attack. And I wasn't there to help calm her down." Anthony spit out. Emma was his girlfriend that he shared an apartment with in New York.

" Is she okay?" Bexley asked.

" For now. I just feel awful." Anthony muttered.

" Anthony," Bexley sighed, rubbing his back, "I can promise you that Emma's not upset with you that you're on tour."

" I just feel like it's my job to protect her, and I can't do that because I'm hundreds of miles away." Anthony stated.

" Josh and I were hundreds of miles away, we made it work." Bexley said.

" That we did." Josh entered.

" How? I'm completely helpless over here." Anthony asked.

" Well one, we called each other often. Even though we were trying to keep out relationship a secret." Josh sat on the floor.

" I remember. Still very impressed by that." Anthony nodded.

" And just remind her how much you love her." Bexley added.

" You guys make it seem simple." Anthony muttered.

" Because in some aspects, it is. Telling your girl you love her is simple. What's hard, is not being able to see her when you say it." Josh explained.

" So the solution is face time." Anthony stated.

" Sure. But simple things will mean a lot." Bexley assured him.

" What did Josh do?" Anthony smirked.

" You mean when he wasn't sneaking phone calls every three seconds? He'd randomly send me flowers or books-"

" Not chocolate, but books?" Anthony laughed.

" See, it sounds funny when you say it out loud." Bexley grinned, looking at Josh.

" You said you thought it was cute." Josh gave her a feigned looked of shock.

" That's cause I did." Bexley laughed.

" Guys, back to me? I'm having a crisis." Anthony said.

" Right, sorry." Bexley smiled.

" I just wish I could see her." Anthony sighed. Bexley and Josh shared a grin.

" Leave that to us!" Josh ran out of the room.

" I should go make sure he doesn't get arrested." Bexley chased after him.

oOOo

" Anthony!" Penny raced up to him after the show.

" What's up, Pipsqueak?" He picked her up.

" There's a surprise for you in your dressing room." She smiled.

" A surprise for me?" He squinted suspiciously.

" What is it?" He asked.

" Not telling." She made the motion of locking her lips and throwing away the key.

" Oh, you aren't." He tickled her.

" No!" She squealed.

" Come on, let's go." He laughed, carrying her down the hall.

He rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks.

" Emma." He murmured, setting Penny on her feet.

" Hi." Emma giggled, smiling brightly.

" You're here!" He rushed forward, pulling her into a tight hug.

" We win." Josh whispered as he and Bexley shared a high five.

oOOo

" So Emma, I need you opinion on something." JoJo started as the gang sat around Cara and Natalie's room.

" Okay?" Emma asked, nestled comfortably beside Anthony.

" Is it considered aggravated assault to throw a banana at someone?" JoJo questioned.

" Oh, is this relating to that guy you told me about?" Emma looked to Anthony.

" JP." Anthony nodded.

" Okay, so if only you throw a banana that's probably assault. But if all of us throw a banana, I call that a food fight." She replied happily.

" We're keeping her." JoJo stated.