Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
✧ ✧
"An iced oat milk latte for.." I pause, reading the label, "Sarah." I try to show no emotion and pick up the next cup and read the writing on the clear cup without thinking, "And an iced mocha for Charlotte."
Two girls who I've seen around the kook academy snicker as they pick up their drinks from the counter next to me. One is a blonde with blue eyes that I'm pretty sure lives down the street from me and the other is a brunette that was in my biology class last year. Bitches. I turn around but I can't seem to hold my tongue any longer.
"Oh you guys think that's funny. Using the trauma of my dead best friend and sister as entertainment! Are you fucking kidding me? Why the hell would you ever think that would be okay?" It felt as if steam was pouring out of my ears as I fumed and the looks on the pair's faces changed.
"What the hell are you going to do about it, pogue?" the blonde sneers and it takes everything in my not to launch myself across the granite countertop but a hand grasps my arm and I turn to see my new manager, Emily, staring down at me.
"Enough. Delilah why don't you go into the back room and cool off for a second while I sort out the mess you created." she shoots me stern look and an appalled look flashes across my face. "My mess? They were the ones who decided that they were going to choose the names of my dead best friends as their names to shake me, and obviously it worked!"
"Delilah if you don't walk away from this right now I'm going to be forced to let you go." Emily states at me and I glance back to see smug looks plastered across both of the girl's faces. "No you know what? I quit! I'm not dealing with anymore bitchy kooks today. I'm sorry Emily but no job is worth the tainted memory of my best friends."
With that I pull off the apron that was tied around my waist and set it on the counter, not bearing to look back at the disappointed look that was definitely painted on Emily's face. She had been so good to me after I got hired here, teaching me all of the drink names and letting me run to the washroom in case there was an "emergency". I felt so shitty for leaving her to fen for herself the rest of the shift.
I mean I really did feel horrible for leaving before my shift was done and the closer came in but the amount of shit that I had dealt with in the shift besides the two bitchy kooks overthrew that feeling. And adding onto that the fact that my back ached like a son of a bitch alone would have spent me spiraling at the end of my shift. Honestly, I was just so done with this day that none of it made a difference. I blew out a raspberry as I opened may car door, collapsing into the drivers seat and inserting the key into the ignition.
the drive home was as boring as to be expected but what was not normal was that when I pulled up to the chateau, JJ's bike was parked in front of the blue building. Isn't he supposed to be at the country club?
"JJ?" my voice echos throughout the house and when nobody answers I start to panic. "JJ where are you?" I storm through the kitchen and am about to enter the living room when I hear a crash coming from the bathroom and I immediately pivot, walking in that direction.
"JJ?" I whisper softly as I walk into the bathroom to see JJ curled up in a ball at the foot of the shower, water running down and soaking his dark work clothes and dampening his blonde hair. "oh god Jay."
I climb into the wet shower, turning off the stream of water and bend down to his level. His breaths are shallow as his right hand clutches his chest and his eyes are moving frantically.
"Li I- I don't know w-what's happening to me. It's like I c-can't catch m-my breath." he stutters between shallow wheezes and I immediately pull his head into my chest, absentmindedly stroking his matted hair. "Hey, hey it's okay. It's okay baby. Just focus on me okay?" I pull away from him for a second, latching my eyes into his and he nods weakly before falling back into my chest
After a few minutes his breathing evens and his grip around my waist loosens as he tilts his chin up to look at me. "Raz fired me." his voice comes out horse and he pauses, clearing his throat.
"Some Kooks were talking shit about John B and I freaked out at them and dumped a pitcher of water over Kelce. After that I got fired. Then while I was storming off it just felt like my chest was on fire and I couldn't breath.." he trails off.
"Jay... that was a panic attack. Most likely a trauma response to someone bringing up something that triggers you. It's normal." I attempt to reassure him but it doesn't seem to help much so I instead change the subject to an entirely similar matter.
"Well if it makes you feel any better two girls that I used to go to school with played a practical joke on me and decided it would be hilarious to put their names down as Sarah and Charlotte and I quit my job at the coffee shop. So your day and mine went in a very similar direction."
I let out a huff as I try to resituate myself in the curled up position I'm in, trying not to disturb JJ while he's still recovering from the episode he just had.
"Well that fucking blows. Bright side is that you're attending Kildare with the rest of us Pogues instead of slumming it in Kook Academy. So you won't have to deal with those people anymore, besides, you've got me to protect you from now on."
"Yeah yeah, besides I'm sure I can get a job at the wreck if I ask Kie about it and tell her parents about our..." I stay silent for a second, searching for the right word to use, "Predicament."
"You mean that you are carrying and growing our child li." a small smile spreads across his face and that phrase never fails to send butterflies erupting in the pit of my stomach. Our child.
"Yes jay, I'll have to tell Kie's parents that I am a living, breathing incubator for your child. Now can we please get off this sopping floor, my pants are soaked and my back is killing me from standing for over six hours." I groan and JJ shifts from his spot in my lap and sits up.
"Here let me help you get up, I'm sorry you're having to go through all of this. It must be a lot to handle, grieving your best friend and having to grow a human at the same time." he gets up himself and then pulls me to a standing position.
"Hey," I tilt his chin down so he can make eye contact with me, "Give yourself more credit, you lost your best friend too and have to take care of me. That scores major points in my book if you ask me. Besides, I'm dealing. It can only go up from here since we've hit complete rock bottom."
"Look at you, being optimistic and shit." he says before picking me up and slinging me over his shoulder, like he has many times before but this time I squeal for him to stop. he immediately freezes, letting me fall lightly down so his hands sit gently at my waist.
"Del what?" he asks timidly and I let a small laugh escape my lips, "You can't do that anymore," I lift my shirt, exposing my stomach and gesturing to it.
"There's a child in there, remember? So no shenanigans involving crushing said child." I tease and a guilty look spreads across the boy's face as he bends down, eye level with the small bump protruding underneath my skin.
"Sorry little guy, didn't mean to startle you." he glances up at me before sighing, "You know, now that you're showing now.." he starts to say and I already know what's coming so I finish the sentence for him. "Sweater weather it is. We already have eyes on us and we really don't need any more attention."
✧ ✧
Cue the bisexual comments lol. Anyways I hope you are enjoying the second half so far and please stay tuned for future chapters. I appreciate all of you so so much and have a good Tuesday!
