One-time thing

8 - new admirer

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin

It's safe to say I was too distracted on my phone, that I didn't notice the other two people sitting on the opposite couch when I threw the plan B pack for Jo to catch.

I don't understand why I snapped at Samantha today when I learned that she introduced herself as my girlfriend to Jo. Part of me thinks that maybe I didn't want Jo to know that, everything is just too cluttered right now.

"Thanks," she whispers, clutching onto the packet as her fingers start fidgeting with it, her eyes trailing off to the front.

There's too much going on inside my head anyway, the last thing I want is to get called out on something that wasn't even a big deal.

"What the fuck?" Kiara gasps, her mouth parted in surprise that matches Chris' face who sits bluntly beside her.

"Yeah, we hooked up, big deal. You guys do it all the fucking time" I roll my eyes and seat myself beside Jo, exhaling a deep breath of exhaustion, and the day has just begun.

I feel Jo's eyes lacing on me when I assure the two that it was nothing. It was nothing, right?

"Man, what have you turned into? A fuck boy?" Chris laughs, making my blood boil at the choice of his words.

We got into a stupid fucking fight this morning, and he let out all his anger on me and vice versa. We did this all the time back in school when we got angry but I didn't think we'd continue the tradition as adults too.

"Shut the fuck up bro"

"Josephine?" Kiara looks at her with her best judgy eyes, clearly not expecting anything like this from her. Again, we can't blame her.

"I'm sorry--"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Jo" I cut her off, saving her from apologizing for something she doesn't have to.

"Why would you do that?" Kiara's aggravated voice asks again, her body structure straightening in seriousness as we all look at her in confusion. She has never acted like this before, she's always the one too cool and unbothered about everything, but today she is acting weird.

"Woah Kiki, chill. They just hooked up, alright? No big deal" Chris laughs, attempting to lighten the thick air that surrounds us.

"I don't understand why you're so upset" Jo shrugs her shoulders, as her voice showing no sign of waver, just confidence, and confusion.

"I'm not upset-- it's just, this is not you" she replies, shrugging her shoulders herself as if simply stating a fact. "What has gotten into you?"

Chris and I exchange a look, both of us thinking that we're gonna be witnessing a verbal catfight. He smirks at me, letting me know exactly what he's thinking, and I shake my head in disapproval.

"I know what I did, okay? And you can't make me feel bad about the one thing I did without overthinking" Jo fires back, standing up from her seat, ready to storm out of here before Kiara could reply, but I hold her by her wrist. "Let go, I want to take a shower"

"Sit down" I merely command, tilting my head and pleading with my eyes.

She exhales a deep breath, and sits back down, her eyes locked into mine as she awaits a further response.

"Just hug it out, both of you" I suggest, and notice the sense of agreeing on her face.

Kiara sighs too, her fury starting to fade away visibly as she opens her mouth to speak, "I didn't mean to offend you, alright? I'm just looking out for my best friend. Hero is a--"