forever winter-beverly marsh x fem! oc

chapter four

Jo woke up to the impact a large pillow made on her face.

"Wake up, Joe-hoe!" Beverly yelled. Jo rubbed her eyes and groaned.

"Where did that name come from?" she asked. Bev shrugged.

"Dunno. But wake up! It's the first day of summer!" she exclaimed. It's far too early for this. Jo thought. But nonetheless, she reluctantly sat up and faced a chipper Beverly.

Sleepovers were an almost everyday thing. Most of the time, they were at Jo's house. Her parents were never home. They were on work trips often. On rare occasions, when Alvin Marsh was off somewhere, the two girls would have a sleepover at Beverly's. But then there were other times. The times when Jo's parents were home. When Jo didn't want Bev over because she didn't want her to witness what her parents did to her. And then there were times when Alvin Marsh was home, too, and the only option the girls had were to stay in their own beds at night.

It seemed as if they were each other's only solace. The one thing keeping them from breaking when they had to face the troubles in life. Without each other, they would have no safe haven.

Without you, I would come undone. I would break into a million little pieces. You are the only one who could put my pieces back together.

Sometimes, even if she was ashamed of it, those were the exact words Beverly Marsh thought of on those long nights when she lay in bed alone. Sometimes, and she was even more ashamed of it then, she would think those words when she looked at Jo.

"I'm gonna head to the bathroom," Bev announced.

"Okay," Jo replied as she got up from the bed and walked toward her dresser. Beverly left the room, closing the door softly behind her. Jo observed her options sitting on the dresser. Jeans, jean shorts, overalls, band tees. Her wardrobe consisted of those things and those things only.

There wasn't much thinking that went along with choosing what to wear, so she just grabbed a Queen t-shirt and overall shorts. Nothing mind-blowing. And, just like Beverly, she wore her dirty converse.

When she was done getting dressed, Beverly walked back into the room. There was a look on her face—Jo couldn't place it. She seemed...uncomfortable. Weary, even.

"What's wrong?" Jo asked.

"It happened," Bev responded anxiously. Jo was confused.

"What happened?" she asked.

"My..." Bev tilted her head as to gesture to something. That's when it hit her.

"Your period, oh my god! Do you have what you need?" Jo exclaimed. Beverly shook her head.

"Okay, that's fine. I don't have anything right now, but after we get ready we can go to the pharmacy. How does that sound?" Jo asked.

"Sure," Bev replied. The two walked back over to the bathroom and did what they had to. They brushed their teeth and hair. Beverly pulled her hair back into its everyday ponytail, and Jo put hers into two braids. And then they were off.

As they walked down the hall, Jo could see her older brother sitting on the couch watching TV. He was nice, for the most part. He liked to annoy Jo, and sometimes he liked to fight her as if she was his brother, but at least he wasn't like their parents. And that was why Jo thought he treated her the way he did. He wanted her to have some sort of normal brother, but he was also soft when he needed to be. Especially when their parents were home.

"Where are you two off to?" he asked. Bev shot Jo a look that said Don't tell him the truth. She was embarrassed. Even though it wasn't something to be embarrassed about, Jo obliged.