A Jantom short story.

Unexpected

"Tom, do you have ANY idea how boring school is? I mean yeah it's gotten a little more interesting since Star got here but safe kid is always telling her to cool it and it's so obvious she has a crush on him so she listens to everything he says. The only ones who don't realize that are her and Marco. It's so stupid it's almost sad." I say to Tom.
"You're way too invested in other peoples love lives" Says Tom with a laugh.
"Well can you blame me? They're so stupidly funny and awkward!" I say. "Tom, if I ever go gaga over some dude, I give you full permission to slap me."
He goes silent for a second.
"Tom? You still there?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah sorry."
"What happened?"
"N-nothing I just got distracted."
"Oh ok. You still need to promise me you'll slap me if I go gaga over some guy."
"I promise." Says Tom.

Just then my brother walks in.

"So did your boyfriend give you your daily flowers?"Oskar asks. Ugh he's so stupid. I put down the phone.
"Shut up, I don't have a boyfriend." I say.
"Do you even know who gives them to you?"
"No. They just keep appearing in my locker."
"He must really like you." Oskar continues.
"What guy that's ever met me is going to give me flowers?"
"Your BOYFRIEND" He yells so our mom can hear.
"I do NOT have a boyfriend you idiot! I have guy friends but not a boyfriend"
He just keeps on ignoring me, and to my horror starts singing the word boyfriend to the tune of happy birthday.
"MOM! Tell him to leave me alone!" I say, he just sings even louder.
"Oskar I swear if you don't stop in the ne-" He gets his keytar. Oh god. "You are not playing that instrument. If you can even call it that."
"AND IT ALL ENDS IN K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" And he ends it with a riff.
"Gross! That's disgusting! Do you know how much bacteria is in the human mouth?" I ask.
"Nope."
"I figured."
He starts singing again but this time louder and walking towards our mom. I jump on his back and try to wrestle the keytar out of his hands, but he throws me off. Da** my light body. He gets louder and runs faster and gets to our mom first.
"MOM! Please tell your son he's a terrible person and take away the batteries for his keytar!" I say."For the sake of humanity!" I say.
"Why? What did he do?" My Mom asks.
"He's saying I have a bo-"
"JANNA HAS A BOYFRIEND" He says before running away.
"I DO NOT!" I say. "Slow down so I can murder you, you jerk!"
"H-HE GIVES HER FLOWERS. EVERYDAY." He says, out of breath. I am so going to kill him.
"That's probably just Star opening some random portal into my locker by accident!"
"How would Star get into your locker in the first place?"
"How should I know? How does this so-called 'boyfriend' get into my locker?"
"He probably learned how to pick a lock just to get the flowers everyday."
"Wow. A match made in heaven, in the empty mind of Oskar Greason." I say to him as he walks away.
Although. It does sort of make sense. And then I remember Tom. I run to the kitchen.
"Ooo the mystery boyfriend revealed, his name is TOM." Too late.

This is it. My life is over. I will never here the end of this. Did he hear that entire argument? Can I ever show my face around him ever again?

"Hello Tom, have you been giving my sister flowers?" Oskar says.

I grab the phone from my brother before he makes an even bigger fool of me than we already have.

"WAIT, NO TOM I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!" Oskar says.
"Oh my god Tom, I'm so sorry I forgot about you, I just put the phone down and completely forgot." I say. "How much did you hear?" I can hear my brother laughing.
"Well, I sort of heard the whole thing, you guys were so lou-" I drop the phone.
"AND THE ANSWER IS: THE ENTIRE THING" Oskar yells. "So how long have you two been going out?"
"OH MY GOD OSKAR. Shut.Up." I pick up the phone again. "You didn't hear that did you?" I ask Tom.
"Of course he did now answer me!" Oskar says.
"I don't even know why I bother." I groan. "My brother, wants to... know how long we've been d-dating. Which we're obviously not. Uh, So you don't have to answer that. Obviously. Great now I sound like a stuttering idiot." I say.
"Janna, calm down. You don't sound like an idiot. If anything... the stuttering is cute." Tom says. Really? He thinks it's... cute?
"What did he say?" Asks Oskar.
"Nothing that concerns you." I hiss.
"Oh is that so? Then why are you blushing so much?"
"I am NOT!"
"LIAR!"
"Just shut up." I say. "Sorry Tom, I know you probably don't want to listen to my brother and I arguing. Or maybe you do. I don't know. God this sounded so much better in my head." I say.
"This is too good" Says Oskar, laughing so hard he's crying. I hope he gets dehydrated and shrivels up into nothingness.
"Janna. Take a deep breath, as adorable as it is listening to you stutter I can hear you hyperventilating." Tom says.
"So how old is he?" Asks Oskar.
"My age. Go away." I say.
"You sure? The guys you like are usually at least 200 years older than you."
"Will you give it a rest? I had a crush on John Keats when I was TEN." I say. "...Through fourteen."
"You're fourteen now."
"I'll be fifteen next month!" I say.
"You had a crush on John Keats? As in the 18th century romance poet?" Tom laughs. "Your such a dork Janna"
"My sister likes a boy! You heard it here first everybody! My sister likes a boy! I'm gonna tell my whole class." Says Oskar.
"OH MY GOD OSKAR. Don't you dare."
Oskar leans into the phone. "Tom, Janna likes you!"
"Shut up Oskar! Sorry Tom."
"Did I just hear what I think I heard..." Says Tom.
"YES." Says Oskar.
"I do not! Just shut up Oskar!" I say, swatting at him to leave.
"SHE LIKES YOU ALOT, THE MORE SHE SAYS SHE DOESN'T THE MORE SHE DOES."
"I DO NO- ...t..." I say.
Maybe, maybe Oskar's right. Maybe I do. I turn my attention back to the phone. Radio silence.
Finally he speaks up. "Can I talk to your brother? Just for a minute. I promise I won't let him make fun of you."
"Why?" I ask.
"Please?" He pleads.
"Oskar I swear if you say anything about me and this stupid godforsaken crush I wil- crap." I say.
"Ok, I won't say anything you haven't already said." Says Oskar.
"Stupid godforsaken crush, huh?" Tom says.
"Shut up" I say.
"Here" I say and hand Oskar the phone. "You'd better not say anything I wouldn't say."
"Ok."
~~~~~~~
"Hello, this is Janna's brother." I hear over the phone.
"This is Tom. Oskar right? That's what I've been hearing your sister yelling so..." My voice trails off.
"Yeah it's Oskar. So..."
"So, uh. Janna. She's kind of feisty isn't she? Or is that just with me?" I ask. This is so awkward.
"No, it's pretty much with everybody."
"Oh. Okay."
"Uh... what is she interested in? Obviously not flowers" Those were so stupid.
"She really likes you."
"She does?"
"Definitely. If there's anything I know how to do it's read my sister."
"Some days she's sweet and kind and other days she just. Smacks me. Not literally. Well, yes literally, but I don't mind."
I hear Oskar laugh at that.
"She also likes John Keats. If you did something to do with that she'd love it."
"John Keats? Like what?" I ask.
"Well, I really have no idea. Bringing him back to life would be the ultimate thing but thats not possible. So maybe quote him or something?"
This time its my turn to laugh.
"I can bring him back to life." I say and wait for a reaction.
"Oh. Ok cool." Not the reaction I was expecting. This family is so weird.
"Do you really think... do you think maybe... maybe I could finally." I say.
"Yes. I know she can be kind of prickly sometimes but thats just her facade." He says. "If you do things she's interested in. Show her you care. You'll bring her around."
"Really?"
"Yes, She's a real romantic if that helps. But not all the cheesy stuff. The deep things."
"That's... thats kind of adorable."
"Why do you think she likes John Keats so much?"
"So, if I could bring back John Keats, she likes poetry right? Maybe I could write something. No, thats stupid." I say.
"No, no you're onto something!"
"So if I wrote her a poem, or a song. Or just something. Do you think that might work?"
"Yes."
"Dude. It's been three months. I just... I just want to kiss her. We're not dating or anything but. I really like her man, and I just- oh god this is your sister I'm talking about and this just became a lot more awkward." Great Tom. You just talked about how you've wanted to kiss a girl for three months to her brother real smooth buddy.
"No it's fine. I get it. Sometimes she can be really oblivious." Oskar says.
"Tell me about it. I've been putting flowers inside her locker for months and she still hasn't caught on."
"I think she has now."
"She's just so clueless. She thought Star opened a flower portal in her locker. How can someone so smart... Never mind."
"Just hang in there. She's been hanging out with Star for too long."
"I don't understand why she wouldn't think of secret admirers before flower portals. I know you probably don't see it since she's your sister, but she's so effortlessly beautiful. Its like she just, doesn't see any of it."
"You really like her don't you?" That's an understatement
"Dude, if I'm being honest. I think I might be in love with her." What did I just say oh my god.
Silence. What have I done.
"I can tell." Really?
"Are you ladies done gossiping about me or do I have to stay in the kitchen?" I hear.
She's such a jerky little dork. I love her.
"BACK IN THE KITCHEN." Yells Oskar.
"YOU SUCK. You know that right?" I hear Janna say.
"Yeah, yeah. Now leave." Says Oskar.
"So... She's at home right? Of course she is, you were just- I'm sorry, I'm just a little flustered." I say.
"It's fine, so. How are you gonna win her over?" Asks Oskar.
"Well, you said she's a romantic, right? I, uh. I kind of have a picnic basket in my fridge that's been in there for a couple weeks. That's romantic, right? That's what the movies say." I say. "Oh, and raise zombie John Keats from the dead. Don't worry though. They're cool zombies, I won't let them bite her or anything."
"Ok, those both sound good. The picnic might be a little cheesy but I think she'll like it." Says Oskar.
"She likes cemeteries right?"
"Oh yeah. And morgues."
"She's so weird." I say.
"It's one of the best things about her."
"You guys aren't busy tonight, right? I know wrestling is on Wednesdays and she'd probably kill me if she missed it. Is there anything big on Thursdays?" I ask.
"No, she's free."
"I can be there at seven, are you going to tell her or...?"
"Do you want it to be a surprise?"
"I don't know, maybe."
"Then a surprise it will stay."
"Thank you so much dude I really owe you."
"Anytime."
"I've gotta go... write a poem." I say.
"You go do that."