Early Bird | ✓

35 | finch

❁

           "I was so worried about you, JJ," Lauren, his best friend, exclaimed, her eyes glistening with tears. God, he hoped she wouldn't cry; he hated it when Lauren sobbed, snot dribbling out of her little nose, the edges of her mouth swooping downward like a hawk.

           "Hey, hey, don't cry, Lauren," he reassured, leaning on the doorway and trying to conjure up some sympathy for his best friend. When he and Lauren met in grade school, he despised her and her perfect pony tail tied back with a perfect pink ribbon. All the girls seemed to crowd around her and all the boys seemed to love her—except for JJ. He couldn't see what was so wonderful about her pristine lacy socks or her crystal blue eyes. Maybe that was why they fit together so well like puzzle pieces: he lacked the adoration for her that everyone else had in abundance while she was an angel child, a girl, a feminine touch that JJ never experienced in his male-dominated household.

           A single Lauren tear as blue as her cerulean irises slid down her cheek and JJ rolled his eyes. "Can you seriously not go a day without me?"

           Lauren stuck out her tongue at him before gliding past him and into the front foyer. JJ shut the front door behind her and watched Lauren examine herself in the mirror that hung precariously on the wall. "Lauren, stop checking yourself out. It's weird."

           "Shut the fuck up, J," Lauren snapped, her gaze nailed to the mirror. JJ rose his eyebrows even though he knew that she owned the mouth of a sailor sometimes. After the two became best friends, he soon learned that perfect Lauren wasn't so perfect after all.

           He wasn't sure why she had to scrutinize her appearance in the mirror; her cinnamon hair was pulled back in an immaculate ponytail, not a spot of acne could be found on her face, her legs were tone and tan, her cheerleading outfit hugging her every curve flawlessly. JJ, however, wasn't fooled; in fact, he was probably the only kid at school who didn't bow down and worship her like a goddess.

           "That weird pedophile boy tried to approach me today and you weren't there to scare him away from me. Usually all those crazy bastards stay away from me when you're around—even though I don't understand why, you're a legitimate toothpick—so I could've really used your fucking protection, gross-guy-be-gone." Lauren stopped inspecting herself in the mirror and instead placed her penetrating blue eyes on JJ who was immune to what he liked to call "The Lauren Effect."

           "So you're saying you're using me? Wow, what a bitch move, Lauren."

           Lauren rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

           "I know. You missed me."

           "I actually did, you bastard." Lauren leaped on top of him and embraced him, her arms slowly choking the life out of him like a python.

           "Okay, I can't breathe," JJ choked out, his face turning a strange, dangerous shade of purple.

           Lauren finally released him and straightened her cheerleading uniform, a graceful, prideful expression fixed upon her face. "Well, I'm glad to know you're not ditching me. But you're clearly not sick, so what the hell, Hale?" She tenderly punched JJ in the shoulder before sauntering to the living room. The Hales' home resembled a second home to her as she'd spent most of her childhood playing and pretending with JJ within these walls. JJ sighed and followed her.

           "I mean, I felt sick this morning so my mom let me stay home," JJ explained as he watched Lauren strut around the living room until she stopped by the large window gazing out into the backyard, the golden sunlight gently gracing her smooth face.