X Crossed X

Chapter 5: Safe and Sound

"What do you want from me? JJ, what do you want most?" I asked. "You. You and I together. "JJ, I can be your friend. That's it." "Why not anything else?" 'Because you live 3 hours away. You're graduating. It will not work for us. I have school here and you're leaving in a month and a half." "Is that what you're afraid of? Me leaving?" "Sometimes." "That's why you won't date me?" "Yes, all of my other boyfriends lived so close. They were with me every day, because I need it." "We could make this work, we really could." "I need to think about it." I sighed. "Okay." He smiled.

"Cut your hair fucking hippy." I joked. "Wanna see me with short hair?" he showed me a picture on his phone. "Never mind, keep it long." "That's what I thought." He laughed. I hugged him. "I do care about you. I'm just really confused." "I know you are, but like it or not we have to go back in there." "Yeah, let's go." I opened the door and he followed me back in.

"You two okay? Kass asked as soon as I sat down. "Yeah, we're fine actually." I smiled to her then JJ. "What's going on with you two?" Paul asked. "We're not dating." JJ made himself clear. "Good! She's a psycho bitch." Paul laughed. "Hey, I am not!" I protested. "Really, do you recall you dying on your kitchen floor?" he asked. "You're an asshole." I shot him a dirty look. I don't know why he was being an ass.

Wednesday, Kassie got her period. So, we had to go home after our workout. Something strange was going on at the carwash a couple blocks over from us. I text JJ

"Hey, do you know what's going on at the carwash? Troopers and Police have it all roped off."

"Oh, no I don't haven't heard anything."

That was the last text I got, because my phone died. So, we grabbed my charger, her pads, and went back to school. We got back and found out that there was a shooting right before we went through. "JJ and Paul weren't in class yet. I was starting to get nervous. Then he stormed in.

"Oh my God, you're here! You're alive! I thought you got shot. You were right there, then I couldn't reach you! You're phone died, I thought I lost you." He hugged me. "JJ, you were making me nervous too." I almost cried. "Now, I can't live without you." He kissed me and I didn't pull away.

I held on to JJ for dear life as we watched the live broadcast. I buried my face into his shoulder and held on tighter. "I'm scared." I sighed. "I know." "We're going to go get food. Do you want to go?" LT asked JJ. "Go, I'll be okay." I smiled. "Okay, I'll be back." He kissed me, then went with Paul and LT.

They left the room and Kassie turned to me and gave me the "what the hell is going on?" look. "What?" I demanded. "So, what's going on between you and JJ?" She asked. "I don't know, but he might be my boyfriend." "He might be?" "Yeah." JJ got back and I was happy to see him.

When we could wander the inside of the school, "Can we talk?" JJ asked before we left the classroom. "Sure." I sighed. We went and sat in the tunnel together. "What's up?" I asked after a minute of silence. He was nervous, I could tell. "So, what are we? Are we dating now? Do you want to be my girlfriend?" "I would like to be, but that's up to you." "What about when I graduate?" "Shh, we don't have to worry about that now. But, please can I be yours?" "Yes, you can be mine." He kissed me. "Good."

When we were able to leave the school, Paul and JJ decided to bring some of their lacrosse team over to our apartment too. "Hey, go make me a sandwich!" LT looked at me. "Go suck your own dick." "Oh, baby that's what I have you for." "You don't have me. I'm JJ's girlfriend." I got up off the couch. "I don't have money, I need a job." I was talking to myself after I saw a new catalog. "You could start by making me a sandwich." LT chimed in again. "You can start by shutting the fuck up!" "You could be a stripper, you're good at taking your clothes off." "Nah, can't. All the guys know me by name. Come on JJ, I'm horny." I grabbed his hand and lead him to my room. "Wait, what?" Kass realized what I said and she put her head in her hands. She couldn't believe me.

JJ and I were laying in my bed watching a movie when he got a text from his coach. "Shit! I almost forgot." He whispered. "What?" I turned to him. "I have to ask you if you want to go to Miami with me, LT, Jay, and coach. I wouldn't go without you." He showed me the text. "You want me to go? Can we go to the beach?" "Yeah, of course. We'll have to go some scouting, but you'll attract more people if you're there. We'll stay in a hotel, go out to dinner, and I'll get to see you in a bikini." He grinned. "Will we have to share rooms? Cause, I'm okay with having sex while someone else in the other bed. Even ask my sister. Not my twin, my little sister Lauryn." I laughed. "I don't know if we'll share rooms, but what do you say? Are you in?" "Yeah I'm in, as long as we can go to the beach." "Yeah, I wouldn't miss you in a bathing suit, soaking wet, water dripping down your body. I'm going to stop there." "Oh, boy you better." I laughed. "So when are we going to Miami?" I asked really excited to go. "Wednesday. I'm glad you're going, it won't be so bad."

Monday morning, I told Kassie how I'm going to Miami. "You lucky bitch. You get to get to leave this cold place for a few days." "Bitch, I'm not even going to be on the beach that much. They're going to recruit, so I'll be in schools and shit." I laughed. "When are you leaving?" "Wednesday, so I won't be able to go to dinner at Mom's on Thursday." I was kind of happy about that. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Mom changed it to tonight." "Seriously?" "Yeah, you're so going." "Whatever, where's your boy?" I changed the subject. "He's sleeping, yours?" "Sleeping." I turned and went into my room.

"Hey you look mad." JJ stretched. "I am, but it's not at you. I have a weekly dinner at my mom's house, and I don't want to go. We have one usually every week." I explained. "Oh, do you want me to go?" he asked. "No, I don't think you should meet my mother right now. She'll chew you out. And, she's always upsetting me, we fight, then she cries, and I get yelled at." "Has it always been like that between you and your mom?" "Ever since my Dad died." "You get to meet my parents at graduation." "Cool, um I don't do well with parents. The only guy whose parents accepted me was the one I used to hook up with. And, that's only because my Dad and his Dad were old friends. He helped us a lot after my Dad died, up until she married Jake." "Don't worry, okay? My parents will love you." He smiled. I felt better and I thought about having him come with me, but then I thought against it.

Later at dinner, Jake greeted us at the door with a smile and hug. I like Jake, he's a good man. And, he's never tried to force himself as a father figure to us. Lauryn and Amanda were messing around in the living room. "Hi girls!" I spoke up and they ran to hug us.

"What's going on? I saw your Facebook relationship status change, who is he? And how is he?" Laur asked. "You slut! His name is JJ, he plays lacrosse, and he's excellent." I winked. "Ooh." She laughed. "Shut your face."

"Hi ladies!" Mom came out of the kitchen. She went to hug me and I didn't hug her back. We sat down to dinner. "So, Mom Sadie is going to Miami on Wednesday." Kass spoke up. "Wow, with who?" she asked. "With her boyfriend and the lacrosse team to recruit." I couldn't believe she even told mom. "Your what?! I didn't even know that you had a boyfriend! Who is he? Why haven't I met him yet?" she freaked. "Oh my God mom! Because we've only been together for a week, not even! And, you'd bitch him out." I finally answered. "Are you ashamed of me?" she asked appalled. "Yes, I am! Now shut the fuck up!" I couldn't stand it. "Invite him over." Mom was mad. "No, I don't want to." "I'll invite Paul." Kassie called and before I knew it both of the boys were on their way over.

I met them outside, Paul went inside with Kass. "You don't have to do this, you know?" I asked and hugged and kissed JJ. "Are you nervous? Are you ashamed of me?" he asked. "No, I am not ashamed of you. I'm ashamed of her. And, yes I am nervous. "I sighed. "Baby, it's going to be fine. There is nothing that you can do or say that'll will ever make me like you any less. Trust me. I can handle anything." "Okay, I guess we can go inside." I gave in. "You guys coming? It's cold out." Jake came out. "Yeah." I grabbed JJ's hand and led him in.

Mom was ready for him when I walked in. "I'm Joyce." She introduced herself. "JJ, it's nice to meet you." He smiled. He shook Jake's hand too. "I'm Jake." I don't worry about him. "I'm Lauryn." Laur came over. "And, I'm Amanda." Amanda spoke up. "Hi JJ, I'm Paul." Paul joked. "Hi Paul." JJ laughed. "Okay, can we just have dinner please?" I begged. I couldn't take it anymore.

We finally sat down. "So, JJ where are you from?" Mom asked, "Buffalo." He smiled. "Oh, that's a ways away. You two must have something planned. How many girls have you slept with?" She moved on. "Two." "Any guys?" "One, I experimented during my first semester in college. There was a hermaphadite and I'm not sure which gender that would count as." He was being a smart ass.