Mark My Words

33 | Jamie's Defenders

Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.

"Shut up, brat, I'm here for Jamie's bed," Joanna said, swatting away Jamie's youngest brother with the green hair.

"Why? He isn't here—"

"Your mom said it was fine," Joanna said, skittering away the second they were up the stairs. The kid chased after her, even when she ducked into Jamie's room and swung the door to the threshold. The kid shot out his foot to stop it. "What?" she seethed.

"I didn't say it was fine."

"I don't even know your f—reaking name," Joanna hissed, getting down to his level. "I eat children your size for breakfast. Go do your homework before I eat you alive, punk."

So it seemed Jamie's siblings were immune to threats of violence. Still, the kid walked off sulking and furious, thrusting his fists down and crying, "I'm not a child!" before groaning and slamming his bedroom door behind him.

She spun around with a huff. She reached up and straightened her baseball hat, flattened the front of her shirt, and shook out her hands as if to rid them off toddler germs. After returning everything in her being back to order, she marched across the room, to the window, and swung them open.

Jamie's bedroom window emerged to a slanted roof, and a maple tree perfect for climbing. Rosalie had enough experience climbing trees due to the one outside of Sami's bedroom window, but unfortunately, this one wasn't immediately next to a claimable fence to help hoist her up. Still, she managed to swing up onto the first branch—much to the annoyance of her already-sore arms—and carried on to the next. She settled above the slanted roof, looking from the gutter to Joanna and back again.

"You have to catch my hand, okay? I have to jump for this—I don't want to break their gutter," she said in a whisper-shout.

"You got this, Killer," Joanna said, stepping one foot out and readying her hands to catch Rosalie.

Rosalie shook out her hands with a shaky sigh before swinging them back and lunging forward. She landed on the paneled roof tiles with light feet, and grabbed for Joanna's wrist. They latched onto one another so Rosalie never got the chance to lose her balance. She flung herself forward, and together, they scrambled in through Jamie's bedroom window.

Thankfully, it was dark out now, and Rosalie's escape into Jamie's room was as inconspicuous as they could manage. And, thankfully, they had the good sense to drop off Rosalie's soccer duffle at her house, so all she had was her backpack. She swung it around and dropped it onto Jamie's bed, grateful that it was at least made and hopefully clean.

Her chest hurt, and it wasn't until she slowed down and stood still that she realized it was her heart beating heavily in her chest. She looked around the room with a sigh before dropping down onto the edge of Jamie's bed and saying, "Well. That was..."

"A success," Joanna said. She flung herself face-first onto the bed before rolling around and wiggling up to the pillows. She kicked her shoes off and collapsed back. "I don't know about you but practice wore me out. I'm gonna sleep."

"But what if Lennie comes?" Rosalie said, but Joanna was flopping her hand in Rosalie's direction and closing her eyes in preparation for a long, dead sleep. She rolled up in Jamie's comforter and disappeared out of sight.

Rosalie turned back around to face the window. She pinched her thumbnail between her teeth, fully aware of the sweat cooling on the back of her neck and turning the fine, curly fringes of her hair stringy. She reached for her duffle and pulled out a spare towel and shampoo.