Keeping Jemima

Bubbles and cuddles

Jemima

We wondered out of our room looking for matty spotting him downstairs with the boys we got in the lift and went down stairs
"Hey, What did you want?" I asked my brother nonchalantly as if nothing had happened while William used me as a human barrier between himself and my brother.
"We were just going to get some pizza at a place down the road, you two want to come or are you...busy?"
"I could try and eat some pizza...William?"
"Sure, whatever you want baby, you warm enough or you want me to grab you something."
"Maybe just a hat if that's ok? Oh at that fluffy cardigan thing you got me, please."
William jogged off back to the room to fetch the hat and cardigan while I stood avoiding eye contact with my brother.

"You sure you got enough layers on Jem? you got a vest on, I put the new ones in your case for you?" He asked lifting my shirt up slightly to see if I had another layer on underneath, he clocked the fresh bruises despite me trying to flap him away "what the fuck Jemima!"
"Matty leave it, it's fine, it's nothing ok, can you not lift my shirt up in public please! What is wrong with you!"
"What the hell did you do! did you fall, I'll go get the chair!"
"Matty.I'm.fine....just drop it ok it's seriously no big deal"
"What's no big deal?" William asked plopping a large midnight blue beanie on my head that max had got me from their merch stand, he held my fluffy cardigan up for me to push my arms through.
"The fucking bruising all over her body again! We'd only just got rid of the last lot after she fell off the damn bus!"
"Oh that! I'm really sorry baby, I'll be more careful I promise, you sure you're ok? I can get the chair it's no problem." William whispered quietly to me rubbing his thumb on my side.
"William it's fine don't worry about it ok, I told you it doesn't matter now let's just go get pizza, pizzas high calorie right? It's on the list? It's not too far is it, maybe I should get my chair?"

"Wait you did this!" Matty voice raisied an octave
"Tom help me out here please!" I pleaded
"It was an accident I swear Matty!" William offered up
"William stop talking your digging yourself a hole god damn it!" I hissed at him
"Lets go get pizza before Em changes her mind eh Matty, priorities remember mate!" Tom tried to lead him away
"I swear if you've laid a finger on my sister I'll fucking kill you, you posh prick!" Matty shoved William hard sending him stumbling backwards.
"Matty please just stop, he didn't hurt me, not on purpose, you know I still bruise easily ok, now stop making a bloody scene!"

We went off to the pizza place, my brother still seething, angrily taking large bites of his pizza as he stared down my boyfriend across the table. I sat picking the vegetables toppings off the pizza eating them first then looking at the cheesy goo on my plate, images of the mouldy pizza Steve made me eat once flashing in my mind making me feel sick. I flustered my hands rubbing my eyes with my palms. Humming quietly to myself, trying to keep myself as subtly as possible.

"You need help baby?"
"I shook my head at William sadly, still trying to decide whether to try and eat it or not, desperately trying to not feel sick at the memories.
"You want me to get it boxed up, I can reheat it in the room later for you, there's a microwave in this one. if it's triggering something don't push it baby. It's ok. It's better to try in a controlled environment back at the hotel like the doctor said." I nodded sipping at my milkshake while William went to ask for a box.

We'd stopped for a check up last week at a private clinic and much to Matty's annoyance I'd slipped the doctor a note asking him to ask my brother to leave when the PTSD had been bought up so William could ask the questions he had prepared and we could discuss it without Matty. William wanted to show the doctor his book he'd been tracking everything in and he knew I didn't want Matty to see it still. Matty was fuming when we came out, he wasn't happy I'd asked William to come along in the first place. He'd been in a mood ever since especially with William.