~Althia~

I got woken up suddenly by someone knocking at the front door. I look around and see that I'm in my living room with my math homework on the table in front of me. Still a little bit disoriented, I grabbed my phone and turned it on to see that we're still Friday and it was 7:04pm. I unlocked my phone to text Zach.

Althia:

Zach, are you the one knocking at my door??

Althia:

Because I'm a little freaked out

Althia:

Who the heck would be knocking at my door this late

Althia:

Oh shit

Althia:

Now they rang the doorbell

Althia:

Yes

Althia:

But that's not the point here

Althia:

Hmm

Althia:

Well that does make sense

Althia:

Okk

I got up and threw my phone on the couch before heading to the front door. Just as I was about to unlock it and open it, the person knocked again.

"Hi, I'm so sorry it took me so long to answer. I was-" I started to explain myself to the delivery person, as I opened the door, but stopped myself when I saw Justin on my doorsteps.

He had a small bag and he looked down. I knew something was wrong so without saying a word, I stepped aside to let him in. Justin walked inside, mumbling a whispered 'thank you'. I closed the door behind him and watched as he set his bag down and took off his shoes.

Justin slowly looked up and as his eyes met mine, I saw that it looked like he was crying. I slowly walked up to him and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Hey" I softly said as he looked everywhere but at me

"Can-Can I stay here tonight?' He asked me, his voice slightly cracking at the end

"Of course" I answered, making sure my tone was still low and soft

Justin started to shake and that's when I realized that he was sobbing

Without saying anything, I wrapped my arms around his neck to hug him. Justin's arms were lightly around my lower back but he slowly pulled me closer to him.

I let one of my arms drop to rub his back trying to comfort him as he cried into my shoulder

I held onto Justin until he started to calm down. He loosened his grip on me and slowly looked up.

I wiped away the remaining tears on his face and for the first time, I saw the broken part of him that Hannah had warned me about on the first day of school.

Justin lightly rested his head on the hand I had used to wipe his tears away

"I'm sorry" He apologized

I had to stop myself from saying "it's okay" since things were obviously not okay

I brought Justin into another hug instead of responding

We stayed like that for a bit until the doorbell rang, making the two of us jump

"I'm pretty sure that's food" I told him "You can go in the living room and wait there" I added

He nodded and grabbed his bag before making his way to the living room

I opened the door and saw a pizza delivery guy. I paid for my pizza and went to join Justin in the living room

I set the pizza down on the table

"I'll go get the plates and a water bottle for you" I told Justin

He nodded again

"Someone's texting you" He said just as my phone went off again

I smiled a little at him and reached over to grab it

I turned it on and saw that it was Zach

"Althia" Justin whispered

I looked up from my phone to look at him

"Can you not tell anyone that I'm here? Please?" He asked

"Of course" I answered before making my way to my kitchen

I grabbed two plates and a water bottle like I said I would

Before heading back to the living room, I looked at Zach's texts

Althia:

Hi sorry my phone died

Althia:

You were right, it was a pizza delivery guy

Althia:

Well I'm not so there is no need to worry

Althia:

Nah I'm good Zachy

Althia:

Plus I'm about to finish my pizza and pass tf out again

Althia:

Night Dempsey

I closed my phone and made my way back to the living room where Justin was still sitting on the couch

"Here" I said as I handed him his plate and the bottle "Help yourself" I added as I opened the pizza box and took two slices for myself

We sat in a half comfortable, half awkward silence as we ate. The only sounds that could be heard were our chewing and the faint sound of the rerun episode of Jersey Shore that was playing on tv.

"It's my mom" Justin suddenly said

I shifted from my spot beside him on the couch to look at him. I was about to ask him what he was talking about but I figured he was answering the question that has been running through my mind, the moment he got here. "What happened?"

My given attention to him made him continue.

"My mom, she tries her best to be my mom when she wants to" Justin continued "When it's just us two, she works, she cooks, she talks to me" He paused and took a shaky breath "But she gets these boyfriends and once they come into the picture, it's like I don't even exist" He finally let out

I could see tears forming in his eyes so I put my plate on the table and moved closer to him. I put my hand on his arm to encourage him to continue talking.

"There's this one guy, he's a dumbass fucking stonehead who thinks he's this big shot. He doesn't want me around at all so I try my best to stay away whenever he shows up again" Justin said "This guy gets violent with me sometimes, only when I talk back or if I don't leave, and my mom does nothing about it " He continued "I usually stay at Bryce's but he wasn't answering and I didn't know who else to go to so I-" He added but I stopped him

"Don't worry about it" I told him "You can come stay here whenever you need to" I reassured him

"Thanks Ee-Ah" Justin responded, his voice low

I leaned in and wrapped my arms around him again

Justin hugged me back

"Wanna pick out a movie to watch?" I asked him

"You can choose whatever" He answered

I pulled myself away from him and went onto Netflix

"Actually, can we watch a cartoon or something?" Justin quietly asked as he grabbed the last slice of pizza

I nodded and handed him the remote so he could browse through the cartoons

After a while of looking through the different movies, Justin choose "Home"

I smiled a little and made myself comfortable

//

I went to go change after the movie as Justin took a shower. Once he was done, I showed him to our guest bedroom.

"If you need anything, I'm just across the hall from you" I told Justin as he got settled into the bed

I closed the lights for him and I was about to close the door when he stopped me

"Can you-Can you please stay here until I fall asleep?" Justin asked

I nodded and walked back into the room.

"And uh, can you not close the door all the way" He whispered as I took a seat on the chair that was beside the bed

"Okay" I responded

After a while of watching Justin tossing and turning, I got up from the chair and sat on my knees as I leaned onto the bed, Justin turned around to face me as he sighed

"When I was younger and I couldn't fall asleep, my dad and I used to play this game called 'Tiny, Normal or Big' where I told him either tiny, normal or big and he'd trace something onto my back in the size I told him and then I would have to guess what he traced" I told Justin "Wanna play?" I asked

He slowly nodded as he moved closer to the edge of the bed and turned his back to me

"Alright. Tiny, Normal or Big?" I questioned

"Tiny" He mumbled

I thought about it for a bit and decided to trace a tiny smiley face. I brought my finger to his bare back and traced the face

"A smiley face" Justin immediately said as soon as I finished

"Mmh" I responded

"Do normal next" Justin said

Again I thought and decided to do a pizza

I traced it on his back and when he didn't say anything when I was done, I could tell he was thinking

"Is it like pizza?" Justin asked me

I nodded but then realized that he couldn't see me

"You got it" I told him "Last size is big" I reminded him as I started tracing a big flower

Halfway through my tracing, I heard soft snores coming from Justin. I got up and smiled at how at peace and relaxed he finally seemed. I took the second blanket on the bed and put it on him.

"Goodnight, Jus" I muttered as low as I can as I leaned in to lightly kiss his forehead

I closed the door halfway on my way out of the room before making my way to my room where I passed out as soon as my head hit my pillow.

//

I woke up around 9am the next morning, I got out of bed and made my way to my bathroom. I brushed my hair and teeth before going to go check on Justin.

I quietly made my way over to the room he was staying in and peeked my head through the door. When I didn't see him, I opened the door all the way and looked around. The bed was made and his bag was nowhere to be seen.

I checked the main bathroom but he wasn't in there either

"Justin?" I called out for him but nobody answered

I called his name out a couple more times and when I didn't get any response, I frowned as I walked back to my room to get my phone so I could text him.

Althia:

Everything ok?

Althia:

Just woke up and you're not around

Althia:

Anytime🧡

Althia:

You didn't need to leave right away

Althia:

We could have done something for the day before the others came over to start preparing for the party

Althia:

You wouldn't have

Althia:

You're still coming over early with the others, right?

Althia:

Well I hope you do

Althia:

Okay well I'll ttyl

I closed my phone and shook off the worry I had for Justin since it was obvious he didn't want to be bothered right now.