Better This Way

Nine

IX. Monique

I woke up when I heard the alarm clock went off. As I was about to shut it down, I heard a groan behind me.

“Can you please throw that thing away?”

I froze at the sound of the voice. I should have been shouting by now. I should have darted off of my bed to grab Justin’s baseball bat that was hidden inside my closet.  I should have been hitting him repeatedly until he’s bruised and scarred. But I surprised myself by following what he said and laid down with him.

Poor clock.

Feeling satisfied, James had his arms wrapped around my waist and his chin was resting on the top of my head. I carefully turned around to face him, just to study him like an anatomy project. His face looked so angelic it was so impossible not to stare – chiseled jaw, slightly-open lips, long eyelashes that were to die for – and it just made me wasn’t to shower him with kisses.

“Didn’t your mom tell you that it’s rude to stare?” he said with his eyes still closed.

“Not when it’s you who I am staring at,” I replied.

Wait, what?

He laughed. Yes. He freaking laughed out loud and it made the gang and Justin barged in my bedroom and almost broke my door down.

“What the fuck happened here?” My brother boomed and he scanned the area.

Justin’s arrival last night was absolutely unexpected. When he arrived, we were staring at him with our eyes wide open except for Rain. You see, Raid had a big crush on my brother the second he stared at him and now, he was glaring at me for not telling him but really, I had no idea that he would visit me. Or whatever. Cara had to hold the back of his shirt to prevent him from throwing himself at my brother. It was like one minute my friends were teasing me with my virginity and “endearing innocence” then the next, we all went so silent as if God heard that his child was being bullied so he walked down the Earth so he could hunt those bullies.

I sat up to look what happened to my room and I say that there were some clothes and pillows scattered on the floor, added to it were the parts of the newly-broken clock.

“OH THANK THE MAN UP ABOVE! They finally did it!” Cara exclaimed and pulled Rain in a bear hug and they looked like they were about to cry.

“Did what?” I asked, confused.

“Oh, Darling. You’re finally a big girl now. You made us so proud of you,” Johnny said and glared at James who chucked a pillow right on his face.

“SHUT UP! Damn it, Monique! I thought you’re responsible enough. HOW COULD YOU?!” said an angry Justin.

“What are you talking about, Justy? I was just sleeping before all you barged in my room like maniacs and about to – oh my gosh. You all thought I had, uhh, with James? HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA! That’s epic!” I couldn’t hold my tears anymore.

“Fuck. Nothing happened?”

“Seriously? I thought you know me better than that, twin. And I think James here wouldn’t dare to do me without my consent. It’s just that, I have no idea why is he with me.”

We all went silent and turned to look at James.

“Care to explain, Drew?” My brother asked. I knew he was serious. When it came to me, some things like this were on his ‘do-not-fucking-mess-with-me’ list.

My friends were just standing behind Justin waiting for his another mood explosion and if this wasn’t serious, I would have laughed at them. On the other hand, James looked so calm, playing with the strands of my bird nest-like hair.