'Get into another fight with your girlfriend last night?' Bryce's smug voice rang out from behind where Justin and Jessica were walking. 'Looks like she bet you pretty good' he continued, referencing the bruises which littered Justin's face and neck. 'No, we didn't' Jessica looked over her shoulder and kept leading Justin forward.
'What's the matter Justy? Need your woman to speak for you?' Bryce riled continuing to follow closely behind them, causing Justin to stop in his tracks and turn around. 'No! And you fucking know I don't!' Justin muttered viciously.
'Justin' Jess faintly warned in the background. Knowing how Bryce would react to his hostility. 'Woah, someone's got an attitude there, buddy' Bryce smiled and took a step back.
Justin set his jaws and angled his body away from Bryce, lips pulling into a sneer. 'What say we go a few rounds? By the looks of it you're getting out of practice' Bryce taunted, puffing out his chest.
'Bryce stop' Jess says louder, taking a step toward Justin, who's anger shone in his eyes as his arms tightened. 'Justin stop' she spoke quickly putting her hand on his chest. 'You're not thinking straight' she reminded him, she knew that when he was sick he wasn't the most level-headed person. At this Justin's breathing slowed down and he started to calm down.
'That's right Justin listen to your bitch!' Bryce yelled as Justin started to turn away.
Justin flinched forwards towards Bryce. 'Justin, stop!' Jess jumped in front of him, leaning her whole body weight against him to stop him moving forward, 'it's not worth it.' She glared at Bryce 'let's go' she whispered to Justin, pulling him away with one hand on his arm the other hand on his back.
Justin took Jessica's lead, but she knew he wasn't happy about it as they walked through the small crowd that had gathered around them. She looked up at his face seeing it still contorted in ferocity, 'I know, baby. I know.'
'Oh God you're shaking' She exclaimed wrapping her arm tighter around him. 'Let's go sit down' she suggested, spotting a park table a hundred or so metres away from them.
'How are you feeling?' She asks sitting him down then taking a seat next to him. 'Angry' Justin grumbles a glare still present on his face. 'Besides that,' Jessica tries again, her tone full of concern which thankfully helped relax Justin.
'I'm fine Jess' he dismissed, looking away from her. 'You don't look fine' she quickly responded. She wasn't stupid like him, she knew from the second that she saw him that something other than the marks across his face was wrong. He was the stupid one trying to hide it from her.
'I'm just tired I guess' he sighed before stuttering his way into a coughing fit. He pulls his jacket tighter round his body as his shoulders convulse. Jessica habitually ran her hand up and down his arm, suspecting that he had been withholding the coughs in front of Bryce in order not to appear weak.
'Yeah, coz people cough when they're tired' she exclaimed sarcastically. 'Might do' Justin mumbled quietly before the bell rang.
'Better get to first' Jessica suggested before getting up off the bench.
'Are you sure you should be here? You just about feel asleep in Communications?' Jessica asked Justin, standing outside her locker after second period. 'What? Mrs Bradley's boring' Justin whined mockingly. Jessica was going to take the matter further, but she couldn't disagree with that comment.
She smiled as she swapped out her books and closed the locker door. They were just starting to walk off to biology together when Mr Porter's voice rang out through the corridor, 'Justin, my office!' Justin looked at Jessica, who told him that she'd tell their teacher he'd be late before nudging him in Mr Porter's direction.
'Take a seat Justin' Mr Porter instructed as he closed the door of his office and walked around to the other side of his desk. 'I've been informed that you and Bryce Walker had a scuffle before class this morning. Is that correct?' Mr Porter looked over at Justin who avoided eye contact, looking at the edge of the desk.
'What's it matter to you?' Justin bit back glancing up and down at him quickly. 'I just need to get the story straight' Mr Porter's tone remained even, he was used to teenagers getting snippy with him.
Justin sniffed in response but didn't say anything. 'Are you well, Justin?' Mr Porter asked concern incompassing his entire deminor. He now noticed how tired and pale the kid looked, except for the redness to his eyes. Also noticing the fact that Justin was normally just defensive when he spoke to him, now instead he was irritable.
'I'm fine' Justin disregarded adjusting his position on the chair.
'Right then, about you and Bryce' Mr Porter backtracked, he wasn't going to give up. 'Bryce just said some things about me and Jess which I didn't like' Justin gave in and told him.
'And how did that make you feel?' Mr Porter had already lost count of how many times he'd repeated that question. 'I wanted to fight him' Justin admitted, feeling slightly guilty that it was his go to response, but also regretting the fact that he hadn't.
'And did you?' Mr Porter inquired, sitting up straighter in his chair. 'No, he wanted me too but Jess stopped me before I could.'
'The bruises on your face would say different' Mr Porter assessed, looking at the marks that covered the boy's skin. 'They're not…' Justin hesitated, 'they're not from here.'
'If you don't mind me asking, where did they come from?' Mr Porter asked carefully, picking up his pen and pulling his notebook towards him.
'Last night' Justin clears his throat, 'I was looking for some Advil and my mum's boyfriend... he ah' he clears his throat again which triggers something and he coughs heavily into his elbow. 'He um' he stops again to cough once into his fist.
'Take your time Justin' Mr Porter reassures him as he tries to compose himself.
Justin takes a couple deep breaths before continuing, 'he didn't like that, and –' he stops and gestures to the marks on his face with his hand.
Mr Porter noded so he knew he didn't have to continue. He doesn't even bother asking how often this happens at home, because he's well aware that he normally comes to school with new bruises or cuts every couple of days.
'Do you want to report this to anyone?' Mr Porter asked Justin, who's face flashed a look of terror before the guard came up again. Justin shook his head looking back down at his shoes.
'Because we can alert the authroities' Mr Porter reminded, writing down a few sentences in his notebook. 'And then what?' Justin looked up, looking even more tired than before. 'They'll just take me away and put me in the system where I could end up in another family that treats me just the same.'
'They do background checks to make sure each household is suitable' Mr Porter interjected but Justin kept talking over top of him. 'Mum might not care about me, or do anything for me. But she's the only family I've got.'
At this Mr Porter was speachless. He was amazed at his perserverance, but on the other hand, was he putting himself at risk by wanting to stay in a household that was a danger to him?
Mr Porter remained quiet carefully calculating what to say next, abscent mindedly watching Justin as he sniffled again into his sleeve before his breath hitched and he pulled up the collar of his shirt to cover the lower half of his face. 'Uh-TNSCHhh-uh' he stifled congestedly, letting go of the collar he sniffled miserably, leaning back in his chair.
Silently Mr Porter pushed the tissue box he kept on his desk towards him. Sniffling again, Justin leaned forward and grabbed a few before proceeding to blow his nose, slightly embrassed. Punctuating the end with a few coughs.
'Justin, I don't think you're well enough to be at school today. I'm going to write you a note so you can go home early" Mr Porter desided seeing how rundown the boy looked.
'No please sir, I'm allright' Justin pleaded with him. 'Are you sure?' Mr Porter checked, slightly confused at why he would want to stay when up until recently he was ditching most of his classes.
Justin nodded his head. 'Okay, I'm going to write you a note anyway just in case you change your mind' Mr Porter said before scribling a note down on his paper and tearing it out.
'Remember if you want to talk about anything, you know you are always welcome to come to me' he reminded, handing the note to Justin. 'I know' Justin nodded his head in thanks before leaving out the door.
Stepping out into the hallway he pocketed the note and headed back off to class.
It was if their English class had become immune to Justin's stiffled sneezes and muffled coughs within the first five minutes. Apart from Jessica who felt a pang of sympathy in her heart everytime Justin pitched forward. Making it difficult to concentrate on her work, although the rest of the class was silent in their self directed time.
Hearing another muffled cough, Jessica looked up glancing over at Justin a few desks away. When their eyes connected she wanted to mouth something out to him from across the room. But he quickly drew his eyes away.
After a few more minutes she heard coughing again, looking over to see Justin with one hand clamped over his mouth. Drawing up the other hand aswell when the coughing got too loud. As the coughing continued Jessica noticed other class members glancing over at him aswell.
When the fit was over, he silently got up and walked to the front of the classroom. Jessica continued to observe as he talked quietly to the teacher. She saw him begin to pull something out of his pocket, but the teacher placed a comforting hand on his arm and turned him round to his desk.
For an infuriating moment Jessica thought he'd been sent back to work, but she relaxed when she watched him gather his books and leave the room. It wasn't much longer until her phone buzzed with a text, 'going home.'
Jessica smiled to herself, content at the fact that he was taking care of himself to some degree, before texting back, 'feel better soon baby.'
By the time Justin got home he was a mess. He'd spent the whole walk shivering since his jacket clearly wasn't enough to keep him warm anymore. Having next to no energy left, he'd almost dropped his keys as he unlocked the door before stumbling inside and colapsing on the couch. He knew he probably shouldn't fall asleep there since it was Seth and his mum's spot in the house, but at this point he couldn't find it in himself to care.
All through the rest of school Jessica hadn't been able to take her mind off Justin. There was nothing that could take the picture of him looking so miserable out of her mind, not lunch with Alex, not talking with the cheer squad, and most certainly not the rest of her classes.
The end of the day couldn't have come soon enough. As soon as the bell rang she was out the school gates and on her way to Justin's house, thanking whoever cared that she didn't have cheer practice. Although she probably would have missed it for him anyway.
What Jessica registered when she let herself into Justin's house was firstly the mess, but more importantly was Justin sitting on the couch wrapped in a tattered blanket. 'Jess?' he barely had time to finish saying her name after she had closed the door before he lurched forward sneezing. 'Huh'NSCHhtt-mnhh…Uh'GTNSCHh-uhh… Hhp'NxXGkt-ugh… snff' he groaned congestedly after each sneeze and sniffled into his sleeve as he reached forward towards the coffee table.
'Is that-?' Jessica didn't finish speaking as she sat down next to him on the couch, watching as he unwound a handful of toilet paper and brought it up to his nose and blew into it. Pulling it away to reveal a very red and chapped nose, which continued to sniffle.
'What are doing here?' he asks his voice hoarse, pulling the blanket further up his shoulders. 'What if they-'Jessica stops him with a calm voice, 'but they're not here.'
'Is this all you have?' Jessica interrupted the silence the followed, looking at the roll of toilet paper on the table. Justin nodded his head and swallowed painfully. 'I'm going to the store' she said standing up. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Justin straighten up, 'get some rest, I'll be back soon' she said before he could argue.
Quietly entering back into Justin's house, Jessica carried her bag of supplies into the kitchen. Trying to be as quiet as possible since she'd found him passed out on the couch. Taking the opportunity while he was asleep she decided to heat up the soup she'd picked up from the supermarket.
Stirring the pot of soup Jessica was vaguely aware of a few coughs sounding behind her. Turning around she saw Justin leaning against the doorway coughing into his fist. 'Hey babe, it's almost ready' she told him turning back around to the stove, 'do you want to get some bowls out?' She didn't hear a reply, but the sound of footsteps and an opening cupboard were enough. When she heard bowls being placed on the bench next to her she turned off the stove.
'Jess you didn't have to do this' Justin told her from where they sat eating in the lounge. Jessica smiled but didn't say anything. They carried on eating in silence for awhile until Justin spoke up, 'there's money in the lamp, just lift up the base of it.' Jessica scrunches her eyebrows while she contemplates this statement. 'You think that I need to be paid back?' it all clicks into place, as she collects their bowls and heads towards the kitchen. 'I just don't want you spending any money on me' he justifies following her.
Jessica shakes her head to herself as she puts the dishes in the sink before turning around and leading Justin back to the couch with one hand on his back. 'Baby you need this' she says soothingly as they both sit down. 'I just need – 'he stops, bringing his fist in front of his face. His eyelids flutter as he shakily takes deep breaths. Closing his eyes his body freezes for a moment, waiting for the impending sneeze… false alarm. 'Sleep' he sighs letting go of the breath that he had been holding, looking even more tired than he'd been before. 'It was my choice' she points out as she positions the blanket around the both of them.
Jessica didn't remember them falling asleep together, but it was Justin sneezing that woke her up. 'Hnn'Mmnsch… Nxxgk-mnhh… Huh'GXxTCHh'u... Ugh… snff' he sneezed into a handful of tissues Jessica had bought him, his elbows resting on his knees. 'Aw, baby' Jess muttered as he congestedly blew his nose, coughing at the end. 'You should probably ged goingd. Mumb add Sethd will be badk sood' he rasped congestedly sniffing heavily at the end.
'Will you be alright here?' she asked starting to stand up. 'Yeah baby, I'll be okay' he assured looking up at her. Jessica didn't want to leave, she knew that once she was gone there would be no one else to care for him. But she also knew that if she was still there when Justin's mum and Seth got home all Hell would break loose. So, she nodded 'call me if you need anything.'