"JJ has no date to the prom?" I asked.
"He's not going at all," Meg said.
"He has to go! It's the prom!" I said, "Even we're going!"
"Well, we're going, but he isn't, and that's that," said Meg, "That's what JJ said at least."
"Well I think he oughta," I said, and with that I headed towards JJ's room.
"JJ Pryor, what on Earth do you think you're doing?" I ask, storming into his room.
"God kid, learn to knock," said Tommy, from the bed, before turning around to face me, "Oh, sorry Roxanne."
"Hello to you too, DeFelice," I said, scowling at him.
"She hates me," Tommy muttered to his best friend.
"That's what you get for taking out my little sister's best friend and then never calling her again," JJ said, shrugging, before asking me, "Get lost going to Meg's room?"
"No, I came here, from Meg's room," I answered, "What's this I hear about skipping out on the prom?"
"Just that," Tommy said, "We're not going."
"Nobody's talking to you DeFelice. JJ, you can't miss your senior prom," I said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Roxanne, Beth's got a boyfriend, I've got no one to go with," he said, shrugging again. JJ didn't talk enough. He always shrugged instead.
"You're a football and track star, and not for nothing, you're pretty good looking," she said, "I even figured you could get a date, Tommy."
"Well thank you Roxanne, but I can't imagine many girls would alright with us asking them only a couple of days before the dance," he said.
"I have an idea," said Tommy, "but I don't think you'll like it."
"I don't," said JJ, the exact moment I said, "I do!"
"No," said JJ, "You're not taking Meg to the prom."
"JJ, we both need dates, you know? Meg and Roxie here, they both have dresses already," explained Tommy, "It just makes sense, you know?"
"No, it doesn't make sense, Tommy! You're not taking my kid sister to the prom," said JJ, vehemently.
"Well I hear a lot of you telling me not to go to with Meg, but I haven't heard you saying anything about Rox-" Tommy started, but I interrupted him.
"Tommy, let it go. You can't have Meg and JJ doesn't want to take me," I said. Seems a bit like nobody wanted me around. The girls on the prom committee, my own mother didn't want me to go, and it didn't seem like Meg did either.
"Roxanne, it's not that," said JJ, before pausing, "Tommy, go get us some sodas, okay?"
"Yeah, alright Pryor," he said, walking out of the room with a smirk.
"JJ, you don't need to explain, really," I said, blushing with embarrassment.
"I've never seen you blush before Roxanne," he said, touching my cheek, "It's cute."
"You don't need to do that," I said, pulling away, "I'll go up to Meg's now."
"No. Roxanne, I've been meaning to talk to you about this for a while," he started. "You know you're like a sister to me, right?"
"Oh my gosh, JJ, I didn't mean that I wanted you to ask me or anything, I just was saying you shouldn't skip it," I said, cutting him off.
"Rox, I'm not saying you were, and I'm not saying it isn't, maybe, a good idea. All I'm saying is, you're like a sister to me, and I want to look out for you, you know? That means, if there are any guys that are messing around with you, or aren't behaving like they should, you know you can come to me, right? I'll handle any guys you need me to. Like if Tommy ever gave you trouble, or any of the other guys at school. What I'm trying to get at, Rox, is that I think you deserve a lot more than you think you do. Do you get what I mean?"
"That's the most I've ever heard you say at one time," I responded, a little confused, a little shocked.
"I know, it's just, you act differently around guys than Meg does, and I think sometimes it doesn't occur to people that you're just as, you know, fragile, as she is. You might not be quite as, ah, innocent, but you're capable of being hurt too," he said.
I wasn't entirely sure why he was telling me all this. He was being so sweet, but I wasn't getting his point.
"I, I don't understand, JJ," I said.
"It's just, I want you to know, you're worth it. You deserve better," he said.
"Better than what?" I asked.
"Better than whatever it is you're doing with all these guys," he said, gesturing around.
"Oh," I said, "Well, I, I don't know what to say, you know? I mean, thank you, I guess. You and your father are the only two guys, men, really, that have ever, you know, been there for me. You two and Will, I guess."
"Exactly," he said, before asking me, "So what I'm trying to tell you, is that, well, you wanna go to prom?"
"JJ, you don't have to-" I started.
"I know. I want to," he said, "It would be my honor."
"I'd love to," I said, spontaneously grabbing him and hugging him. JJ and I were never that close, but I realized, I did sort of always look to him like a brother, and we would have a lot of fun at the prom together.
Tommy walked into the room while we were hugging, and smirked again, "So does this mean I get to take Meg."
"NO," JJ and I answered in unison.