???? ???? ????? ?????? ??.

July

If she were ever to be at the least one bit defensive or 'argumentative' and not happy-go-lucky all the time, July was almost positive that she would be thrown out and replaced by another daughter in seconds. It was either perfection or nothing and right now, she deeply lamented telling her father about that bad score on her math pop quiz.

She held back tears as her father bellowed about being better than this or knowing better. July kept her lips clasped and head low, but not too low, or this would take much longer. She didn't even dare to protest, and she knew her mother couldn't save her. Not this time as she was sick with the flu.

Finally, he stopped and sent her to her room. She did as told.

But being a good girl gets you nowhere.

Falling onto white, crisp sheets with pink peonies dancing across the surface, she wallowed in pity. Self-pity. Going over how she could have done better than an eighty-two. She could have been the first-highest score, she was third. Third. Third.

She sighed, wiping her tears before giving herself an emotional pep talk. "It's okay, Jule. You still have this. Now, you know better."

Deep breath in, hold, exhale.

And she moved on. Well, as such as she could. As devastated as she was, she quickly went on to journal and adorning her notes. Sure, they looked like she wrote with her left hand with the entire thing, but at least now she could make them prettier.

She always loved doing this, even if it took up some time. It cleared her mind and soothed her even if she felt like ripping apart the page when the penmanship didn't come out the way she wanted. Or when she misspelt a word. Or used the wrong colour pen. Or smudged the ink on the paper. Or when the pen inked out.

God hated her and bestowed his wrath upon her. And for what? Reading a romance book? Let's forget the part where the romance book contained three pages of sex organ interactions. But other than that, what did she do?

She gulped, correcting herself. What else couldn't she do that she probably already did? Oh, smoke? Never did that. Sex? Never did that. Drink? Never did that. Accidentally flashed a teacher and got rewarded with an almost perfect score? Accidentally did that. July was always a clumsy kid, especially at fourteen. It wasn't her fault that the science teacher was messed up.

Thinking about it now, she became horrified but at fourteen? Perplexed. It was funny to her even.

She drowned herself in her fluffy pillows. The world was so messed up.

RIIIIIINGGGG! RIIIIIIIINGGGG!!!

She snatched her phone from her pocket and checked the caller ID.

Grey.

She answered it before she could even think. "Oh, so we talk now? Or you're just missing me?"

"I'm just missing you," he laughed. "Just kidding, I have a favour to propose."

She scoffed. "Just when I thought you were sweet. What's up?"

"Can you accompany me to the dock?" The dock?

"The dock?" she repeated her fleeting thought. "Do you want me to end up on Rotten Mango, Grey?"

"Rotten what?" he sounded so confused. She rolled her eyes.

"Men..." She might as well be sipping tea and sighing dramatically. "A true-crime podcast, Grey."

"Oh, no thanks." His annoyance was almost palpable. "Kinda need you here. So we going or what?"

"Just you and me?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Red flag, but okay."

Pause. "You trust me that much?"

That sounded almost eerie.

"No, I just know how to shoot and handle pepper spray. I'm a daddy's girl, so he teaches me everything I need to know," she smiled. "No offence, I just trust you to an extent."

His laugh felt forced. "Sunshine, you know damn well I'd kill a man if he dares to lay his hands on you."

"I did not know that." How was she to know?

"Well, now you know, sunshine. So? You coming?"

"Are you driving?" she inquired.

"Of course, I'm not having you walking on the streets like the homeless person you look like."

She rolled her eyes. "Excuse me? I'm not the one looking like a wet cat every day."

He didn't even pause. "Wet cat? At least I don't have a centimetre deficiency."

"Excuse me? Are you calling me short?" she sneered at him.

"Of course, my love."

"Screw you."

"You're still coming, right?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Thank you, Jule." He sounded too serious and too relieved. What was going on with him?

"It's 'sunshine' to you," she quipped. "I'm starting to like the name. Don't stop, now. Too late to."

"I'm calling you by your nickname to show gratitude and you prefer the name I gave you when I was sick of you?" he said, amused.

"Of course, start coughing. I'll bring the medicine."

He laughed. "Your jokes are awful, sunshine. By the way."

"Made you laugh, though. By the way."

"God, you're so annoying," he grumbled. There was a hint of amusement dancing across the tone of his voice. He liked the annoyance.

"Yet, you want to be alone with me every other night. We might as well call them trysts 'cause I feel like a certain bug in my phone like blondes."

"If it helps you sleep at night, we'll call them dates." Dates.

"Is this your way of flirting with me?"

"Have been for the past few days but a dunderhead like you seem to not catch on."

"So, this a date?"

Silence. Then a response. "If it helps you sleep at night, sure."

"Like, a bestie date?"

"Sure, sunshine. Like I said, dunderhead."

She knew what he meant but she was playing dumb until he finally said it outright to her face. It was that, or she wasn't taking him seriously. "There's no bigger dunderhead than you, Mister."

He kissed his teeth. "See you, sunny."

"Eat grass, stormy," she smirked.

"Take off the g and the r," he snickered.

"Eww... I hope all the food in your fridge is mouldy."

"I hope both sides of your pillow are warm."

"I hope when you look for me in your dreams I'm never there and you search for me for all eternity hoping for my presence." Silence. She laughed. "Got ya this time, storm storm."

His voice became a whisper. "How'd you know I dream about you?"

Then everything became dead silent. And when she looked at her screen again, she saw that he hung up.

♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧

Hey, my love!! Nice chapter, right? Please, don't forget to vote/comment! It helps me out a ton!!!