"No, of course not. We are not in any kind of trouble." Lizzy said with an awkward grin.
"Are you sure, Lady Elizabeth?" Genevieve asked with a broken voice.
"Yes, don't worry. We are all together." Lizzy assured Genevieve with a smile.
"Babe, are you sure we shouldn't start preparing for the worst, in case it happens to come?" Hale asked his Girlfriend with an awkward glare.
"Don't worry about that because there will be no need for that. There won't be any worst thing. This is the worst this situation could get. It can't get any worse than this." Lizzy assured her boyfriend, as she used her index finger to trace his face.
"Hey, Elizabeth. I think that Hale is right. No matter what, we have to prepare for the worst, don't you think?" J.J asked with a quick grin and raised his brows at the same time.
"If you say so. So, what do you want us to do?"
"Do you two have any ideas?" Lizzy asked with an awkward grin and shrugged.
"No, not really, but I know someone who we can ask about that," J.J said, as he looked in my direction, I wasn't sure about who had in mind, because I was with Raymond.
I pointed at myself with a raised brow, but he shook his head slightly.
"Then who is it?" I asked curiously.
"He is the oldest and probably the widest person amongst us," J.J said mockingly with a mischievous grin.
"Who?" I, Lizzy and Genevieve asked in unison.
"Oh!"
"The ladies have got no patience," Hale commented with a funny voice and smirked.
J.J sighed very deeply, as he stretched his arms with his palms wide opened and his fingers pressed together towards me and Raymond and said,
"Ladies and gentlemen in this room. Please join me as we welcome Raymond." And clapped alone.
"What?"
"Who told you that I have anything to say?"
"I am still suffering from shock. How come?"
"How did they know that I am here, with you guys?" He asked in confusion with a frown.
"That's why they are called the police and it is their job, but I guess they did some research or something." J. J said and shrugged.
"Oh, you think so?" Lizzy asked, lifting her brows and laughing softly.
"Maybe," J.J said and shrugged.
"Let's be serious guys. This is no joke, it's no fun too." Hale said with a serious face.
"Now tell me, is anyone here laughing?" Raymond asked Hale angrily.
"No," Hale replied and shook his head.
"So, why are you making a big deal out of it?" Raymond asked.
"Nothing. What did I do wrong?" Hale asked confusedly with a frown.
"Hey, cool down guys," I said to them at the top of my voice.
"He started it," Hale said, as he raised his arms and dropped them again slightly, hitting himself violently on the lap.
"Who?" Raymond asked Hale.
"You," Hale replied and pointed at Raymond at the same time.
"Are you fucking serious?"
"What did I start with?" Raymond asked again angrily.
"Cool down," I said in a calm tone to Raymond while tapping his shoulder at the same time.
"Am cooled," Raymond said to me with a smile.
"Are you sure?" I asked him and he nodded, still smiling at me.
I stood up to address them.
I had to clear up the tension in the room.
"Please everyone, let's chill," I said.
"Everyone present in this right now is here because of me, except Hale who is here because of his girlfriend. Trust me, I appreciate your being here, but if you would like to leave, please do it now." I said while pointing at the foot at the same time.
"I would love to opt out but this is my house," Hale said and it made everyone present in the room laugh.
"I don't mind returning your money to you and you return my house," Raymond said and laughed softly.
"Sorry honey, we don't need the money anymore and this house is ours now," Lizzy said to Raymond and pouted mockingly.
"So this house remains ours," Hale added and grinned at Raymond.
"Bam," Lizzy added and laughed softly.
"Whatever," Raymond said while shaking his head in dissatisfaction, feeling defeated.
"Are you guys done?" I asked, but none of them replied to me.
I rolled my eyes, cleared my throat and continued,
"As I was saying, apart from Hale who was never here because of me, is there anyone else who would love to exit this building?" I asked, but once again, I was ignored, and nobody replied to me.
"Can you please, talk about something else, like what are we going to have for breakfast and who will fix it," J.J said to me and shrugged as I looked down at him, he was sitting on the bare floor.
"Breakfast?" Hale asked and laughed softly, but before anyone could say anything he quickly added.
"You should be talking about brunch, it's already past twelve."
"Yeah, brunch," Hale said and laughed softly.
I just felt useless standing there, so I sat down, sighed very deeply and asked,
"Okay, what should we have for breakfast?"
"Brunch." Hale quickly corrected me and they all busted out laughing.
I pressed my lips while nodding at the same time.
I rolled my eyes and shook my head at the same time and sighed again,
"Okay, brunch."
"So, who will make it?" I asked as I began to look at all of them, once at a time and individually.
They all looked sideways or their fingernails and blew onto them or looked at the ceiling, whistling.
"Okay, can't either of you volunteer to help fix brunch for just today?" I asked.
"What about you?" Raymond asked me with a hot and sexy gaze.
"Me?" I asked and swallowed, as I stared back at him.
"I would have, but I can't." I quickly added.
"Why?" He asked.
"It's nothing serious," I replied to him.
"What do you mean?" Raymond asked me.
"Seriously guys, I thought we were talking about food," J.J said and yawned.
"I am hungry." He said and yawned.
"It's because it's my time of the month," I replied confidently with a smile.
"Your time of the month?" Raymond asked confusedly.
"Raymond?" Lizzy called out.
"Yeah." He replied.
"Do you have any sister?" She asked.
"Yeah." He replied and nodded at the same time.
"How old is she?" Lizzy asked.
"She is twelve." He replied.
"Oh, I see." She said, nodding as she made an o shape with her mouth with her eyes wide open.
"Why did you ask?" Raymond asked Lizzy curiously.
"Nothing, never mind." She said and shook her head at the same time."
"Are you sure?" He asked her mockingly and laughed softly.
"Yes, I am."
"Guys, I thought we were talking about food earlier," J.J said and then yawned.
"I am very hungry." He added and yawned again.
"Thanks for reminding them, bro," Hale said to J.J.
"Seriously guys, what are we going to eat?" Raymond asked.
"How about we just order something since neither of us is willing to cook," Hale said and that made everyone stay silent for about ten seconds.
"You are the wisest person I know babe." Lizzy broke the silence, praising her boyfriend.
"Thanks, honey," Hale said to her, smiling as they both kissed.
"What if I say you and your boyfriend are the dumbest persons I know and he just said the dumbest thing that I have ever heard in my entire life?" J.J said and laughed softly.
"What do you mean, bro?" Hale asked in an angry tone.
"What I mean is that your idea was very dumb," J.J replied.
"Really?" Hale asked.
"Yeah," J.J replied to Hale.
"So, why do you have to disrespect my girl in front of me?" Hale asked.
"I don't understand," J.J said.
"Why did you call my girl dumb too?" Hale asked.
"Because she supported you because it is only a dumb person that will always agree with what a dumb person says," J.J explained to him.
"So what you are trying to say is that myself and my girl are both dumb?" Hale asked.
"Not really, but yeah, it is something like that," J.J replied and shrugged.
"So, since it's not it, but something like that, what is it?" Hale asked.
"Nothing, never mind," Hale replied, shaking his head at the same time and then shrugged.
"Okay," Hale said, nodding at the same time.
"How about you apologize to my girl?" Hale asked.
"What?"
"Why?" J.J asked.
"Because no one talks bad about my girl," Hale replied to him.
"Apologize now," Hale said with his teeth clenched.
J.J sighed and asked again,
"Why should I apologize?"
Is he being serious right now?
Is he wishing himself death?
I don't even know why he is still being foolish when he knows that he is very wrong.
"Just fucking apologize already and stop asking dumb questions," I said to J.J at the top of my voice without even thinking twice.
"Even you?" He asked as he turned his head to face me with his stupid hot gaze.
I swallowed when my eyes met his.
Wait, I am supposed to be mad at him for talking ill of my best friend and not falling more for him.
'Focus girl.'
'Just do the right thing now.'
I swallowed and then sighed very deeply.
"Yes, even me," I replied to him.
"You know if being dumb was a career you will be awarded as the best employee of the day," I added before anyone could say anything and rolled my eyes.
He looked shocked after I said that to him.
Everyone else was also looking shocked.
Me too, I was shocked after hearing myself saying that to him.
But then, everyone else busted out laughing.
"What?" He asked in disbelief.
"Just apologize. It won't kill you. Just say sorry. It's not hard to say." I said to him with a frown.
"Okay, I am sorry Elizabeth and Hale." He finally apologized and walked out of the living room and went outside.
"Thanks, Eunice," Lizzy said with a smile.
I nodded and said,
"Yeah. Let me go get him." I said, pointing to the door.
"Yeah, sure," I said, nodding at the same time leaving the living room to meet J.J.
I came out of the living and gently closed the door behind me and walked toward J.J.
He was sitting at one end of the stairway with his head bowed on top of his legs folded with his knee on his chest and his palms clenched together.
I stood behind him for a while looking down at him.
Oh my gosh, even his back view has an aura.
His shiny black hair was brought backwards with every strand looking perfect.
I squatted and placed my right hand on his right shoulder.
He raised his head and looked over his shoulder to see who was behind him.
He shrugged his shoulders to remove my hand when he noticed that I was the one.
I didn't hesitate to place my hand on his shoulder again and he shrugged his shoulder again.
I pouted and shrugged at the same time and decided to join him on the stairway sitting beside him.
"What do you want?" He asked as he bowed again and returned to his former position.
"I just want to be with you," I replied looking at him, wishing he would raise his head to look at me with his hot and sexy gaze.
"No, please leave. I wish to be alone." He said with his head still bowed.
Ouch!
"I am sorry, but I am not a wish fairy. So, I am sorry, I can't leave." I said to him with a soft and calm tone.
"I don't care, but just leave me alone for now, please. I want to be alone." He said with his head still bowed.
"No, I want to be with you and apologies too," I said to him,
He separated his palms, clenched his right fist and punched the floor, breathing heavily too at the same time.