Ten

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VOTE please!

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After a few moments of silence, Justin's phone rings, making my gaze fall to him as he pulls out the phone, sighing.

"It's your brother."

"What?" I ask, my brows furrowed.

He presses a finger to his lips, sliding his finger over the screen and pressing the phone to his ear. "Hello?" Silence. "Alright, calm down. I'll leave my place and see if she's wandering around. You stay home in case she comes back." Justin tells him calmly, jingling the keys for effect.

They then hang up.

"Damn, I really thought we'd get away with it. He usually goes to sleep." he chuckles.

"He's looking for me." I state, sighing.

Justin nods. "Yeah. And apparently I'm helping."

"How long ya gonna make him wait?" I ask.

"Ten minutes." he shrugs. "It's enough time so he won't get suspicious but won't lose his mind."

I nod, not knowing what to say as I look out at Stratford again. A place that is a stranger to me. The only familiar building in town being my father's home. I wonder if that'll ever change.

"God, you're beautiful." he whispers, after a few moments.

I look over, a grin playing at the corners of my lips. "What?"

He gulps, the bulge in his neck giving it away. "I should probably call your brother."

"It's been five minutes." I say, giggling.

"Oh." he mumbles, looking down and kicking the pebbles as I had done moments before.

"Thank you." I tell him after another few moments, making him give me a confused look. "For calling me beautiful."

"You heard that?" he asks, slightly panicked.

I laugh lightly, nodding. "Yeah."

He licks his lips. "Well, you are..."

I twist my lips to one side, trying to fight a smile. "You should call Mav. He'll be getting worried... more than he already is."

He nods, taking out his phone and putting it to his ear. Maverick answers, and Justin replies to whatever he says. "Yeah, she was..." he sighs. "Trying to make friends. I'm bringing her home now."

We start towards the car. Nearing it as Justin finishes.

"Anytime, man." he says, hanging up as we get into the car.

"He's pissed." I state, not needing an answer.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I thought we'd get away with it." Justin starts.

I grin. "It's alright. I agreed to come. I wanted to. It's not your fault."

He nods, grinning before putting the car in drive and starting towards my temporary home.

I turn on the radio again, listening to the late night stations while waiting for what seems to be forever. Although once he pulls into the driveway, I wish it was longer.

We both get out and I round to the other side, starting towards the front door.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Maverick asks, trying to keep quiet with it being so late.

"That I didn't wanna be crammed in the house anymore." I reply, my voice laced with attitude as the fact of him interrupting my good time starts to settle in my bones, causing my anger.

"Oh my god, you're such a fucking child." he spat, his jaw locked.

"Shut up, Maverick." I answer.

"You are!" he yells. "Seriously, it's the middle of the night and you think nothing would've happened to you if Justin didn't find you?! You don't know this town!"

"It's not like you fucking care, Maverick. You've barely spoken to me in a year, let alone since I've been here! I show up and you treat me like some girl dad found on the street and then all of a sudden you're my big brother again?!" I scream, fed up with all of his actions. "Bullshit. I'm so done with you."

Maverick stands in shock as I push past him and into the house, jumping slightly as I close the door harder than I wanted behind myself.

Outside, Justin scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'm gonna go. I hope uhh you figure out everything with her."

"Thanks man." Maverick starts, trying to hide his emotion. "For everything."

Justin nods, walking to his car and getting in. He walks away and Maverick walks into the house, going to his room and shaking his head at himself before laying on his bed and rubbing his teary eyes.

Arriving to my room, I plop down on the bed, screaming into my pillow before getting up and taking my makeup off. I then put my pajamas back on, sitting on my bed as my phone vibrates. A message from Justin.

Hey, you ok?

I grin lightly at his concern, typing a message in return. I will be. I'm sorry about all that.

After a moment another message pops up.

Don't apologize. You had a point to what you said.

I furrow my brows, clicking his name and starting a phone call.

"Hello?" he answers, his tone tired.

"You think I had a point?" I ask quietly, praying Maverick isn't standing outside my door.

"Hell yeah. He has a right to be worried but not to the point of acting like a parent." he snorts. "That was way too over the top. I'm still wondering why he just went into your room when you didn't answer. You could've been sleeping."

"True. I was wondering that too." I say softly.

"Anyway..." he says, a grin most likely on his lips. "I'll come by the house tomorrow before he gets home. We can talk then..."

"Yes." I say, nodding to myself as a smile comes across my lips. "And hey Justin?"

"Yes?" he asks.

"Thank you for tonight." I grin. "I needed it."

"Anytime." he replies. "Goodnight Hads."

"Goodnight." I say, grinning as I hang up.

On the other side, Justin finds himself smiling wide as he sets his phone down.  Something he's never had happen with a girl. Not that's he's had a chance to. There was one thing he couldn't shake from his thoughts.

Why did he care if she was okay?

"Haven't seen that smile in a while."

Justin looks up, seeing his mother in the doorway. "Hey mom."

"Everything okay? You were out kinda late tonight." she asks, giving him a look of concern.

He nods. "Yeah, Mav's sister snuck out and got lost. She doesn't know town like we do so I went out to help find her." he shrugs.

She nods. "Well, as long as she's okay and you're okay."

He grins, nodding again. "I'm okay, mom."

"Good." she says, walking over and kissing his head. "Goodnight baby."

"Goodnight mom." he says as she leaves the room, closing the door behind herself.

Justin chuckles to himself, pulling his blankets back and stripping to his boxers before getting into the bed and turning the lights off, finding himself falling into a slumber deeper than he has in a while.

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shan:)