Chapter Text
The next morning Jo wakes up slowly. She stares up at her black ceiling for 20 minutes and runs over what had happened the previous day. She couldn't seem to process her emotions and her thought process ever since the new kid had come. Everything was progressing way too quickly for her liking. She knew that she had’t really had feelings for anyone since elementary school, but this was getting out of hand. She hadn’t even known the guy for 24 hours yet. She knew this was just a small crush but how long could it last?
Jo finally decides to climb out of bed and drags her feet as she strolls to the bathroom. She turns on the light and takes one look in the mirror. One look and she is groaning loudly. She had a lot of work to get done this morning and she didn't have a second to spare. In fact, she had more work to do today than any other day.
Jo strips off all her clothes lazily and steps into the shower. She picks up her shampoo bottle, pours a large amount into her hand before running her hands though her hair.
Jo’s hair is pretty long and working up a lather in her hair takes her a while as her hair almost reached her waist. She tries quickly to wash it out before letting the conditioner sit in her hair. She then brushes her hair because untangling it after her shower was too much of a struggle, and she didn’t want to deal with that today. After that she quickly cleans the rest of her body and shuts off the water.
Jo reaches out her arm to grab a towel off the rack only to come up empty handed.
"Fuck" she whispers.
"Fuck fuck fuck!" she glances around the rest of the bathroom to try to find anything with which she could dry off her body. Finding nothing and growing colder by the second she calls out to her younger brothers,"Elijah! Seungyoon! Can one of you bring me 2 towels?”
Hearing no response she tries again, "Elijah, Seungyoon! Seriously, if you're gonna use the last of the towels at least have the decency of a human being to bring in more from the laundry! I mean seriously would it kill to-“
The door opened and her youngest brother stepped inside with one hand covering his eyes, the other holding 2 towels. "Would it kill you to check before you took a shower? I mean geez we're not your slaves," he muttered with sass while dropping the towels on the floor and stepping back out the door.
"Thank you Seungyoon" Jo remarks sarcastically while carefully walking to the towels trying not to slip. She picks them up and wraps one around her head and hair and the other around her body. Then she pulls the stool that was in between the sink and toilet close to her and sits in front of the mirror to begin fixing her appearance for the day.
- - -
"What in the world?" Namjoon inquires while staring at Jo as she sits down next to him on the bus, like she does every morning.
"What?" She demands, daring Namjoon with her eyes for him to say something rude.
“Nothing,” He starts. “I’ve just never seen you dress up for school. Something going on today that I forgot about?" He asks.
"No. I was just trying out a new look. Something wrong with that?" She dares him again.
Namjoon gulps and then shakes his head.
He knew better than to say anything. He didn't want Jo's fist to meet any of his body parts this early in the morning. He couldn't help but note though how beautiful she looked. She normally was bare faced when at school because she didn't wake up early enough to fully devote herself to getting ready. Also she had told Namjoon before that it was a waste of time to put on makeup when there was no one worth wearing it for at school.
At remembering that comment she had made this piqued Namjoon's interest as he wonders, who had she found worth it to wear makeup for?
Hoseok? Already?
Namjoon peeks at Jo from the side throughout the rest of the bus ride to school whilst feeling conflicted.
He felt protective of Jo. Even though Jo was stronger and like a brother to him, she was still a girl and his childhood friend. He also knew deep down inside that he knew the answer to his question. Jo had found Hoseok interesting enough and so she had spent her precious time getting ready to impress him. Namjoon had no choice but to accept Jo's new crush on Hoseok and resolved himself to get close to the boy so as to judge his worthiness.
- - -
Jo was practically beside herself with impatience.
The periods were passing by so excruciatingly slow and all she wanted was to be in 3rd period.
That wasn’t asking for too much was it? She didn’t seem to think so.
She was anxious and nervous and she wasn't quite sure why all these emotions were flowing through her all at once. She couldn't bring herself to focus on the worksheet she had before her on her desk let alone hear the words her teacher was speaking as instructions were being given out. All she could do was think of yesterday.
-FLASHBACK-
After leaving Namjoon on the stairs Jo walked around the halls in school trying to get her thoughts together. She knew him for all of what 2? 3 hours tops? What in the world was going on with her? She must be going insane. Literally insane. She had spent too long in this school and all the schoolwork and homework had fried her brain. That had to be it. What else could explain this brief moment of insanity she was experiencing?
She thought of the boy with the red hair and her heart started thumping wildly again. Yep, she was definitely out of her right mind. But she couldn't help it. I mean he was perfect. He was good looking, funny, polite and Jo bet that if she got to know him more he would have more charming qualities.
All she had to do was wait and she was pretty sure she would find exactly what she was looking for.
Jo's thoughts jumped all over the place and then she felt a slight pain in her chest as she remembered what Namjoon had said. People had seen her in worse conditions before. She wasn't super lady-like at all. How was she supposed to win him over if no one had ever looked her way before?
But Jo had no time to waste on being filled with thoughts of self loathing. She had to do something. Surely her other classmates would see his charm and want him as well, but Jo wanted him all to herself.
She couldn't let anyone else take the boy she liked away from her. Liked? Liked. Wow it had been a while since Jo had admitted to herself that she liked anybody. Namjoon would be surprised.
But he couldn't know. He would judge her for falling so quickly. Hopefully he wouldn't notice. Because that would be kind of embarrassing considering she barely knew Hoseok for 3 hours.
-END FLASHBACK-
The bell, finally after an eternity, rings for 3rd period, and Jo begins to collect her stuff hurriedly, throws them into her bag and makes her way out of the classroom door so fast.
She eagerly strides her way over to her English class as she wants to be there before Hoseok so she could see his reaction to all the effort she had put into looking presentable this morning.
She walks down the desk aisles and plops down in her seat, her chest heaving from being out of breath.
Namjoon arrives after Jo and raises his brow in astonishment.
"Since when do you get here before I do? Or before the rest of the class for that matter?” He questions.
"Since I decided not to be late for English. I actually DO care about my grades you know." She answers defiantly.
"Oh sure and I'm running for President this year" Namjoon counters and immediately regrets it. He had done so well today in avoiding Jo's fist.
He notices her raise her fist and flinches.
However the punch he expects doesn’t come, and so he looks at Jo to see a slight blush on her face.
Namjoon turns around and sees that Hoseok has walked in with a group of people.
Hoseok begins to make his way to his seat behind Jo.
"Hey Namjoon, how's it going?” Hoseok says as he pulls the strap of his crossover bag over his head.
Namjoon looks at Jo for a second before turning back to Hoseok to answer him, ”Eh it's been good so far. A bit weird, but overall good I guess.”
Just as he passes Jo he notices her looks.
"Hey Josephine.”
- - -