oh my god

Jules was a little perplexed. He knew there were better things to think about. But Jonah was on his mind.

He winced hard, thinking how silly was that. He laid in the bed of rich floral linens, next to Willow who slumber so soundly. For a moment he almost touched her cheek, but thought it best to let her sleep. Instead he leaned down to reach for his boxers and last night's black ribbed tank.

This had to be done. He'd see what was up with his sister first. So he got into his faded denims, slipped on the slippers that his dear mother-in-law supplied in a wedding gift basket and went down the hall. He tapped on Hayley's door.

"What?" She sounded so bitter. Not her sweet self.

"You decent?" He cracked the door open a  little.

"Is that you, Jules?" He opened the door and shut it behind him.

"Yeah, its..um..late for me. To sleep in." He sighed. Honestly, he didn't know the time. "You, OK?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" She squinted hard as if it really wasn't any of his business. She was looking at her phone. Texts. He guessed.

Jules sighed and plopped himself down at the edge of the big bed. He wondered if her bed was this big at home. Did her dad give her everything? Was she his little princess?

"What's the matter?" Jules said pondering, how to even approach the Jonah subject.

"Dad." She pulled a scowl. "He thinks I'm a slapper of some sort."

"Does he? And why is that?" Jules smiled thinking it was good to know she wasn't an angel, after all.

"You know," she shrugged as if she didn't want to dwell on it. "Anything fun, he poos on."

"He cares about you." Jules hoped she knew.

"I know." She put her phone down.

"I heard from Gilly." Jules told her. "Has he told, you, the news?"

"Yeah." She smiled then. "Such a whirl-wind romance, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." Jules' smile was open as he thought of Gilly and Fiona at school during lunch. Gilly was always by her side like a BFF. Always silent, but never the less always there. "I didn't see that coming."

"Well, she's good for him. Really. I knew it when she laid eyes on him. It was meant to be." Hayley assured him.

"Its Jonah, I'm worried about. He really counts on Gill, for a lot." Jules told her. "I mean, I thought they had a connection, you know."

"A connection?" Hayley shrugged a confused stare.

"Look, there is something you need to know." Jules wondered how to say this without sounding like a selfish-prick. "Jonah ...used to be in love with me."

This cracked up Hayley as if she thought he should use that line on open mic, somewhere.

"This isn't funny." Jules winced. "He's..an odd fellow, if you haven't figured it out, yet."

"No, he's not." She shook her head, fluttering her eye lashes as if she knew the real Jonah. "He's..he's just a little shy."

"Whatever." Jules couldn't help but stare at his little sister. How could she possibly be so smitten by a weirdo like Jonah?

Before Jules could say anything more, a knock came to the door. He went to open it. There was Jonah with a tray, balancing a pot of tea with cups along with scones, lemon curd and butter. Honestly, Jules never took Jonah to be the romantic type.