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The Boy in the Alleyway
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
A Little Bit of Joy The Boy and the Girl's Forever
"That would be eight dollars ma'am," I said politely as she gave me a ten dollar bill."You're JJ, aren't you?" The soft eyes of the woman was twinkling. I nodded while returning her the change. "Take care honey, I hope things are turning out good for you.""It is and thank you." I smiled as she left. This was regular, blessings from strangers or acquaintances and I was used to it. A constant reminder that I was dying, but I knew that their intentions was to not upset me. It was merely to show that they cared. The bells dinged again and in came Uncle Desmond. I beamed at him. "Good morning Uncle Desmond! Here are your lilies!""Aye JJ, efficient like always." He fished the money out. "How's the old man?""Grumpy like always, still a big softie in the inside," I replied casually and he nodded in agreement. "How's your wife uncle?""She's . . . good. She still misses those little, naughty brats that used to fool her for more ice cream," he said wistfully."I'll bring them around to the
A Little Bit of Joy The Boy's Anger
We arrived at our destination, Logan slowing the bicycle to a halt. The hospice care centre was a large three storey mansion with vivid blue roof, polished glass door and equally lustrous windows. It looked nothing sort of an accomodation for the dying, instead it looked like a luxurious resort. The harsh reality of this opulent structure lay confined in the beds of the rooms inside.Logan and I clambered on the short stairs, exhausted by our bicycle trip. Logan was admiring the place and he seemed impressed. I had seen this mansion from outside and checked it on the internet. My parents had visited this centre before, but this was my first time. Mum and dad liked and approved of this, so they had asked me to check it out too.It was a really difficult decision for us to choose hospice care which meant that I was actually dying. Hospice care was a sort of palliative care. It was for people who had six months or less to live and I would be there soon. The end.We awkwardly entered the
A Little Bit of Joy The Brother's Pretty Little Secret
"Maa, I'm going out for a walk! Do you want me to buy any groceries for dinner?" I called out as mum appeared from the laundry room, wringing one of Gemma's thick jumpers."I told Shaun to bring chickpeas and pasta for dinner. He has gone to withdraw money from the bank for the trip. So he'll buy the necessities on his way," she said while adjusting my t-shirt since my bra strap was showing. She then nearly pushed me out of the house. "You go get some fresh air. Don't worry about anything."I rolled my eyes playfully. "Alright, bye!"Mum smiled, her face gleaming despite the sweat from doing all the chores as she shut the door. If only she would let me help her. I sighed tiredly and started sauntering towards the obvious destination- the ocean.The sky was still luminous, a pale yellow colour even though it was already seven in the evening. It was a bit chilly today and the rustling of leaves reminded me of autumn. The lush green trees swayed with the breeze and as I neared the ocean,
A Little Bit of Joy The Girl with the Creepy Grin
Third person's POV [Logan's POV]Logan didn't feel particulary nice eating for free at Joy's home, so he decided to take some apples as a gift. He had initially declined Joy's invitation for a special dinner at her home [a farewell party for his brother] but in the end he gave in. He loved her mum's cooking, his own mum didn't cook half as good as her when she was alive.He dressed up in his usual stiff shirt and dark jeans. Standing in front of the mirror, he combed his hair neatly. He had showered properly and felt fresh, his hair softly falling over his forehead. His sky blue shirt hung loose as he tucked it in his jeans. Staring at his reflection, he promised himself that he would eat more and work out once he had the free time and money. He didn't want to be skinny forever, all clothes looked baggy on him in spite of being tall. Maybe being tall made him look skinnier.He grabbed the keys, his wallet, his phone and the brown paper bag consisting of the apples. He locked his apart
A Little Bit of Joy The Entire Group Together
I slipped into my leggings and an oversized white t-shirt. I was getting thinner and paler day by day as I tried to cover it up. I didn't want to be admitted to the hospice care centre with half of beautiful summer still left. I wanted to be healthy this entire summer- I had to be healthy because the loveliness of summer blossomed in my heart.Afternoon during summer was reckless and wild, but the rest of the day was tamed and serene. Rhododendrons bloomed beside every house adding variety of colours to the clean streets, dahlias blossoming cheered our spirits with their pom-pom like shapes and the sunflower farms at the outskirts of our town enveloped each new guest with brightness and zeal.The aroma of fresh, ripened apricots and plums wafted around the air, fading slowly as one neared the ocean. The clear sky and the still ocean merged together, appearing infinite. Children played dodgeball on the beach, their hot, sticky faces gleaming under the sun. The overlapping voices of the
A Little Bit of Joy The Girl in the Yellow Dress
Third person's POV [Logan's POV]On Sunday, Logan was dressed in his usual grey collared shirt and jeans, standing outside Joy's house. He had mustered enough courage to roll his sleeves up so he didn't look out of place for this warm weather. His scars were fading, but they were still there, light long lines on his forearm. Each line racing the bluish veins to his wrist, each line a story of his countless battles with loss, loneliness and depression.He rang the doorbell as he patiently waited outside. He saw Joy's mum's face appearing through the net and when she noticed him, she smiled politely, opening the door. They exchanged a few words of greeting and before calling Joy, her mum threw another dinner invitation to Logan. Logan just thanked her, knowing that if he refused she would protest and convince him otherwise."Is it Logan maa?" Joy's voice cut their interaction and Logan heard loud shuffling noises. Then he saw a flurry of yellow behind her mum. "Oh it is him. Hello Logan
A Little Bit of Joy The Girl Who Cried
Third Person's POV [Logan's POV]Logan intently watched Joy from his sitting position under the tree as she took pictures of sunflowers. She had mentioned that if she survived till Christmas, she wanted the sunflower pictures on holiday postcards. 'It would give some warmth to gloomy, cold days,' she had said. If only she knew that everything would be cold and bleak once she would be gone anyway. Logan didn't say that though, he only smiled.He was still struggling to find ways as to confess his growing love for her. The small coward and wicked part of him wanted to keep it a secret till the end, but the righteous and brave part of him wanted to admit it to her right away. It wouldn't be fair to her if she never knew that he truly loved her. It wouldn't be fair to him if he kept it to himself and never got the chance to love her more.But how could he say that? He couldn't just blurt it out like a fool nor cry out his feelings like a hopeless romantic from the top of a cliff. That wou
A Little Bit of Joy The Boy's Dilemma
My bicycle screeched into a halt as I climbed down and held it. "Hey, Marilyn!"Marilyn was striding briskly on the opposite side of the street and when she heard me, she turned around. Recognition flickered in her grey eyes as she crossed the street, her freshly dyed blonde hair swaying. "Hey JJ, how are you?""I'm alright," I replied and shifted uneasily. The break up between her and Shaun created a sort of unspoken awkwardness between us. I added helplessly, "M-My brother's alright too."The moment I mentioned Shaun, she seemed more upset, but she didn't show it. She only smiled. "That's good. How's France for him?""Marvellous! The French are friendly, not too cold and he claims their towns are more beautiful than ours. Although, I don't think any place can beat where we live," I said airily. "He says his mentor is strict and he misses peanut butter. Apparently, you don't get it there much."Marilyn's smile widened, her plump lips ajar in amusement. She certainly enjoyed hearing a
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A Little Bit of Joy The Boy's Summer
Third Person's POV [Logan's POV]"What the hell do you mean you have a baby? Shaun, what on earth are you blabbering about?" Joy's mum was yelling on the phone as Logan stood outside at the door. "Who's Marilyn? What do you mean you have a baby? Don't cut the call- damn him!" she cursed and looked wearily at Logan. "He cut the call! He's been talking nonsense about a baby and this-this girl Marilyn- If he's implying what I'm thinking . . . Logan dear . . . I think I'm going to faint . . . "She did pass out then and there and Logan quickly held her before she fell face down.He half dragged her inside and laid her down on the couch. Gemma who was eating by the dining table hastily rushed to him for assistance. She asked nervously, "Did she die?""No, no, Jesus no," Logan muttered, reaching for a glass of water from the coffee table. "She heard some shocking news from your brother.""Yes, Shaun told me he became a father. I can presume why that is shocking, but considering the time he
A Little Bit of Joy The Family of the Dead Girl
Third Person's POV :Jamal slipped into Joy's signed Katy Perry sweater, wore bunny flip flops and ignoring his stepmother's incessant pestering to eat his lunch, he headed to his mother's dingy apartment. There he found her sprawled haphazardly outside the door in the empty corridor, wasted. It was one in the afternoon and he wasn't surprised to find her knocked out. He fished for the duplicate keys from his pocket and opened the door. He picked her squirming body up with difficulty and carried her inside."Antonne you asshole . . . Fucking that white ass girl would get you nowhere . . . I curse you and that-that bitch---""Mamma, I'm your son, Jamal," he said in a clear voice, placing her on the unmade bed. "And it's over now. He's married to her, you can't do anything.""Fuck you! I can! You know nothing about what lies underneath this . . . " she slurred and Jamal tiredly averted his eyes at the ceiling when she unabashedly pulled her dress up. "Look here Antonne, look what your b
A Little Bit of Joy The Brother's Home
Shaun's POV :It had been five months since Joy passed away and here I was, back in the city of lights, Paris. It was late in the night, but the people were acting wild in the pub like the night had just begun. I didn't even know why I was here instead of editing some clips in my small hotel room. All I could think of was . . . Why exactly was I here? What was my purpose? I should have been with Joy all those weeks I came here . . . I should have stayed at home. I should have fought for Marilyn. I shouldn't have let two strong women slip from my life just like that.From across the room I saw Alice who was seated on the couch, one of my many friends I had made here. Without thinking twice, I glided to her with a cheeky grin and ruffled her platinum blonde hair from behind. She glanced up at me confused and then bit back her smile. Feigning irritation, she exclaimed, "Hey, ne touche pas mes cheveux!"'Hey, don't touch my hair! Keep your greasy fingers away!' Joy would say the same and
A Little Bit of Joy The Prostitute's Little Mistakes
Marilyn's story began on this muddy land where twenty three years earlier, her single mother- Emilia gave birth to her in presence of a midwife and no family. Emilia's partner had disappeared as soon as he learned she was pregnant. But Emilia's spirit never broke, she raised her baby with all the love she had never got.Marilyn remembered her childhood days as fun and carefree where she got everything she desired with either tantrums or buttering her hardworking mother. She wasn't allowed to do any chores so she could play and study with her friends. Not a day went by without her belly filled with food and her body in the most comfortable, warm clothes.Emilia with her meagre salary as a waitress could afford only sufficient food, but still she bought her daughter all the toys and pretty dresses she had never got as a child. She only wanted her daughter to grow like all the other kids. Her life's purpose was to keep her daughter happy, to keep the only person who loved her close to he
A Little Bit of Joy The Girl's Last Breath
Third Person's POV [Logan's POV]Four days after Christmas, Logan was trying to sleep in the sleeping area, but his eyes remained wide open. He tossed and turned on the bed, his thoughts drifting to Joy. He hadn't slept a wink in the last three days and had stayed next to Joy, talking to her until her mum asked him to rest. Logan curled himself in a small ball, forcefully squeezing his eyes shut.Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.Dream. Dream. Dream.Suddenly, he heard unsteady footsteps approaching him and he held his breath."L-Logan . . . J-Joy," Shaun said forcefully, barely spilling the words out.He immediately shot up from the bed and stared aghast at Shaun who nodded mutely, his eyes red-rimmed.Logan didn't recall the next few moments vividly- he had followed Shaun to Joy's room and his arms and legs felt like they weren't his. They felt oddly heavy as if he was dragging himself to face the inevitable. They quietly entered the room where Joy's mum held Joy's bluish hand and talked softly
A Little Bit of Joy The Girl's Santa
Third Person's POV [Logan's POV]Logan adjusted his costume, took a deep breath and barged in through the door. "Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!"A deafening silence followed and in his head crickets chirped at a distance. Everyone in the room- Joy's mum, dad, Shaun, Gemma and grandpa's eyes darted from him to Joy bemusedly. Logan awkwardly tugged at his fluffy, red sleeves, wanting for the floor to open and swallow him whole.Finally, Joy's mother cut through the silence, "Oh my God, it's Santa!"Everyone broke into a wild cheer, grabbing Logan and patting him on the back. Logan's cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he shyly glanced at Joy. She was wide awake, laid on bed with blankets draped over her and an impish smile slowly formed on her dry lips.When he had walked in this place, the nurse Jasmine had winked at him. Joy had made it.Logan shuffled closer to her when she beckoned him towards her. He leaned down and she rasped, "You're the skinniest Santa with the biggest heart I have
A Little Bit of Joy The Boy in the Dark
Shaun's POV :I was delaying to go back to France. Joy wanted me to go, but how could I leave her? She was so frail like a china doll and all I wanted to do was snatch her pain away, bundle her up in the thickest blankets and take her safely home."Gem, maa will come to pick you up before bedtime," I said softly, concentrating my attention on her after taking a glimpse of my watch. "Grab your things, we don't want to create a mess in this place."Gemma nodded vaguely, her gaze travelling the liquid trickling in the tube next to the urine catheter."Can I stay please?" she asked suddenly in a pleading tone."Yeah . . . Okay. Maa will understand, I'll tell her," I said gently, not wanting to say no to Gemma. She had already suffered through many mental breakdowns this month and it hurt me to see my other sister go through so much misery. It hurt me to be rendered useless, not knowing how to help them.She murmured, her voice sounding lost, "Thank you."I didn't say anything, only reache
A Little Bit of Joy The Girl's Wish
Third Person's POV [Logan's POV]Logan met Gizmo on the way to the hospice care centre, bought him snacks and petted him for a while. Then he strode to meet Joy- at the hospice care centre. She had been in there for many days now and Logan didn't know what to feel anymore. The dread and impending, heart-wrenching end was close. Too close, he forgot how to breathe sometimes.He greeted the nurse politely at the lobby area and knocked on Joy's room. Joy said, without looking, "Come in Logan.""You have superpowers wow," Logan jested, advancing towards her. She was seated on the plush sofa by the window with her long skirt tucked under her legs, gazing at the harsh ocean. He kissed the top of her head and inhaled deeply, her hair smelled of herbal shampoo. "You look nice today."Gemma who was seated beside Joy stood up abruptly. "I'm going to the library to bring your books."Joy clicked her tongue. "You can stay here Gem, it's only Logan.""No, I'll go." Her eyes darted between Logan a
A Little Bit of Joy The Girl's Naked Kisses
Third Person's POV [Logan's POV]Logan was discharged from the hospital and although the doctors advised him to rest, he barely could afford to do that. He had to make frequent trips from college (to catch up on notes), his job, police station for enquiries and Joy's house where he finally felt like home. At the station, the cops were searching for the criminals based on Logan's descriptions about them.Logan wanted them to be punished, but he didn't care any longer. He knew karma wouldn't let them get away or his cruel uncle. He also knew that because of the police investigation, his uncle wouldn't dare to touch him for some months now. Besides, he felt invincible, like no force on earth could even blow a strand of his hair. The power in him was more spiritual than physical and all the events leading him to the brink of death taught him that stressing out caused him to only die a little bit everyday.For the first time in his life, he truly believed that he was strong.Logan ate the
