#joybee fic

And how could Bee refuse? She had said she wanted to branch out more. And Jocie had so many friends; it was a miracle she’d chosen Bee at all. It would’ve been rude to refuse, hence why she found herself here now, standing awkwardly in the corner.

She took a sip from her paper cup and promptly spit it out when she recognized the bitter taste of alcohol. Yuck. She hated alcohol. She set it down at a nearby table with a sigh. So much for lemonade.

The music boomed and bounced off the walls as the lights flashed, changed color, and spun all around the room as though having a seizure. Bee had to squint to keep from getting a headache, until Jocie had gotten her a pair of “cool sunglasses” for her “cool friend”.

Her “cool friend” who was currently standing like a loser in the corner while Jocie charmed everyone else like always. At the present moment, the vivacious redhead was in the center of the room, dancing away with several people Bee had never even seen before. Her hips swayed, her legs gliding like water against the glittery dancefloor, clearly trying to entice her partners. (It was working).

Bee glanced away, finding watching only made her feel worse for, once again, not participating. The whole point of coming here was to dance, right? And she had, for the first hour. But once the initial excitement (and the sugar high from the sweets she’d eaten) wore off, she found herself much too overwhelmed to do much.

She’d visited the snack table more times than she’d care to admit, too drained to do much else, and wanting to distract herself. Jocie has happily tagged along, insisting Bee try one of pretty much everything, then dragging her off again to ‘burn off the sugar’. Bee had forced herself to dance along, as she had to admit she didn’t much like the idea of herself pigging out all night instead of dancing like she was supposed to be. However, after a few hours of this, she’d gotten a stitch in her side that made dancing even to the catchiest songs undoable.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have come,” she can’t help but mutter to herself, though she might as well have thought it. It’s so loud in here, she couldn’t hear herself at all.

As if to make it worse, a sudden bass drop hit the room, signaling the start of a new song. The volume seemed to increase three times over as the partypeople roared their approval. Seems this was a favorite song choice. One that, unfortunately, Bee didn’t know, as she mostly listened to music no one had ever even heard of.

Jocie was among those who knew the singer, her grin somehow looking even more vibrant than usual as she grabbed Bee’s hand and tugged her forward. “OHMYGOD, I LOVE THIS SONG!! Bee, come on, come on, you HAVE to dance to this one!!!”

Bee’s side cried in protest but she still let herself be pulled forward by her fiery-haired companion, stumbling onto the dance floor after her.

The song picked up only seconds later as the room began to jump up and down to match the energetic beat of the song. Bee did the same, her own jumps much less wild and performative than Jocie’s own. She couldn’t help but wonder how that girl never seemed to run out of energy. Surely she at least had to be sore from all the dancing by now, right?

Jocie proceeded to jump high in the air, her wild mane flaring out like a fan as a laugh bubbled through her pink, glossy lips, bright and delighted. Somehow, she even managed to pull a dance move with the second she had in the air.

Nope, she wasn’t tired at all. Meanwhile, Bee’s only side was beginning to burn, and she could feel her toes begin to punch again, suffocated by the tight walls of the heels Jocie had somehow convinced her to wear. She hated wearing them; they were like prisons on your feet. Fashionable prisons that unfortunately did make a fun clicking sound when you walked. But painful nonetheless.

Jocie’s, which she was currently borrowing for the party, were even worse, as Jocie purposefully bought ones just a size too small to make their feet appear smaller. Apparently, that was attractive for some reason. They didn’t seem to bother her, of course; nothing ever seemed to bother Jocie.

Bee felt the urge to go outside and kick those heels off to rest her toes in the grass.

The music picked up in tempo, and Bee swore the volume turned up even louder. She could feel the pounding vibration reverberating across the floor; though whether that was the music or the jumping of the people (or both) was unclear. It certainly didn’t help the headache that had been buzzing in the back of Bee’s mind, now rearing its ugly head.

To make matters worse, she could feel a strange churn in her stomach. She’d wished she hadn’t visited the snack table so many times. Finally unable to handle it anymore, Bee stopped jumping, sore and exhausted all over. “Jocie, I’m gonna go back to the– Jocie?” She looked around, realizing her companion was gone. A prickle went up her spine.

“Jocie?” She began pushing through the dancing crowds of people, trying to locate a wild-haired ginger with green eyes that seemed to glow almost as bright as the neon lights in the room. “Jocieeee!” She called, but found herself unable to even hear her own voice over the music, the cheers, and the constant pounding that wouldn’t stop.

The tempo of the song picked up, the lights flashing more quickly to match its speed, now practically flickering as the colors changed at speeds too fast for Bee to adapt to. Bee blinked quickly and squinted her eyes, finding the lights blinding even through the sunglasses she wore.

“Jocie!!!!” She called again, looking around as her anxiety grew. Where did she go? Jocie wouldn’t leave her, would she? No, surely not– she said she’d stay with her the whole night!

“Jocie–! Oof!” A jumping person crashed into Bee, knocking her sunglasses off her face. The bright lights, blinding now, immediately assaulted her vision and Bee’s eyes squeezed shut in protest. “Ugh!…J-Jocie…!!” She called again, her call going unheard. She ducked down, fumbling around the floor to try and locate her sunglasses, her heart pounding like the hellish music.

Her migraine was near unbearable now, and she could feel a wave of nausea begin to roll through her. Where was Jocie?! She wanted to get out of here. She wanted to go home.

Her hands caught something made out of plastic, and she moved to put them on, believing them to be sunglasses, only to hear the sound of dozens of tiny objects hitting the floor. She blinks her eyes open in confusion and dropped the tiny container she’d been holding, quite sure it wasn’t candy inside.

Oh no. No no no no– if her parents found out she’d accidentally came to this kind of party–!!!

She scrambled to her feet, panic joining her other emotions of overwhelm, being immediately jostled and pushed this way and that by the dancing partygoers who didn’t even seem to notice her there. The music boomed through the room, shooting through her ears and stomping on her already shot nerves. She pushed her way out of the crowd, desperate to get back to the safety of her corner.

She felt something tug at the back of her sweater and a sharp, overwhelming panic shot through her as she tried to push whatever it was away. “STOP!! DON’T–!!”

“Bee!!! Bee, it’s just me, it’s just me!!”

“NO!! LEAVE ME ALONE!! DON’T–“ Bee continued to panic, trying to push out of the crowd, not registering who was speaking to her, only honing in on the hand on her sweater, on her inability to escape from the crowd, to get to safety–

“Bee! Bee! Please, stop, don’t be scared!! It’s me, it’s Jocie!!” A familiar redhead with green eyes appeared in her line of vision as steadying hands appeared at her shoulders, hoping to provide a reassuring weight. Bee flinched instinctively at the touch before she began to recognize her friend.

“J– Jocie?!” Bee gasped, pale and out of breath. “Yes. It’s me, Bee,” Jocie says, “come on, let’s get you outside for some air.” Jocie shifts to wrap an arm around Bee’s shoulders, carefully leading the two out of the crowd and to the door.

As soon as they stepped outside and the cool night air hit her, Bee sagged in relief. She could still hear a pounding in her head, but after a few seconds she realized it was just the erratic racing of her own heart. Jocie shut the door behind them as Bee pulled away — and promptly threw up.

After a few seconds, she felt a soothing hand rub circles into her back, the other holding her hair back as she continued to dispel tonight’s menu of candy, pizza, and more variations of lemonade than there needed to be. When she finally finished, she slumped forward, caught by Jocie’s steady hold. “Let’s go sit down,” she heard Jocie say, hand still rubbing reassuring circles into Bee’s back. Bee nodded weakly and allowed herself to be led off to a bench.

The two sat down, Jocie giving Bee a bit more space than she usually did, which Bee appreciated. She began to go through the coping mechanisms her therapist had taught her to try and self-soothe. Five things I can see….

Bee looked around at the outside area. Grass….a trashcan….the night sky…my shoes…..and Jocie. Jocie was currently watching her with a concerned expression. “You okay?” She asked, snapping Bee out of her thoughts. “Uh…” Bee looked away. “I will be. Just…give me a minute.” Jocie nodded, and the two relapsed into silence, giving Bee enough time to finish her self-soothing.

Finally, after she’d calmed down, Bee asked, “Where did you go?” Jocie’s brows pinched together guiltily and she said, “I went to get us some drinks.” Jocie hands Bee one of the glasses Bee hadn’t realized she’d been carrying. “Just water, don’t worry,” Jocie says, and Bee nods, gratefully accepting the glass and taking a small sip. “I’m sorry, Bee,” Jocie says, her gaze drifting to her lap, “I shouldn’t have left you. I’d only meant to be gone for a minute but– I-I should’ve told you first before I went off like that. I’m sorry.”

Bee shakes her head, feeling a bit calmer now that they were outside; though the exhaustion was starting to creep in. “It’s okay. You shouldn’t have to baby me.” “It’s not babying you,” Jocie says, looking back at her, “I told you I’d stay by your side the whole night. And that’s what I should’ve done; you didn’t know anyone else there!”

“It’s fine, really,” Bee says, shifting awkwardly in her spot. She hated feeling like people were coddling her. Even if Jocie said that wasn’t what she was doing, it did still feel like that. And the worst part is…that might even be right. After all, Bee was a baby, wasn’t she? Not even an hour into the party, and she’s already started wanting to go home. She’s almost eighteen now…she should be able to handle these kinds of parties, shouldn’t she? Why should Jocie sacrifice her fun just to babysit her?

“I shouldn’t have come,” Bee says quietly. Jocie’s eyes widen, and though Bee doesn’t meet her gaze, she can tell she must be looking at her in pity. After a few seconds, Jocie softly asks, “do you want to go home?”

Bee blinks. “You don’t have to do that,” she says, “I know you still want to stay and enjoy the party…” “I can’t enjoy the party if you’re having a bad time,” Jocie says with a small smile, “it’s okay. We can just go.” “But, Jocie,” Bee begins to protest again, feeling terribly guilty for pressuring her friend to leave early. She was such a party pooper.

“Nope,” Jocie’s finger lands on Bee’s lips before she can continue, “I won’t hear another word about it. My friend is feeling tired and overwhelmed, and I won’t have her stay here to be miserable any longer! We’re heading back, mm’kay?” Jocie pulls Bee up by her arm and leads her off to the car before she can try to stop her again.

Bee allows herself to be led off, still feeling terribly guilty but also rather…touched by the gesture. “Thanks, Jocie,” she says with a small smile, stopping by the driver’s door, but Jocie says, “oh no, I’ll drive us.”

“What? But didn’t you…?” Jocie giggles and shakes her head. “I’m not drunk, don’t worry. I held off on the alcohol tonight.”

“…Oh.” Jocie unlocked the car and Bee slipped into the passenger’s seat, an odd sort of feeling filling her. Jocie…hadn’t drunk? But…but she always drinks. It’s one of her favorite things to do at parties…

Jocie slips into the driver’s seat next to her and starts the car. Bee looks over at her and suddenly it hits her. “

Had Jocie held off on drinking for…her?

Jocie begins to back the car out of the parking space, humming cheerily to herself, completely oblivious to Bee’s inner thoughts. Bee continued to stare at her, and unfamiliar warmth spreading through her chest the longer she looked at her friend. Jocie had held off drinking for her. She’d gotten her out of the party. She was driving her home.

Unbidden, she began to feel herself cry. She sniffs, turning away to keep her tears hidden from Jocie. But of course, nothing ever escaped Jocie’s notice. Her sharp green eyes flicked toward Bee in concern. “Bee? Baby, what’s wrong?” She asked, still occasionally glancing at Bee while trying to drive. “Nothing. It’s…I’m fine,” Bee sniffed, begging herself to stop crying. You’ve already embarrassed yourself enough in front of her, stop crying; please stop crying….

“No, you’re not,” Jocie says, her voice uncharacteristically gentle rather than loud and boisterous as it often was, “tell me what’s wrong. Was it the party? Too much?” Bee sniffs, looking out the window with tears eyes. She nods. “Yeah…it, um….was pretty loud.”

“Sorry, honeybee,” Jocie says, genuine remorse coating her tone, “I probably should’ve started you out with a chiller party, huh? …There are tissues in between the seats if you need them.” Bee nods appreciatively and takes out a tissue, she wipes it against her cheeks, noting how it smells like cotton candy. She smiles a little to herself, realizing that somehow even Jocie’s tissues smell like candy.

Bee glances back at Jocie again. The redhead is currently focused on the road, her visage unusually calm and serene, through the faintest traces of her usual bright smile tug at the corners of her lips. She always seems to be smiling. That big, broad smile that was often accompanied by her loud, snorty laugh that seems to spread like wildfire.

The only thing that could so closely compare to it is her hair, a vibrant orange-red that bursts out into wide curls like the vines of a jungle: wild and untamed. Everything about her screamed it. Her confident, bouncy stride, and how she always so easily announced her presence in a room without a single blush or stutter. The smattering of freckles dusting her nose, and the bold hot pink lipstick she always wore to accentuate her plump lips. And of course, there were her eyes: bright, green, and sparkly as though she was thinking of something that amused her.

Suddenly they looked toward her. Bee blushed bright red and looked away with a quiet apology. She didn’t know why she’d been staring. She shouldn’t be doing that; it was rude.

Yet, she still found herself sneaking back a few glances on the ride back. Jocie noticed– her smirk was unmistakable– but she made no comment on it, turning on the radio and lowering the volume when its loud sound made Bee wince. Her shoulders bounced to the beat of the energetic pop, and Bee tried to ignore the explicit lyrics playing through the speakers, gazing out the window and looking at a random street lamp by the sidewalk. They were almost back at Bee’s home.

“You think your parents are home yet?” Jocie’s casual question broke Bee out of her thoughts. “Huh? Oh, uhhh, I’m not sure,” Bee says with a small smile, “they’re did say they’d be out pretty late for their date tonight…” Jocie nods, then grins and asks, “well, then how’d you like some company before they arrive?”

Bee’s eyes widened in surprise, that warmth somewhat returning to her chest. “You…don’t want to go back to the party?” Jocie shakes her head, slowing the car to a stop as they came upon a red light. “Nah, I’m pretty pooped, actually. All that dancing took me out!!”

“Really? You like poked pretty full of energy back there,” Bee says, and Jocie laughs. “Oh, I was pushing through the pain!! I was exhausted, but just couldn’t stop dancing!! Having too much fun, y’know?”

Her smile softens and she turns her head to look at Bee. “And besides…I’d rather spend time with you. It’s Girl’s Day, remember?”

Bee pauses at that, genuinely surprised that Jocie…actually wanted to spend time with her. She was worried she’d ruined Jocie’s fun with her overreaction.

She smiled in return. “Yeah. Girl’s Day.” Jocie’s grin brightened, shooting Bee one last look before she returned her attention to the road as the light turned green.