Caution: Unedited

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        It had been two weeks since AJ revived the letter and she always kept an ear out for him.

        AJ was sitting out on the front stairs to John's house, in a pair of skinny jeans, her old black track jacket; that was zipped up to the top that covered her neck, and her long socks. John had gone out with Yoko and AJ had somehow found away to get herself locked out of the house. The worst part though was that it had started to snow a couple of minutes before AJ got locked out.

        She looked around for a key, but had no luck. Instead she sat on the steps waiting for the two to return home.

        It had been almost two hours that AJ sat outside when a car pulled up in front of the house. It wasn't John's car, AJ knew that. She watched the man get out of the car, and start to walk up the pathway to the front door.

        "Paul!" AJ tried shouting, but her voice was gone.

        When AJ came into view though, Paul spotted her and walked quickly up to her, careful not to slip.

        "AJ? What are you doing out here?" Paul asked her.

        AJ pointed to her throat, then the door.

        "What?" Paul asked, confused.

        AJ instead mouthed the words, "I got locked out." Instead of trying to show him.

        "Did you lose your voice from sitting out in the cold?" Paul asked. AJ nodded.

        "Well why aren't you inside?" Paul asked.

        AJ grabbed the railing and hauled herself up, her feet numb as she walked. She grabbed the door handle and pushed in, making it do absolutely nothing so she could show Paul she was locked out.

        "Oh. Here, I have a key."

        AJ took a step back and let Paul unlock the door. Then, Paul opened the door for AJ to go in.

        "Thanks," AJ tried to say, but remembered she couldn't talk.

        Paul shut the door once they were both inside. "Go change, I'll make tea." He instructed. AJ nodded, that seemed as if it was all she could do now, and went to the guest room.

        It had been a month and a half since AJ had come and still she kept all of her items in her rucksack. She picked it up off the floor by the foot of the bed, where she always left it, and rummaged through, shivering, looking for something to wear. AJ had washed everything she had so it was all clean.

        She pulled out a pair of dry socks, leggings, a long sleeved navy blue shirt, and her purple hoodie; which wasn't covered in snow, that had now turned to water, making it wet. AJ changed as quickly as she could peeling the wet clothes off her skin, and hanging them in the bathroom connected to the guest room. She got changed into the dry clothes and went back to the kitchen where Paul had made tea.

        They sat at the table, sipping tea in silence, as AJ couldn't hold a conversation.

        After they finished, Paul put the tea cups in the sink and went over to the couch where AJ had moved to sit.

        "Do you know when John is supposed to be back?"

        AJ shook her head no.

        "Want to watch some telly?"

        AJ shrugged. Paul turned the telly on anyway, as the silence bothered him. They sat watching the news, Paul with his arms spread out across the top of the couch and his legs outstretched, his heels touching the floor. AJ, on the other hand, had sat on the couch and pulled her knees up to her chest, placing her chin on her knees, lifting it to occasionally cough.

        AJ wanted to tell Paul he didn't have to stay, he could come back when John came around, but she couldn't. At the moment though, John opened the door, letting Yoko come in to the warmth first, him second, closing the door behind him.

        "Paul, what are you doing here?" John asked. Yoko took off her heavy coat and hung it up, going to the kitchen. AJ coughed before Paul answered.

        "I came to see you."

        "Alright," John said, taking his coat off and hanging it up. "What'd you need?"

        "Nothing, I just though I'd stop in and say hey." Paul shrugged.

        "When did you come?" John asked.

        A few hours ago."

        "You waited a few hours for me to get back?" John asked, sitting down on a bar stool.

        "Well I found AJ locked outside in the snow so I decided to let her in, seeing as I have a key." Paul told John. AJ coughed in the background.

        "You sat out in the snow?" John asked, looking toward AJ who sat on the end of the couch, the side toward the kitchen. AJ nodded. "How long were you out there?" John asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

        "She can't talk." Paul explained, "Lost her voice sitting in the snow."

        John stood up and went over to AJ, sitting down next to her.

        "You actually managed to get yourself locked out, yeah?" John gave her a small smile.

        AJ looked up at him and nodded.

        "I'm probably going to get going then," Paul told them, grabbing his coat.

        AJ waved, as John said goodbye, telling him they'd talk tomorrow or sometime after.

        AJ tried speaking again, saying, "John." But it only came out as a mere whisper. "Damn it." She whispered.

        John chuckled, "What am I gonna do with you?"

        AJ didn't reply at first, just looked up at John who looked back at her.

        "Hold me tight." She whispered, barley audible. "I'm still cold."

        John took her head in his hands, his touch warm to her skin. He let her rest her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, eventually falling asleep with her head on John's shoulder.

        AJ woke up a few hours later, John having ended up falling asleep too. She heard footsteps coming down the hall and knowing John was right next to her it had to be Yoko. As quickly and as quietly as she could, AJ got out off of the couch, trying not to to wake John, and rushed to the other hallway on the other side of the room.

        She heard Yoko come in and she spared a glance into the room, seeing her kiss John on the head before placing a blanket over him. AJ moved back behind the wall where Yoko couldn't see her and waited until Yoko was far gone before coming out of the hall. The first floor of the house, which she was one, looked like a big square to AJ. It probably was, but she didn't know for sure and didn't plan on finding out.

        AJ carefully walked back into the living room, still trying not to wake John. When she had successfully made her way around the furniture, she dashed down the hall and into the guest room, afraid of being caught. Once safely in the room, she sighed and crawled into the bed, quickly falling asleep.

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Sorry it's late!