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selfishsunnies · 4 years ago

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On Purpose - JJ x oc

Warnings: Not more than the show - If any let me know!!!

word count: 2500 ish

notes: HI! I hope you guys like my first fic. this is chapter one of idk how many. this chapter takes place right before the first episode! Starting with the hurricane. ** if you wanna be added to the taglist let me know! Reblogs and feedback are appreciated :) - J

Chapter One - accidental concussion

Aliyah Montgomery’s eyes fluttered open as the sun poured through the curtains. She gently moved her hand through the stream of light before turning over and checking the time: 7:02 am. She blinked hard, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and sat up, pulling her honey hair into a ponytail. When she looked in the mirror, she was staring face to face with a bruise. Black and blue spread around her eye and onto her cheek. Aliyah poked at her face, trying to assess the damage, wincing the whole time. She wondered if her makeup could cover the colors on her face, regret filling her body as she remembered what had given her the bruise in the first place.

It was supposed to be a harmless party, truly. The pogues and her had wanted to throw the first kegger of the summer down at the boneyard, but I guess they hadn’t been the only ones with that idea.

“No, you guys this is going to be great,” Kiara exclaimed, taking in the empty beach and sunshine. Aliyah smiled up at her, wanting to be as hopeful as Kie. Aliyah loved to party, don’t get it twisted, but the ones at the boneyard always ended with them getting caught and chased by cops or with half the group being too wasted and the other, more responsible half (Pope and sometimes Aliyah), taking care of them.

“Yep, great, uh huh,” John B muttered as he lugged a keg from the van. JJ and Pope carried another not far behind him. Kie and Aliyah were carrying the smaller, but arguably most important items, cups and ping pong balls.

“Ya know,” John B started once he set the keg down in the sand, “you could’ve helped a little more.”

“And forget the ping pong balls? How will I ever show my dominance if I don’t beat all your asses at beer pong tonight?” Aliyah retaliated, making everyone laugh.

“There is no way in hell, you’re beating me,” JJ replied, pulling on one of her braids. She swatted his hand away, but smiled. He made a face that said you’re going down before pushing her shoulder. Aliyah scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out at him which earned a smirk from JJ.

“Okay, lovebirds,” Pope said, clapping his hands together, “help me get the rest of the stuff out of the van.” Aliyah let out a groan while JJ made gagging noises. Pope only rolled his eyes and started the trek back to the van.

When the three of them returned they were face to face with Rafe, Kelce, and Topper, one of Alvin’s sons. There were others surging the beach with their own kegs and volleyballs.

“Get lost, Rafe.” John B sneered. He chuckled, “We’re not here for trouble,” his eyes were cold as they scanned each of us, “just having a party.”

The air felt thick between the two groups. Rafe and John B were inches apart now. Aliyah could feel JJ stiffen beside her, clenching his fists.

“Just stay on your side of the island, man.” Pope said, tired. He was standing back, farther than the rest of us, but his stance was strong.

“Our side of the island? Our side,” he laughed again, it came out forced and from the back of his throat. He grabbed John B’s shoulder and turned him harshly to survey the crowd that had formed, “doesn’t look like your side now, huh?” Aliyah looked around, she only knew a few people from working at the shop. There were no kids from school or the surrounding neighborhoods. Rafe was right. Just then John B shoved Rafe off of him. JJ stepped quickly in front of Aliyah and grabbed Kiara’s wrist, pulling her behind him. Pope had moved closer, they all stood ready for a fight. Each of them breathing heavily and slowly, their faces twisted into hard, angry figures. And then everything happened at once. There were fists flying, groans and grunts of aggression, blood on knuckles. Aliyah had stepped forward at some point, anger rising. She shoved Topper away from her while JJ attempted to throw Kelce off of Pope. He stumbled, but remained close, “Move out of the way, Montgomery.”

“No.” she said firmly, pushing him again, this time harder than before. It was loud, too loud for anyone to think.

“Listen to me,” Topper said. His voice was low, quiet. He dug his fingers into her arms and restrained her, “Pick your battles, sweetheart.” It was loud, the pain in her arms drowning out everything else. She heard someone scream Topper’s name, a girl. Kie? Aliyah tried to move her head to look, but her arms were screaming.

“Let go of me!” She yelled, and kneed him in the stomach. He flinched, letting go of her arms. She stepped forward, pulling back her arm to punch him, only to hear Kiara scream. Her yell broke through everything else and Aliyah turned to look. Instead, she was faced with Rafe lifting up Sarah Cameron, Kook Princess, and swinging her out of the way, “Sarah, go home!” he bellowed.

It was so loud it made everyone hesitate for just a second. And then…it was silent. Aliyah had gotten kicked when Rafe lifted Sarah out of the way. She got a face full of shoe, pain shooting through her eye and filling her head. She couldn’t scream, there wasn’t enough oxygen. She could only close her eyes.

When she woke up she was laying in the back seat of the van. Her head was playing a drum solo on repeat and her mouth tasted like blood. She examined the car. Pope was in the driver’s seat, an ice pack on his lip, leaning back. John B was next to him, his body turned to face the back seat. Kiara was bandaging his hand. Next to her, JJ sat, eyes closed. There were bruises scattering his face, but she couldn’t remember if they were there or not. His nose was bleeding. Aliyah tried to sit up, but the instant rush or pain that traveled through her body made her stop short.

“Fuck,” she muttered. Four pairs of eyes shot open and back at her. Things went spotty before she knew it, JJ was shining a light in her eyes.

“Pope, are you sure?” He asked, his brows furrowed together. His one hand was underneath her head and the other, guiding a flashlight back and forth.

“Yes, JJ. She needs to follow the light with her eyes. Are they dilated?”

“Are..What?”

Kie smacked JJ’s arm and explained to him what they were looking for.

“Okay, okay,” He rubbed his arm and went back to Aliyah. She winced when he brought the flashlight back up. Kie rubbed her legs soothingly.

“No. They’re not.”

“Okay, good. Lee, how are you feeling?” He called back gently.

“Uhm. My head hurts.” she murmured. Her whole body felt like it was being weighed down.

Pope chuckled softly, “Any other symptoms?”

“I don’t think so.”

That must have satisfied his question because with that he turned on the engine and started toward the Chateau. JJ kept his arm behind her head and his other hand rested on her arm, making small circles with his thumb. Kie had moved back to her seat and buckled, but kept her eyes on you. JB was groaning with every turn in the front seat.

“What time is it? I have to go home. My parents-” Aliyah began.

“You can barely move, you can’t go home now.” Kie replied.

“But-” she objected.

“I’ll call. I’ll say you’re staying at my place, okay?”

I muttered in agreement. Her parents would not agree without a fight, but they trusted Kie. Trusted her parents.

When the group arrived back at the house, she was led to the spare bedroom where she quickly fell asleep.

Now, Aliyah examined herself again, head a little clearer. Her eyes glimmered in the light and followed the trail of freckles across her cheeks and down her neck. She never looked like her parents. Their dark eyes and hair. Their clean cut clothing and never any physical imperfections. Cracks showed signs of weakness, her father would warn her when she came home with scratches on her legs from hiking or bruises from falling off her surfboard. She would laugh, roll her eyes, and try not to take the comments to heart. Aliyah knew her parents meant well, but their need for approval from the kooks and their snotty parents was obsessive.

Her family had grown up between the division of the island, the common ground between the pogues and the kooks. A happy medium, except she wouldn’t describe it as so. Sure, they lived in a nice house, bigger than any house on the cut, but smaller than any of the other houses. The only reason they even had this house was because when Aliyah’s grandfather had died, he left it to them. Her family didn’t have enough money to send her to The Academy, so she went to school with the pogues. Her family business was on the opposite end of the school, though. Surrounded by fancy buildings and golf courses. Her parents owned a greenhouse in partnership with a landscaping company with a man named Alvin. Alvin had two sons who hung around every once and awhile. They mostly kept their distance, only showing up when they were scheduled to work. They went to The Academy and only talked to Aliyah when they weren’t in public. She would work there on weekends and some days after school, but now that summer was here, Aliyah would ride over with her mom in the morning to water the flowers and take inventory. She’d be done by lunch with plenty of time to catch up with her friends on the other side of the island. Her parents were members of the country club, but only because the greenhouse donated bundles of flowers that they used as centerpieces. Every summer when midsummer came around, Aliyah and her parents put together hundreds of bouquets and dropped them off in the morning, only to return in time for the party in their fancy dresses and suits, pretending someone else had set up the whole thing. Aliyah complained all she could, but it couldn’t change the fact that she was stuck in the middle. Not a pogue, not a kook, just-

“Lee!” JJ said, waving a hand in front of her face. She was again sitting in the back seat, JJ to her right and Kie in front of her. The two remaining boys in the front, four pairs of eyes paired on her once again.

“What?” she asked.

John B laughed, “we want to go eat.”

“Oh, oh yeah. Okay.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Pope asked, concern spread across his face.

“Yeah, yeah. Just a little headache. Looks worse than it feels.” Aliyah reassured him.

They arrived at The Wreck within a few minutes and were waved through by Mr. Carrera. Aliyah has always been grateful for Kie’s family. Not only did they get along with her parents, they usually let the pogues slide by and eat for free. At least when business was slow and her dad was in a good mood.

“So gang,” John B said between bites of eggs, “what’s the plan for today?”

Aliyah, herself, was still so tired that she couldn’t imagine doing anything. She sipped her juice, silently. Kiara spoke up, “Go to the beach and stay out of trouble.”

“I second the motion,” Pope said, lifting his coffee as a solute.

“Third,” Aliyah said.

“What?” JJ asked, “Trouble is my middle name. I cannot simply stay out of it.”

“Jesse Jordan Trouble Maybank,” Kie responded dryly. JJ made a face at her and stuffed a bite of pancakes into his mouth.

“The beach it is.”

The sand was cool on their feet and the breeze made the humidity in the air almost bearable. The girls were laying on their towels, guarding their stuff while the boys made fools of themselves in the ocean. They were knocking each other over while attempting to jump over the waves. Aliyah couldn’t help but laugh. She was easing her headache and listening softly to an audiobook when JJ startled her, “Hey, Lee, did you see that? I totally-”

“Shhhhh!” She motioned toward Kie who was asleep next to her. He stopped, drying off his legs and then plopped down next to her. He shook his head, getting water all over everything.

“Hey,” Aliyah reached out and pushed his head away from her. She paused the audiobook and turned her body to face him. JJ looked down at her, cocking his head to the side.

“What?”

“Does it hurt?” he asked, stroking her cheek and moving his finger over her bruise. She nodded slightly. JJ tilted her head upward to get a better look, “Have you iced it? It’s still puffy.” He didn’t wait for a response before digging through the cooler, pulling out an ice pack and handing it to her.

“Thanks, J.” They sat together in silence comfortably before Aliyah unpaused her audiobook and pulled her sunglasses back down. They were big enough that they covered most of the bruise and the block of sunlight helped with her headache. She closed her eyes and drowned out all the other noise except the ocean waves and the calm voice from her phone. She was jolted back to reality when she heard someone chuckle beside her. Aliyah lifted her sunglasses and propped her head up, looking at JJ who was now laying on his back, his knee bumping against hers.

“Are you listening?” She asked.

“Yeah,” Pink slowly started to flush his face, “It’s kinda funny.” She wouldn’t particularly describe To Kill a Mockingbird as funny, but it had its parts she could admit. They were supposed to read it over the summer for school, but she had already read it three times prior, “Have you read it?”

JJ shook his head. They settled back into silence, bumping their knees together every once and awhile. Aliyah wasn’t sure how much time had passed before everyone was coming back from the ocean grumbling that they were hungry. The sky had turned dark and the waves were only getting bigger. They knew this well. Soon the rain would be pouring down. They gathered everything up and hurried back to the van. They dropped Kiara off at The Wreck and Pope next door. The rain had already been coming down in sheets. John B was driving 8 miles per hour and they were still at least 15 minutes away from Aliyah’s house on a good day.

“I’ll call my mom. Maybe when it lightens up, I can make it back.” The boys nodded their heads and turned to go back to John B’s. After a quick phone call and a sprint into the house, the three of them were sprawled out on the couch. The radio was on and the man was spewing facts about hurricane agatha and the need to stay inside. Aliyah looked around, worriedly.

“Don’t worry, b,” John B started, “the chateau hasn’t failed us yet.” She took a few deep breaths in, preparing for a long night ahead.

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selfishsunnies · 4 years ago

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The fluff I’m-🥺😌

the hair tie || jj x reader

summary: one morning on the HMS Pogue you notice something new on JJ’s wrist and ask him why it’s there.

warnings: a few mentions of abuse

requested: noooooo - but they’re open!

One day he started wearing a hair tie on his wrist.

You noticed it when you were on the HMS Pogue one October morning. They all decided to watch the sunrise on the boat. John B liked to start fishing early and loved dragging the rest of the pogues along. Pope would bring some kind of study material to read on the boat ride through the marsh. Kie normally put headphones in her ears wanting to drown out Sarah’s tired groans and JJ’s snores. You had a coffee in one hand and were running your fingers through JJ’s hair with the other. The morning air sent a shiver down your spine and was crisp against your face. Most mornings JJ was ready to fish with John B, but his dad had been in a worse mood lately. Which meant a lot of long nights filled with anxiety or walking to the Chateau at 3am.

You moved your hand to play with the hair at the base of his neck. It never failed to put him to sleep and keep him asleep and it was the least you could do. You always wished you could do more. Always wishing you could take away the pain - emotional and physical.

You sipped some of your coffee and looked down at the boy sleeping on your legs. His head was laying over his arms as he sat on the floor of the boat. You couldn’t remember how he ended up in this position as your brain was fuzzy this early. But it allowed for the perfect position to drink your coffee and make sure he stayed asleep as long as possible.

You noticed a small black hair tie wrapped around his wrist just under his sweatshirt. Sure, his hair was long, but never long enough to keep a hair tie around his wrist. Meanwhile, your hair was the longest it had ever been, just past the shoulders, but you always wanted your hair up for one reason or another.

You gently nudged JJ awake so he could catch the beginning of the sunrise. He came to sit next to you and pulled you into his arms. The sky was every different color orange and pink you could think of. It was a sight that never got old.

“J,” your voice quiet, your fingers traced his new black bracelet, “Since when have you used a hair tie?” a chuckle escaped your lips.

A small smile graced his face and he sighed, his grasp around you pulling you a little closer, “Well, do you remember that night at The Wreck a few weeks ago?” he paused for a second, not really needing a response, moreso sitting in the memory that was insignificant to you, but clearly big to him. “You asked Kie and Sarah if they had something you could tie your hair up with and they didn’t have anything.” The memory came back to you. You remembered fussing about how you hated the feeling of your hair down during meals. “You said it was ‘unsanitary’,” he laughed. God, how you loved that smile. “In that moment I wished I could have helped you or been the one to magically pull a hair tie from my pocket.” his eyebrows scrunched together in sadness. “But I couldn’t do that for you.“

“J,” He pulled your legs on top of his, running his hand over your shins. “You don’t-”

“I know I can’t give you as much as a Kook could,“ he paused, his eyes glistened with the tears that were forming, “But I don’t want you to ever stop needing me,” he looked directly into your eyes.

You had never seen him in this way before. All at once you felt like you could see the pain of his life come to the surface and the desperation to make sure you never left was clear. He didn’t have to say anything else. You placed your hands on his cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss.

The hair tie. It was something so insignificant that it didn’t even occur to you how big it was to him. He wanted to make sure the next time you were without, he was able to provide. Never in your life had you met someone like JJ. Never would you want to be without JJ.

“And here I thought it was your way of telling me you were shooting for a man bun.” you smiled against his lips which elicited a laugh from him. He held you tighter and placed a kiss on your forehead.

And in that moment, you realized that even for the simplest things, you would always want and need JJ Maybank.

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selfishsunnies · 4 years ago

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might just throw my life away for this man

TOM HOLLAND in THE DEVIL ALL THE TIME (2020) dir by Antonio Campos

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selfishsunnies · 4 years ago

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i cannot stress this enough, i LOVE this series and the way that you write. Keep killing it babe

Work Friends | JJ Maybank

Chapter 13 - Where Broken Things Need Not Fear, Your Arms

Description: Bianca struggles to find a safe place and articulate her feelings.

A/N: I honestly don’t know if I really like this in its entirety, but here’s the next part! thanks to everyone keeping up and please tell me what you think once you’ve read!!

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 2631

Previous Chapters and my tag list is in my bio!

gif by the lovely @toesure!!!

In this world of mansions and money, cracks just meant you replaced the offending object. With the sun bouncing off otherwise spotless estates, imperfections were easier to detect and the process of removal would be over in the blink of an eye. No one smart ever broke on Figure 8. And even in my current state, I couldn’t forget that fact.

So I drove deeper and deeper, farther and farther into the island until I finally made it back to the place that had made me. On this side, broken things were cared for because they could still be useful even with a few blemishes.

Keep reading

#no seriously #read this

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selfishsunnies · 4 years ago

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THE 100 SPOILERS PLS SCROLL

•

okay, so here’s my take on this whole thing. I will not continue to watch season seven (I’m only on about episode five and after being spoiled myself I am stopping). I will not allow my favorite tv show to not get the ending it deserved. These characters and this story was important to so many fans beyond the shipping of two characters. This show has spent years building this universe and the characters relationships and their own motives and stories. Bellamy is no exception. He is hope and survival and arguably the most loved character from the series. To kill him off in such a way, for shock value rather than meaning and character development, is cruel and takes away from the years of work and dedication from the actors. And the dedication from the fans. Season seven in itself has been a joke let me just say. ALSO having Clarke kill him, having bell betray someone who he cares for so deeply is so wrong. These characters, the ones we have seen for seven seasons, wouldn’t dare. I do understand Clarke’s love for madi and how important to her she is and how important she is to this story line but the meaning behind the action is hollow. The writing has become hollow.

Maybe I’m being dramatic and I apologize if this makes no sense, but I will not allow my characters to have this sort of ending. For my own well being, I have to separate season seven from the rest of the series and leave it at that.

#not obx #the 100 #spoilers !!!!!!#the 100 spoilers

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selfishsunnies · 4 years ago

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I’m obsessed this is such a great idea

pope heyward appreciation week!

credit to @zendayascolemans

i think we as a fandom can agree that pope heyward does not get enough love, so i would like to change that!! a whole week dedicated to the beautiful man himself!!

guidelines:

1. any form of work is welcome! the themes are geared more towards writing, but if you are an artist or you want to make edits/gif, please do! we need all the love for pope!

2. pope has to be the main character in the work!

3. any ship/pairing is welcome!

4. tag #popeappreciation so everyone can see all the wonderful pope love going around! also, feel free to tag me in your works too!!

dates: monday, september 14 - sunday, september 20

themes

any prompt lists/ideas provided are just suggestions. create whatever feels good to you!

day 1: FLUFF

list 1

list 2

day 2: ANGST

list 1

list 2

day 3: SMUT

list 1

list 2

day 4: AU

coffee shop

soulmate

college

assassins

royals

mob boss

apocalypse

70s/80s/90s

roommates

day 5: TROPES

fake dating

sharing a bed

enemies to lovers

childhood friends to lovers

pining

slow burn

childhood sweethearts

pregnancy

dad!pope

day 6: SPOOKY/AUTUMN

list 1

list 2

list 3

list 4

day 7: FREE FOR ALL

thank you to @https-luna for giving me this idea and helping me plan out the days!! you are amazing and i love you!

tagging some moots so this doesn’t flop: @jjmaybby @dontjinx-it @butgilinsky @rekrappeter @diverdcwn @rafecameron @prejudic3 @starlightstarkey @sunnypogue @obxmxybxnk @jjmayybank @euphoricheyward @socialwriter @kindahavefeelingskindaheartless @peachydrews @outerbanksbro @poguestyleskye @softstarkey @bricksatanakinswindow @mdlyncline @poguemackin @downbytheouterbanks @ptersparkers @prkerspogue @moldisgoodforyou @outrbanks @girlsru1eboysdroo1 @tempestuousjj @stargazingstarkey @anxietyandtacos @uwubonebabie @joshy-obx @sortagaysortahigh @overly-b @highondrew @madelynsclines @cherryobx @royalmerchant @dreamypope

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selfishsunnies · 4 years ago

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I kinda wanna do a cute blurb night leading into my birthday ??? Would anyone want to send things in? don’t let it flop please. It’d be Thursday night leading into Friday

#cj rambles

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selfishsunnies · 4 years ago

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this is just gorgeous. you’re kidding me. “time is finite and the list is not”🥺😭🦋

The Eternal Flame | JJ Maybank

Request: Tutoring fic with JJ, great request ty anon!!

A/N: um this was a wonderful request that I absolutely adored. This fic also deals the reader’s mother getting cancer. If you cannot read about that for whatever reason plz do not. It doesn’t matter if you’re someone I talk to on a daily basis, if we’re good friends, if you always interact with my work, feel free to not read or interact if it is too difficult for you. I seriously understand bc I dont read fics that deal with this but it was cathartic to write. Also JJ is dyslexic in this, and I did some research but also plz let me know if I depicted anything incorrectly or insensitively.

Warnings: swearing, parent death, cancer

My Writing

My Tag List: add yourself in my bio!

Word Count: 5209

The sound of Mr. Kim asking her to stay after class sends her stomach to her toes even though Y/N knows whatever he has to say is positive. He adores her, and everyone tells her they know it by the emptiness of the obligatory “oohs” they let out as the bell rings for the next period.

She’s not worried. Mr. Kim will give her a pass, and Mrs. Walters will take it from her without looking before continuing her lecture. Y/N runs this school. At least, its faculty. She knows it, but this doesn’t stop the tiny tick in her heart rate every time a teacher asks her something like this. She smiles at him and nods, packing her backpack neatly without getting up until everyone has left the room.

“So, how are you feeling about the material so far?”

“Good, I feel like I understand it all. And it’s cool. I love history,” she tells him. Does he think she’s falling behind?

“I’m glad to hear that. I love history, too. But some students are struggling a bit. So I was wondering if you’d be interested in helping me out by tutoring them for a bit?” he asked. “Of course, it’d count towards your community service hours. Please, don’t feel obligated if you don’t have the time, but I think this could be a great opportunity.”

“Yeah, I’d love to!” she tells him. “Who did you have in mind?”

Mr. Kim lowers his voice to a whisper even though no one else is there. “JJ Maybank. He’s a good kid, I know. He’s just having some trouble.”

Her teeth tighten the slightest bit at having to interact with JJ Maybank, but she nods because it’s not like she can turn him down. A tiny 0 currently resides at the bottom of her transcript underneath community service hours.

“Awesome, yeah I definitely understand,” she lies through her teeth.

“Great! You two can use my room after school if you need or wherever works best for you. Just give me a community service slip with your hours at the end of the week, and I’ll sign off for you.”

Y/N smiles as he seals her nearly perfect fate in crimson wax that’s just the slightest bit too hot. JJ Maybank is an asshole that’s never cared about making anyone but himself happy. He wouldn’t know the phrase consequences for your actions if it slapped him in the face. All he does is surf all day or talk about how hot someone looks in their shorts. JJ makes her blood boil, and they’ve never even shared a real conversation. What is she supposed to do for an hour long lesson?

JJ takes one look at the girl in front of him and knows this will be fun. She’s cute, smart, and standoffish. Y/N Y/L/N is exactly the type of person that hates people like him, and she’s not hiding it at all with her nose scrunched up like she’s in John B’s room instead of Mr. Kim’s air conditioned room.

“Look, what do you want? Booze? Weed? I’ve got you covered, sweetheart. All you gotta do is finish my homework and get me the test answers. Not like it’s even hard for you. Really I’m losing on this,” he begins before she can tell him to open his book as if he genuinely believes himself to be a good Samaritan for offering her this deal. Idiot.

She snorts. “I’m not doing your homework, and I’m definitely not cheating. Keep the booze and the bud.”

“Oh.” He says and places a hand on his chest like he’s a mid-century woman that’s positively astounded. “You drive a hard bargain, but okay, I see what you want. Get me answers and fill in the homework, and I’ll go on a date with you. My treat.”

Her eyes flatten into dark slats that can and have shriveled balls. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

JJ cocks his head at her. She’s probably thinking just how much she wishes she were a kook so she could enroll in their fancy International Bachelorette, or whatever the hell Pope called it, instead of being forced to share the same class with stoners like him because their school can’t afford to hire even honors teachers.

“Alright, smarty pants.” He licks his lips and looks her up and down. “What’s your deal, huh? Why do you hate me?”

JJ runs this school too. He skips in and out of class like some people change their clothes. Yet, there’s only a handful of teachers that have ever made any type of disparaging comment about him after they’ve been given his million dollar smile.

“Be-cause,” she says. He raises his eyebrow urging her to continue, like please enlighten me. “Because you can show up 30 minutes late to class, hair dripping wet, and sand on your cheeks, and you just, just smile and make some joke about how you sure wish you knew what the waves were like today, and there are never any real consequences! If I pulled half the shit you pulled, teachers would blow up at me,” she says, and she can’t hide the acidity in her tone but she doesn’t really want to either.

It’s meant to be a hypothetical scenario. Something resembling what he usually says, but JJ doesn’t miss the fact that it’s actually a direct quote and one from the very first day of school.

“Had that quote on hand, didn’t you?” He tells her, his smile only growing. Before she can splutter something back, judging by the widening of her eyes he knows it’ll be a splutter, he continues. He knows he’s hot. He just wants her to know he knows that she knows.

“Look, princess,” he says. “It’s not my fault people like me. If you really want to pull the shit I do, then just do it. Who cares if they get mad?” Her chest vibrates with a soft growl, which only makes his eyebrow quirk up and down. This is definitely going to be fun.

“Whatever, I don’t have to explain myself to you. Just tell me what you know about the colonies,” she grumbles, resting her chin in her hand and returning his please enlighten me look.

Their hour together trudges its feet through the mud, and every five minutes she snaps at the clock in her head to pick up the pace. By the time it hits 4 pm, they’ve exchanged a minimum of 50 convoluted insults, some subtle and some all too blatant.

Their next session doesn’t go much better. The one after that suffers the same thorny fate. Slowly, though, her dad has reason to ask her what takes her so long after these lessons, and she tells him that she forgot his water bottle or they started late and that she’s sorry. She doesn’t ever see the smiles he hides as he merges back into traffic on the way home.

One session she catches herself thinking she wants to bottle his laughter. If there’s one thing JJ Maybank knows how to do better than anyone on this island, it’s make people laugh in spite of everything. In this classroom, though, she turns the tables, and he’s chuckling through a timeline of the Revolutionary War.

Their time together isn’t always filled with jokes. He huffs and puffs a lot. Getting him to actually read the textbook is like pulling teeth sometimes.

“This is useless,” he grumbles, shoving it across the table.

“You’re almost there. You’ve got it,” she encourages him.

He shoots her a scowl, all scrunched up cheeks and glacier eyes, and the sound of his shoe thumping against the lifeless linoleum only quickens her heartbeat.

“Look, all you have to do is memorize what happened. That’ll pass you. Then, we can work on synthesizing it all,” she says, and the distinct sincerity behind her words surprises her. “But first you have to actually read the textbook.”

“If only it were that easy,” he rolls his eyes.

“It is. Just make the time, JJ, you can do this,” she tells him, practically begging him to believe her.

“It’s not, y/n,” he says. His voice is gravelly and short. She almost thinks he’s mad at her, but then it softens when he sees her reaction. “It’s not. The words…the letters…”

Oh. Oh.

“They get jumbled.” She knows she’s walking along the edge of a branch that could crack beneath her weight any minute. If he’s confessing what she thinks he is, though, it’s a path she must walk.

“Yeah, y/n, they jumble. And I know what it’s called, so you don’t need to give me all the latest studies on kids with dyslexia,” he spits.

She brushes the ashes off her shoulder, because it does kind of burn that he thinks she’ll be so cold, and opens her mouth. “Okay, then I’ll read it to you.” She picks the textbook up and begins dictating.

The pads of his fingers brush against the rough paper as he flattens them in shock. JJ can only stare at her because he expected more of a fight. He expected a snarl and an eye roll because that’s what his dad offered him when he let slip what Pope had suggested he might be dealing with. She meets his eyes over the binding, and they’re not exactly warm and they’re definitely not delicate, but they are strong and they are true. So he picks up the pencil and starts writing what he can.

Y/N and JJ don’t talk a lot outside of their lessons. They say hi as they pass each other by, but that’s it until 3:00. So JJ doesn’t really hear the specifics behind why he suddenly wants to kill Connor Quincy, but he knows that he does as soon as laughter erupts from the group of guys standing next to the pogues, and Y/N spits a ‘shut up, connor’ as she brushes past them. She notices him looking at her too late.

JJ never wants to see her look at him like that again. Never wants to see her eyes normally so bold form pits of despair, and her lips wrestle down a slight wobble as she hugs her binder closer to her chest.

She can rage at him. She can curl her lip and cross her arms and spit poison at him. She can flash that smile of hers and send him into cardiac arrest, but never that pain. Not at his words or anyone else’s. Especially not Connor’s.

The time on his phone tells him he can expect to find her tapping her foot in annoyance, as she speeds through her own homework. He skids to a stop outside the room. JJ’s right, but he missed her head resting in her hand and didn’t even think about the pout of her lips. She looks genuinely sad behind that annoyance. He yanks the door open and loosens his muscles. He can’t hide the throbbing in his cheek he has no doubt is probably crossing over from bright red to pale lavender, but he can make her believe he’s fine.

Her lips tug into a deeper frown the moment she sees him. “What happened?”

He grins even though it hurts a little and shrugs. “Nothing people didn’t deserve.”

She locks her jaw because she knows in her heart exactly who people are and that he shouldn’t have done that. Y/N is supposed to tell him she can handle herself. She can, but JJ didn’t do this because she couldn’t. She gives him the ice pack from her lunch with as strong a thank you as she can manage given that she still can’t quite understand why he even bothered.

Only twenty minutes have passed before he lets out a giant sigh and waves his hand through the block of sunlight taunting them through the window.

“What if we take this lesson to the beach?” he proposes. “I promise I’ll pay attention. Promise. But being stuck inside this hellhole when it looks like that outside can’t feel right even to you.”

“I can’t drive yet,” she confesses. “My dad picks me up after we’re done, but he can’t pick me up, take me to the beach, and then pick me up again.”

“Oh,” he pauses before shrugging. “Then, I’ll take you, and I’ll give you a ride home. Tell your dad he doesn’t have to pick you up today.”

The sand burns her feet just enough for it to be undesirable, and they don’t have a towel. So, naturally, JJ takes his shirt off revealing a sun-kissed torso with far too many lines for her to concentrate enough to realize he’s giving her a place to sit. By the time her mind has turned the appropriate wheels and processed his words, she’s lost. He’s looking at her with a raised eyebrow and a cocky smirk, and damn it, she’s lost.

“You can say it,” he tells her, sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce on the sand because this island belongs to him, and there isn’t an inch of it that can really hurt him. “I’m hot as fuck, I know.” His voice rises one, self-satisfied octave as he says the last part, leaning back to rest on his palms.

“I can’t stand you,” she lies, and plops herself down on his shirt. It’s not like she can find the right words to argue with him right now that he should put it back on.

JJ knows the ocean’s right there, and John B told him the waves are supposed to be unreal today. Hell, he’s the one who made the speech about nature. So he knows he should be watching whoever’s out actually taking it all in. He knows he should be able to hear the glorious crash of ancient water against sand because that sound’s in his blood really, and it’s overwhelming when he’s this close to it. Instead he only registers that the Battle of Yorktown was the pivotal battle in the fight for independence because her perfect lips are the ones forming the words. He’s always known the sun and him were buds, but it sends him another reminder as it highlights all the different colors in her hair and all the curves of her face that he could map out if he wanted to at this point. She lowers the textbook and cocks her head like she’s just gotten an extra credit project back.

“You can say it,” she begins. “I’m hot as fuck, I know.”

JJ’s lost the war, he knows it. A part of his mind whispers that he should keep fighting. Deny it all. She’s nothing to him. Too bad it’s already fading out like the end of an 80’s song because her lips are pulled back in a toothy grin, and he wants to see just how many variations of a smile he can snag from her.

When they’re done with the homework, JJ stretches out against the sand that has cooled down to a tolerable temperature since they began working. In a rare act of carelessness, she leans back with him so that her hair mixes with the sand, and she closes her eyes letting the sun blanket her in its evening warmth.

“Dude, I need to fart so badly,” he interrupts her serenity, and her laugh is instantaneous. She shoves him away, and he shoves her back until they’re both rolling in the sand in an endless cycle of laughter.

September ends, and suddenly, Y/N is asking him to extend their lessons and suggesting they meet on Saturdays. JJ thinks he’s finally got her because what other explanation is there other than the fact that she likes him. Really likes him. So he agrees every time. He’s counting down the days until he asks her out. He doesn’t really know what they’ll do yet, but it will be something unique. Something that will make her eyes glitter, and maybe he’ll bring her flowers even if she’ll tease him for it.

It’s Friday afternoon, and she’s convinced him to stay after school to study for the test next week on one of the tables in the Quad. A late October chill dances up his spine and pushes her hair into her eyes. A small huff escapes her lips before she yanks it out of the way. He scooches himself closer to her on the bench until their knees touch because she’s not wearing her jacket, and he knows if he tells her to put it on, she’ll refuse.

“Do you want me to read to you?” she asks, looking up at him finally. He shakes his head no, so she nods and tries to go back to her notes, but her phone buzzes on the table. A few flecks of rusted yellow flutter to the ground once she’s set it back down without responding. JJ folds his arms on the table and rests his head on them so that he has a panoramic view of the table’s contents. Her phone buzzes again, right in front of his face.

The first message reads: Your mom’s awake now.

The second says: I can pick you up and bring you to the hospital. She would like to see you.

Her fingers snatch the phone off of the table and into the depths of her backpack, but it’s too late. JJ straightens his back. His chest tightens as his mind connects dots he doesn’t want to ever have to connect for her. All the extra sessions, the intensity of her focus on facts even he knows are useless. Her mom is sick, and she is scared.

“You’re using me,” is all he can think to say. That’s not right. Shit.

“Yes, we’re both using each other, JJ. You’re using me for a good grade, I’m using you for community service and eventually a letter of rec,” she shrugs. “What’s the big deal?”

JJ’s been in enough fights to recognize her words for the challenge they are despite the offhanded shrug. They’re packaged just like her: the implicit dare in perfect handwriting and one hundred and five percents and alphabetically organized sources. The kind of challenge that says find a chink in my armor, I dare you. He doesn’t think anyone’s ever found hers. And if they have, they’ve never lived to tell the tale.

So maybe he’s an idiot for showing her that he has. It’s not like he can leave it at that after all she’s done for him, though. So, he speaks. “No, you’re using me to avoid her.”

JJ is a wildfire: loud and expansive. He demands attention and burns everything in reach. And he didn’t think she had a fire in her too. When he first met her he thought only of unforgiving salt and stone. He was sure ice ran through her veins instead of blood. But looking at the set of her jaw, too casual for the intensity in her eyes, he realizes she burns too. She is the quiet endurance of the eternal flame. He can cast the sky black with smoke and show people the depths of hell with his fire, but in the end, it will always die out. She? She continues. That is her strength. That is her fire. It scalds him.

“Let’s go,” he tells her, not delicately because she doesn’t really do things that way, but strong and true. “I’ll take you.”

No one’s ever looked at her the way he is right now. His blue eyes practically burn as they look at her, all of her. JJ runs his hands over the armor she’s grown so fond of, stops right where it’s weakest, and offers her his shield. He’s got her back.

Y/N doesn’t really know how to deal with that so she lets him lead her to his bike.

Her arms wrap loosely, some might say numbly, around his middle, and the wind rippling through her hair for once doesn’t stretch her lips into a smile. Her heart beats a steady cadence in its cage, painfully normal. JJ is right. Y/N has been avoiding the hospital by immersing herself in their lessons. There isn’t a night she doesn’t spend glaring at her ceiling as poison bubbles all the way up from her stomach to her throat and threatens to drown her for it, but it’s better than suffocating in the stark white of the hospital. Just thinking about brushing against her mom’s hospital sheets sends a shiver down her spine. They’re at a stoplight, so JJ squeezes her hand in response, before taking off again.

JJ wants to touch her. He wants to lace his fingers through hers and walk through the clean glass windows of this place that categorizes life into contagions and medicines together. He wants them to know I am her and she is me. We cannot be separated. It’s mostly because he wants her and everyone else to know he’s got her. Part of it is also because maybe they’ll see the dirt on his cutoffs and the scars on his heart and toss him in with all the other biohazards. He won’t even be able to blame them because they’re the professionals. They know what is and what isn’t beyond saving.

JJ settles on walking side by side with her up to the front desk where she tells them her information and they’re each handed a blue bracelet.

Y/N refuses JJ’s help and sticks the ends together cleanly, before marching down the hall. Her lungs expand with the giant breath she takes now even though it burns because the farther they go the worse it gets. The tile beneath her feet shines pristinely. Behind them, a squeaky wheel from a gurney or a wheelchair or an IV is the only case of imperfection she has encountered. It might be comforting if she didn’t think it’ll be fixed by tomorrow.

Her lungs are burning, and her lungs are burning, and her lungs are burning.

So she deflates them and takes another breath as smoothly as she can. The air is too clean. There’s no way it can actually be aggravating the tissue in her throat, but that doesn’t stop the itch.

She prepares to open the door, but JJ interrupts.

“I’ll wait out here,” he says. “You’ve got this.” She frowns, and her knuckles lower.

“What, no. You can come in,” she tells him. Mostly because if he stays out here then there’s something wrong. Everything is fine. She’s fine, he doesn’t need to excuse himself.

“Y/N, go in. It’s not a big deal, I don’t mind waiting.” JJ shakes his head. But she insists, so he nods and lets her knock on the door.

Her dad opens the door, and the wrinkles in his face lessen some when he registers that it’s Y/N waiting. His smile is genuine, so JJ knows that this has been their reality for some time now. Enough for none of this to warrant a heavy sigh or a pained hello. This is normal. He welcomes JJ into the room.

Her mom’s cheeks are gaunt. Her whole body is thinner, but her cheeks stand out as distinctly transformed by the cancer when she smiles at Y/N. She always smiles as if she’s not in a hospital bed counting down her days. She tries to return it as best she can and murmurs a soft hello. There is a poster her little brother made for her mom that tells her to get well soon in bubblegum pink. Y/N knows she won’t. Her mom knows she won’t. She doesn’t doubt the crooked letters still bring her mom joy, so it stays up.

“Hi, I’m Y/N’s mother, it’s nice to meet you,” she turns to JJ. He takes her hand in his and shakes. It’s so thin, but that doesn’t diminish any of the strength she impresses upon him with the contact. The moment is small, barely a few seconds, but for a terrifying second, his eyes itch. This fierce compassion is what some people get. It’s what he’s never had, and it’s what’s about to be ripped away from Y/N. He swallows the pit in his throat and sits in the chair next to her dad. He’s hunched over his phone, scrolling through emails, so JJ just sits and listens.

Y/N tells her about her day. Says she’s doing well in school. Asks her if everything’s okay in the hospital. It’s all she can manage. She wants to take down every single word her mom says. Record it so she’ll be able to play it back when she’s forgotten what it sounds like. But it’s all she can manage to just be there and listen. It’s not that long before her dad curses under his breath. Y/N looks up at him.

“Y/B/N’s practice is over early. He needs me to pick him up,” he responds and looks between everyone in the room in dismay.

“I can,” JJ clears his throat and begins again. “I can take her home, sir. If that’s alright with you.”

Her dad locks eyes with her mom who nods, and he thanks JJ before leaving the room. Y/N’s lips stretch into a small smile for JJ. He returns it. Her mom asks JJ questions, too, and the way she looks at him he knows she genuinely cares about his answers, so he tells her the truth. He’s doing alright. He’s grown up on the Cut, yes, and he’s eager to be out, too.

Her dad’s been gone for twenty minutes when her mom’s face pinches together, and the slightest keen escapes her lips.

It’s barely there, but it’s a knife to Y/N’s chest. Not a single one of her muscles move as the blood trickles down her body. The nurses don’t notice and instead give her mom another dose of whatever painkiller is working best this week. Her mom manages to hold on enough to gift Y/N with another smile before she drifts back to sleep because she’s always smiling.

Y/N’s lips don’t move.

Silence descends upon them like a heavy fog, intercepted by only the slow beep of the machine. Something hits her thigh. Her thumb glistens when she wipes it away. Tears. As soon as the conclusion hits, they devolve into a downpour. It’s not loud, but JJ notices, and then her face is pressed against his chest, and she can’t even smell the ocean salt or his laundry detergent like she normally can because her nose is too plugged up.

She doesn’t want to need his arms. She wishes she was strong enough to push him away just like she’s done everyone else. But he has found the chink in her armor and now that he knows it’s there, what’s the point in wearing it at all? She doesn’t take it off piece by piece. They come all at once. His arms are holding her together one minute, and the next she wants to tear this place down and scream without restraint, but she’s also relieved. Because she hasn’t sobbed since she heard the initial news, and she’d begun to think there was something wrong with her.

“I knew it was coming. I knew it. But she’s still gone, so it’s supposed to hurt more,” she confesses at the funeral only because it’s him, and he’s too full of sunlight to ever be bogged down by her storm that looks suspiciously like a clear sky. “I did my homework today. I can go to school tomorrow. I want to go to school tomorrow.” Everyone else is wrapped up in their formalities to pay attention to what she’s saying.

“It’s not supposed to be any more than what it is, sweetheart.” He tells her, and his lips brush against her forehead softer than a cloud when he pulls her into a hug. She wonders if he meant for it to happen.

Their first session after the funeral takes place at a smoothie shop. Her laughter is just as bright as the first time he heard it. It’s all he can think of, even when she’s reading the latest chapter to him. He already read it so it doesn’t matter. JJ just wanted to see her again.

“Will you go out with me?” he blurts out. Her heart snags against her throat. His chin is in his hand, and he’s looking at her like she’s the brilliant, glittering sky he’s told her he adores so much. Why is he looking at her like that?

“Why?” She wants to yank the words back into her mouth the second they’re out. His face softens, but he gives her a look that says for the first time he thinks she’s well and truly dumb.

“Don’t ask me questions like that, Y/N. Time is finite, and the list is not,” he says, and she rolls her eyes on reflex. When did he become Shakespeare? A laugh bubbles out of his throat, completely unfazed.

“Come on,” he says, reaching for her hand. “You’re my person.”

“No,” she pulls her fingers back. “No, no. You don’t… no. You don’t want me.”

She barely register the flash of pain when her pen pokes her hand as she shoves it too quickly into her bag. No. JJ Maybank doesn’t want her. He can’t want her. Because if he does, then that means everything her heart ever whispered to her, his heart did too. That thought sends a shudder down her spine. She’ll ruin it. He’s offered his heart to her in those gentle hands of his, and already, she’s crushing it between her fingers as she yanks the door open and stomps outside.

Her name carries over the wind, but she doesn’t stop. Not until he’s jogging beside her, and her nose almost connects with his chest because he’s right in front of her. She wishes he would just go. She’s already smashed his heart, she doesn’t know if she can stomp on it too.

“Hey, hey, hey,” he tells her, lowering his chin so he can look her in the eye. “Hey. I do. I do want you. And if you don’t want to do this because of your mom, then I get that. Say that, and I’ll leave right now. I’ll be your best friend, I promise. But if you’re angry because…because you’re scared…I get it. I’m fucking terrified. Because I like you so much it hurts, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that, but I really want to figure it out with you.”

His brows are furrowed together, and she can’t bear the sight of his lips puckered like that. Her heart is screaming now. She’s pretty sure her knees are a little wobbly, too, but her heart is screaming. And if her heart is screaming, then his is too, and she can’t just let that happen. So her fingers tangle themselves in his sea salt hair, and her lips touch his. JJ’s arms tug her closer, and he kisses her harder. Kisses her so hard she’ll never doubt his feelings again. For once, he is right, and she is wrong, and it doesn’t hurt any more than it’s meant to.

Things are different now. His report card has a few B+’s on it. Y/N and JJ sit together at lunch with the pogues. Her dad invites him over for dinner on Fridays, and they’re planning a trip to the mainland. They share secrets and kisses in pools of moonlight sometimes beneath stars that burn he tells her, but not forever. She doesn’t know why he needs to add the last part, but she kisses him anyways.

Y/N continues, as she always does, with her hand in his.

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selfishsunnies · 4 years ago

Text

i wish you sidewalk pennies - JJ x reader

warnings: not more than the show

notes: This is just a filler chapter... so much is ab to go down you guys I am so ready. we just gotta get there. Feedback & questions are apriciated!!!

word count: 2,300 roughly

CH. 2- “melodies & giant plastic dinosaurs”

It had been a few days since that night after the party. Kie had to work a few shifts at the wreck, so that left Alice alone in the house. It’s not that Alice wouldn’t help out at the restaurant, they just hadn’t asked. It left her with a lot of free time. She didn’t really remember the island, so she couldn’t head to the beach nor did she feel comfortable going by herself. Alice didn’t really trek outside of her comfort zone very often, but this whole summer was miles out of her little box.

With the cell phone towers down often and the wifi in the house being spotty, she spent a lot of time reading. She had brought a few books with her, but quickly finished those and had to resort to Kiara’s bookshelf. It was outdated, probably stuff she had read in middle school. Alice didn’t really mind though, she had read most of them, too. She picked up one she hadn’t and began reading. She quickly lost track of time and before she knew it, her aunt was home. She knocked lightly on Alice’s door, peeking her head in. The woman looked tired, bags under her eyes, her eyebrows pinched together.

“Hi, dear. I hope I wasn’t interrupting.”

“No,” Alice said, closing the book, “it’s okay.”

“How’re you doing? The first few days can be rough.”

“I’m good, Kiara’s friends all seem super nice and I’m loving the weather.”

Her aunt pinched her nose when Alice mentioned Kiara’s friends, but smiled softly. She thought about what she’d said, about being good. This wasn’t a lie. Alice really was having a good time. She felt relaxed for the first time she can remember since her parents began fighting. She didn’t miss her friends as much as she had imagined, although she wished she could group facetime and show them around the house or update them more often. She certainly didn’t miss her parents’ arguing. Her dad had lost his job a few months ago and it seemed he had no intention of getting another. Alice tried not to be home as much as possible to avoid them both. She kept busy with her job, school, and soccer practices, but now, all that was over.

And Kiara’s friends did seem nice. They were all instantly so accepting. She felt like they were all little kids again. She wished she remembered when they were.

“Well, we’re here if you ever need anything, baby.” She placed her hand on Alice’s cheek and kissed the top of her head. Alice nodded, grateful.

The next night, the four of them had dinner together at The Wreck. It was past closing time, but it was the end of a long week and Kiara had the weekend off. Her father had been working late hours to prepare for the height of the season, he was calling it. This meant they celebrated the last few moments of calm before the storm.

“So, Alice,” her uncle started, a glass of rum and coke in his hand, “are you still singing?”

Alice blushed at the question, “Not like I used to.” She tried to laugh it off. Alice used to train extensively, lessons twice a week, binders filled with sheet music, always doing a vocal warm up. That all changed when she got to high school though. She started playing for the school’s soccer team, her classes got a little harder and she needed more time to study. She started going to lessons only every other week, missing recitals for soccer games, until one day during senior year, she just didn’t go back. She never did the school’s musicals, though. When people learned that Alice could sing, they always assumed that meant she did theatre. It did not. Alice was a terrible dancer and didn’t particularly like acting. So, she stuck to singing.

“Aw, really? I remember you used to love coming down here because it meant you got to skip lessons. That didn’t stop you from singing though.” Kiara said, laughing.

“Really?”

“Yeah, you don’t remember?”

Alice shook her head sadly.

“Oh come on,” her uncle started again, “you never stopped singing. Used to make kie and the neighborhood kids perform talent shows for us and your parents in the backyard, couldn’t have been older than five.”

This earned a laugh from everyone at the table, “No way!”

“Oh, it really was the sweetest thing,” her aunt sighed, reminiscing.

The thought of John B and JJ performing in a backyard talent show had Alice nearly in stitches, Kie too.

“Oh, I cannot wait to hold that over their heads,” Kiara exclaimed. The laughter soon died down, making everyone realize how empty and quiet the restaurant was.

“Well, maybe I’ll start again. I’ve got tons of time,” Alice said with a smile. She was only half kidding. She really did love to sing.

“There is that fundraiser event at the end of the month.”

Kie sighed, loudly, “Mom, that is such a kook thing. Where does that money even go? Who are they even fundraising for?”

“Dear, they’re-” She started to reply, but was cut off again by Kiara ranting, “They’re a waste of time and good money that could be given to an actual cause.”

They went on like this for a few minutes before Alice could butt in, “Uhm. What?” she asked.

“The kooks are planning a fundraiser event for god only knows what and I am being forced to go.” Kiara shot a look at her mother.

“Of course we are going, it’s a really big deal. Everyone’s going to be there and,” she reached out and placed her hand on Alice’s arm, “and they need entertainment.”

“Oh, I don't know. That’s kind of-”

“Mom, please. No.”

“Honey,” her aunt's tone was tight, the crease between her eyebrows returning, She turned her attention towards Alice, “Just promise me you’ll think about it.”

Alice nodded her head in agreement. She silently made the promise to herself that she was not doing it. Alice had been out of practice for too long to just begin performing for an important event like this. The thought of singing in front of more than about five people made her stomach swirl. That was a different part of her life, one that Alice has left behind when coming here.

A few hours later the girls wound up at John B’s. Him and Sarah were laying in a hammock out back, tangled up in each other. JJ was rolling a joint while Pope sat next to him, talking about some tv show he just finished, “No, dude, it was crazy.” When they walked into the yard he stopped talking to kiss Kiara on the cheek and then returned to his spot next to JJ. He waved a nice hello to Alice and Sarah yelled her hello’s from the hammock. Her voice was smooth and a little giggly like she had been drinking.

“Kie, you want a hit?” JJ asked, holding the lit joint closer to her. She took it from him and formed O’s with the smoke she exhaled before handing it to Alice.

“Oh, I uh, I don’t know.” She stuttered out.

“Just like this” Kie demonstrated, very poorly may she add, before handing it back to Alice. She tried her very best, and still managed to choke. She coughed and coughed. This earned a laugh from JJ, “So I take it you don’t smoke?”

“I’ve just never tried, no one smokes back home. I guess it’s just not a thing.”

“You’re telling me no one where you’re from smokes weed? Bullshit. You’re just not going to the right parties.” He was laying in the grass, arm tucked under his head, a smug look on his face.

“I go to plenty of parties,” Alice said in defense. It’s true, Alice rarely turned down an invite to a kegger back home. She had only ever lost one beer pong game, and that wasn’t even really her fault.

“I don’t deny that. I’m just saying you ain’t going to the right ones if there isn’t weed.” JJ took another drag and formed O’s of his own. By now Kiara had moved to sit in between the two boys and was leaning against Pope. Alice sat on his other side, leaning back on her hands.

“I don’t know dude, even if it was there I couldn’t smoke it anyway. At least not in high school. Shit messes up your breath support and stuff.”

“She used to be a singer,” Kie clarified, “a natural talent really.” She said, poking fun.

“Ah, cool. So like musicals and stuff?” Pope asked, bless his heart. She felt her face light up now that the attention was all on her.

“No,” Alice answered with a chuckle, “like choir and recitals and all that.”

“She’s being humble, Miss first in the state.” Kiara shot back.

Now it was her turn to clarify, “That was like sixth grade! And it was just a junior competition. Anyway, enough about my miserable singing career, what’re we doing tonight?”

JJ raised his head to look at her, “this.”

“What? What about crazy adventures? You’ve all told me the stories.”

“We’ve retired,” John B spoke up for the first time since she’d been there that night.

“Retired? At the young age of 18, that’s quite a shame.” Kiara giggled at Alice’s sarcasm.

“Maybe if we didn’t spend a whole summer being chased by the police and a bunch of big men with guns, we wouldn’t be so tired.” Pope spoke up.

Sarah started to chime in, “Yeah, or get stranded in the Bahamas.”

“Facts.” John B said.

“Okay, okay,” Alice began, “I’m just saying, it’s a little depressing.” The crickets were loud in the trees and she closed her eyes, taking in the silence, the lack of cars speeding by. Truthfully, Alice didn’t mind sitting here all night. At home, there was always something going on, somewhere to be, someone to be with, but here everything felt like a choice. One that Alice could decide whether or not to pick, and the outcome was always good.

*********

“This is it,” John B said, gesturing outwards. Alice looked around at her new friends.They were all smiling wide staring at her, waiting for her reaction. After much convincing, everyone agreed to go on an adventure that night. They didn’t tell her where they were going, but when they arrived, she was confused to say the least, “Uhm. Okay.” Kie swung her arm around Alice’s neck, “You really have to take it all in.”

“I- Okay. I just don’t understand why?”

“Why do you have to take it all in?” She responded.

“No, no. Like why is it here of all places and why a dinosaur?”

Alice tilted her head staring at the massive dinosaur statue in front of them. They had all piled into the van and drove for what felt like forever until they arrived in a little town Alice had never been to. They parked and walked to the center of town to come across this. It was huge, really. It’s neck and tail longer than three of her on top of each other. And it was surrounded by hedges and flowers and a few benches. It was the most random statue she had ever seen and it was right here in the middle of a town.

“I don’t know. Some historical shit.” JJ said, “Bet I can climb it.”

“No, JJ.” Pope dismissed and then turned to Alice, “It’s a replica of brachiosaurus. Part of it’s leg bone was discovered here in the 1800’s, so they built it to commemorate that.” Alice smiled at this explanation, thankful for Pope’s knowledge.

When they turned back to look, John B already had JJ sitting on his shoulders, trying to lift him further up the statue.

“Guys, stop!” Sarah yelled, but she couldn’t help but laugh. He was close to hooking on to the neck.

“This is just pointless, what are you going to do when you get up there?” Kie asked, coming over to stand where Alice and Pope were. The two boys ignored the question, obviously struggling to get JJ’s leg over. Alice couldn’t help herself and took out her phone to record a video.

Finally, they did it. JJ was sitting on this massive dinosaur, posing cheesily for pictures while everyone laughed and egged him on.

“Imagine riding one of these things down the street,” he yelled from the top, “no one could stop me. I’m on top of the fucking world.” They were doubled over with laughter until someone spotted a cop car pulling up, “shit.”

“I cannot get caught right now,” John B said, quickly turning away from the car and grabbing Sarah’s hand.

“JJ jump!” Pope yelled. The others were on the move down the street and ALice could see the two cops approaching the group.

“Pope I can’t jump! Do you see how high I am right now?”

“Yeah,” he muttered, “In more ways than one.”

Alice kept her eyes on the police, inching their way to them, “C’mon!”

JJ swung his leg down and got as close to the ground as possible before leaping off and tumbling to the ground. He laid there for what felt like an hour before getting up and beginning to sprint away. The cops started to chase after them, but Alice was frozen on the scene. When she went to move, she realized Pope was already gone.

“Bro, move!” JJ yelled and grabbed her wrist, dragging her alongside him. They ran until they saw the van, Pope behind the wheel and Kie on the passenger side. Sarah was holding the back door open and the pair made it with just enough time to drive away.

#obx #obx fic #outerbanks #jj maybank #jj x oc #this may or may not have been based on my actual life

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