#drawing some good dramatic angst was a nice stress reliever

[factual-fantasy]

Where there any side effects after Mario got revived by the 1-up

Like any markings or anything?

Mario has no physical mark or scar from the injury that killed him. Thanks to the power of the 1-Up mushroom, Mario’s body has 100% healed itself. Every last cell was put right back where it should be..

But the 1-Up mushroom couldn’t heal Mario’s mind. And sometimes during times of stress or exhaustion.. he feels a sort of.. phantom pain. Due to the trauma of the whole event.

Its usually a hot pain that forms right where the gashes happened. And Mario has a relatively high pain tolerance. So its really frustrating for him- and actually embarrassing for him when he immediately crumples under the pain. He doesn’t like being seen as weak. He doesn’t want Luigi to see him as weak. He needs to always be seen as strong. For Luigi.

But of course Luigi doesn’t see him like that. He never sees Mario as weak during these times. All it does is it just.. its makes Luigi really sad. To see his brother hurting like this. Knowing there isn’t really much else he can do other than get him a cold rag and wait it out..

[syms-things-5]

CLEAR THE AREA - Chapter Twenty

Previous Chapter here

Warnings: language and the usual angst

Summary: I made it! My first story at an end. Thanks for stopping by and sticking by me over the last few months. I'm strangely quite proud of myself for sticking with this even when I had zero idea of how things were going to go. I have plans for a sequel of sorts and I hope you come back for that (when I get my ass in gear to write it!).

Tags: Thanks to @kelbabyblue @jennmurawski13

Chapter Twenty

The hot shower was a welcome relief when she finally stepped inside. It had been a hell of a long day. Far longer than she could recall and she had battled plenty. 

 Sarah had been back at work for a week or so and trying her hardest to deflect questions. Audrey had, she realised, kind of figured most things out without having to awkwardly impose the third degree on her pal. She knew everyone in the family knew and while at first she was happy and possibly even a little excited by that knowledge, her enthusiasm soon turned to concern when Sarah informed her that Shanna had been ignoring all of her messages and calls ever since. None of Audrey’s queries beyond that were met with much more than a non-committal shrug. How could Sarah be expected to answer any of Audrey’s questions when she didn’t have any of the answers to her own? 

 “She’ll come around. She has to.” Audrey said, in her soothing tone that always seemed to work no matter what news she was giving. “She won’t want to lose you. You’ve been friends for years.” 

 A few people had said variations of the same thing to her lately. That Shanna will come around, that she was just shocked but she’ll eventually understand, and that things will get better. Carly said Shanna had a wicked stubborn streak in her that even she struggled with at times but she also knew she loved Sarah very, very much. It was just a tough time but she’ll learn to understand. It would absolutely be OK, she would bet money on it Sarah wasn’t so sure. 

She already knew Shanna was as stubborn as they come - she’d lived with her long enough - so when exactly was she expected to “learn how to understand”? More importantly, why did she even have to? They had been best friends for years but Sarah had betrayed her trust and flat-out lied to her face. Multiple times. “White lies” Scott called them, shrugging them off as though they were a big pile of nothing and just something people do when they need to get out of awkward situations. Sarah wasn’t sure sleeping with her best friend’s brother counted as an “awkward situation” or something that could be casually brushed aside with a sweep of the hand but nevertheless, she appreciated his efforts. 

 These were the conversations that kept circling around her mind as she stood under the shower head. Normally, she wasn’t one for wasting water but she allowed herself to enjoy it a little more this time. The soapy lather and fragrances of lavender and sandalwood surrounded her senses and was very soothing to her brain. 

She barely noticed the fog steaming up the bathroom and focussed on the feel of the hot water cascading over her tired, worn-out body instead. If she died right here, right now, they could say she was probably the most relaxed she had been in months. 

 “Shall we pick you up from the airport? It’s no trouble.” Jocelyn fussed on the end of the line. There was a loud scraping sound somewhere in the near-background so Sarah figured she was back on the DIY again. That, or she had given the pottery classes another go. Recollections of Shanna laughing herself silly at Jocelyn “doing pot” flooded back into her memory all of a sudden and only served to leave her feeling sad in the pit of her stomach. 

“No, Mom, it’s fine. It’ll be late. I’ll just get a cab.” Sarah calmly affirmed, one hand holding the phone to her ear and the other shoving yet more clothes into her suitcase. She’d given up on folding like an adult. “The flight could be delayed so I don’t want you hanging around the airport any longer than necessary.” 

 “But you’ll have bags, Sarah. Heavy bags and that’s no good. You don’t want to give yourself an injury.” 

 “Mom, I have one suitcase. Don’t be so over-dramatic.” She eye-rolled. 

 That was the…fourth lie? Perhaps the fifth since this conversation had started? Who knew. Sarah glanced down at the suitcase on her bed currently lying next to a smaller, overnight suitcase. There was also a backpack and a laptop bag sitting ready by her bedroom door. It was just easier this way. If she had to explain her real intentions, she would never finish packing and her parents would be on the red-eye to Boston. 

 “OK, well, keep us posted when you leave and when you land and I suppose we can go from there.” Jocelyn sighed. Whatever she had been doing had now stopped and Sarah could imagine the look of concern on her face. She was momentarily consoled by the fact that her Dad would at least see things from her point of view and hopefully Jocelyn would learn to just drop it. 

 Sarah hung up the phone and went back into the bathroom to finish drying her hair currently wrapped up in a towel. Shanna had shown her a trick with a towel and an old cotton t-shirt some years earlier after she had eventually agreed to stop cutting her hair. “It’s so beautiful and curly but, like, it’s a nice curl? A gentle curl. Honestly, girls would pay so much money every day to have waves like yours.” enthused Shanna at the time. It was a sweet thing to say. Jocelyn had said much the same thing as she was growing up but Sarah always preferred shorter cuts because she couldn’t be bothered to spend time styling it every day. And it would always take time. Too much time. 

 Her longer hair felt so lifeless and dull by comparison, she thought, except when Audrey would blow-dry it during one of their all-too-rare girls’ afternoons and rub this coconut concoction into her roots so it smelled delicious for days afterwards. Or when Chris would gently comb his fingers through it when he thought she was asleep. She didn’t mind it so much then. 

 She finished the last brush-through and switched off the dryer, wrapping the cord around the handle ready for it to be packed. A dab of foundation under her eyes and she looked reasonably well-rested now; well enough so as not to draw attention to any stresses or worries. Jocelyn always had a knack for sussing them out and it was frustrating and unwelcome at the best of times. That she was usually right was beside the point. 

 She mentally ticked off a list of items she made a point of packing; some comfy sweatpants, a couple of books, her particular brand of coffee because her folks now apparently hated the stuff. She located her passport and boarding pass for the tenth time, making sure they were safely zipped in the side pocket of her backpack. She was pretty much done. If it wasn’t for the looming feeling of regret, she would call a cab to take her to the station right that minute. 

 Looking down at her phone, she decided to call Shanna one last time. It rang a few times before a groggy voice appeared on the end of the line. 

 “Hey….” Shanna offered, cold but not totally unhappy to hear her, Sarah thought. The last few times she had tried calling Shanna, it would ring for a lot longer. The shortness here was a small step in the right direction. 

 “Hey, how are you feeling?” Sarah asked with some trepidation, trying not to sound overly familiar and casual. She was trying to follow Shanna’s lead with regards to friendly small talk. 

 “Better. Mom’s been making soup every day. Sick and tired of the stuff to be honest.” Shanna had come down with a small cold and had used it as an opportunity to stay in the relative ease and comfort of her mother’s house. Sarah would much rather have seen her in person before she left but speaking on the phone without one of them, or both of them, ending up in tears was also good. 

 “Well, at least you’re in the best place. Your Mom always makes me feel better when I’m unwell.” Sarah smiled down the line. 

 “I’m not unwell, Sarah.” she said, defensively. “It’s just a cold. I’m just tired.” 

 Sarah feared she’d overstepped the mark. “OK, well, still, it’s good that you’re there. ‘Cos…Lisa would just worry otherwise. Probably.” She was babbling now and she knew it but she couldn’t think of anything to say. Shanna had put up something of a wall between them now and while she was talking to her and not completing freezing her out, it felt different and not altogether pleasant.

 “Yeh, that’s true.” Shanna responded after a brief pause. “But you’re a nurse so you would think I would be better in my own home.” 

 “Nah, I’d just be bringing back all kinds of infectious things.” Sarah joked and was relieved to hear a laugh on the end of the line, a laugh that very quickly turned into a harsh cough. But it had definitely started out as a laugh so she’d take that as a win, too. 

 “So, have you been really busy?” Shanna asked after she managed to clear her throat. 

 “Same old. We have a new intern and she’s pretty eager to get stuck in which is great. Audrey is impressed so that should tell you how amazing she is.” Sarah offered. It had in fact been busier than most days but now wasn’t the time to relay the usual information she wouldn’t normally think twice about offering to Shanna when she had asked. 

 “That’s cool.” Shanna coughed again and cleared her throat. “Have you been working all the time or, um, have you had much of a break?” 

 “Pretty much all the time, yeh. I did those double shifts I was meant to do last month so I’ve cleared my flexi-time now which is good. I’m back on track.”

 “That’s cool.” Shanna said. 

 “Yeh and I built up some more which is good, too. It’ll come in handy at Christmas perhaps.” Sarah was trying to keep the conversation going as best as she could. 

 “Cool. Do you just come home and crash, then?” 

 “Most of the time, yeh.” 

 “You don’t go out anywhere or anything?” 

 “Um,” Sarah had a vague idea of what she was getting at. “I don’t really have time to do anything else. I wanted to get my hours back up to a healthy point. You know what O’Brien can be like.” 

 There was silence on the end of the line. Sarah could hear her shuffle about in what she assumed was her bed. Shanna coughed again, gentler this time, and sighed as she tried to think of what to come back with. She knew she was probably being a little obvious now. 

 “Well,” Shanna started. “I hope you’re getting through it all OK. Y’know, the work and stuff. I hope you’re doing alright.” 

 “Thanks. Yeh I’m…I’m alright.” Sarah replied, touched by the slight concern she could hear her speak. “I hope you feel better soon, too. It’s not fun having a cold particularly at this time of the year.” 

 “I’m sure Mom has been crushing aspirin and vitamins into my food so I’ll be Wonder Woman before you know it.” 

 Sarah laughed. “Absolutely you will. I’ll, er, let you get back to resting. Are you up to much?” 

 “No, I’m just watching Netflix.” 

 “Ah right. That’s cool. Lots of new murder shows from what Audrey tells me.” Sarah nodded. She knew Shanna wasn’t about to launch into a description of what programme she had been binging the last few days so they both vocalised their goodbyes and hung up. It was the first call that had ended on a mutual note and not Shanna making a lame excuse to cut off Sarah’s equally lame attempts at small talk. Again, Sarah took it as a positive. 

 Sarah looked down at her phone, a photo of them both in their graduation gowns on her home screen. She hadn’t changed it since she’d gotten the upgrade a year earlier and she had no intention of doing so now. It was a nice day, a nice memory. The hangover she suffered for days afterwards was more than worth it. 

 She was unsure why Shanna had felt the need to ask her what she’d been up to. She had seemed very specific, more so than about anything else they talked about lately. Naturally, Shanna knew Sarah well enough now to know she relied on work whenever she was dealing with something upsetting and difficult so surely it would have been obvious that she had had zero contact with Chris. He probably would have said as much to her in person. Or he would have talked with Scott or Lisa, and Shanna would have eventually found out by default. 

 The more she thought about it, the more anxious she felt. Knowing how she and Chris had left things, it was almost entirely likely that he hadn’t spoken to Shanna too much. Perhaps he had holed himself up in his apartment like he did following a tiring shoot, trying to sleep and rest and eat whatever carbs he could get his hands on. Maybe the opposite and he’d thrown himself into some training again. Maybe he’d gone back to Los Angeles for work, that he’d finally given in to Matt’s nudges and agreed to accept one of the many lucrative endorsement deals brands would throw his way every so often. Maybe he had been entertaining himself with the boys. Or with someone else. Someone… 

 No. This had been Sarah’s fault. There was no point trying to find justification for his absence. She had created a rift between a brother and sister where one should not have existed. He should have talked to Shanna but from Shanna’s probing and what little information she could gleam from Scott, evidently that didn’t appear to have taken place. She briefly considered googling his name to see if any news outlets had a scoop before deciding against it. She almost made it to her kitchen before giving in and bringing up a search on her phone. No. Nothing. He’d gone radio-silent as per usual. As she suspected. Normally, it was quite impressive of him to go under the radar with such precision but now it was just inconsiderate. How dare he not make his whereabouts publicly known so Sarah could come up with a half-convenient lie as to why he and Shanna hadn’t seen each other. A comforting lie that could make herself feel better about the mess. 

 It would have made her feel so much better to know they were getting along again. Selfishly, it would have made it easier for her to leave knowing that they were finding their own way of getting back on track with one another. Sarah could imagine Lisa fretting to Scott and Carly at night, wondering how she could help her two most stubborn children become pals again. Sarah would rather she had been forgotten completely in favour of them piecing their relationship back together, for everyone’s sake. If there was one thing Sarah hated more than drama, it was knowing she was the root cause of the drama. Separating herself from the family now would be preferable than being made increasingly aware of the glaring hole setting up home in their house. A meteoric hole that she had been responsible for. A hole inside a family unit that had gotten through a lot in their forty-plus years together. A wonderful, loving, generous family that had taken Sarah in without question and had accepted her as one of their own just because Shanna had once said she was “pretty cool”. 

 No, Shanna did not deserve to be frozen out by her brother. Chris didn’t deserve to feel like he couldn’t speak to his baby sister. 

 * 

 Another day passed and Sarah didn’t feel much better. She did, however, feel momentarily relieved by Audrey’s personal admission that she had googled Chris a couple of times as well. Another sip of steaming hot coffee and she further admitted to having set him up on her Google Alerts “just in case”. 

 “For safety. I’m just looking out for you.” Audrey declared before smirking at her across the table. “I didn’t want you waking up one morning to photos of him draped over some starlet or whoever. And don’t think for one second that I will not come for anyone who dares to speak ill of you online. You are beautiful and kind and funny and sweet and absolutely good enough for him. I swear to God and he can quote me on this. Think of me as your own personal hype-woman.” 

 “Wow. Thank you. That’s a lot to take in but it’s very kind.” Sarah laughed nervously. “I think.” 

 “All I ask in return is dibs on designer dresses for the wedding.” Audrey winked at her as she left the staffroom. She didn’t catch neither the eye roll nor the middle finger Sarah proffered in return. 

 A few moments of quiet passed and Sarah pulled up Scott’s number on her phone. 

Sarah 10.45am: Is Shanna feeling any better? 

Scott 10.52am: So so. She’s terrible at being an ill person. I don’t know how you manage it xx 

 Sarah texted a laughing emoji back in response followed by a couple of red hearts. She’d give anything to “manage” an ill Shanna right now. 

 Scott 11.04am: But how are you??? We miss you Xx 

 Sarah could feel the tears forming at the back of her eyes. It had been a couple of days since she had last cried but as her departure flight loomed ever closer she was feeling it more and more. 

 Scott 11.08am: Seriously……… 

 Scott 11.09am: Please come see us soon. Mom is super worried about you and threatening to bring you her tiramisu 

 Scott 11.11am: don’t worry, I stopped her xx 

 She bit the inside of her lip a little too hard. 

 Scott 11.13am: but you owe me one. I had to eat half that thing xx 

 Chris loved tiramisu, she remembered. Maybe he was responsible for eating the other half. 

 It was no good. She was going to have to call him soon. Against the promise she’d made to herself about not thinking about him, it only served to keep her worrying about him more and more. 

 Sarah 11.20am: I know, I’m sorry. Tell her I’ll call her soon, I pormise xx 

 Sarah 11.21am: *promise 

 Scott 11.24am: not sure that’ll do much honeybun. You know what she’s like. Love you xx 

 She texted him a kiss emoji and felt relieved that he didn’t respond again. She pulled up Chris’ number and contemplated sending him a message. How would she even start? A simple “hey” was not going to cut it at this point, nor was a “how are you?”. Time was running out and as Ryan peered his head round the door to check on her, she shoved her phone back in her locker and left to finish off her day. 

 Sarah 15.58pm: Are you still alive? 

 She stayed staring at her phone for what felt like an eternity. Just before she resigned in disgust at her pitiful attempt at casual humour, she saw the tell-tale three dots appear at the bottom of her screen. They flickered for some time before stopping then starting again. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was composing some irate response at her pathetic joke or if he was deleting a message in favour of ignoring her altogether. She wasn’t sure which option she would prefer had she had the choice. 

 No response came through. She pulled a cup from the cupboard and set about making a small pot of coffee for herself. She still had a little time yet before she was due to leave for the airport and she had made plans to clean the place up a little before Shanna returned home, presumably a day or so later when she figured Sarah was safely out of the picture. 

 She picked up some daffodils and daisies on the way home from the hospital and separated the bunches between the living room, the kitchen and the hallway. She had visited two different grocery stores to find Shanna’s favourite flavour of ice cream and the fridge was stocked with some healthy veggies and yoghurt so she could make her breakfast smoothies in the morning. She also set about steam-mopping the hard floors so the clean, floral smell could spread through the entire apartment. It was a nice welcome home, she thought. She would appreciate it if someone had done the same for her. 

 Her phone started vibrating in the back pocket of her jeans as she folded the bedding that was fresh out of the dryer. She wasn’t altogether able to name the feeling she experienced at seeing Chris’ name flash on her screen alongside a photo of him smiling like the goof he was. A beautiful, sweet picture taken from Shanna’s birthday party three years previous. There was a time recently when she’d let it ring a little longer than was necessary just to allow herself the chance to stare at it for a few seconds more. But now was not one of those times. 

 “I genuinely didn’t think you were gonna answer me.” He said, his voice displaying the disbelief he was feeling. 

 “You would have kept ringing me otherwise.” It wasn’t an accusation as such, and he knew it. 

 “Yeh, probably. But I would have tried not to.” He said, matter-of-factly. “I’m not great with sussing women out but I figured you didn’t want to talk to me that much.” 

 She felt sad to hear him say it out loud even though it was true to an extent. He seemed submissive in some way. “Really?” She asked, more beseeching than she had intended. 

 He paused and she could hear him sigh. “Yeh, I would have. It would have been tough but I’ve thought about it a lot recently and I do have a little pride left, believe it or not.” She heard him straighten up and realised he’d been either lying on his couch or on his bed. “But you messaged me first. I’m kinda surprised to be honest.” 

 He wouldn’t be as surprised or impressed if she said it was just to check he hadn’t died in his sleep. She decided to keep that little tid-bit to herself. 

 “You’ve been quiet lately.” She said. “I mean, I thought...I don’t…” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I don’t actually know what I meant to be honest. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t haven’t contacted you out of the blue like this.” 

 “It’s fine. I’m glad you did.” Chris was feeling generous and decided to help her put out the fire. He knew she was panicking a little and no matter what else he was thinking right now, hearing her sound apprehensive wasn’t going to make him feel any better. 

 “I just wondered how you were doing, I suppose. I’ve been talking to Shan a little bit. Not a lot, not like we’re back to normal or anything but I wanted to check you were OK as well.” She tugged at the end of her sweater sleeve currently stretched between her fingers. “I haven’t really asked you that.” 

 He thought for a second. How was he feeling? He wasn’t sure he could give her an answer. He didn’t really know and he couldn’t make it sound half-positive even if he did. He had thrown himself into his work a lot more, much to the joy of Matt and some producers who had been trying to get his attention. When he wasn’t working out, he was reading scripts and when he wasn’t reading scripts, he was watching his diet. He had been very quiet on social media to an extent that someone in his PR team had taken to posting a couple of things on his behalf. Just two or three charity posts and something NASA-related to let his fans know he hadn’t completely disappeared. The team had notified him earlier that day that a cute dog video they had posted just 24 hours previous had gone viral and he had received more marriage proposals than usual as a result. 

 By now, he had learned how to fend off his mother and his brother. To be fair, it wasn’t all that hard to do with Scott. Scott had been understanding enough recently and he had the benefit of knowing when to shut up and let Chris go at his own pace. Pushing him was only going to have the opposite effect. More than once, he found himself wondering if Scott had spoken to Sarah. When he tried to hint around the situation to see if that had in fact been true, Scott had shut him down just as quickly. He didn’t mind that all too much. He appreciated Scott’s discretion and no doubt Sarah needed him just as much as he did. 

 “I’m alright, Bernette.” He said. “You know, fine.” 

 “Fine?” 

 “Yeh. Just fine. Nothing more.” He said. He didn’t much care about sugar-coating things but maybe that was out of a little tiredness and boredom. They were way past protecting each other from the other person’s feelings at this point. 

 “Anyway,” he shook his head. “What about you? How’s things with O’Brien?” 

 “Oh y’know. Yeh, fine, I guess.” She replied. “How did you know there was any issue with O’Brien?” 

 “You gotta love that Audrey.” He chuckled. 

 O’Brien had come under fire last week for yelling at a couple of interns and one of them, unbeknown to anyone else, happened to be the niece of a local congressman. Rumours were circling but Sarah and in fact most of her team had no time to pay attention to anything going on above their heads. That’s the thing with medical emergencies, you see: they never stop just because somebody’s job is on the line. 

 “Right.” She said. “What else has she said?” 

 “Nothing much.” He said. “She said you were worried about me.” There was a smugness that she decided to gloss over. Why was Sarah so surprised they had been talking about her behind her back? Why was she surprised that they had each other’s phone numbers? 

 “And you didn’t think to get in touch?” 

 “I thought you didn’t want to talk to me.” 

 Sarah chewed her bottom lip. If he could only see her now. He’d get a kick out of it for sure. 

 “Alright. Fair enough.” She sighed. “You’re OK. Good to know. I’ll let you get on with whatever you’re up to.” 

 “Is that it? That’s all you wanted to say to me?” 

 “Apparently Audrey has been filling you in.” 

 “Oh fucking-” He stopped himself. “You cannot be mad about this, surely. Listen, all she said was that you weren’t sure if I was OK because you thought I hadn’t been in touch with the guys. That’s all. She was doing the very thing you should have done yourself.” 

 She paused and swallowed. “Right.” 

 “Come on, Sarah. She thought she was helping. She’s just being a good friend.” He pinched the skin on his forehead between his thumb and forefinger. “And it was like yesterday or whenever. It’s not like we’ve been in touch constantly and talking about you all the time. She hasn’t said anything about how much you’re in love with me or how you can’t sleep for thinking about me.” 

 “What?!” 

 “It was a joke.” He deadpanned. 

 “Oh.” She said. 

 His heart sank – it wasn’t that much of a joke, he had hoped. He slid his hand down his face in frustration, pinching his nose slightly before leaning back on his sofa and staring up at the ceiling. He held his phone tightly to his ear and waited for her to speak. 

 “It’s OK.” She finally spoke. “I get it. I shouldn’t have been so distant these past few days. I’m sorry, Chris.” 

 He certainly wasn’t expecting that apology but he could roll with it. “This isn’t all on you, Sarah. I could have been in touch more, too. With everybody, I guess. I had a couple of meetings I had to prepare for so I think I just took that as an excuse not to be more present.” 

 “Anything fun?” She asked, taking the opportunity to change the subject. 

 “Kind of. Nothing massive. It’s an ensemble piece that a director wanted to talk to me about. It actually sounds pretty cool.” He scratched the side of his beard in contemplation. “It’s your cup of tea for sure. You like those murder-mystery-type films, right?” 

 “Oh yeh! Like Agatha Christie and Poirot? Love them.” 

 “I thought so. It’s a great script and I get some funny lines for a change. It’s something a little different and Matt keeps telling me that I need to think outside of the Marvel box, so…we’ll see how it goes.” He could feel himself growing a little more enthusiastic at the prospect of doing the movie. He should probably call Matt and tell him the same thing. He sounded like he was having a rough day so a contrite and grateful actor would cheer him up no end. 

“Anyway, that’s about it. I’m kinda bored to be honest. Have you eaten yet today?” 

 She had all but emptied the fridge last night to remove anything that might go off in the next couple of days. Now it was filled with some of Shanna’s favourite things and there wasn’t anything in it that really appealed to her at this moment in time. She hadn’t thought much about food all day to tell the truth. She figured she’d grab a bagel while waiting for her flight. 

 “Um, no.” She said. “But I’m not that hungry either.” 

 “You don’t want waffles? With white chocolate? Raspberries?” 

 She did want that now he mentioned it. “No, I’m good.” 

 “That’s a lie.” 

 “It is not a lie.” Even she knew she wasn’t being convincing. 

 “Everybody wants waffles.” He implored. “It’s God’s way of saying he wants you to be happy. Come on, it’s my treat.” 

 “I just think…we probably shouldn’t see each other for a while.” She looked down the hall at the packed bags currently leaning against her bedroom door. 

 “It’s waffles, Sarah. I think I can control myself.” 

 “Um…” 

 “That’s good enough for me. See you in twenty.” 

 He hung up before she could respond. With no opportunity to persuade him otherwise, she stayed put in her kitchen, waiting for waffles. 

 * 

 “Hi.” 

 “Hi,” She smiled at him openly and saw his shoulders relax. Without prompting, he walked in past her and placed the take-out boxes on the counter. They were the size of pizza boxes and she felt her tummy rumble in anticipation. 

 “So, I’ve been thinking.” He started as he turned to face her again. 

 “In the few minutes since we last talked?” She spoke in jest. 

 “Hush, Bernette.” He eye-rolled. “I’ll have you know, I’ve been thinking very seriously these past few days and I know it’s tough right now but just hear me out, OK? Because I think I know a way to make things a little easier. Maybe if you get some time off from work, get some time away from everything, from Boston perhaps, it could actually make things a little better for the both of us. For everyone. I’ve been trying to think about things in a different way and not in my usual blinkered view or whatever the fuck Scott says I have, and I honestly think I’m seeing things a little clearer now, and…” 

 He glanced away from her face for only a split second but it was enough for him to visibly shrink a little in his stance before her eyes. Sarah followed his eyeline to the bags currently resting down the hall. The angle of the suitcase was hiding the other bags behind it but if he shifted a mere foot forward, he could possibly get the full picture. 

 Turning back to look at her, he furrowed his brow in confusion. “What’s going on?” 

 Sarah visibly swallowed and he knew the answer before she even opened her mouth. He became all too aware of her hands and arms hanging limply at her sides. 

 “I’m going to see my parents for a few days.” 

 “A few days? That’s a lot for a few days, Sarah. You normally travel light.” 

 “I just packed for a little longer ‘cos I wasn’t sure what I was going to-” 

 Chris didn’t give her time to bend the truth. He turned and walked back into the kitchen. She watched him move to the window before looking down at his feet and shaking his head in frustration. He rubbed a hand solidly over his beard. “You’re leaving.” 

 “Well, yeh, I’m going to see my parents and the two usually go hand in hand.” 

 “Oh, fuck off, Sarah.” He spat. “Don’t get smart with me. You’re doing a runner. This looks like a fucking cop-out.” 

 “No, you’re wrong. It’s not a cop-out and I don’t appreciate that tone either. If I was doing a runner, do you think I would do it in broad daylight and tell everyone what I was doing? I literally just told you where I was going.” She retorted. 

 She grabbed the last bottle of water from the fridge. She wasn’t particularly thirsty at that moment in time but she knew that he would eventually want it and she didn’t much feel like being accommodating right now especially not to a man who was calling her out in her own home. That he was entirely accurate in his assumptions was, well, irrelevant. 

 “How long are you really going for?” He asked as he watched her disappear from view and back down the hall to her bedroom. 

 “I just told you. A few days, maybe a week or so, and then I’ll figure it out from there.” 

 “Figure what out?” 

 “Just…” She turned back to face him, waving her hand vaguely in front of her in the vain hope he would suddenly understand everything she was trying to say. Either he did and didn’t want to give her an easy “out” or, most likely, he had zero clue because neither did she. Giving up, her shoulders slumped from their squared-off position just seconds ago when she was trying to give the impression of strength. “It’s just a lot, all of this, and I need some time out.” 

 He took another couple of small steps towards her before stopping by her bags. Looking down, he could see her intentions as clear as day now but as he looked back into her eyes, he could see her exhaustion ever clearer. They should be on the same side. He shouldn’t be picking on her this way. 

 “You just said I could do with a break, right?” She shrugged. “So, this is what I’m doing. You should be pleased. You could even say I’m taking your advice if you wanted to.” 

 “Yeh, but I actually meant taking a break together.” He conceded. “I came here to say I thought we could go to L.A. for a little while. I need to check on a couple of work things and I thought you could come with me. Nothing funny, I promise. Some proper sunshine might be cool, right?” 

 Sarah was struck by the kind gesture and the glint of hope now showing in his eyes. Despite what they had both said, he clearly hadn’t lost the small possibility that maybe they could try and forge something out of the ruins and, under different circumstances, she might have been tempted. 

 “Thanks for thinking of me.” She offered, merely giving him a small smile. It didn’t seem like there was much else to say. The bags were packed and now that he could take in his surroundings, it felt a little emptier somehow and like it had all been wiped clean. Except he didn’t feel so clean. He could feel her on him, on his skin and in his head, and he doubted he could remove her as easily as she was clearly hoping she could remove him. 

 “Do you think you’ll let us know when you come back?” he asked. 

 She looked passed him and down the hall, focussing on nothing in particular. “Yes, of course I’ll let you guys know. I’m not going forever.” 

She tried her best to convince him but she knew it wasn’t going to do much. 

 “I know that,” he sighed. “but it’ll be weird not seeing you every day. It’ll be sad. I’ll be sad about it.” 

 He let out a deep breath and shuffled his feet awkwardly as he tried to think of something to say that might drag things out a little more, that might cause her to rethink her plans. It was one of the more frustrating things about her, that she could keep a secret so well. He briefly wondered if he could think of some more frustrating things about her that might help him cope with the current situation but no. Who was he kidding? 

 “I like this apartment.” He finally offered. “Some good memories.” 

 “You know that Shanna will still be here, right?” She chuckled. 

 “But you won’t be.” He said. “And between you and me? You’re kind of my favourite.” 

 “I won’t tell Scott you just said that.” 

 “He knows already. I wouldn’t worry about it.” He said. “Hey, do you think I could come and visit you?” 

 “Um-” 

 “-Just think about it. You don’t need to answer right now. It’s been ages since I’ve been to Maine and I hear they have amazing seafood.” 

 Sarah laughed again and regarded him like the small puppy he so obviously was. A small puppy that she realised she had been kicking ever-so-slowly over the past few weeks and it made her feel like shit. As much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew she was running away and she knew she was a coward. 

 “I am sorry, Chris. For everything. I can’t really explain it in a way that means anything right now but I just wanted to say it clearly one more time to you in case I hadn’t really said it before.” 

 Chris held his hand up to stop her from saying anything more. He didn’t need an apology from her. Hearing her apologise only made him feel worse. Of the multiple times she had been caught under his gaze, nothing was quite like the way he was looking at her now. 

 “Sarah,” he started. “I need you to know that whatever it is you want from me, I’ll never say no.” 

 “Chris, I-” 

 “-Honestly, that’s….that’s the only thing I really wanted to say.” He held his hand up again to stop her if she was thinking of interrupting him again. “I’m gonna go and I hope you have a safe trip, OK? Enjoy your waffle. Maybe send me a text or something, let me know you made it there in one piece. If you want to. Maybe we’ll see each other again sooner rather than later.” 

 She saw his eyes glance behind her and into her bedroom. He turned and glanced once more into the bathroom like he was taking a mental picture of the place which seemed crazy to her until she remembered that he wasn’t strictly talking to Shanna and it was unlikely he’d be back here anytime soon. God, she hoped they’d fix things. She needed to at least believe her leaving would make things a little better for them. Otherwise, what would be the point? 

 * 

 They didn’t say goodbye in the typical sense or any kind of sense, really. She was almost relieved to watch him walk away quietly without looking back and equally as relieved to have made it to the airport without much more fuss. 

 Like it was said, she was a coward. 

 Audrey had called her to wish her a safe journey and then spent fifteen minutes complaining about O’Brien and a patient who had taken to calling her “princess”. Sarah was glad of the distraction as she made her way through the airport towards the waiting lounge. It was pretty busy for the time of evening but she was glad to feel invisible once again as she moved through the heavy criss-crossing crowds of people, each with their own issues to deal with. Something about strength in numbers perhaps. A couple more hours and she’d be home again. A couple more hours and Jocelyn could stop texting her messages that made little sense. 

 Oh God. 

 Living with her mother again was going to try her patience. Maybe this was the price she had to bear? It wasn’t too late to change her mind, Audrey had said before pleading in a half-joking, half-serious manner that surely, she wasn’t going to leave her to handle the hospital by herself? It was almost like she was expecting never to see Sarah again. A few weeks. That was all it was going to be. Then she’d figure out what to do from there, with a break and some fresh Maine-air to clear the cobwebs. Chris was right about the seafood and the closer she got to her departure time, the more she started looking forward to it. She was sure she was making the right decision. 

 Chris 19.46pm: Don’t forget about us xx 

 She was sure she was making the right decision. 

 It was 100% the right decision. 

 Right?

*

[bluebirdsbluebells]

You Get What You Get - part two

Summary: One mistake. One little mistake. That was all it took for everything to suddenly flip. You knew that you should’ve stayed in that night, and you were right from the beginning. You should’ve never let the blonde from the beach walk you home, and you were paying the price for it.

Pairing: JJ Maybank x reader (slight Topper x reader but it’s not romanticized like at all)

Warnings: swearing… lil angst ig

Words: 4.1k

A/N: I just wanted to say that for the sake of the story, there is only one high school in town. Looks and Pogues go to the same one regardless of status, mostly because I need the story to flow easier. Ik this part is a little slower, but I just needed to get this done because the next chapter is all fluff Thank you guys so much for the support on the first part too! I really appreciate any kind of feedback or comments that you guys might have!:) Also, I finished chapter three as well, so that will be out a lot faster!!

Series masterlist

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You were terrified to go back to school. You had no idea what was going to happen. Topper wouldn’t answer any of your texts or calls, and you got so desperate that you even tried Rafe and Kelce. Neither one of them answered, and you knew that it was Topper’s doing. Rafe always answered your texts, despite how little you wrote to him. But not that time. That time it was like you hadn’t even reached out.

You were panicking. You couldn’t even finish the rest of the schoolwork; that’s how upset you were. It was such a stupid fucking mistake! You knew that you shouldn’t have let JJ walk you back. It was just the alcohol and your need to get home quickly. You just weren’t thinking straight. Topper should’ve understood that; he was the one that had forced you to go. You just wished he would’ve pick up your calls. If you could’ve just explained to him that you hadn’t meant any ill intentions…

“Stupid,” you mumbled to yourself as you stood in front of the mirror. “Stupid, stupid, stupid. You’re so stupid!”

“Y/N?” You heard your father call, and your eyes widened slightly. “Is that you?”

“Who else could it be?” You jokingly laughed back, but you didn’t feel any humour in you.

You opened the door, and your father stood on the other side, staring down at you. “Who were you talking to?” Your father laughed, dramatically peering into the bathroom. You chuckled along with him, then opened the door up a little further.

“Just myself.” You grabbed your brush from the counter and slowly ran it through your hair, swallowing tightly. You didn’t want your father to think anything was wrong. To him you were always a happy kid, and in entire honesty, you were. You rarely complained about anything, and for the most part you were content with your life. It would’ve been hard to speak to your father about anything too serious.

“Your mother and I heard you come in late last night,” your father started, stepping into the bathroom. “Did Topper walk you home?” You met his gaze in the mirror. “Yes,” you lied, setting the brush down on the counter and picking up an almost empty bottle of lotion. You shook it twice, then squeezed a sizable amount into your palm, running it smoothly over your skin.

“Good,” your father breathed, and he stuffed his hands into his pockets, still watching you in the mirror. “Did you have much to drink?” “A little,” you answered. “Not a ton though.”

“Good,” your father replied, nodding slowly. He was a quiet man, but you could always tell when he had something on his mind. You knew that right then, he absolutely had something on his mind, but you didn’t want to hang around to find out. You already had enough on your plate. 

“Sorry Dad,” you said, pushing past him as you headed back down to your room. “I’ve really gotta get going.”

You left him standing in the bathroom, feeling slightly guilty, but you really just couldn’t take it. School, Topper, JJ, fucking Rafe… it was all too much all too suddenly.

You grabbed your bag from you bed and then looked yourself over in the mirror before heading back down the hallway, then darting down the steps. You weren’t sure if your mother was out or still sleeping, so you didn’t worry about saying goodbye. Instead, you just grabbed your keys and headed out the door, not even bothering about breakfast. You were too nervous for it anyways.

What was Topper going to do? What had he already done? Had he turned everyone against you? Told the whole school that you were hanging around with JJ? Told all of the Obx that you were a cheater? You had no idea. Topper possessed a kind of power that you didn’t even want to begin to think about, so who knows what kind of shit he had pulled.

You rolled up in front of the Outer Banks high school, feeling nothing but nerves and guilt. You had majorly fucked up. You had to find Topper, but first you had to find Emerson and Scarlett. You had been texting and calling them over the whole rest of the weekend; crying and whining and panicking. They both let you go off about Topper, and you were insanely grateful. There was a light tap at your passenger’s side window, and you glanced over, half expecting to see an angry Topper, but it was Emerson, her bright smile raising your spirits slightly.

“Open the door you goon!” She called through the glass, and you unlocked it. She climbed inside, slamming the door behind her.

“Hey,” you breathed, tapping your fingers nervously on your thighs.

“Hey,” she replied, tilting her head at you. “You okay?”

“I don’t know,” you replied quietly, watching the teens in front of you. Some walked into the school while the others just stood outside and mingled; laughing, throwing things at each other and exchanging words.

“It’ll be okay Y/N,” Emerson assured you. “Topper is just dramatic.”

You sighed. “I know that, but this time it was really bad Em. He won’t answer anything.”

“Maybe it’s better this way,” she said, shrugging at you. “He doesn’t want the relationship to end. He just needs some space to cool down.”

“How do you know that?” You asked sharply, instantly regretting your tone. “Sorry,” you mumbled, shaking your head. “I’m just stressed about it.”

“I get that,” Emerson started, “but you know what girl? Just forget about it for now. If he’s not talking then he’s not talking. Just try not to let it dampen your mood, m’kay? I know it’s tough but… just try and focus on everything else.”

You blinked at her. Emerson was always a good friend to you. She was probably the most level-headed person you knew. She was easy to talk to and even better at giving advice. Apparently she was “in tune” with the universe or something.

“Okay.” You let out a heavy breath. “Okay.” You nodded at her, then you nodded to yourself. “I can do that.”

“You can totally do that,” Emerson urged, and you nodded to yourself once more. But you didn’t feel much better.

“I just- what if everyone knows? Do you think that they think I’m a chea-“

“Y/N,” Emerson cut you off. “No one thinks that. As far as I know, Topper hasn’t even told anyone. Just take a deep breath, and let’s get to class. The first bell has already gone.”

You looked over at her slowly, a pained expression on your face. She gave you back a confident nod, then she reached over the squeeze your arm.

You had to get out of the car. You just needed to do it. With another urge from Emerson, and a quick look at your watch, your forced yourself out of the vehicle. 

Realistically you knew you hadn’t done anything bad, but you still felt like a cheater. A liar. A bad girlfriend. Deep down inside you truly felt like Topper deserved it, but you would never admit that to anyone. Emerson probably thought it, but she wouldn’t have admitted it either. It probably messed with her connection to the earth or something spiritual like that.

“Where’s Scarlett?” You asked nervously, grabbing your bag and slinging it over your shoulder.

“I think Sarah picked her up.”

“Oh- okay,” you whispered, slowly walking towards the main doors.

Sarah had been your first friend when you moved to Obx, and you thought she was a nice girl, but your desire to stay away from Rafe was a lot stronger than your desire to be closer with Sarah, so unfortunately you two weren’t the best of friends. You never had anything against her though.

You stepped into the main hall, your eyes darting around for Topper, or worse; JJ. You knew the chances of him actually showing up were slim, and you had zero classes together apart from active living and media technology— both that he rarely went to. You just didn’t want anything to get any worse.

“Oh fuck there’s Kelce,” you muttered, and you instinctively stepped behind Emerson, who shook her head at you.

“You’re gonna draw attention to yourself,” she said, and then she interlaced her fingers with yours. “Let’s just get to bio, okay?”

You nodded and followed her into the classroom. You were relieved when no one tried to kill you as you took your seat. Nobody made a scene. It was fine. It was normal. Maybe Topper hadn’t said anything after all.

-

You looked for Topper the whole day, but it wasn’t until fifth block that he finally made his appearance. You were walking with Emerson and another guy — Roy — when Topper swung by, his hand wrapping your wrist. You instantly tensed at his touch, but to your surprise he presented you with a smile.

“Mind if I steal her for a second?” Topper asked Emerson, who looked at you first for approval. You nodded at her slightly.

“No problem,” Emerson replied sweetly, and Topper gave her a short nod before pulling you away. He led you down the hallway, then stopped right before the outside doors.

“Listen,” he said, his smile faltering slightly. Your stomach twisted as he spoke. “I was really fucking upset at you Y/N. I’m still angry.”

You felt a lump form in the back of your throat. “As you should be,” you answered.

“But I want to put this behind us, okay?” His eyes met yours, and you nodded enthusiastically at him.

“Absolutely,” you said firmly. “I do too.”

“Good,” Topper said, and he let his hand fall from your wrist. You hadn’t even noticed that he was still holding on to you.

“I’m just so sorry Topper,” you said, shaking your head at yourself. “It was completely a stupid mistake. I didn’t mean anything bad.”

“You’re right,” Topper replied shortly. “It was a stupid mistake. But you’re going to make sure it doesn’t happen again, right?”

You nodded. “Of course.”

“And I don’t want you talking to JJ again,” he added. “That dirty fucking Pogue. If I see him with you again-“

“You won’t,” you replied shortly. “You won’t. I promise.”

“Good,” Topper answered, watching you. You had no idea if he believed you or not, but the important part was that he was willing to move forward. “Where are you headed now?”

“English,” you answered, your hands going up to fiddle with your backpack straps.

“Alright,” Topper said, and then he grabbed the back of your neck, placing a kiss to your forehead. “I’ll drop by your place later tonight, okay?”

“Sounds good,” you breathed a sigh of relief. You would most definitely be at home studying. Your bio teacher had given you yet another assignment, and a bell quiz for the next day.

You were just pleased that Topper hadn’t blown up at you. It was most likely because of the setting, but the point was that he had approached you to make things better.

And the rest of the day went smoothly. You focussed as hard as you could in your classes, and you felt more and more relaxed as the day went on; it was like nothing had ever happened between you and Topper. It was smooth sailing from there.

Until it wasn’t.

You were seated in your car, and you were just about to text Emerson and ask if she was catching a ride home with Roy when there was a tap on the passenger’s window. Assuming it was Emerson, you unlocked the door and dropped your phone into the cup holding beside you.

“I was just going to text- oh my god.”

“Hey,” JJ said quickly as he hopped into the car, closing the door swiftly behind him.

Your eyes widened. “What are you doing?”

“Me? Oh I’m… well currently I’m sitting in your car. It’s a nice one. Very-”

“I mean what are you doing here?” You asked, flustered. Your eyes darted back to the school, then to the cars beside you. If Topper saw…

“Oh,” JJ laughed. Was he out of his damn mind? What the hell was he thinking? “Well I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He winked at you. He fucking winked at you. Was he crazy?

“You wanted to make sure I was okay.”

“I wanted to make sure you were okay!”

“You’re crazy,” you chuckled sarcastically, shaking your head at him. “This is crazy.”

“I know. But the thrill makes it a lot more exciting, huh sweetheart?” He turned his upper body so that he was facing you better, and then he placed his elbow on to middle console; chin sitting in his palm. You couldn’t help but stare at him, and not because he was good looking — which you had always known — but because he was beat; cut up; split lip, bruised cheekbone, scabbed skin above his eyebrow. You couldn’t but feel a guilt surge through you, and your shoulders sagged.

“JJ…” you trailed off, cringing as you brought your hand up. Your fingers hovered by his cheek, but you didn’t let them touch him. It was too risky. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He waved you off. “Nothing I haven’t experienced before.”

“I feel bad,” you mumbled, and you dropped your gaze to your lap. You quickly glanced ahead of you, then did a double take. Rafe and Topper were not fifteen feet away, poking fun at each other and laughing. 

Without thinking you reached over and shoved JJ down. He yelped out, trying to resist you, but you hissed at him to stay put.

“Jesus Christ!” He cursed, and you glared at him.

“Shut up,” you whisper-shouted. “Topper is right there!”

JJ raised his brows at you, but stayed in place. He may have been pretty fucking stupid, but at least he listened to you then.

Topper and Rafe were still laughing with each other; they hadn’t spotted you yet. You usually parked in a different spot every day, so it wasn’t like they knew that you were there, but it was still risky. They were less than ten feet away, and if they were to look up they would most definitely see you.

“What are they doing?” JJ asked quietly, and you batted his peering head back down.

“Shh!” You hissed back. You then placed your hands on the steering wheel, and in less than three seconds your knuckles had gone white. You knew that leaving was the best option, but you had JJ Maybank in your car. He was a problem to Topper, he was a problem to Rafe, and he had just become a problem to you too. You couldn’t really kick him out though, because the chances of Topper seeing him were high. Your best option was to just drive away; pretend like you hadn’t seen Topper and that you were just on your way home. You could drop JJ off somewhere that no one would see him, right? Right. It would be fine.

“Okay,” you breathed, glancing down at JJ. “I’m going to drive away.”

“It’s about fucking time,” JJ muttered, and you gave him a look before you started the car, keeping your eyes on Topper and Rafe. They still hadn’t noticed you, and it seemed like a miracle. The only thing separating your car and them was the sidewalk, and that wasn’t much space at all.

“Just keep down,” you said, and then you checked over your shoulder before reversing quickly. You saw as Topper looked over Rafe’s shoulder, and his face lit up with recognition.

“Y/N!” You saw him call, but you pretended not to. Instead you shifted your eyes to the road and cranked up your music. It was some 80’s song that you recognized from your dad’s playlists.

“Are we clear?”

“Just stay down,” you mumbled, your fingers tapping anxiously against the wheel. You just had to make it far enough from the school. Just a couple blocks. You could find some random street to drop him off at. It would be totally fine! Totally.

“Jesus Christ Y/N,” JJ mumbled, and you glanced down at him, feeling your stomach twist at his words. He said your name with a slight growl, and it caught you off guard. “Can I get up now?”

You glanced around the road that you were on and then nodded at him, deciding that it was safe enough.

“Just don’t make a scene,” you whispered as he pulled himself up onto the seat. JJ looked over at you, and then all of a sudden he burst out into laughter, causing your eyes to dart at him with panic.

“What?” You asked hurriedly. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re kinda uptight, aren’t you?” He joked, and your lips drew into a firm line as you looked back at the road.

“I am not,” you snapped back. “I’m just cautious, that’s all.”

“What’s there to be cautious about?” JJ laughed, and then he slowly reached into his pocket, pulling out a thin blunt. Your eyes widened at the sight.

“What are you doing?” You gasped, one hand pulling away from the wheel to try and smack the joint out of his hands. He responded by snickering at you; placing the blunt between his lips and lighting it up.

“You can’t do that in here!” You whisper-shouted, your eyes darting between him and the road. “It’ll stink the car up!”

“Relax,” JJ whispered, taking a long drag. He then rolled the window down just enough to blow the smoke out. “See? It’s okay.”

“You can’t smoke in my car JJ,” you said firmly, your knuckles white against the black leather of the wheel. “Put it out.”

“I don’t think so,” he said, and then he turned to you. “I think you should take a hit.”

You looked at him like he was insane. “Wh- no way. I’m just focussed on getting you home before Topper beats the shit out of both of us. Now, where do you live?”

Out of the corner of your eye you swore that you saw JJ tense up, but you couldn’t really be sure, because it was gone just as quickly as it had happened.

“Why don’t you take me back to your place?” He asked, running a hand lazily through his blonde hair. “I’m sure your dad would love to have me around.”

“My dad?” You narrowed your eyes at the road ahead of you. “You know my dad?”

“Oh sure,” JJ replied flatly. “I know everyone.”

“Helpful,” you answered sarcastically. “I’m serious, where do you live?”

“Uh, right here,” JJ said, pointing to a red and blue house to your right. You slammed on the breaks, nearly rocking JJ through the windshield.

“Fuck!” You cursed, giving him a short look. “Maybe a little more warning next time?”

“I would’ve given you some if it was actually my place,” JJ answered, dropping his head to the side. “But sweetheart, it isn’t.”

“You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“You sonofabitch,” you muttered, but you couldn’t help but let a small smile tug at your lips. JJ seemed to notice, and he smirked to himself, taking another drag on the blunt. “That wasn’t funny JJ,” you continued, starting the car down the street once more.

“Then why are you laughing?”

“I’m not!” You defended, but a giggle escaped your lips. He grinned smugly back at you, then put out the blunt. His fingers then began to tap along the window, and you wondered what exactly he was up to. “Did you actually go to school today?” You asked him.

“Nope,” he replied cheerily. “Absolutely did not.”

“JJ!”

“Y/N!”

“Fuck you!” You snorted, rolling your eyes lightly. “So how’d you managed to be there exactly as I was about to drive away, hm?”

“I waited,” he answered, turning back to look at you. “I knew you’d be driving some fucking fancy car.”

You gave him a look. “Just because I have a ‘fancy’ car doesn’t-“

“I never said it was bad.” JJ held up his hands. “I was just pointing it out.”

“Whatever,” you muttered. “Why’d you want to find me?”

“I already told you sweetheart. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“There’s another reason,” you urged. “I know it.”

“There is not.”

“There is. I don’t care though. All I care about is getting you home.”

JJ was silent for a bit, and you were just about to repeat your statement when he spoke up. “Why are you with Topper?” He asked, and the question caught you off guard.

You realized in that moment that you had no idea where you were driving to. Generally in the direction of your place, so you assumed it was further away from JJ’s. You thought about turning around, but you didn’t even know where to go, so you just kept driving.

“What’s that meant to mean?”

“It’s not a complicated question.” JJ shrugged, then perked a brow at you. He had incredibly blue eyes, you noticed that just then.

“You want to know what I see in him?”

“That’s right sweetheart.”

“Why does it matter? You really think I’m going to tell you?” You scoffed out a laugh, but he just continued to stare at you.

“Uh, yeah,” he said flatly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. You weren’t really sure how to reply to that. You just cleared your throat, fingers tapping against the wheel. You were nearing your neighbourhood.

“I don’t know,” you said quietly, shrugging at him, but also to yourself. “He always flattered me I guess. Like complimented me all the time and bought me little gifts and took me on nice dates. He was really sweet back then.”

“And not anymore?” JJ asked, his brow still raised at you. You glanced between him and the road, and then you sighed. You pulled your car up beside the large hedge in your front yard, shielding you from the view of the house. It wasn’t that you didn’t want your parents to see, but you just didn’t want to see them at that moment.

“I don’t know,” you replied honestly. “He was just different.”

“That wasn’t that long ago Y/N,” JJ said, and you just stared at him blankly. He had no idea what you were feeling, but realistically neither did you anymore. It was always confusing with Topper; always a mystery. 

“I know that,” you sighed, your hands slipping from the wheel and falling to your lap. “I don’t know why I said that, it was stupid. I’m sorry.”

JJ laughed. “I’m fucking nosy. Get used to it.” He then reached over and patted your shoulder lightly, which you found an odd yet comforting gesture.

“Get used to it?” You asked, frowning at him slightly. Instead of him giving you some kind of explanation though, he just popped open his door, slipping outside. His boots hit the road with a smack, and you frowned harder at him.

“Maybe it would be nice to have a real man in your life, huh sweetheart?” JJ teased, giving you a quick wink, and then just like that he was gone.

“Where are you going?” You called back out to JJ. You climbed out of your car, hesitantly hovering behind the open door. You knew it was risky to be seen with him. Kelce lived just a bit down the street.

“What does it look like?” JJ answered, spinning around on his heel to hold up his arms and give you a funny look. “You think I live ‘round here?”

“Well I-“

“At least I know where you live now,” he cut you off, shrugging.

“JJ-”

“You surf?” He cut you off again, and this time you frowned at him.

“What?”

“Do you surf? Come on Y/N, it’s not a complicated question.”

You peered at him, then slowly shook your head. “I tried once but…”

“You have a board?”

“I… I might be able to dig up my old one.” Your brows drew together. “Why?”

“Meet me outside your place after school tomorrow. A bit up the beach towards the cove, okay?” “The… the cove?” You questioned, and JJ just smirked at you.

“If you’re willing to trust me then I’ll see you later, alright sweetheart?”

Taglist: @tangledinsparkles @ponyboys-sunsets @heliopvth @dontjinx-it @jolomez @queen1054 @k-n-e