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[featherandferns]

risk (fic)

jj maybank x fem!kook!reader | partly inspired by this incredible scene

content warnings: sexual content; physical violence

word count: 18k.

blurb: after a hurricane, a Labrador shows up at JJ's house. After some posters go up around the country, JJ begrudgingly returns the dog to you on Figure Eight. Little did he know that his life was about to change forever.

This is actually insane.

JJ has no idea how everything went to shit faster than a penny falling from the top of the Empire State Building. It seems to be the crux of his life.

One minute Rafe is beating the shit out of JJ’s face, Kelce holding him tight in a headlock, with Pope being strangled to his right by Topper, and the next everyone is still like rock.

There you stand, holding up a gun, safety unlatched, with the aim set directly at the centre of Rafe’s forehead. He’s already called your bluff once. It’s a classic Mexican stand-off. Nobody knows what you’re going to do next, not even JJ. Hell, he’s not even sure if you know what you’ll do next.

And it’s crazy to think that all of this started because of a dog.

Two Months Earlier

It always sucks when JJ admits to himself that Kiara was right. She was right about most things, in fairness, but just this once – just for a change – he had hoped that she wasn’t.

The blonde-haired boy stands in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at a poster taped to a streetlamp. His teeth gnaw on his lower lip in thought as he tugs the poster free, as if gaining a closer look might change what he sees.

MISSING DOG

IF FOUND PLEASE RETURN TO 12 SILVER CANOE WAY, FIGURE EIGHT

REWARD AVAILABLE

The picture is an uncanny reflection of the dog currently sat by JJ’s feet. He’s panting in the sun, blissfully unaware of the curveball tossed at his temporary owner. As JJ looks from the black-and-white poster to the middle-aged dog, he has to begrudgingly admit to himself that Kiara was right. This dog wasn’t a stray. Instead, he was the pet of some bratty, spoilt Kook.

“Whose dog is that?” Kiara asks.

JJ follows her gaze to the labrador cosied up on the porch, soaking up the sun like it was his God-given right.

“Mine,” he says.

“Yours?”

“Yeah, he just showed up after the hurricane."

It was true. The morning after the hurricane, JJ ventured out of his house to assess the damage only to hear a rustling and whimper from under the porch. Getting down on his hands and knees, expecting to find some beaten racoon, JJ came face to face with a petrified, middle-aged labrador. No collar. His cream coat was covered in dirt and dust and a small cut near his eye told JJ he’d found his way to his house during the hurricane, likely seeking shelter. After he coaxed him out with some fresh fish, the dog seemed to take a liking to the seventeen-year-old. JJ took it as the dog distribution system shining the light on him but Kiara didn’t seem so sure.

“And you’re just gonna claim him?”

“He’s a stray,” JJ tells her.

She looks to the dog again, then back to JJ. Her face essentially says, ‘seriously, dude?’

“He is!”

“A dog that well-groomed and that well fed is not a stray, and you know it.”

JJ’s stomach twists. He’d thought the same thing once he’d given the dog a wipe down. A full stomach, trimmed fur, trained to do more than just sit…Strays don’t come like that in Kildare County. But JJ liked the company the dog brought. He’d always wanted one, ever since he was a kid, but his dad would never allow it. Waste of money and food, he’d say. But so far, JJ had managed to keep the dog’s existence on the downlow. He wasn’t very loud or yappy. In fact, he was as calm as sea turtle. JJ liked the bond that had so quickly grown between them. So, swallowing the faint feeling of guilt of keeping someone’s dog, he tells Kiara:

“Well, until someone puts a poster up, I’m sticking to my gut. He’s a stray and he belongs with me.”

It’s like the universe was calling his bluff or something.

JJ crumples the poster in his fist, litters it on the street, and gently tugs on the leash.

“Come on, boy,” he mutters.

The dog gets to its feet and follows JJ down the street, back to the Chateau. He seems rather drained from the brief walk around the cut. Curls up by the front door in a patch of shade, yawning before nestling his head between his large paws for a nap. JJ watches him from the kitchen as he sips on a cold cider. His mind is in battle between right and wrong (as it usually is) as he contemplates the poster.

Kiara nearly falls over the dog as she walks into the Chateau. Then, she shoots a deadly glare to JJ.

“You didn’t go to the vet, did you?”

“Who actually microchips their pets, anyway?”

“Most people, JJ. It’s a clever way to make sure you get your dog back if, let’s say, it runs off in a hurricane without a collar,” Kie returns.

JJ rolls his eyes and takes another swig of his drink. “I’ll take him tomorrow.”

“Actually, there’s no need,” Kiara says. She walks across the room to him and pulls something from her back pocket. As she unfolds the rectangle of paper, JJ comes face to face with the very poster that had been occupying his mind for the past half hour. She holds it out to him.

“See? This is someone’s dog.”

“That could be any dog,” JJ lies.

Kiara quirks a brow. JJ breaks easily, sighing.

“Look, can we just consider the possibility that this dog would be happier with me?” JJ argues. He ditches his cider and makes his way over to the animal. “I mean, he likes me, Kie. And he listens to me. And I like having him around.”

Lowering to his knees, he pets the dog awake from his slumber. He makes an adorable grumbling-whine as he rouses from his sleep. Looking over to Kiara, JJ must resemble an eight-year-old begging their parents for candy at the grocery store.

“I’ll take good care of him,” he promises.

Kiara sighs. Her icy exterior softens, features overcome with sympathy. She joins him and the dog on the floor, scratching at the pet’s back.

“I know you will, JJ,” she says. “But this is someone’s pet. And they clearly want him back. It’s the right thing to do.”

“Since when do I ever do the right thing?” JJ mumbles. He looks down to meet the chocolate brown eyes of his new best friend.

“Since today, hopefully.”

JJ holds the dog’s gaze. There’s such tenderness in his eyes, as the dog stares up at him. Makes JJ feel as though he is the most important thing on this earth. Dogs don’t care about money or mind: you treat them right and give them a good stick, and they’ll be happy forever. Unconditional love like that is rare to find in humans. It seems to JJ like it’s almost impossible, really. But then he thinks of the dog looking at a little girl or boy like that, and how (as spoilt as they may be) the child feels nothing but love for the dog in return. It seems cruel to take that away. He knows deep down what the right thing is. The moral thing.

“Tomorrow,” JJ quietly says. Looking up, meeting Kiara’s eyes, he nods reluctantly. “I’ll take him to the house tomorrow.”

She smiles smally, nodding to herself. Getting to her feet, she leaves JJ alone with the dog to enjoy the last few hours of time together. He ends up falling asleep on the pull-out couch with the dog, face buried in the scruff of his neck, as he unconsciously counts down the hours left until he gives him back.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

JJ stretches out the walk to the house for as long as possible. He lets the dog sniff at every scent and even tries to coax a million pee breaks out of him. He lingers by the sea, stroking the dog’s fur, and shares a hot dog as they pass a gas station. Eventually, they arrive at Figure Eight. The hurricane left the cell towers down on The Cut, so he didn’t bother with his phone. That leaves him to follow street signs until he’s making his way up Silver Canoe Way.

The houses are insane. Marvels of architecture and money. Bright green hedges trimmed into the most obscure shapes; useless statutes standing pretty in front gardens, protected by walls and security cameras. Fountains on almost every property, and a pool probably found in every back garden. Lucky sons of bitches.

House 12 is gorgeous: cream stone bricks and oak-style wood accents. There isn’t a gate, which is curious considering all the others down the road have one. JJ feels as though he’s trespassing as he makes his way up the driveway. There's not a single weed sprouting between paving slabs. There’re two cars in the driveway, each probably cost more than his life insurance pay-out. He imagines birds that dare shit on them get taxed: it’s the only way to explain their cleanliness. God, living like this and he can half understand why Kooks are as obnoxious as they are. What appear to be marble steps lead to a huge front door. The dog seems to know where he is, tugging excitedly on the leash as he guides JJ up the stairs.

JJ stands for a long moment. He looks down at the dog, takes in its wagging tail, and sighs. As he lifts his fist to rap against the door, it swings open. JJ is just as stunned as you. He doesn’t have time to apologise for startling you, because your eyes drop from JJ to the barking dog. You sink to the floor, mouth falling open, and willingly let your dog tackle you in a hug. His leash slips from JJ’s hold. You scruff the dog’s neck, press kisses all over his face, and giggle tearfully as your dog greets you after almost a week apart.

“Oh my God! Ranger! Oh my God!” you happily cry over and over again.

JJ immediately feels evil for even contemplating keeping your dog, Ranger, to himself.

The moment Ranger seems to gain some composure, you remember JJ’s existence. Looking up, you quickly wipe away your tears from under your eyes and clamber back to your feet.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I’m so rude!” you laugh, sticking out a hand. He shakes it as you introduce yourself.

“JJ,” he replies.

There’s a moment of recognition that passes over your face but it’s gone as soon as it comes, like the flash of green at sunset on the horizon.

“Thank you so much,” you say. One of your hands reaches down to ruffle at Ranger’s neck. JJ takes in how happy he is, staring up at you, grinning and panting, tongue out with exertion. “Where did you find him?”

“He kinda found me,” JJ replies, scratching the back of his neck. “Showed up under my house just after the hurricane. Guessing he got spooked or something.”

“That’s what we think happened,” you say. “I woke up to find the backdoor open. He must have jumped and bolted; he frightens easy, you see. I felt awful when I realised he was gone.”

As JJ listens to you speak, he’s partly distracted. It’s hard to follow along to what you say when you’re standing gorgeous like the first day of June.

“Well, like I said, it’s no trouble,” JJ repeats.

You smile brighter than a brand-new penny, teeth pearly white and perfect aligned. JJ doubts you ever needed braces. Probably born with a set of veneers. It’s with that bitter thought that he reminds himself what he’s dealing with here. A kook who lives in nothing short of a mansion, who can’t even keep her dog inside during a hurricane.

“The, uh, poster said something about a reward…” JJ awkwardly mentions.

Your face dawns with realisation and he momentarily feels guilty, but then you’re nodding fervently. “Of course! God, I can’t believe I forgot!”

“I mean, I would have brought him back anyway,” JJ bold face lies.

“No, don’t be silly, it’s the least I owe.” You pull your door open. “Come in, please,” you say, heading into your home.

JJ falters in the doorway. It feels as though even stepping into your home might put him short of a few hundred bucks, just from breathing the air. He follows the route you took into the house, closing the door behind him. The minute he’s out of the entryway and in the main corridor, his eyes widen like he’s witnessing a supernova.

“Holy super kook,” he mutters, gaping at the interior.

Marble everything. Expensive obnoxious artwork that must only be interpretable once you reach a certain tax bracket. Framed photos of yourself and your family on the wall at various vacation spots: France, Italy, Mexico, China. There are others, too, of dance recitals. A shelf of trophies and awards. Ornaments and figurines standing on podiums like he’s in a museum. JJ’s terrified to walk, as if one step might send everything falling off the walls.

He finds himself blindly following you into the kitchen. It’s crystal clean and white. Granite counter tops beautifully cluttered with every appliance you can imagine. You head to the fridge.

“You want a drink?”

“Uh, sure. Water’s fine, thanks,” JJ replies.

You nod and grab a glass that probably costs JJ’s entire monthly wage. Then you go to your fridge (it has a touchscreen for Christ’s sake) and dispense ice cold water. Holding it out to him, you smile, sweet like buttercream.

JJ sips and watches as you reach for a bag that lies on the kitchen counter, retrieving a wallet. Holding out two fifties, you wait for him to take them. His eyes stare at the unwrinkled notes. JJ’s momentary pause makes you frown.

“Sorry, that’s a bit tight of me, isn’t it?” you say. You dip into the bottomless wallet and retrieve another fifty. “Is that enough?”

“Uh, I couldn’t…” He clears his throat and finally snaps out of his stupor. Taking the money, he passes two fifties back, saying, “I can’t take all of this.”

You shake your head and push the money back towards him.

“I insist. You brought my dog back! I should be giving you more,” you say.

JJ holds back his laugh.

More? It’s a fucking dog! You’re about to give him $150 for a Goddamn seven-year-old labrador? God, Kooks really do just think different.

He looks up from the money and takes you in, properly this time. JJ recognises you. Not from keggers or house parties – he’s seen you at neither of those things – but from church. He used to be subjected to Sunday school in a desperate bid to ‘send him on the right life path’, and he could remember seeing you there. You’d attend the service, sat safe in your father’s shadow. Even though JJ stopped going, he’d still see people heading in the direction of the county church if he were in the area. You were a regular. Dressed in the prettiest dresses, hair perfect and proper, jewellery to the nines, always sandwiched between your mother and father. You didn’t indulge in the debauchery that most teenagers on the island did. JJ would know if he’d spotted you at one of the many hangs; you had the kind of beauty that demanded to be seen, like a rare bird on the marsh. No, girls like you didn’t partake in those things. You spent time with your parents and a small circle of Church friends, probably just as sheltered and saintly as yourself, and was in bed before sunset and awake before sunrise.  

And yet, you never rubbed JJ the wrong way like all the other Kooks did. He didn’t know you from Adam – in fact, the first time he’d ever shared a word with you was today – but something about you…You seemed different. Genuine. Rich, no doubt, but not exactly snobbish.

An idea suddenly comes to JJ. It’s stupid, and rather out of character given his prejudices, but for some reason, it’s miles more appealing than $150. A part of him wonders where his sudden charity is coming from. Maybe it’s something about your personality and his underlying infatuation he’s had with you since Sunday school. Maybe it’s your dog and how doting he appears to be of you. Hell, maybe it’s because you’re pretty. JJ’s always been a sucker for pretty girls – Kook or not – and he’s always wanted the things that he can’t have.

All these thoughts race through his head at a hundred miles an hour, and there’s only half a minute that passes before JJ speaks.

“How ‘bout this?” he says. “I take a fifty, and you let me take you out.”

You blink once, then twice. “Take me out? Like…on a date?”

“Yeah,” JJ nods. The fact that your whole face didn’t immediately shrivel up like a prune at the suggestion gives JJ hope that he might have a chance. “What’d you say?”

There’s a moment where your eyes dip down to Ranger. He’s sat at your feet, watching the two of you interact with his tongue hanging out, mouth in a seeming smile. The second your eyes lock with your dog's, you look back to JJ with new-found confidence.

“Depends,” you say, correcting your posture, chin held high. “What did you have in mind?”

JJ’s never had to pitch a date to a girl before in his life. Usually he asks and they’re there: hook, line and sinker. His brain thinks hard and fast. “I can pick you up. Go for a drive, grab a bite maybe. Get to know one another,” he says.

You quirk a brow. “Is that all?”

Of course, you have standards. Hell, the guys that court you probably dine you at The Ritz and gift you a Rolex. JJ isn’t deterred though. Instead, he’s rather amused.

With a boyish grin, he says, “princess, I promise one date with me and I’ll change your life forever.”

Your eyebrows raise. “Bold statement to make, Maybank.”  

JJ takes note of how you know his last name and thinks back to when he introduced himself; that strange flash of recognition on your face. You know who he is and yet, you’re entertaining the idea of letting him take you out. Curiouser and curiouser.

JJ doesn’t beg or barter. Instead, he just stares you down, waiting for your response as you visibly contemplate his offer. There’s a hint of a smile on your face, the type that might come when you’re trying to suss someone out. It’s barely there but JJ’s sure he can see it. He knows that look all too well.

“When would this be?”

JJ’s painfully aware of how desperate he may sound as he says, “Tomorrow night?”

“I have ballet practice tomorrow.”

“Thursday then.”

“Piano recital.”

“Jesus, woman,” he can’t help but mutter. It makes you smile.

“I’m free Friday,” you offer.

And, holy shit, no way you’re actually agreeing to this. JJ hopes the shock doesn't show on his face.

“Friday works. The, uh, cell towers are down on The Cut so how ‘bout I just pick you up? Seven thirty sound good?”

“Sure.”

You speak in a manner that tries to give the impression that this whole conversation is rather mundane to you. That you have Pogues asking you out every other hour, almost like a nine-to-five job.

“But pick me up on the street outside, not in the driveway.”

JJ doesn’t question it. He’s not going to argue to your terms when he’s somehow landed a date with the hottest, goody-two-shoes kook in Kildare.

“Alright. On the street, Friday at seven thirty. Wear something pretty, yeah?”

Your brows quirk. “Any other demands?”

“Yeah. Give me a fair chance?” JJ wonders, half-joking.

Your eyes flit from JJ’s face, down his body, right to his toes, and back again. Smiling, sweet like cotton candy, you reply, “I think I can do that.”

His body goes ice cold. JJ nods, cementing the dates and times in his memory like he’s remembering nuclear launch codes.

“Then, I guess I’ll see you soon, princess."

“I guess so,” you say, returning the leftover fifties to your wallet. JJ pockets his fifty, gives one last pet to Ranger in farewell, and shows himself to the front door. As it shuts behind him, JJ leans against it. He closes his eyes and tilts his head back. Then, he laughs. He laughs and laughs, mouth upturned in an astounded smile, and shakes his head.

“No fucking way,” he mumbles to himself.

John B is not going to believe this. None of the Pogues are.

Rubbing at his face in disbelief, JJ repeats, “no fucking way” one last time before walking down the driveway. He spares one last glance at the house. Friday. Seven-thirty.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

JJ has never been one to care all that much about his appearance. Half of his clothes have a hole in them somewhere, whether it be on the collar or in a pocket, and his hair is constantly tousled with salt-water from the sea. He isn’t unclean though. He showers and shaves and washes his clothes (though perhaps not as much as he should). He doesn’t think he’s bad looking, either. Lived experience shows that to be true, as he’s never struggled to land a date or hook-up. But there’s something about you, something about this particular meeting, that has him turfing through his chest of drawers.

He’s pretty sure he’s settled on an outfit. It’s ironic that it looks almost thrown together when JJ’s spent fifteen minutes obsessing over it. He washed his hair with shampoo and conditioner (that he stole from Kiara) and even used some hair wax to try and style it. Again, it probably looks the same as usual, but he feels better for it.

All the faffing leaves him running late. It’s closer to 7:45 than 7:30 by the time JJ pulls up your road on his bike. He’s aware of how loud the engine is in this area, rumbling as he slows to a stop. You’re stood in the sidewalk, arms crossed anxiously over your chest, glancing up and down the street. As JJ approaches, your eyes fall on him and a nervous smile sparks to life. JJ bullshits himself by labelling his hammering heart as adrenaline from riding a dirt bike on Figure Eight. You push some of your hair behind your ear as you walk up to meet him halfway. You’re practically glowing under the sunset sky, skin shiny with body butter like you’ve been bathed in glitter. He shuts off the engine and sits back in the seat.

“You’re late."

JJ cringes playfully. “My bad?”

“Mhm.”

You step over to him and linger by his bike. He quirks a brow. “You hopping on?”

As your eyes survey the vehicle, JJ starts to grin, smug. “You ever been on a bike before?”

“Course,” you say, almost too quickly. “Just…Not one like this.”

JJ offers out a hand and you hesitate for a second before taking it. Grasping your hand in his, you climb onto the back of his bike. Your summer dress rides up as you do and you nervously tug it down. Then, your arms gently loop around his waist. Laughing, JJ shakes his head. He tightens your grip on him.

“Gotta hold on tight or you’ll fly off,” JJ remarks.

“Promise not to do anything stupid?” you say, voice thick with nerves.

JJ starts up the engine. “Princess, I can’t promise anything like that,” he grins. Looking over his shoulder, meeting your terrified eyes, he softens his smile. “But I promise you’re safe.”

Your own smile battles through the queasy nervousness. JJ revs the engine and turns his head back to the road, and then he sets off. Your arms immediately latch tighter like a vice. It makes him laugh, and you mutter a meek ‘shut up’ in reply. Having you close like this; he can smell your perfume. It’s expensive, encapsulating you like you’ve been doused in it. Several bangle style bracelets lining your wrists press into his skin through his t-shirt, only slightly uncomfortable, and when he turns a corner, they shift and jangle melodically together.

Zipping down the roads of Figure Eight, JJ drags out the journey the same way he did walking Ranger back to your house. Gradually, mansions turn to shacks and quaint homes, and well-kept children’s parks into overgrown yards surrounded with chain-link fence.

He pulls down a dirt track, heading nearer to the marshland, and eventually comes to a stop. You catch your breath as he turns off the engine.

“Feeling alright?” he checks, glancing over his shoulder at you.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” you reply.

You look a little windswept. Instinctively, JJ reaches out a hand to brush some hair from your face. Embarrassed, you help, calming down your hair and fixing your appearance. Then you use JJ’s shoulders as an anchor, climbing off his bike.

“So…You brought me out to middle of nowhere…” you say, looking around.

JJ kicks on the stand and pulls the keys form the ignition. “Scared?”

“Should I be?”

JJ chuckles, shaking his head. “Come on. I got something planned.”

He takes your hand, smiling to himself as you intertwine your fingers with his, and guides the two of you through the shrubs towards the water side. The P.M.S. Pogue sits moored in the marsh. A loan, if he helps John B clean out the chicken hut next week.

“Now, I know this probably ain’t like all the fancy yachts you and your folks have,” JJ starts, walking up to the boat side. “But I promise it runs like a dream.”

As he looks back to you, JJ’s eyes shamelessly sweep along your figure. The dress you’re wearing is pastel green adorned with dainty flowers of white and ivy. It ends just past the point of tortuous on your legs. You’re pretty as a vine and sweet like a grape, decorated with expensive jewellery. Pearl earrings and a Tiffany necklace. On your wrist, though, JJ finds a series of handmade friendship bracelets amongst your bangles. They’re made with shells and beads and tiny pendants of silver. Several rings sit pretty on your fingers.

Looking back to the boat, JJ pulls the ladder free with a grunt. It creaks from want of use: himself and the Pogues usually just climb inside or jump on from the jetty. “Ladies first,” he says, offering out a hand.

You look between his hand and the ladder, and then something deterministic overcomes your face as you place your hands on lip of the boat. With a huff, you use whatever upper body strength you have to climb up. JJ stands, taken aback, and his eyes falls to your bare legs. Your toes are pointed, calve muscles tense and strong, and he can almost picture you in pointe ballet slippers. Amused, JJ lets you clamber up into the boat. Sighing, you correct your dress and jewellery before looking down at him.

“Well? You coming?”

JJ gives a small laugh before nodding. “Yes, ma’am.”

He climbs with significantly less difficulty than yourself, proudly flexing his muscles as he does, shameless in his peacocking. When he gets to his feet, he finds you staring. “Like what you see?”

Your face flushes. You try and play it off though. “Just checking if you needed a hand.”

JJ grins, playing along, and you roll your eyes and walk to the wheel of the boat. He follows, pulling the keys from his short pockets, and turns on the engine which sputters to life. You hold onto the side of the steering hold as JJ guides the two of you into the marsh.

“You wanna steer?” he asks once you’re in wider waters.

You wordlessly step up and take the wheel. It’s easy, guiding the boat along. JJ hovers behind you, testing the waters by placing a hand on your waist. You don’t shrug him off. Soon enough, JJ’s placing a hand back on the wheel and guiding you to a certain spot.

“I found this place a while ago,” he says over your shoulder as he steers. He can feel your gaze on him. It’s terrifying, having you so close to him. God, he hopes it doesn’t show. “Best stargazing spot in the whole county.”

He slows the engine to a shuddering stop and steps away to toss the anchor down. It’s silent out in the water, asides from sea birds and marsh-side insects. Fish that break to the surface for a split-second disturb the water every now and then. Crickets and distant hooting owls. It’s dark now, too. Everything painted in a dusky blue. JJ grabs the old blanket that he stole from the twinkie and lies it down on the nose of the boat.

“Here,” he calls.

You make your way over, accepting his hand as you step up. The two of you settle to lay side by side. JJ tucks his arms behind his head as a makeshift pillow. You stare at the sky, eyes falling open at the endless expanse.

“Woah.”

“Pretty sick, right?”

“Yeah,” you say, laughing quietly. “It’s awesome.”

JJ grins. Nailed it.

For a while, the two of you just stargaze. He can hear your breathing, steady and calm, and once more your perfume invades his senses. A bottle of the stuff probably cost more than his bike. That thought prompts him to break the silence. Sitting up, he looks down at you.

“Alright, I gotta ask,” he says.

You sit up on your elbows, curiosity piqued. It takes everything in JJ to keep his eyes trained on your face and not your chest.

“Why’d you agree to go out with me?”

You smile, somewhat amused. It’s like you’ve been waiting for him to ask. “Well, that’s an easy question.”

“Oh, is it now?”

“Mhm,” you grin, teeth sinking into your lower lip. Christ, you’re angelic. “Ranger.”

“Your dog?”

“Yep.”

“What? You kooks manage to translate what they bark about or something? He give you some words of wisdom?”

You laugh, shaking your head. Sitting up fully, your bracelets chime together. “He liked you.”

“Yeah?” JJ says, brows tugging together in confusion.

“Ranger doesn’t trust easy. He’s a rescue and he practically chose me. The shelter people said he hadn’t let anyone near him since arriving, but with me, he came running over, like he knew me or something. He likes men even less. He won’t let my daddy within five yards of him without barking and cowering. He wouldn’t hurt you, but he gets scared and jumpy. But he seemed to like you. Seemed to trust you.”

“So, that made you agree to go out with me?” JJ checks.

Shrugging, you simply reply, “dogs are the best judge of character, after all.”

Humming in thought, JJ looks out to the marsh as he considers what you’ve said. It’s a little hilarious that a runaway dog is the reason that he’s got you here, alone, on the P.M.S. Pogue.

“My turn,” you say, seemingly initiating a game of twenty-one questions. JJ looks back to you. “Why’d you ask me out?”

“Pretty obvious. You’re fucking gorgeous,” JJ replies.

Whilst your smile turns to mush, you roll your eyes and act as if you’re unaffected by his words. “Seriously, though. I didn’t think I was your type.”

“Smoking hot girls? Nah, you’re pretty much my type to a T,” JJ goes on, charming smile in full view.

“What about Kiara?”

JJ gives a bemused smile. “What about Kie?”

“I know she hangs out with you guys. We’re pretty different people, me and her.”

It’s obvious that you’re far from low maintenance. You're proud of being a kook. You don’t shy away from it: happy to show off your money and beauty. JJ doesn’t get the sense that you’re haughty but it seems rather clear that you live your life to a certain standard.

JJ shrugs. “Guess that’s why I’m not dating her.”

“I know your reputation, you know. About all the girls you hook-up with and stuff.”

“Oh. You jealous or something?”

“No,” you say. Voice turning softer, you continue. “But I feel like I should to tell you that I’m not the kind of girl who has a lot of hook-ups. Or the kind who puts out on the first date.” When JJ doesn’t say anything, you feel the need to add, “just, before you get your hopes up.”

Pursing his lips, JJ nods slowly. He had a feeling that was going to be the case. You weren’t exactly known in the community for being particularly flirtatious. Hell, he wasn’t sure he’d ever known any guy to date you. From the way you spoke, careful with your words, and the way you acted, you were almost made of solid gold: pure through and through. So, having you take sex off the table for the foreseeable future didn’t exactly blind-side JJ. That to say, if you had offered it up, he would have jumped at the opportunity. God, he’s half sure he’d die if he ever saw you naked.

He could be a gentleman, though. He could. Something about you had JJ entranced outside of just the physical. So, if a hook-up wasn’t in the cards, maybe getting to know you might be all the better.

He’ll just have to learn to keep his eyes and his dick to himself.

Sighing, JJ lowers himself to lay down again. This time, he only tucks one arm behind his head. The other, he outstretches into your expanse of the blanket.

“Alright, princess. I think I can live with that,” he says.

Seemingly content with his reply, you lay back down, resting your head in the nook of his arm.

“It’s your turn,” you quietly say after a moment’s quiet.

“To do what?”

“Ask a question.”

JJ filters through the many in his mind, tucking the inappropriate ones away for a later date, and finally settles. “Alright. Was Ranger the only reason you agreed to go on a date with me?”

You let out a small tuneful hum of contemplation. “No. I wanted to see what you were like.”

“Oh?”

“I mean, I’ve seen you around the island and heard the stories. I suppose I wanted to know for myself,” you say. “Plus, I always do what I’m supposed to do. I guess I wanted to do the opposite, for a change.”

“Rebelling against your dear old daddy with the derelict from the Cut?” JJ jokingly asks.

“Hmm. Something like that,” you say, playing along. You turn your head to the side and meet JJ's eyes. “You’re just a pawn in my game, Maybank.”

JJ’s too sucker-punched from that to come up with something witty in reply. There’s a foreign thump in his chest and a selcouth feeling in the back of his throat as you look at him. JJ swallows it away, returning his attention to the star-lit sky.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

JJ revels in the miracle that he landed a second date with you as he fixes his hair in John B’s bathroom mirror. His best friend sits on the closed toilet lid, watching him.

“I can’t believe you’re seeing her again,” John B says for the millionth time.

JJ grins at his reflection. “I know.”

“I mean, what do you guys even talk about?” JB continues, face contorted in confusion.

JJ shrugs. “I don’t know. We just spent the other night talking about all sorts, really.”

“And you’re sure she isn’t being paid to go out with you?”

“Maybe the first time, but not this time, no,” JJ replies. He stops messing with his hair. Licks over his teeth, checking for trapped food, and dusts of his t-shirt. Looking to his friend, JJ asks, “how do I look?”

John B barely takes his appearance in before saying, “like she’s out of your league.”

“Come on, man,” JJ groans, shoving his best friend’s shoulder. He leaves the bathroom, John B hot on his tail. “You’re just jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah. That I’m macking on a kook and you ain’t,” JJ tells him. Opening the fridge, he tosses a beer to John B before taking one for himself. “I know you’ve had a thing for Sarah Cameron since we were kids.”

“No,” John B quickly says, shaking his head. “No, no, I do not have ‘a thing’ for Sarah Cameron.”

“JB, you’re a terrible liar,” JJ sighs. He takes a sip of his drink. Liquid confidence. Eyes glancing up to the clock hung on the chateau’s kitchen wall, he reckons he has about five minutes before he should leave for your house.

“So, seriously: what is this? Why this new flavour of the month?” John B grills.

JJ shrugs. “I dunno man. She’s just…She’s cute. And hot. And rich, and easy to talk to, and kinda funny, and, oh did I mention, rich as fuck. I don’t see any downsides, really.”

“Mhm, well, I do,” John B gladly counters. “She’s a kook.”

“Yeah, but she’s not like a kook kook. Kinda like how Kiara’s a kook,” JJ argues.

John B looks bewildered. “She is nothing like Kiara.”

“Alright, not in personality or looks or actual money, but in general kook-ness.”

“All I’m saying is that if you think this thing has a long shelf-life, you’re way more crazy than I thought you were,” John B says.

JJ doesn’t reply. Downing the rest of his can, he tosses it at the trash can (dismally misses) and heads for the front door. As he goes, he taps John B on the shoulder in a brotherly fashion.

“Nice to know you’re rooting for me, man,” he jovially says in farewell.

Then, he’s heading down the porch steps, climbing onto his bike, and setting sights for your house for the fourth time in his life.

Your house stands like a castle in the streets. JJ practically sees the driveway as a crocodile infested moat. He waits on the street at the foot of the driveway for you, arriving in time to see you make your way down the drive. You’re dressed in Levi shorts and a Tommy Hilfiger shirt, designer sandals on your decorated feet with anklets and toe rings. JJ sits back on his seat, engine running, and finds himself grinning as you smile at him. When did that start to happen?

“Not late this time, huh?” you playfully say.

“Learnt my lesson.”

You don’t hesitate as you climb on the back of his bike. You wrap your arms around his stomach, fingers splaying out across his chest over his t-shirt. JJ revs the engine.

“Ready?”

“Hell yeah.”

Grinning, JJ sets off down the street.

Once again, you’d left the plans in JJ’s hands. It was a little surreal to him, how trusting you were of him. Might be a place of concern, even. But, hey, JJ will take the win.

It’s still light when you get to the cliffside. From here, the view is incredible. An orange-pink sky that looks like it might taste of tangerine and peach hangs above a rolling sea. The view stretches on for miles, with the mainland off along the horizon.

JJ admires you as you stand in breeze, looking out at the view. You turn to face him.

“Why does every place I let you take me get more and more concerning every time?”

“We’re going cliff jumping,” is JJ’s reply.  

Your eyebrows nearly shoot off your head. “That’s called suicide, JJ.”

“Nah, not here,” he says, shaking his head. He grabs your hand and tries to coax you nearer to the edge so you can see the drop. “Water’s plenty deep and cliff’s plenty high. It’s fun.”

You catch on that he’s not joking. Laughing nervously, you shake your head and take several large steps back to safety. “No, no, no.”

“Come on! It’s fun!” JJ swears.

Your smile begins to fade and your head shakes faster. “No way. I don’t do…That. And I’ll ruin my hair. And what about my jewellery?”

“You can take off your jewellery,” JJ argues, walking towards you, “and your hair’ll look good either way.”

“Easy for you to say,” you snort, eyeing him up as your arms cross over your chest. “You’re a guy.”

“First of all: rude.”

JJ tugs his shirt over his head, tossing it to the ground. Your eyes instinctively glance down at his chest. JJ doesn’t bother hiding his smirk.

“Second of all: live a little, princess.”

You scoff. “I live plenty, thank you.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes. Really. Have you ever been to Paris? Seen the Eiffel tower? Been in the catacombs? Or gone to Italy and tasted wine fresh from a vineyard?”

JJ raises a brow, sarcastic as he says, “yeah, every Tuesday. Now come on.”

He grabs for your wrist, tugging you towards him. You don’t push him away as he lifts his fingers to the clasp of your necklace, only momentarily struggling to get it loose. He gently places it on top of his t-shirt, and soon your many rings follow. You lean down and take off your toe rings and anklets, and then your earrings. The handmade bracelets stay, though. Standing upright, you take a shaky breath.

“Look, you don’t have to,” JJ quietly says. He can see the fear clear as day on your face. But you shake your head, newly determined by his offer of an out. Clearly you don’t like having your bluff called.

JJ’s eyes nearly fall out of his head as you pull your shirt off. He doesn’t even have time to recover before your wriggling out of your shorts, stepping out of them and carelessly tossing them onto the pile of clothes and accessories like you got them from a bargain bin at a thrift store. Stepping out of your sandals, standing proud in matching Calvin Klein underwear, you grab his hand and interlock your fingers, guiding the two of you to the cliffside. As you pull him into motion, JJ comes out of his filthy thoughts, mouth dry.

You come to a sudden stop a safe three feet away from the edge. JJ’s done this too many times to count but the adrenaline that floods the system before the first jump shocks him every time like a cold plunge. You gnaw on your lower lip in trepidation. JJ squeezes your fingers, mutters your name, and captures your attention.

“You trust me?”

Your beautiful eyes dance across his face. JJ almost sees you go calm, like a baby soothed by its favourite nursery rhyme. It seems that his question, as simple as it is, made something click in your mind.

“Yeah,” you breathe, as if realising it in the moment. “I do.”

With that, JJ gives one last squeeze to your hand and a fleeting smile, and then he starts running towards the cliffside. You run too, only a step behind, and the two of you hurl yourselves off the edge at the same time. Your scream echoes in the wind as air rushes past JJ’s ears. He whoops on his way down. The two of you pummel down towards the water, your hand never leaving his until you reach the surface. His eyes press shut and he prepares for impact as he crashes into the depths. The water is cold but not icy – it cools his skin comfortably. Everything goes quiet in the water, mellowed out and muted. JJ pushes to the surface and takes a breath of air, shoving wet hair off his face. As he looks around, treading water in the currents, he feels the adrenaline rise once more when he can’t find you.

JJ starts calling out your name, looking left and right and left again. Just as he’s about to dive under, you break. He gasps out in relief.

The minute your eyes open, they land on him. Then, the biggest smile he’s ever seen comes over your face. It etches itself on his brain with permanent marker. JJ could be senile and decrepit and still remember that look on your face.

“That was amazing!” you scream, throwing your hands up, spraying water everywhere. “Oh my God! We have to do that again!”

JJ laughs, soaking in your joy.

It’s weird seeing you, wet and without all your dressings. It’s like seeing a priceless painting outside of its frame: it makes it somehow even more beautiful. The setting sun warms your wet skin as you throw your head back, eyes shut, grinning like a mad man. JJ wants to seal this moment in resin and place it on his mantle as a keepsake.

You make JJ climb up that cliff and jump into the ocean about five times over, until the sun has almost fully set and you can’t risk the dark. As it slowly inches down and down towards the horizon, you and JJ sit side by side on the grass. Your hand is so close to his, fingers reaching out like growing ivy, teasing at making contact. The moment the jumping was done, you’d returned all your jewellery to your body. It sparkles with the damp. As his eyes drift down from your profile to your figure, he picks up on those handmade bracelets again.

“What’s with the friendship bracelets?” JJ asks.

You look down at them then up at JJ. “I make them.”

“Why?”

Laughing, you shrug. “I don’t know. Why does anyone do anything?”

“Do you sell them?”

“No,” you say, messing with one. “I just enjoy doing it. I make them for my friends.”

“That’s sweet,” JJ hums, looking back out to the view.

“What about your shark tooth necklace? Someone make that for you?” you ask.

JJ glances down at it. “My ma. She used to collect shark teeth that washed up on the beach.”

“Well, she’s pretty talented,” you smile. “Maybe she can make one for me, one day.”

JJ swallows thickly, jaw ticking tight. “She, uh, ain't around anymore.”

“Oh…I'm sorry.”

“It’s alright. You didn’t know.”

The awkward quiet that comes passes like a summer breeze. Sighing contentedly, the two of you watch as the world gets darker and darker, and the sun gets lower and lower.

“So, how are you finding it?”

“Finding what?” you ask.

JJ gestures to himself, to everything around him.  “This. Pogue-life. Rebelling against your dad. Not doing as you’re told.”

You laugh, shaking your head. JJ watches as you pull your knees up to your chest, sitting dainty as a robin balanced on a branch. Tucking some hair behind your ears, you look out to the horizon as if caught in a daydream. A solemn look threatens to cross your face as you say, “it’s making me realise just how much I’ve been missing out on.”

And that…JJ wasn’t expecting that. He was expecting one of your usual playful jabs, soaked in sarcasm. Not that. It makes you more human and less Kook. More real. More attainable, even, for JJ. It’s like with every minute he spends in your orbit, he gets closer and closer to you. But everyone knows the story of Icarus, and what happens when you fly too close to the sun.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*

By the fourth date, JJ’s practically foaming at the mouth, feral from restraint.

He still hadn’t kissed you. Hadn’t had the opportunity. You’d kept teasing him with it, temporarily placing it on the table before taking it away. He knew he had to go about this carefully. One wrong move and he could screw up all his hard work and send you off running.

What surprised JJ more than most was the fact that feeling your body under him was one of the lowest ranking motivators to spend time with you. Don’t get it twisted – it was still a pretty bloody strong motivator – but JJ wanted to know you and be known by you. You were interesting and captivating, and caring and kind. You were funny and had this sweet sense of humour that glimmered through from time to time, like a kaleidoscope hanging from a window-frame. With every minute in your company, his prejudice of Kooks was dismantled piece by piece. One run in with Rafe or Topper and it would probably be rekindled ten-fold, but for now, JJ learnt to see past it. You were a little out of touch but you didn’t act like you were better than him. Then again, he hadn’t taken you to his house or the Chateau yet. He kept the dates on common ground, where he never felt out of his depths or wallowing within them.

You hit like a crisp, ice-cold beer on the hottest day of summer. More intoxicating than any blunt he’s ever smoked, or any line he’s ever snorted. Light like a feather in how you move, soft like rain and driven like fresh laid snow. You had hijacked nearly all of JJ’s thoughts, in one way or another, and it fucking terrified him.

“So, I went for white and pastel blue. I think they’re cute. What do you think?”

You hold your fingers out for JJ to inspect your nails. JJ couldn’t care less about nails – half the time, his are dirtied with mud and oil – but you care an awful lot, so he can pretend. To be honest, he had only been half-listening to your story. His eyes had been fixated on your lips, daydreaming about how they’d feed against his own, how soft they might be as he nips at them with his teeth, how wet they might be if he were to slip his dick between them…

“JJ?”

He blinks out of his gutter-brain and takes in your nails.

“They’re pretty. I like the, uh, sheen on them,” he says.

You practically become alight with the comment. It feels like another brownie point that he can tally. Bringing them to your gaze, you nod fervently. “Right? I’ve never gotten metallic powder on them but I think I like it.”

With that, you sigh and lay back on your towel. The two of you are at the beach and have been since two in the afternoon. It’s now nearly seven in the evening. JJ thinks you’re at your prettiest in the golden hour. It’s like God himself is shining a spotlight on you, highlighting every perfection of your features. The way your designer jewellery twinkles in the rays, the sun-kissed sheen of your cheeks, the ethereal-like glow of your eyes…It’s taking everything not to look at your body, proudly displayed in a bikini. It’s blue. It seems you like blue an awful lot.

JJ distracts himself from your figure and his tightening swim shorts by petting Ranger. He’d tagged along for the day and is currently napping in the sun. You’d brought plenty of water and dog snacks to keep him going. JJ had supplied the seltzers and bag of chips for the two of you. He’d noted how you’d been making one can last for about two hours. He wondered if you’d been tipsy before, or drunk even.

When he looks back to you, eyes sweeping up your sand-scattered stomach, he finds you threading the seashells you’d been collecting throughout the day on string. You’d brought a little kit with you in your bag and had spent the last three hours making jewellery on and off whilst talking to JJ. You lay in a sea of designer accessories – Ray Ban sunglasses, Dior lip-gloss, Clinique sunscreen – as you craft.

“That’s coming together nice,” he comments.

You glance up to meet his eyes, smiling. “It’s for you.”

“Me?”

“Mhm. Need to check if it fits, actually,” you mumble, shifting onto your knees.

JJ willingly holds out a wrist for you as you coil it around. It looks hilariously dainty on his built form. Seashells and blue and white and silver beads. Then he notices the small letters you’d interwoven into the design. JJ. His heart makes that awful, jarring tug again. JJ can’t decide he likes this effect you have on him.

“Perfect,” you say.

You tie it off and fasten it around his wrist. He shakes his arm out a little to check its fit. You’re right: it’s perfect.

The moment your eyes glance up from his arm, meeting his, JJ forgets all his manners. He takes your face in one hand and presses his lips to yours. You let out a gasp as he does, hands coming up to press at his shoulders, pushing him off.

“What are you doing?” you gasp, fingers flying up to your lips.  

His heart is loud in his ears, hammering like he’s thirteen and having his first kiss all over again. In the deafening beat of it, he dumbly replies, “kissing you?”

“Well, you can’t just kiss me,” you say, almost offended. “You have to ask first.”

“Alright…Can I kiss you?”

Your eyes are like raging storms as you stare at him. Anyone would have thought from your expression that he just asked to take you roughly in the streets. Trying to calm yourself with a drawn-out breath, you cock your head.

“Why should you?”

JJ frowns. “What?”

“Why should I let you kiss me?”

Now usually, JJ would be pissed. Annoyed and impatient, and would get up and leave and never look back. But for you, he can’t find it in him. No, it’s all offset by that same damn curiosity that got him here in the first place. You’re like an enigma. A blackhole. He wants desperately to know more, to understand, but is terrified of being sucked in completely. Terrified of what it might all mean.

So, JJ deliberates your question. “Cause you like me?”

“I do?” you ask, quirking your brows.

You must. You wouldn’t have stuck around for this long if you didn’t. Wouldn’t have handmade a bracelet. So, he nods, feeling his confidence grow like the swell of a wave.

“Yeah, you do. I think you like what I bring out of you.”

“Making a lot of assumptions here, Maybank,” you practically warn. But the anger is gone. Gives him hope that he’s on the right track. JJ tries and fails to bite back his smile.

“Maybe,” he says. “But it’s only cause I feel the same way.”

When you don’t speak, he takes it as a cue to continue. As he goes on, his heart shudders with the anxiety that vulnerability brings.

“I like the way I am around you. I like how you make me feel. I like talking to you, and I like hearing you talk. You just have this way of speaking that’s…It just makes everything feel like it’s good. Everything’ll be good.”

Something in what he’s said seems to take you aback. You blink a few times, lips parting as you sit, looking at him all the while. He hopes that if your thoughts are still set on the idea that he’s in this for nothing more than a lay, he’s just proved that wrong. He supposes with his reputation on the island amongst the youngsters, he can’t be all that surprised if that was what you had thought. But surely, after spending so many hours in your company, doing nothing asides from talking and innocently touching, you had seen past that. Didn’t you say that you wanted to get to know him, to see him for yourself?

“Do you mean that?” you quietly ask. It’s almost sad, the tone of your voice and the look on your face, like nobody’s ever said something like that to you before. JJ swallows the sick feeling that it brings.

He nods. “Yeah. I do.”

Slowly, a smile blossoms on your face like the first budding flower of spring. With a small, slight nod, you tell him, barely louder than a whisper, “you can kiss me now.”

JJ does so gladly. But he’s careful with it this time, makes it count. He sweeps one hand from your shoulder, up against your collarbones, until it cups your jaw gently. Tilting your head just-so, he leans forward and pauses just a breadth before your lips. And then, he kisses you. It’s soft and sweet and different to the usual blind-haze rush that JJ finds himself in when making out. The pacing to it makes it almost sensual. The feeling the kiss brings is alien to JJ; he can’t quite place a name to it.

One of your hands finds home on his jaw, exploring his skin, fingers looping into the hair on the back of his neck. When he coaxes your mouth open with his tongue, you sigh gently against his lips.

As the two of you kiss on the beach, that new-found sensation in JJ’s chest intensifies, and then it dawns upon him - this new feeling that your kiss brings. Different from lust and libido.

His eyes fly open. Stomach plummets through the sand.

JJ Maybank is falling in love with you.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

As the summer stretched on, JJ realised he’d spent most of June in your company, growing closer and closer. It felt natural now to have your hand intertwined with his. JJ can hardly remember a time when wasn’t talking to you, or talking about you, or thinking of you, or organising his days around meeting you. He knew what it meant, what all of it meant, and this impending feeling of something grew with every word passed and every kiss shared. It almost felt like he was watching a sand-timer. Seeing each grain slip by, counting down until the inevitable end, just like most things in his life did.

He'd introduced you to the Pogues upon everyone’s insistence, including your own. John B was still in disbelief that JJ had managed to keep you around for as long as he had. Pope, on the other hand, was practically suspicious of it. It was as if he needed the cold, hard evidence for proof that JJ wasn’t spinning yarns. Kiara had of course jumped at the opportunity to gloat about the ‘good karma’ she’d bestowed upon JJ, by encouraging him to return Ranger to you. When she’d met you, she’d be apprehensive. Distrusting of your Kook status, having known you more than the others from attending Kook Academy with you. But JJ was sure she’d warm up, bit by bit. It helped that you wanted to try new things. You wanted to try the whole Pogue lifestyle. You let JJ take you surfing and begged to try his bike out. You let John B teach you to fish and wrestled Pope on nights spent around the campfire. You’d share seltzers with Kiara and sang along whenever she played the uke. And, oh, of course you could sing. You’d had lessons, you see, as you had with practically every other extra circular on earth. Piano, violin, ballet, tap…Shit, it was like you were collecting Pokémon or something.  

In fact, it scared JJ how easy it was to pick up on the little details about you. It was like collecting stones on the beach: before you know it, your pockets are weighing you down, filled with tiny little pebbles. You were a fruity girl: cocktails and sangria and wine and seltzers – never beer. You weren’t a heavy drinker. Didn’t partake in shots apart from Cherry Bombs. You preferred sweet over salty; always took creamer and syrup in your coffee, in that order; rom coms from the nineties and noughties were your kryptonite, and you loathed fast and furious; skirts before shorts; Tiffany before Pandora; lip gloss over lip stick. God, the tingly sensation from plumping lip gloss was all too familiar to JJ now, from having it smear off your mouth to his.

After the kiss on the beach, mouths and hands had only continued to wander. It’s like JJ’s admission that this was more than just trying to score you for sex was the passcode to open you up. You weren’t prudish. In fact, when JJ met you, he was half certain that maybe you were a virgin. But no…now he found that very hard to believe.

Saying all that, it still felt bizarre to be seen out in public with you. It wasn’t a secret, had never been really, but JJ remained surprised at how willing you were to take his hand in public. To be seen with him by everyone in the County. It was like you wanted to show him off, parade him around like he was something special, like one of your many Prada purses. It almost made JJ want to question if you had ulterior motives.

“You wanna just split a portion of fries?” JJ asks, looking at The Wreck’s menu. You were there for lunch.

You hum in thought. “Maybe. I want mac and cheese though.”

“We can get that, too. I mean, you’re paying, right?”

You prod him under the table with your foot. He gives a playful laugh, grinning childishly. He’d started calling you his sugar mommy since you had to pay for gas when his card got declined. It softened the sting of embarrassment that came with being broke, especially when compared to you. I mean, even now, he sits in a thrifted t-shirt, the decal on the chest nearly faded with how much it had been worn and washed, whilst you’re in your new threads. Dior threads, for that matter.

“Hiya. You guys ready to order?” the waitress asks.

JJ glances up from the menu and shit. Shit shit shit. The minute his eyes meet hers, recognition dawns upon her. It’s weird seeing this girl – Lily, he thinks her name is – from this angle. Last time they’d seen each other, she’d been laying underneath him…

You’re thankfully blissfully unaware, eyes trained on the menu.

“JJ. Long time no see.”

With that, your head darts up. Great.

“Hey…Lily. How are you?”

At least luck is partly on his side: he got her name right. She places a hand on his waist. “Fine, thanks. Been a while since I’ve seen you around.”

“I’ve been busy,��� JJ says.

“I bet. Remember a time when you were busy with other things…”

Her tone speaks volumes, as do her eyes as she surveys his body, smiling flirtatiously.

Suddenly, your hand is extending across the table, towards Lily. JJ looks to you to find a sickly, sweet smile on your face.

“I don’t think we’ve met before,” you say, voice honied. She shakes your hand as you introduce yourself. “You know JJ?”

“We have a…history, of sorts,” Lily replies.

“Oh. Well, any friend of JJ’s is a friend of mine.”

Looking to JJ, there’s an emotion in your eyes that he’s never seen before. It’s terrifying and sexy as hell. Raising a hand, your fingers leisurely splay across the expanse of JJ’s shoulder, manicured nails digging-in only so. Not enough to cause damage but enough to make a point. Enough to mark your territory.

“Babe? Can you order for me?”

“Uh, course,” JJ says, clearing his throat.

Looking down at the menu, eyes not even fixating on any of the words, JJ reals of an order. Lily scribbles it down, takes the menus, and leaves without another word. The minute she’s out of sight, you drop the act, hand unlatching from his body. JJ raises his brows, holding back his laugh as he turns to you.

"What a bitch," you mutter. You wash away your words with a sip of your water.

“Didn’t take you as the jealous type.”

“Yeah, well, some girls need to learn when to shut their traps,” you lowly return. Sighing, you close your eyes and shake your head. “Sorry. That wasn’t very girls-girl of me.”

“Mm. If only your daddy could hear you now,” JJ adds, sighing disapprovingly.

You shoot him an unimpressed glare. JJ brings his glass to his lips, having a sip of his water.

“You sleep with her?”

JJ chokes and coughs. “Jesus. Straight shooter."

“Better not be talking about yourself there, Maybank.”

JJ laughs, putting his cup down. Looking to you, he shrugs. “Yeah. Like…three months ago, alright? It was before we met.”

“Mhm. You sleep with anyone since we met?” you wonder.

JJ can’t place your tone but something tells him that this question will make or break him. Thankfully, there isn’t even a need to lie. “No.”

“You swear?”

“Scout’s honour,” he says, lifting three fingers whilst simultaneously marking his heart with a cross.  “Shit, I don’t want you to claw my eyes out. Or any other girls, for that matter.”

You shove his shoulder gently, smile creeping back to your lips. “Shut up. Like I’d ever. The Bible frowns upon it.”

“What about ‘an eye for an eye’?”

“Ooh. Somebody went to Sunday School,” you tease.

“Yeah, just so I could gawk at you,” he smoothly returns, winking for good measure. With that, JJ knows he’s back in your good books.

When Lily brings the food over, she doesn’t try to strike up any conversation. Dare JJ say, she looks terrified to be within a foot of the table. JJ knew you had an edge but this is different. This possessiveness, this proprietorial energy that came over you…Fuck, he knows what’s the newest addition to his wank-bank.

The two of you eat, talking about what you should do tomorrow (because, of course, he’ll spend tomorrow with you) and then JJ desperately tries to give constructive feedback to your latest Pinterest board of hairstyle inspiration. He gets up to pay. It’ll probably cost half his wage but it’s worth it. I mean, this meal is pretty dismal compared to the feasts you’re used to, but you never complain. Saying that, it doesn’t go unnoticed that when it’s on your dime, you’re far more willing to get a lemonade and a dessert. When it’s JJ paying, you say you’re happy with tap water and splitting a side. It’s mildly mortifying.

Lily is stood at the counter. “Ready to pay?”

“Tell me the damage,” is JJ’s reply.

“Twenty dollars thirty,” she says, punching buttons on the register.

JJ’s stomach twists. Fuck, he hopes his card doesn’t decline. She holds out the machine for him and he swipes his card.

“How long has that been going on then?” Lily asks.

JJ follows her gaze to you. You’re sat at the table, reapplying Dior lip gloss with an Armani compact mirror. He’s half convinced that if anything bought from Target touched your skin you might implode.

“Bout a month,” he says.

“Hm. Never took her as one to venture out of Figure Eight.”

“Never took you as one to judge random people,” JJ counters, anger ticking with her unneeded commentary.

“I’m just saying. She’s a Kook, JJ.”

“Did it go through?” he asks, cutting the conversation short.

Lily sighs, looking down at the card machine. Nodding, she goes to get his receipt. But before she hands it over, she feels the need to add, “just…maybe ask yourself what she’s getting out of this? Girls like that…They’re sneaky. Just, watch your back.”

JJ takes the receipt hastily and walks off before he can’t bite his tongue any longer. As much as it pisses him off to hear someone who doesn’t even know you talk like that, there was a sincerity to Lily’s voice that speaks to JJ’s insecurities. Massages them. It certainly doesn’t help that the minute JJ arrives back at the table, you ask, “did you have enough?”

JJ hates how the rest of the day, that one interaction – that one moment – at the Wreck keeps him disconnected from you. Anytime you ask what’s wrong, it’s the same excuse: ‘I’m just tired, s’all.’ But whenever there’s a second for thought, Lily’s voice echoes around his head.

Ask yourself what she’s getting out of this.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

“How in the hell do you not get lost in this place?” JJ asks you as you wander through your house.

“I don’t know,” you shrug. “I grew up here.”

It’s laughable, the difference of JJ’s house to yours. He’s never taken you to his home; kept your dates and hangouts to the Chateau or the Twinkie, or anywhere but his house. He’s half-certain that you might just dip if you saw the state that he lives in. Plus, he can’t risk his dad showing up and meeting you. He’d hate you – the same way he hated most people – and again, you’d be gone in a second. In fact, as more time passes, JJ realises more and more that he’s got an eye on the door, waiting for you to walk through it without a second glance.

“You want some tea?” you ask. JJ shrugs his yes. He’s never tried it before but no time like the present, right?

You guide the two of you to the kitchen. As you pass by room after room, JJ nervously glances around. “So, uh…Your dad or mom home, or?”

“Relax, Maybank,” you grin. “They’re on a cruise. They don’t get back until Tuesday.”

“Oh, cool, cool. I mean, I ain't have been bothered if they were home.”

You bark out a laugh. Opening a kitchen cupboard, you talk as you retrieve two mugs. “Oh really? So you haven’t been avoiding my house like the plague because of my parents?”

JJ rolls his eyes. Busted. You go to heat up the water, grabbing two fruit tea bags and depositing them in each mug. JJ looks around the kitchen, searching for a certain dog. As if you can hear his thoughts, you say, “Ranger’s in the sunroom. If you call him, he’ll probably come.”

So, JJ does just that. Sure enough, Ranger trudges through the house and into the kitchen, tail wagging. He looks as if he’s just woken up from a nap. JJ grins, watching as his energy returns the moment he sets eyes on yourself and JJ, and the blonde-haired boy falls to his knees, arms outstretched. God, he missed this old fart of a dog.

“Why don’t you bring him along to the Chateau more?”

“Where would he ride? We always take your bike,” you laugh.

“Probably for the best, anyway. John B would definitely try and steal him,” JJ mumbles.

“Oh, and you wouldn’t?”

Insecurity picks at JJ like a scab. “What does that mean?”

You quirk a brow, unaware of the almost offence caused. “JJ, you would pick that dog over me in a heartbeat, if it came down to it.”

Of course. Of course you were talking about the dog, and not making some dig about his family reputation, or his sticky fingers. Shit, it’s like ever since that day at the Wreck, his insecurities had tripled in size and volume. Every time you looked at him, JJ wasn’t sure if you were passing judgement and he hated himself for it: for becoming so suspicious of you, when you’d done nothing to warrant it. But he couldn’t help it. It was like a reflex.

Once the tea is made and Ranger’s retired back in another sunny patch to sleep, the two of you head upstairs to your bedroom. JJ began to recount the story of the Grady White discovery and the Motel Room after the last hurricane’s end. He’s half certain that you don’t fully believe him.

“So, what did you find in the motel room?” you ask, pushing open your bedroom door.

“It was fucking crazy! Like a shit ton of money and this weird map. Oh, yeah, and…” JJ ditches his backpack by the foot of your bed and unzips it. Proud as a Superbowl jock, he presents the gun he stole. “This.”

Your mouth drops open. You place the two mugs of tea on your desk (on coasters, because of course) and reach out for it. JJ frowns and holds it out of your reach.

“Let me hold it.”

This reaction, out of all the reactions, was the one he expected the least. “No way.”

“Come on!”

“Nu-uh. You’ll shoot my dick off."

Rolling your eyes, you quip, “wouldn’t that be a gift for mankind? Come on!”

Sighing, he relents. Double checks the safety is on before passing the gun to you. You hold it like it’s a priceless artefact or a Louboutin heel (both as equal in value to yourself).

“It’s heavier than I thought,” you mumble, inspecting it.

Is it bad that JJ thinks you look unbelievably hot holding a gun right now? Probably. He can address that later in life when he eventually winds up in therapy.

“Yeah, these things are the shit,” JJ boasts, taking it back. He pretends to aim with it, gun pointed directly at one of your bears. At your scolding he puts it away again. “Anyway, now we got this dumb ass compass. JB thinks it’s got a clue in it, but I’m not so sure.”

JJ accepts the tea that you offer him as the two of you take perch on your bed, you at the foot and him at the head. You sit cross legged, nodding along to his tale, interested. JJ’s not entirely sure why he’s telling you this, especially when he was so adamant that the Pogues keep it on the down low, but something in him tells him that it’s okay for you to know. Useful, even, though he has no idea how. When he wraps up the story, he takes in your room. It’s just as he pictured it to be. Immaculately clean, psychopath level organised, decorated with brand after brand, China-white and pastel blue detailing every turn of the head. Looking back to you, he sniggers.

“You look like a witch right now.”

You take in the way you’re sitting and laugh, making a point to cradle your mug of tea between two hands. God, you’re adorable. The years of ballet have paid off: your back is straight as an arrow. The two of you sit in comfortable silence as you sip your tea. Outside, you can hear the sounds of nature pass by. There’s something understated and special about spending time with someone without feeling the need to fill the gaps. Just…existing. As JJ finishes his tea, you nod to his empty mug.

“Want me to read your tea leaves?” you ask.

JJ eyes you up, entertained. “No way you know how to do that.”

“Course I do. Here.”

You put your mug down on the windowsill and hold out a hand out for his. He passes you the empty mug and leans back against the cushioned headboard. Hell, if he had a bed like this, he’d never leave. You hum in deep contemplative thought as you look into the mug. Eyebrows knitting together, lips pursing, you study the scraps of tea leaves intently. JJ tries to stifle his laughs. It’s clearly a ploy. He can see right through the act.

“Ah, well…These are very good leaves,” you suddenly announce.

JJ plays along. “Oh, really?”

“Mhm. Yeah, yeah, I see a great fortune in your future,” you tell him. A glance up to his face, stupid grin on your lips, and then back to the mug. “Mhm. Yep, I see a…A boat.”

“Oh yeah? A Grady White by any chance?” JJ jests.

“Oh, no. This thing…It’s like the titanic. Big ship.”

“You have a way with words, princess.”

“And! A rainforest! And stones!”

“Alright, this tea’s gone to your head,” JJ laughs, reaching over for his mug.

You giggle as he takes it back, ditching it half-arsed on the bedside table so he can drag you to him by your forearms. Half tumbling forward, your hands ungainly catch yourself on his sturdy frame. You’re still laughing as he kisses you. JJ smiles against your mouth.

“I’m telling you,” you manage out through kisses and giggles. “You’re gonna be very fortunate in your future.”

“Mm, I’m fortunate now,” JJ replies, chasing your lips.

He uses a hand to hoist you further into his lap. You finally find purchase, a hand sliding along his neck, tantalisingly slow and smooth. As JJ’s lips creep along your jaw and inch down your neck, you lean your head, giving him more and more canvas to work with.

“I’m very lucky, you know,” you say, sounding short of breath.

JJ just hums. He continues his tapestry of love bites and kisses as you ramble on. He loves how soft it is with you; how there’s time for pause, for thought, for laughter. It’s the polar opposite to what he knows. Frenzied hands and sex in a timeframe. The patience of sex with you isn’t without heat, though. It isn’t like a married couple who can hardly remember what they liked about one another, chasing a high before drifting off to sleep. No, it’s like how people take time to pray. Like how musicians fawn over their music for hours, bit by bit, until perfection. So, JJ revels in your half-meaningful speech, slurred like you’re drunk despite being stone-cold sober, as he gently eases your cardigan off your shoulders.

“Every dance team I’ve been on, we’ve won…”

As JJ’s lips descend to your chest, you sigh. Fingers tightening just-so in his hair, spurring him on. One of his hands stays placed on your hip, a thumb rubbing circles on your exposed waist.

“Probably just ‘cause you’re a good dancer,” JJ mumbles against your skin.

“Not just that, though,” you muse. “I’m a good luck charm, I’m telling you. Nothing bad ever happens to the people around me. I’m lucky.”

Whatever you say, JJ thinks as he unhooks your bra. You help guide it off, sitting back against JJ’s thighs and lifting a perfectly manicured hand to his jaw. Your skin is soft like Mother of Pearl. Not a single cut or nick. Guiding his face up until his gaze meets yours, you lean down and press your lips to his. There’s no more laughter and no more silly stories. There’s no room in JJ’s brain to conjure anything other than thoughts of you. Your hair and your skin and your perfume and your nails and you. God, he wants to consume you. Breathe you in like vapour, soak you up like sunlight, feel you like the weather, all over him.

Nobody’s prettier than you.

Nobody prettier from this view, nestled between your thighs, almost suffocating as he swallows you up. More and more – insatiable. The distinct taste of you sits heavy on his tongue. It spurs him on like cocaine, energy unrelenting as he goes down on you. The sounds you make, the way you grab at him, grasp at the sheets, writhe and wriggle like it’s too much, like you can’t take it. But you can. Have before. Will again.

Your body bends to JJ’s will like water. You’re so trusting of him; have been ever since you met him. Let him take you how he wants, faithful in the pleasure he’ll give you. Usually JJ didn’t care much if girls thought him selfish in bed, but you? No, he needed you to give the mark of approval. He needed your praise, your validation, like his sex wouldn’t have meaning if you didn’t think it worthwhile. The way you fit around him; JJ swears to God it’s like you were made for him. He has you on your front, fucking you into the mountain of throw pillows that make up the head of your bed. He keeps your hips and ass angled upwards, holding you steady as he ruts into you over and over again. You’re a drooling, moaning mess underneath him. One of your hands is clenching and releasing the sheets much like your walls are to him. Having you like this – Christ, it makes JJ feel like a young God.

When you fall apart, it pushes JJ over the edge too, almost like a suicide pact. He’s not sure heroin could touch ecstasy quite like it. Drifting away on dopamine, JJ pulls out of you and flops onto his back, chest heaving. You shuffle atop of your sheets, curling up as you let the afterglow take over. JJ knows he should dote on you but he’s so tired and spent. After tying off and tossing the condom out in your bedroom trash, and tugging on his boxers, JJ lays back down on the bed beside you, flat on his back. One of your hands rests on his chest – damp with sweat. Just for a minute, JJ thinks. I’ll just close my eyes for one minute.

JJ tunes into the sensation of you stroking the bare skin of his back. It rouses him from sleep. Somehow, in his tiredness, he’d rolled over onto his front. Your sheets smell of fabric conditioner and safety. Goose feather pillows and Egyptian cotton sheets; a memory foam mattress that mimics what JJ might imagine falling asleep on a marshmallow to feel like.

“JJ?” You continue to run the side of your hand up and down his skin. "Are you awake?"

"No," he mumbles into the sheets.

“I want us to make this official.”

JJ groans sleepily. “Wha’dya mean?”

“I mean, I want us to put a label on this thing. I want to be your girlfriend, and I want you to be my boyfriend.”

It’s like the mattress has become a gaping wormhole and it’s sucking him in. That very thing that he was drawn to, entranced with, that very thing that he was learning and dreading to be true, every little insecurity and anxiety that had built and built since the second date…It’s all arriving at once, hitting him hard and fast like a meteor strike. 

JJ turns his head, looking up at you. You’re watching him patient, a giddy-type smile on your face, slightly disquieted with nerves.

“Well…How do you know that?”

Brows furrowing, your smile doesn’t move. Shrugging, you say, “I don’t know…I just know. I…I know it because I feel it.”

Those words do nothing to ease the panic that’s building up JJ’s body. He shuffles until he’s sat upright, staring you down like you’re something dangerous. For some reason, your innocent request feels like a trap to him. A con. A joke that he’ll be the unwilling punchline of if he agrees. And he realises what that impending feeling was, all this time. It was him waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Lucy’s point to come true and for the curtains to be pulled. To find out what the hell you wanted with him.

“You can’t just say things like that. That’s a really messed up thing to say to someone,” JJ mutters, moving away from you.

You’re frowning now, befuddled. “Why is it? It’s true, and it’s how I feel. I want to make us official. I want us to be together.”

“Well, you’re saying that now but what about if we do get together, and I meet your parents and your friends, and you realise how different we are but you feel like you’re stuck with me, and then all of it was for nothing.”

Face the picture of perplexed, your mouth contorts into something ugly. “Where is all of this coming from? What did you think we were doing? I mean, we’ve been fine this past month and I know that there’s something between us.”

“How do you?”

“Because I’m not stupid, JJ,” you sharply reply.

Good, JJ thinks. You’re getting angry. You’ll lose your temper and you’ll let something slip that you weren’t supposed to, and he can bolt without a muddied conscience. He moves away from the bed and starts grabbing his strewn-about clothes in a frenzy to bolt. 

“If there’s something between us, why haven’t I met any of your friends yet?”

You stare at him. He takes your hesitation as confirmation to his doubts. Pointing accusingly at you, he snarls, “because you’re embarrassed of me. You’re embarrassed to be seen with a Pogue-nobody from the Cut, in front of your Kook friends.”

“What is your obsession with me being a Kook!?” you exclaim. “Have you ever noticed how I never bring it up? How it’s always you, JJ, talking about it.”

“Well, I feel like I ought'a!”

“Why!?” you vociferate. 

“Because what the hell do you want with me anyway!? You’re going to mess around with me for the summer, and get your kicks, and rebel against dear-old daddy, and then ditch me for some Kook jackass, who you’ll marry and he’ll take you on ski trips and summer’s in the Hamptons, and send your snotty children to expensive summer camps, and then you’ll laugh with all your trust-fund friends about how you went slumming once too.”

With that narrative, you laugh in disbelief, mystified. “What kind of fucking story are you spinning?”

“One that’s based on nothing but the facts,” JJ shouts. He’s shaking and angry, but it’s just his panic in disguise. He saw a glimpse of happiness with you and instinctively wanted to smash it up, like a psychopath child and a harmless butterfly.  “I mean, you said it yourself - you wanted to do what you’re not supposed to do, for a change. Have a taste of rebellion and then go back to your rich-ass bubble wrap.”

JJ’s seen you possessive before. He’s seen you jealous, and scared, and snippy. But he’s never seen you angry. It’s horrifying. 

“Did it ever occur to you that all of that has nothing to do with you? Has nothing to do with you being a Pogue, or me being a Kook?” you yell. Hands flying up to your chest, holding on like your heart might fall out of your skeleton, your voice turns thick. “I was miserable JJ! I was never allowed to do anything; never allowed to go anywhere. I did what my parents told me to do. I went to bed by nine every night. I was wasting my time with all these fucking after-school extra-circulars which I don’t even care about! I hate ballet! I hate piano! Christ, I hate all of it! And my friends are fake as anything. They say one thing to my face, and come to my house for pool parties, and then bitch about me behind my back! They’re assholes, JJ! So, yeah, I didn’t want to waste my time introducing you to them because I don’t actually like them!”

His lips start to quiver uncomfortably as he watches you unravel. It’s like JJ was pulling and pulling on a spring, and now he has to stand and watch it snap.

Make-up free, hair still tousled from earlier, oversized t-shirt half hanging off your frame: there’s no Kook defining thing about you here. It’s just you - just as it always had been. 

JJ’s heart cracks as a tear falls down your cheek. With a shaky breath, in a quiet, defeated voice, you tell him, “I wanted to go out with you because I wanted to live. Because most of the time, I feel so useless and so alone that I wonder if I’m even here at all.” 

And hearing you say that finally allows the curtain to fall. Only, it revealed to JJ something entirely different to what he expected. To what he’d told himself time and time again. Seeing you cry on your bed because of him…JJ’s made some real big mistakes in his life, but this one surpasses them all. 

“So don’t put your shit on me because you’re the one that’s afraid,” you say, stealing yourself as you aggressively wipe your eyes. JJ’s narrow. It’s like poking a searing hot skewer into his most tender of wounds. 

“Afraid? What do I have to be afraid of?”

“You’re afraid of me! You’re afraid that I won’t love you back! You’re afraid of what all the shallow people in the County will think! You know what, JJ? I’m afraid too! But fuck it - I want to give a try!”

It feels as exposing as having you peel back his skin. JJ pulls on his t-shirt and shakes his head, turning for the bedroom door, mumbling something about ‘I’m not doing this right now.’ 

You dart from the bed and grab at his arm, stopping him. “No. No, you’re not leaving,” you blubber. 

JJ yanks out of your grip, turning around, lashing out like a stray animal approached all too quick. “What do you wanna know!” He yells. You recoil. “What? That I don’t have a great life? That I’m jealous of how you live compared to me! That I don’t want you to see how I really live because I’m ashamed shitless of it!”

You’re crying, hard, but JJ can’t find it in himself to stop. Why won’t he stop? The butterfly is dead, wings torn from the body, antenas shattered from the beating: but it’s like he doesn’t even want dust to remain. 

“That my dad beats the shit out of me, so I sleep at John B’s house!? That I’ll probably end up in a prison cell or an early grave!? You ain't wanna hear that shit! Don’t tell me you want to hear that shit!”

“I do want to hear that stuff! I do want to hear it!” you argue through your sobs. You lift your hands as if you might try and cup his face. “I just want to help you.”

He retracts from your almost-there hold. “Help me! What the fuck! What, do I got a fucking sign on my back that says Save Me?”

“No!”

“Do I look like I need that!?”

Reaching for him again, tears streaming, you wail, “no! God, I just want to be with you because I love you!” 

JJ grabs at your wrists, driving you away from him, driving you towards the door until your back presses against it, all the while yelling at you. Don’t bullshit me! Don’t fucking bullshit me! 

JJ’s never been lucky to have good things. He waits for his friends to get up and leave. Knows his dad will too, one day, just like his ma. He’ll end up alone, drunk, high, and not long after, dead. You? You’re just a glitch in his programming. A girl who saw a project - yeah, that’s it. A girl who saw a project, a thing to fix, and the moment you have will be the moment that you get bored, and leave him broken hearted and alone. JJ knows more than anyone: you’ve got to leave before you get left. 

But as you’re standing with your back against the wall, you don’t cower from him. Don’t wait for him to land a hit on you. Always so trusting. And seeing you, crying, sobbing, begging for him to listen to you, repeating that you love him over and over…JJ knows you’re not the malicious enemy he’s created in his mind. He knows you’re not. 

“I want you to tell me that you don’t love me." A shuddering breath, trying to calm your quivering voice. “Because, if you do, I won’t call you anymore. And I won’t be in your life…”

And JJ’s never been good at admitting when he’s wrong. Maybe he learnt it from his dad. Maybe it’s a defensive mechanism. Maybe it’s dumb, childish youth that he never outgrew. So, as you sob, waiting for him to say something - to say you love him - JJ feels his face turn to stone. Cold, emotionless stone.

“I don’t love you.”

He grabs the rest of his shit in one quick sweep and he leaves your bedroom before he has to see the long-lasting damage he once again inflicted on someone. Slams the door. Rushes down the stairs. Passes the barking Ranger, alarmed by all the yelling, and dresses as he stumbles to the front door. In the air of the driveway, he takes a gasping breath, cringing with melancholic agony. Panic rises in his chest like a fist is clenching around his heart, over and over. He raises a hand, rubbing at the uncomfortable pain. JJ knows this feeling well. Knows it from childhood and from adolescence. Knows it almost as much as he knows breathing. 

Heartbreak.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*

JJ distracted himself with drinking, smoking and treasure hunting. Indulged at night and diverted throughout the day to avoid any thoughts of you. He was lucky, in a way, that his friends were there to keep him busy. They only asked once why he wasn’t seeing you anymore, wondering why you were never around, and learnt their lesson never to ask again. He tried to hide behind the lie that he’d so easily told himself: that you were a spoilt-bitch Kook who would have ditched him soon anyway. But he remembers your voice and your face clear as day, begging for him to tell you that he loved you. He can picture all too easily your reaction the minute he stepped away from you, after telling the worst lie of his life. 

Throwing himself into work was a good distraction. It’s hard to think about you when he’s thinking about how heavy the motor is that he’s lugging, or how close he’s cutting it on time to deliver groceries with Pope. His hurt made him wreckless, like he deserved whatever bad thing might come. You were good karma for returning Ranger and his mistreatment was bound to be paid back to him by the universe. Maybe that was why he’d been so eager to exact revenge on Topper and Rafe. Their attack on Pope certainly made it easier for JJ to handle his hurt when he was reminded of how awful most Kooks are. It was almost possible to group you in with them, to help mitigate the sting of guilt that came whenever your name crossed his mind. Almost. 

But, like always, the consequences of his actions were bound to catch up to him. So, as JJ sits beside Pope and Kiara watching the outdoor movie play under the watchful gaze of Topper, Rafe and Kelce, he knows bad things are coming.

“JJ,” Pope says, nudging his leg. 

“What?”

“Gotta take a piss.”

JJ’s leg is quivering with building adrenaline. “Hold it.”

“I can’t hold it. I drank too much soda.”

“It’s too exposed, they’ll totally see us,” JJ argues. 

“I gotta go,” Pope insists. 

JJ purses his lips and glances back over his shoulder the same time Pope turns around. Their eyes land on the three pissed off Kooks, sat like mob bosses, biding their time. They might as well be smoking a pipe and stroking their one-eyed cat like some '50s Bond villain. 

“They’re blocking the bathrooms,” Pope observes. 

Yeah, no shit. JJ looks around, noticing the woodland behind the giant projection screen. “Alright, come here. I know where.” 

The two of them get to their feet, hunching over as they go to move. When Kiara asks where they’re going, JJ shrugs and tells her, ‘we gotta ring it out.’ With that, they venture to the screen and relieve themselves just behind it, out of view, into the shrubs. As they piss, Pope and JJ banter. JJ finishes first, zipping up his fly and turning around to keep watch. 

“You bring the peacemaker?” Pope asks, referring to JJ’s beloved gun. 

His stomach drops. “Oh, shit, I forgot it.”

“You forgot it?”

“Hurry up! Hurry up!”

“Dude, you had one job. That’s all I asked you to do, man,” Pope complains as he finishes up.  

“I know, let’s go,” JJ quickly replies. The moment he turns, JJ comes face to face with Rafe. Fuck. 

“What’s up Pogues?”

“What’s up, Rafe?” JJ casually replies, walking backwards with Pope as Rafe approaches steadfast. He won’t let on that he’s scared - learnt that from his dad. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

As Pope tries to make a run for it, Topper emerges, Kelce in tow. “Hey that was some nice work you did on my boat!”

“I don’t know what you mean,” Pope fumbles.

JJ assesses the situation. Three on two. Pope isn’t the strongest fighter. No gun. Yeah, the odds are not stacked in their favour. 

“Not so burly without a gun now, are you?” Rafe taunts. 

JJ’s jaw ticks, his anger rising with his annoyance. The adrenaline is pumping and working its usual magic. Bring it on, pussy. I can take a few licks - it’s my birth-right. 

“Take one more step and I’ll rip that prepubescent face off,” JJ warns through clenched teeth. He watches as Topper approaches Pope leisurely. 

“Hey Pope, do you feel good about yourself, stealing shit? Is your mom proud of you? Is your dad proud of you?”

Pope slams his head into Topper’s upper chest and pride swills through JJ. “Attaboy! Attaboy!” He grabs his friend’s shoulder, lifting his clenched fist. “Now with your fist, see?”

With that, Rafe claims him. They begin to get in a dust-up. JJ takes the first few punches; each one that lands on his cheek brings searing hot pain that quickly vanishes with shock. Adrenaline is a hell of a drug. He taps into the pit inside of him, deep and angry and bitter. His self-hatred, for all the shit he put you through, for all the shit his dad and mom pegged on him…Throws his own punches, then. Wrestles too. Blood begins to draw. Lips crack open. Eyebrows split. But then it’s two on one: Kelce grabbing at him, holding him steady so Rafe can just lay into him. JJ’s winded as Rafe’s fist meets his stomach. He collapses in Kelce’s hold as Rafe right hooks him. And every hit, JJ takes like it’s his earnt punishment. 

“Come on, Rafe,” JJ provokes through the agonising pain. “That all you got?”

“Let go of him Topper! You fascist asshole!” 

Kiara. She helps Pope first, hitting Topper with JJ’s backpack. At least, that’s what JJ sees through the double vision. The backpack. The gun. Topper grabs it off her and tosses it, and then JJ’s too busy getting the shit beaten out of him to see what follows. It’s all just noise. Blends almost cinematically with the sound of the old-timey movie playing. At some point, it even sounds like there’s a dog barking. Blood fills his mouth like he’s at some sadistic dentist surgery. Pain numbs his nerve endings and softens his muscles. Air becomes a rarity as he’s held in a headlock, half-strangled. 

“Let go of them right now!”

Everyone goes still. JJ only notices because he finally has a second to catch his breath, gasping as the arm around his throat loosens just slightly. He opens his eyes, desperate to get his vision steady, and…no fucking way. 

There you stand like some designer vigilante heroine. Hair perfect, as always, with not a strand out of place; jewellery to the nines; make-up enhancing your gorgeous features. In your hand, clasped between perfectly manicured nails, is JJ’s gun. It’s pointed directly at Rafe’s forehead. 

Rafe laughs. “What? That supposed to scare me or something?”

You grit your teeth, harden your stare, and remain stoic and strong in your stance. Rafe just quirks a brow, a sick smile twisting upwards. 

“Oh, what, you’re gonna be the hero here? Why don’t you just run back to your daddy and mind your own fucking business?”

“Let. Them. Go.”

JJ realises then that Ranger is standing by your side. He’s growling, looking feral like Cujo, salivating at the mouth, death-glare set on Kelce who still holds JJ in a headlock. Your command and Kelce might lose a leg. 

“What’s it to you?” Topper snaps. 

“They’re my friends.”

Okay, no, JJ must have fucking blacked out or something. In the brain damage caused by Rafe, he’s seeing things. You’re his own guardian angel that his dying brain has conjured - that is the only explanation. 

All of the Kooks laugh. “Your friends?”

“I won’t ask you again,” you darkly warn, not a spit of humour in your voice. 

Rafe whistles lowly. He mockingly raises his hands to his head in surrender. Shares a laugh with Topper and Kelce. It vanishes the minute you unclip the safety. 

“You wouldn’t,” Rafe tells you. 

Slowly, maleficently, the faintest shadow of a smirk forms on your lip-glossed mouth. “You really want to test that theory?”

And that, ladies and gentleman, is how JJ Maybank ended up in the most insane predicament of his life. Nobody knows what you’re going to do next: not JJ, and probably not even you. As JJ waits, his eyes dart down to Ranger. The very thing that started all of this. 

Rafe sniffs. He juts his head at Kelce. When Kelce finally lets JJ go, Topper does the same with Pope. Kiara helps Pope up. JJ leans over, hands on his knees, coughing and gasping in air. 

“You’re gonna regret this, you know that? Better keep a fucking eye out, princess,” Rafe warns you as he saunters away with his posse. If JJ wasn’t on the brink of passing out, he’d lay him out for even looking at you.

The minute the three Kooks round the screen, acting as if nothing even happened, you drop the gun on the backpack and race over to JJ. It’s hard not to flinch after his moments-before assault when you clutch his shoulders. He realises that you’re shaking. Hears in the quiver of your voice how shit-scared you are. 

“Oh my God! Are you okay? Can you breathe?”

No and no. 

“Do you need to sit down? What should I–”

No, definitely don’t sit down. 

“Come on - we need to go,” Kiara tells you. She has Pope’s weight on her.

You seem to copy, taking her guidance from her years of experience with hanging with the guys, and guide JJ away from the scene of the crime. You grab the backpack as you go, the gun shoved inside (safety now on). Ranger licks anxiously at JJ’s hand, whining in worry. 

“I’m alright, boy,” JJ lies to the dog in a slur.

swirling, becoming blacker and blacker with every step. His body is screaming for rest and reprieve. He vaguely overhears you tell Kie where you’re parked. Lets you half-drag him to your ride. The minute JJ’s helped into the backseat, safe in the smell of you, he blacks out. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*

The first thing JJ notices when he wakes up is how much his head hurts. There’s a headache above his brows, similar to that which you get when hungover. It feels like his brain was a ping pong ball, rattled around in there for hours on end. Sniffing, he groans as he tries to sit up. There’s a hand pushing him back down to the bed gently. 

“Just lie still, for now,” you say softly. “No sudden movements, okay?” 

JJ groans again, eyes pressed shut. At the sensation of a straw pressing against his lips, he drinks. 

“Open your mouth,” you say after he swallows. JJ does as he’s told, in too much pain to argue. You give him a few pills - presumably painkillers - and help him chase them with water. “I’ll be right back.”

JJ must fall back asleep. When he comes to for the second time, the pain in his head is significantly lessened, as are all the general aches and pains of his body. He dreads the idea of looking in a mirror: he’s probably black and blue. Saying that, it’s not like it’s an unfamiliar state to him. Opening his eyes, he immediately recognises your bedroom. As if on cue, you walk through the door, a mug of what must be steaming hot tea in hand. When your eyes meet his, a relieved smile comes to your face. 

“Hey.”

“Hey,” he rasps. 

Making your way over, tea deposited on the bedside table, you take the seat next to him. Shit, no wonder he was sleeping so well. Your bed is like sponge cake. 

“How you feeling?”

“Like shit,” JJ grunts. You stifle a laugh. Shifting to sit up, his brows furrow as last night comes back to him, piece by piece. “Did I…Was I hallucinating, or did you save our ass?”

“Mmm, I might have maybe just saved your ass,” you innocently reply. 

Shaking his head, JJ rubs tiredly at his face. 

“I’m not even going to ask what Rafe and his gang of fairies were angry about.”

“Yeah, that’s probably the best idea,” JJ cringes. 

He finally braves holding your gaze. There’s a distance there - a reluctance to be fully present - and JJ knows it’s because of him. 

“That was really ballsy, what you did,” he tells you. 

“It's nothing,” you quietly reply. 

“You’re probably going to lose your Kook card now.”

“Never liked it that much in the first place,” you say with a half-smile. 

JJ silently laughs, shaking his head, mesmerised. He was so wrong about you. About all of it. “I was, uh...kind of a dick to you.”

“Yeah…”

“And…you were right,” he mumbles. 

Brows lifting slightly, a small, amused smile teases your lips. “What was that sorry?”

“You were right,” he repeats, no louder. 

Leaning in, a finger to your ear, you say, “one more time, I didn't quite catch it.”

“Fuck off,” JJ groans, shoving you away with hardly any force.

You snort out a laugh. The moment the humour passes, you look back to him. He feels as though he can hear your thoughts. Your anger and annoyance and insecurity and pain. He hears it all in the emotion swimming through your eyes. So, he nods.

“I’m sorry.”

“I know you are, JJ,” you whisper. 

One of his hairs falls into his face. Before he can react, you’re leaning forward, brushing it out the way. JJ captures your wrist quickly, keeping you near, almost panicked that if you move even a millimetre away, he’ll lose you forever. In that same frenzy, desperate to have you close, he forces out the three words he’s never let himself say to anyone. Ever. 

“I love you.”

Face an exact replica of the one you made that day on the beach, you blink at him. Once, then twice. JJ nods again. 

“I just…I can’t…It doesn’t…”

“I know,” you say, forehead bumping against his own as you lean down. Then, in a whisper, you add, “I know. It’s okay.”

JJ sniffs, suddenly overcome with emotion, and nods against you. As his eyes press shut, you kiss him. It’s slightly salty with tears but no less welcome. He winces as your hand cups his jaw. Kisses you through your mumbled apology against his lips.

And as the two of you kiss, JJ realises that this was all it ever had to be. It was never that complicated, never that layered, because all that mattered was you. Wonderfully, princess-perfect, Kook-turned-Pogue you. 

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 to conduct space station research

NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are headed to the International Space Station for the agency's SpaceX Crew-9 mission in September. Once on station, these crew members will support scientific investigations that include studies of blood clotting, effects of moisture on plants grown in space, and vision changes in astronauts.

Here are details on some of the work scheduled during the Crew-9 expedition:

Blood cell development in space

Megakaryocytes Orbiting in Outer Space and Near Earth (MeF1) investigates how environmental conditions affect the development and function of megakaryocytes and platelets. Megakaryocytes, large cells found in bone marrow, and platelets, pieces of these cells, play important roles in blood clotting and immune response.

"Understanding the development and function of megakaryocytes and platelets during long-duration spaceflight is crucial to safeguarding the health of astronauts," said Hansjorg Schwertz, principal investigator, at the University of Utah.

"Sending megakaryocyte cell cultures into space offers a unique opportunity to explore their intricate differentiation process. Microgravity also may impact other blood cells, so the insights we gain are likely to enhance our overall comprehension of how spaceflight influences blood cell production."

Results could provide critical knowledge about the risks of changes in inflammation, immune responses, and clot formation in spaceflight and on the ground.

Patches for NICER

The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) telescope on the exterior of the space station measures X-rays emitted by neutron stars and other cosmic objects to help answer questions about matter and gravity.

In May 2023, NICER developed a "light leak" that allows sunlight to interfere with daytime measurements. Special patches designed to cover some of the damage will be installed during a future spacewalk, returning the instrument to around-the-clock operation.

"This will be the fourth science observatory and first X-ray telescope in orbit to be repaired by astronauts," said principal investigator Keith Gendreau at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

"In just a year, we diagnosed the problem, designed and tested a solution, and delivered it for launch. The space station team—from managers and safety experts to engineers and astronauts—helped us make it happen. We're looking forward to getting back to normal science operations."

Vitamins for vision

Some astronauts experience vision changes, a condition called Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome. The B Complex investigation tests whether a daily B vitamin supplement can prevent or mitigate this problem and assesses how genetics may influence individual response.

"We still do not know exactly what causes this syndrome, and not everyone gets it," said Sara Zwart, principal investigator, at the University of Texas Medical Branch, Houston. "It is likely many factors and biological variations that make some astronauts more susceptible than others."

One such variation could be related to a metabolic pathway that requires B vitamins to function properly. Inefficiencies in this pathway can affect the inner lining of blood vessels, resulting in leaks that may contribute to vision changes. Providing B vitamins known to affect blood vessel function positively could minimize issues in genetically at-risk astronauts.

"The concept of this study is based on 13 years of flight and ground research," Zwart said. "We are excited to finally flight test a low-risk countermeasure that could mitigate the risk on future missions, including those to Mars."

Watering the space garden

As people travel farther from Earth for longer, growing food becomes increasingly important. Scientists conducted many plant growth experiments on the space station using its Veggie hardware, including Veg-01B, which demonstrated that "Outredgeous" red romaine lettuce is suitable for crop production in space.

Plant Habitat-07 uses this lettuce to examine how moisture conditions affect the nutritional quality and microbial safety of plants. The Advanced Plant Habitat controls humidity, temperature, air, light, and soil moisture, creating the precise conditions needed for the experiment.

Using a plant known to grow well in space removes a challenging variable from the equation, explained Chad Vanden Bosch, principal investigator at Redwire, and this lettuce also has been proven to be safe to consume when grown in space.

"For crews building a base on the moon or Mars, tending to plants may be low on their list of responsibilities, so plant growth systems need to be automated," Bosch said. "Such systems may not always provide the perfect growing conditions, though, so we need to know if plants grown in suboptimal conditions are safe to consume."

TOP IMAGE: Scanning electron-microscopy image of human platelets prior to launch to the International Space Station. Credit: University of Utah/Megakaryocytes PI Team.

LOWER IMAGE: This view shows NICER’s 56 X-ray concentrators. Astronauts plan to cover some of them with special patches on a future spacewalk. Credit: NASA

[vijaypalsingh78]

Certified Monkey Removal Specialists: Ensuring Safe and Effective Primate Control

In both urban and rural areas, encounters with wildlife are not uncommon. However, when it comes to monkeys, these encounters can quickly escalate from fascinating to troublesome. Monkeys are intelligent creatures known for their mischief and adaptability, often causing damage to property, raiding crops, and posing risks to human health and safety. When faced with monkey infestations or nuisance behavior, it's essential to seek the assistance of certified monkey removal specialists. These professionals possess the expertise and skills necessary to handle monkey-related issues safely and effectively.

Certified monkey removal specialists are trained professionals equipped with the knowledge and tools to address various aspects of primate control. From assessing the situation to implementing humane removal techniques and providing preventive measures, their services cover a wide range of needs aimed at mitigating conflicts between humans and monkeys.

One of the primary roles of certified monkey removal specialists is to conduct thorough assessments of the affected area. This involves identifying the species of monkeys involved, assessing the extent of the infestation, and determining the factors contributing to their presence. By understanding the behavior and habitat preferences of the monkeys, specialists can develop tailored strategies for their removal and long-term management.

When it comes to removing monkeys from residential or commercial properties, certified specialists prioritize humane methods that minimize stress and harm to the animals. These methods may include live trapping, where monkeys are safely captured and relocated to suitable habitats away from human settlements. Additionally, specialists may employ deterrents such as sound devices or visual barriers to discourage monkeys from returning to the area.

In situations where monkeys pose immediate threats to human safety or property, certified removal specialists are trained to handle emergency interventions. Whether it's securing vulnerable entry points, removing aggressive individuals, or addressing health hazards associated with monkey presence, these professionals are equipped to respond promptly and effectively.

Moreover, certified monkey removal specialists play a crucial role in educating property owners and the public about coexisting with wildlife responsibly. Through outreach programs and informational materials, they raise awareness about the importance of preventing conflicts with monkeys through proper waste management, securing food sources, and avoiding feeding wildlife. By promoting coexistence practices, specialists help foster harmonious relationships between humans and monkeys while minimizing the need for intervention.

One of the distinguishing features of certified monkey removal specialists is their adherence to industry standards and regulations governing wildlife management. These professionals undergo rigorous training and certification processes to ensure that their practices align with ethical and legal guidelines. By staying abreast of the latest advancements in primate control techniques and regulations, they uphold the highest standards of professionalism and accountability in their field.

In addition to their expertise in monkey removal, certified specialists offer comprehensive solutions for preventing future infestations. This may involve conducting habitat modifications, such as installing fencing or removing attractants, to make properties less hospitable to monkeys. By addressing underlying factors that contribute to monkey presence, specialists help property owners achieve long-term solutions to wildlife conflicts.

Furthermore, certified monkey removal specialists collaborate with local authorities, wildlife agencies, and conservation organizations to address broader issues related to primate management. Through partnerships and coordinated efforts, they contribute to the development of sustainable strategies for conserving wildlife habitats and mitigating human-wildlife conflicts.

In conclusion, certified monkey removal specialists play a vital role in addressing the challenges posed by monkey infestations and nuisance behavior. Their expertise, professionalism, and commitment to humane wildlife management ensure that conflicts between humans and monkeys are resolved safely and effectively. By seeking the assistance of certified specialists, property owners can mitigate the risks associated with monkey presence and promote peaceful coexistence with these fascinating creatures.

[mariacallous]

A student’s readiness to learn is often dictated by factors outside of the classroom. The pandemic highlighted the critical roles of food and housing, social and health services, supportive relationships, and youth development opportunities to student well-being and academic progress.

As schools work to remedy the negative impacts the pandemic had on students and families, educators are especially attuned to schools’ need for high-quality “student support” services. Combined with an influx of funding from federal pandemic relief aid, these circumstances have stoked demand and attracted new players to the student support market.

School districts are now inundated with “student support” service providers but have little guidance on how to select or manage them. Direct service providers–like afterschool programs and eyeglass distributors–are increasingly joined by “integrated student support” providers who specialize in how to identify student strengths and needs and then coordinate the services and opportunities available in the school, and the surrounding community, to get the right resources to the right student at the right time.

When implemented well, integrated student support drives improvements in student learning outcomes, school climate, and teacher job satisfaction. This model also benefits taxpayers by more efficiently using school and community resources to produce positive short- and long-term outcomes. 

With the field’s increasing understanding of what effective student support strategies look like, policymakers should establish quality benchmarks to help districts ensure a minimum, evidence-based standard of care for students.  

Managing risks and benefits in a dynamic market

New players are increasingly engaging in assessing what students need and coordinating available resources in the school community. For example, an established organization like nonprofit City Year is training Americorps members to become “student success coaches;” for-profit Panorama is building on its social-emotional screening tools to enable a whole child approach to student support; and new entrants like Welfie pledge to support schools with “an innovative Full Service Community Schools Program.”

These organizations and others are expanding the options for schools interested in developing effective integrated student support systems. They can bring innovations and cutting-edge technology, tie interventions more closely to best practices based on research, and leverage more people in schools and communities with valuable ways of supporting students. At the same time, policymakers must balance the promise of innovations with risks.

Just as the Food and Drug Administration strives to ensure that the health benefits of a new treatment outweigh potential harms, policymakers in education can use evidence to minimize potential risks and maximize the benefits of student support interventions.

Contemporary student challenges can be exacerbated by approaches that fall short of best practices. For example: 

Mishandling information: Inadequate training of personnel can lead to mishandling student and family information, risking student safety and school liability; 

Dropping the ball: A student shares a traumatic experience on a school-administered questionnaire but there is no follow-up, exacerbating the student’s feelings of isolation and helplessness and raising the risk of adverse student outcomes; 

Missing the target: Ways to identify students with needs may not be reliable, allocating resources–including special education services–away from students who need them most.     

Growth in the market for student support services must be met with an increased focus on ensuring that providers follow evidence-based best practices.  

Creating Quality Benchmarks

The critical task of ensuring student support quality falls to a wide range of federal, state, and local policymakers. This should include Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, Health and Human Services, state departments of education, state health and human services, state legislatures, and local school boards and districts. All of these entities have a part to play–whether through legislation, guidance, grants, or implementation support–to ensure that students receive a baseline standard of quality care and support, and that resources, supported largely by public funds, are used effectively and efficiently.

These entities do not need to develop quality standards from scratch; rather, both research and practice can provide guidance to policymakers at every level, illuminating conditions and proven practices that can minimize risks and maximize benefits.

The first National Guidelines for Integrated Student Support provide a roadmap for how all schools can improve their approach to student support. Through a process convened by the Boston College Center for Thriving Children, where we work, consensus guidelines were developed by a national group of experts in research and practice of integrated student support.

The guidelines are consistent with professional standards, such as those of the American School Counseling Association, and give policymakers parameters to set quality benchmarks to shape the growing marketplace. For example, a quality approach to student support will: 

Personalize support for every student;

Be comprehensive in addressing a student’s strengths and needs in academics, social-emotional-behavioral well-being, physical health, and family dynamics;

Function within the day-to-day operations of a school, creating a systematic approach;

Leverage the personnel and resources available in the school and the surrounding community;

Emphasize student support personnel credentials, competencies, training, and support; and

Use data for continuous improvement of implementation and evaluation of outcomes while also honoring student and family privacy. 

Across the country, more than 330 schools are following best practices in student support. They are reviewing each student’s needs, creating individualized plans, following up on those plans with a combination of school and community resources, and using data to inform school-level decision making with the help of City Connects and Building Assets Reducing Risks (BARR) Center. Another 2,900 schools partnered with Communities In Schools and still others are moving towards these best practices. 

Federal policymakers are also making strides towards strengthening student support in schools. Recent actions include the National Partnership for Student Success, which released voluntary quality standards, and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which invests in student support personnel and interventions. Yet these steps are moving slower than the marketplace is growing and the evidence of what works. The new National Guidelines can help policymakers align federal investments, including the Full Service Community Schools program, with evidence-based best practices so that more schools implement proven strategies.  

States Leading the Way

Some state policymakers are more aggressively taking hold of the research in response to needs in their schools and communities. These states are creating demand for programs that are more likely to work for students. They are identifying interventions with defined models, aligned professional development, capacity to monitor fidelity of implementation, and a willingness to evaluate outcomes.

In Texas and West Virginia, for example, state funds are supporting the expansion of Communities In Schools. The integrated student support program places coordinators in schools to bring in needed resources and work with high-need students on individualized student support plans.

Similarly, Indiana is expanding City Connects (Disclosure: the authors are employees of the Boston College Center for Thriving Children, where the program is incubated). City Connects is an evidence-based approach to leveraging school and community resources to ensure that each student gets a tailored set of supports and opportunities to address their unique needs, strengths, and interests.

California’s $3 billion commitment to Community Schools, which includes integrated student support, is spurring the state to more rigorously define the approach and develop aligned technical assistance. 

These states are taking important steps to help their schools and districts navigate a dynamic marketplace and encourage the uptake of approaches to student support more likely to yield benefits. We encourage more states to follow their lead. 

Federal and State Policymakers Have Important Roles to Play

As the field of student support becomes crowded with new entrants capitalizing on financial opportunities and responding to significant student needs, policymakers at every level should establish baseline standards of quality and care. They can start by identifying research-based parameters and incentivizing the adoption of effective and cost-efficient solutions capable of mitigating harms and delivering on the promise of student support. Although coordination in disparate policymaking arenas can be challenging, a shared roadmap informed by research and practice—the National Guidelines for Integrated Student Support—we hope will prove to be a critical touchstone.

The National Guidelines for Integrated Student Support were developed by a working group of researchers from AIR, Boston College, Child Trends, Harvard University, Learning Policy Institute, University of Pennsylvania, and UCLA and practitioners from Building Assets Reducing Risks (BARR) Center, City Connects, Communities In Schools, the New York City Department of Education’s Community Schools, the National Center for Community Schools, and others. Learn more about the guidelines here.  

[vizthedatum]

An example of how my ex/spouse used covid as a justification for imprisoning me (in the name of isolation) and then blamed me for making them feel suicidal (and also prohibited me from swimming)

This happened when I went to a really important party/event (that marked a huge life event!) in September 2022 for a very close friend (immunocompromised) which consisted of 10-15-ish people (the majority of which were immunocompromised and/or had chronic health conditions) that my ex was also invited to... that they knew I was going to... where they knew it was going to be a potluck... where I only drank water but I did unmask D: (note that Jon and I were both vaccinated at this point and additionally, we had already contracted and recovered from covid in August 2022 (besides the fact that we had hella antibodies, it's not unreasonable to go to a small apartment event for a close friend after being vaccinated)) My friends and I even had a messenger group chat for this event: tracking symptoms and, in general, being excited that we could be there for our fucking amazing friend.

... and then at the end of the party, Jon got super super upset at me - I came home and Jon made me isolate on the second floor of our home for several days when I didn't want to. It was imprisonment. They brought me food/water to my door. I couldn't come down. They wouldn't listen to reason. I was trapped. I felt... like I was the worst person ever - my PMDD (and depression and... me) was blamed (especially when I plunged into a deep depression). I self-preserved as much as I could (writing, texting friends, crying, listening to music, etc.)... but I... was so sad. So heartbroken and sad.

Later, they told one of their best friends "what I did" and she thought I should be mentally institutionalized (more on this later - this is one of my greatest fears, and they knew and they used it against me).

Meanwhile, all my friends, including the ones with serious health and autoimmune conditions, are hanging out and going outside.

I'm an epidemiologist: I know, from the data, that the vaccines work. I know how to assess risks. I know that nothing is foolproof and that you can't guarantee 100% safety. I knew that socialization and seeing people was ESSENTIAL to my self-care... and managing my stress to prevent my own flare-ups. I tried so hard. I even made documents to track our covid-risk... and put all my activities (and the people I was going to see and estimates of how many people were going to be there...) on there. I researched microcovid calculators and the like. I told Jon everything I was going to do. And it wasn't enough. It never was. They never really wanted to collaborate with me - they just wanted me to do what they thought was best.

Even when I tried to gain perspective from them and reason with them... it was a disaster.

😭😭😭

And then they turn the tables on me and imply that I'm abusing them. Gaslighting at its finest:

Not to mention... they had gotten me to give up swimming (my favorite sport and form of exercise - something that I had been working so hard on my health to be able to really get back into doing!) and then we played mental and word gymnastics about how they weren't "making me" give up swimming.... even though they did. They gave me an ultimatum in July, I think. Anyway conversation continued:

They had told me that they would not blame me if we ended up getting sick with covid - but they did.

Is it overkill to share all of this so publicly? I don't know. All I know is that... I WILL NOT BE PUBLICLY OSTRACIZED AS "JON'S ABUSER" ANY MORE. Because fuck you - you tried to ruin my reputation and my sense of belonging (and mental/physical health).

Then I was told that I wasn't "giving up" swimming and that I was distorting reality:

... and then instead of saying "giving up" I had to just shut up and agree with Jon, using whatever language made them happy. No surprise, I flared super hard - I was in so much pain.

you'd think it ended there, but it didn't. They would bombard me with so many thoughts and questions (which is fine!) but they did not like being reasoned with. And it shut me down. I was afraid to talk to them most of the time because they'd yell at me. I was scared all the time. During the end of our relationship, my usual talkative nature dimmed down so much that I could barely communicate with them to the capacity I knew I could.

And then just... this:

Yeah - it did sting that they said I avoided talking about things that are challenging because I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT CHALLENGING THINGS. Always. It's like *my thing*

Also, I'm the one who has really worked their fucking ass off in therapy whereas my ex/spouse hasn't had medical/therapeutic/spiritual/whatever help in YEARS. YEARS.

I begged them so hard.

--

There were a lot of hypocrisies. I just hate it all. Writing about it makes it easier. Knowing that my friends believe me makes it easier.

[marketingideass]

How Stalwart Solutions LLC Provides Top-Quality Pest Control Service in Dubai

Dubai’s rapidly growing urban landscape and hot climate make it a hotspot for pest infestations. From termites quietly damaging wooden structures to cockroaches spreading germs in kitchens, pests can wreak havoc in both residential and commercial spaces. As a result, pest control services in Dubai are not just a luxury but a necessity for maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

Among the many pest control companies in Dubai, Stalwart Solutions LLC has established itself as a leader in providing top-quality services. What sets Stalwart Solutions apart from the competition is their commitment to understanding the specific needs of their clients and offering customized pest control solutions. Whether you own a villa, an apartment, or manage a business, their team of experts tailors the treatment plan according to the type of pests, level of infestation, and your unique requirements.

The first step in Stalwart Solutions’ pest control service is a detailed inspection of your property. This thorough assessment helps identify the kind of pests causing problems and the potential entry points they are using. Armed with this information, the company designs a personalized action plan that targets the pests effectively while preventing future infestations. This proactive approach not only removes the pests but also ensures that your home or business remains pest-free for the long term.

One of the hallmarks of Stalwart Solutions LLC is their use of advanced technology and environmentally friendly products. Understanding the concerns many people have regarding chemical treatments, they use non-toxic, eco-friendly products that are safe for families, pets, and the environment. Their well-trained technicians employ cutting-edge techniques, ensuring that every treatment is carried out with precision and care.

In addition to residential services, Stalwart Solutions LLC also specializes in providing pest control for commercial spaces. Businesses in Dubai, especially those in the food and hospitality industry, cannot afford to have pests on their premises. Cockroaches, rodents, and flies not only pose health risks but can also lead to negative customer reviews and even legal issues. Stalwart Solutions ensures that businesses are treated with urgency and professionalism, allowing them to maintain a clean, safe environment for customers and employees alike.

Another key advantage of choosing Stalwart Solutions LLC is their ongoing pest management plans. They don’t just stop at removing pests—they offer continuous monitoring and preventive measures to ensure that your space stays pest-free. This long-term focus is especially beneficial for businesses that need to meet stringent health and safety regulations or for homeowners who want to avoid future infestations.

Ultimately, the combination of technology, expertise, and customer-focused service makes Stalwart Solutions LLC a top choice for those seeking pest control services in Dubai. With their commitment to providing high-quality, safe, and effective pest control solutions, Stalwart Solutions is the company you can rely on to keep your space free from pests.

[rohscertificationinmaldives]

FSSC 22000 Certification : Food Safety Excellence for the Global Market

FSSC 22000 Certification in Bangalore is a globally recognized standard that combines ISO 22000, sector-specific Pre-Requisite Programs (PRPs), and additional FSSC requirements to ensure food safety across the entire supply chain. It provides organizations with a robust framework to manage food safety risks, ensuring the production of safe food and beverages. In Bangalore, a city known for its thriving food processing and hospitality industries, FSSC 22000 certification is essential for companies aiming to meet international food safety standards, especially those looking to export products.

Key Benefits of FSSC 22000 Certification for Food Manufacturers in Bangalore

Global Recognition: FSSC 22000 Services in Bangalore is accepted by food manufacturers, retailers, and regulators worldwide, making it a must for businesses targeting international markets.

Improved Food Safety: It provides a comprehensive approach to identifying, controlling, and preventing food safety hazards, ensuring the production of safe products.

Regulatory Compliance: FSSC 22000 helps companies comply with local and international food safety regulations, such as FSSAI in India and other global standards.

Market Access: Many international buyers and retailers require FSSC 22000 certification as a prerequisite for doing business, opening up new markets for certified companies.

Operational Efficiency: By streamlining food safety processes, businesses can reduce waste, improve efficiency, and minimize risks, leading to cost savings.

Customer Trust and Satisfaction: Certification assures customers that the organization has a robust food safety management system, boosting confidence and satisfaction.

Cost of FSSC 22000 Certification in Bangalore

The cost of FSSC 22000 certification in Bangalore depends on various factors such as the size and complexity of the business, the number of sites, and the scope of operations. This includes consultation, training, audits, and the certification process itself. While the initial investment may be substantial, the long-term benefits of improved food safety management, compliance, and access to global markets far outweigh the cost.

Step-by-Step  Audit Process of FSSC 22000 Certification in Bangalore

Gap Analysis: Conduct a gap analysis to assess your existing food safety management system and identify areas that need improvement to meet FSSC 22000 standards.

Documentation: Prepare all necessary documents, including food safety policies, hazard analysis, PRPs, and other operational procedures, as required by FSSC 22000.

Training: Train employees and staff on the FSSC 22000 requirements, ensuring they understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining food safety.

Implementation: Implement the food safety management system across the organization, ensuring compliance with the FSSC 22000 requirements and sector-specific PRPs.

Internal Audit: Conduct an internal audit to verify that the food safety management system is effectively implemented and ready for the certification audit.

Certification Audit: Engage an accredited certification body to perform the final certification audit. Upon passing, the organization will be granted FSSC 22000 certification, which is valid for three years with annual surveillance audits.

How to get  FSSC 22000 Consultants in Bangalore ?

Visit www.b2bcert.com, our organization's official website, for more details on Where to Find FSSC 22000 Consultants in Bangalore. If you require assistance with FSSC 22000 Certification in Bangalore, send an email to contact@b2bcert.com with your requests. In order to comprehend requirements and choose the most accurate and cost-effective strategy for your company to obtain FSSC 22000 Certification, B2Bcert places a strong emphasis on value contributed. 

[bsciccertification]

ISO Certification Body In NCR

BSCIC is established as an independent Conformity Assessment Body and Training Organization with its main objective to provide its services in the domains of Quality Management System, Environmental Management System, Occupational Health & Safety Management System, Food Safety Management System, HACCP, Information Security Management System, Business Continuity Management System, Information Technology- Service Management System, Medical Devices-Quality Management System, GMP-Cosmetic Products, Corporate Social Compliance & Supplier Data Exchange and Sustainability, Energy Management System and Risk Management.

BSCIC is established as a professional organization backed by devoted, highly qualified and experienced Assessment, Training and Certification personnel and offering a wide spectrum of normative/ customer-oriented Certification and Training services in an efficient and cost-effective manner etc…

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[pestexterminatorservice]

Pest Control Services in East Gwillimbury: Your Solution for a Pest-Free Home

East Gwillimbury, a growing community in York Region, Ontario, is known for its picturesque landscapes, parks, and family-friendly atmosphere. However, like many suburban areas, it is not immune to pest issues that can affect the comfort and safety of its residents. Professional pest control services are essential for maintaining a healthy living environment, ensuring that homes and businesses remain free from unwanted invaders.

Common Pests in East Gwillimbury

Ants: Various species, including carpenter ants and sugar ants, are frequently encountered, often seeking food and shelter in homes.

Rodents: Mice and rats can invade homes, particularly during colder months, leading to potential health hazards and property damage.

Termites: These destructive insects pose a significant risk to wooden structures, making early detection and treatment vital for homeowners.

Bed Bugs: A growing concern, bed bugs can quickly infest living spaces, causing discomfort and requiring professional extermination.

Cockroaches: Resilient and notorious for their ability to thrive in various environments, cockroaches can contaminate food and spread diseases.

Wasps and Bees: While important for pollination, these insects can become a nuisance and pose risks if they build nests too close to human activity.

Why Choose a Professional Pest Control Company?

Expertise: Professional pest control technicians possess the training and knowledge necessary to identify pest species, understand their behaviors, and implement effective treatment plans.

Customized Solutions: Every pest problem is unique. Professionals can assess your specific situation and create tailored strategies to address the infestation.

Safety First: The application of pesticides can be hazardous if not handled correctly. Professional services prioritize safety, using appropriate methods and protective equipment.

Long-Term Prevention: Beyond immediate extermination, pest control company east Gwillimbury focus on long-term prevention strategies to help ensure that properties remain pest-free.

Effective Pest Control Techniques

Thorough Inspections: A comprehensive inspection of the property helps identify signs of infestation, entry points, and potential nesting sites.

Targeted Treatments: Depending on the pest type, various treatment options may be employed, including baits, traps, sprays, and eco-friendly alternatives.

Exclusion Measures: Sealing entry points and eliminating attractants (like food waste and standing water) are crucial steps in preventing future infestations.

Ongoing Monitoring: Regular follow-up inspections help ensure that pest issues are effectively managed and assist in preventing new infestations from occurring.

Choosing the Right Pest Control Company in East Gwillimbury

When searching for a pest control service, consider the following factors:

Licensing and Insurance: Ensure the company is licensed to operate in Ontario and carries the necessary insurance for added protection.

Reputation: Look for customer reviews and testimonials to assess the reliability and effectiveness of the service.

Experience: Choose a company with a solid track record in handling specific pest issues relevant to East Gwillimbury.

Eco-Friendly Options: If sustainability is a priority, inquire about the availability of environmentally friendly pest control methods.

Conclusion

Effective pest control is essential for maintaining a safe and comfortable environment in East Gwillimbury. By partnering with professional pest control services, homeowners and businesses can effectively address existing infestations and implement preventive measures to keep their properties safe. Regular inspections and tailored solutions provide peace of mind, allowing residents to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of their community without the worry of unwanted pests. In East Gwillimbury, expert pest control services are dedicated to helping you protect your home and enhance your quality of life.

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Why Medical Device Consulting is Essential for Regulatory Success

The medical device industry operates within one of the most regulated environments globally. Regulatory requirements in this sector are extensive, complex, and ever-evolving, varying from one country or region to another. From concept to market, a medical device must comply with numerous regulations and standards to ensure its safety, efficacy, and quality. As a result, navigating the regulatory landscape can be challenging, especially for companies lacking the internal expertise or resources. This is where medical device consulting becomes indispensable. By leveraging expert consultants, companies can enhance their chances of regulatory success, mitigate risks, and ensure that their devices reach the market efficiently and compliantly.

1. Complex Regulatory Landscape

Each country or region has its own regulatory framework for medical devices. For instance, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and other international bodies have different regulations governing the approval and marketing of medical devices. Navigating this complex, multi-jurisdictional environment requires specialized knowledge.

Medical device consultants bring extensive expertise in understanding and interpreting these various regulations. They help companies to develop strategies that ensure compliance with global standards, including ISO 13485, FDA’s Quality System Regulation (QSR), and the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation (MDR). Consultants are also up to date with regulatory changes and emerging requirements, ensuring that companies remain compliant throughout a device's lifecycle.

2. Efficient Market Access

Regulatory compliance gap analysis is not just about meeting requirements; it’s about gaining access to the market in a timely manner. Regulatory delays can significantly impact a company’s revenue and reputation. By hiring a medical device consultant, businesses can streamline their submission processes for faster market entry.

Consultants can assist in compiling and submitting the necessary documentation for regulatory approvals, such as pre-market approval (PMA), 510(k) submissions in the U.S., or CE Mark applications in the EU. This can speed up the process, reduce the likelihood of rejection, and help companies avoid costly delays. Moreover, consultants can help to identify the quickest and most efficient regulatory pathways, tailoring strategies to each product and market.

3. Risk Management and Mitigation

Every medical device services carries a level of inherent risk, and regulatory bodies are particularly concerned with ensuring that risks are adequately managed. To meet this expectation, medical device manufacturers must develop comprehensive risk management plans based on recognized standards like ISO 14971.

A medical device consultant helps companies implement and document these risk management practices throughout the product development process. From identifying potential hazards to assessing and controlling risks, consultants bring the necessary expertise to ensure that risk management is not just a regulatory tick-box exercise but a central aspect of product safety.

Effective risk management can also be a powerful tool in minimizing post-market surveillance report costs and mitigating the potential for recalls or adverse events. By identifying and addressing risks early in the development process, companies can avoid these costly pitfalls and maintain their reputation in the marketplace.

4. Quality System Compliance

Maintaining a robust quality management system (QMS) is a cornerstone of regulatory compliance. The FDA and other regulatory bodies require medical device manufacturers to have an effective QMS that governs all aspects of device design, development, and manufacturing. Non-compliance with quality standards can result in warning letters, fines, or even product recalls.

Medical device consultants can help companies establish or improve their QMS to ensure compliance with ISO 13485 or FDA QSR standards. They can audit existing systems, identify areas for improvement, and assist in implementing best practices. A compliant QMS not only meets regulatory requirements but also enhances operational efficiency and product quality, further boosting the chances of regulatory success.

5. Clinical Evaluation and Evidence

Before a medical device can be approved for the market, companies must provide evidence of its safety and efficacy. This often requires conducting clinical trials or providing clinical evaluation reports (CERs) based on existing data. Medical device consultants with expertise in clinical affairs can guide companies through the design and implementation of clinical studies, ensuring that they meet regulatory expectations.

They can also assist in writing CERs or managing post-market clinical follow-up (PMCF) activities, which are increasingly required under regulations like the EU MDR. By providing high-quality clinical data and evaluations, consultants can help companies demonstrate the safety and performance of their devices, thereby improving their chances of obtaining regulatory approval.

6. Post-Market Surveillance and Compliance

Achieving regulatory approval is just the beginning. Once a medical device is on the market, companies must continue to monitor its safety and performance through post-market surveillance (PMS) activities. These include gathering feedback from users, monitoring adverse events, and conducting periodic reviews of clinical data.

Medical device consultants can help companies establish and maintain effective PMS systems that comply with global regulatory requirements. This includes developing processes for monitoring, reporting, and analyzing post-market data, as well as preparing required submissions to regulatory authorities. A strong PMS system not only ensures compliance but also provides valuable insights that can improve product safety and inform future product development efforts.

7. Customized Regulatory Strategy

One of the key benefits of medical device consulting is the ability to develop a tailored regulatory strategy. Every medical device is unique, with its own set of risks, technologies, and intended uses. A one-size-fits-all approach to regulatory compliance is rarely effective.

Medical device consultants work closely with companies to develop customized strategies that align with their specific product and business goals. This includes determining the most appropriate regulatory pathways, identifying potential regulatory hurdles, and developing plans to address them. By aligning the regulatory strategy with the company’s broader business objectives, consultants help to ensure a smoother, more efficient route to market.

8. Cost-Effective Expertise

For many companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), building an in-house regulatory team may not be feasible. Regulatory compliance requires specialized skills and knowledge, which can be expensive to develop internally. Hiring a medical device consultant offers a cost-effective solution.

Consultants provide access to experienced professionals with the necessary regulatory expertise without the long-term financial commitment of hiring full-time staff. This allows companies to focus on their core competencies, such as product development and innovation, while leaving regulatory compliance to the experts.

Conclusion

Medical device consulting plays a critical role in ensuring regulatory success. With the ever-changing and complex nature of global regulations, companies cannot afford to navigate this landscape without expert guidance. By working with medical device consultants, businesses can develop tailored regulatory strategies, manage risks, ensure quality compliance, and expedite market access. Ultimately, medical device consulting not only ensures regulatory success but also helps companies bring safe, effective, and high-quality products to patients and healthcare providers more efficiently.

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ISO 22000 Certification in Madagascar: Enhancing Food Safety Management

In Madagascar, the food industry plays a critical role in the economy, from agriculture to food processing and exports. To meet international standards and ensure consumer safety, food businesses must adopt comprehensive food safety management systems. ISO 22000 Certification in Madagascar is a globally recognized standard that integrates food safety management with quality controls, ensuring that products are safe for consumption. In Madagascar, obtaining ISO 22000 Certification is increasingly important for companies looking to demonstrate their commitment to food safety and achieve long-term business success.

Why ISO 22000 Certification is Essential for Food Industry

The food industry in Madagascar faces a range of challenges, from handling raw materials to processing and distribution, all of which can affect food safety. ISO 22000 Certification provides a framework for identifying and controlling potential food safety hazards throughout the supply chain. This is especially important for Madagascar’s growing export market, where meeting international food safety standards is crucial for gaining access to new markets and maintaining consumer trust.

ISO 22000 Certification in Iran not only helps businesses comply with legal and regulatory requirements but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement in food safety practices. For Madagascar’s food producers, this certification enhances brand reputation and creates opportunities to partner with international clients who require certified food safety standards. It’s essential for local businesses aiming to scale up and reach global markets, as certification signals adherence to the highest food safety protocols.

Navigating the Path to ISO 22000 Certification in Madagascar

The process of obtaining ISO 22000 Certification in Madagascar involves several key steps. Initially, businesses must evaluate their existing food safety practices and identify gaps that need to be addressed. This often requires conducting a risk assessment of the food production process to ensure that hazards such as contamination or spoilage are effectively controlled.

Once gaps are identified, companies need to implement an effective Food Safety Management System (FSMS) that meets ISO 22000 standards. This includes documentation, monitoring, and verification processes to ensure compliance with critical control points. It may also involve employee training to ensure that all staff understand and follow the necessary procedures for maintaining food safety.

Boosting Food Safety Standards with ISO 22000 Certification 

ISO 22000 Certification in Chennai plays a vital role in raising food safety standards across Madagascar’s food industry. By adopting this certification, companies commit to a proactive approach in managing food safety risks. The ISO 22000 standard emphasizes the importance of traceability, ensuring that food products can be tracked through every stage of the supply chain, from farm to fork. This is essential for preventing contamination and ensuring that unsafe products are identified and recalled promptly.

In addition, ISO 22000 Certification promotes accountability at every level of the food supply chain. With the increasing demand for transparency in food production, Madagascar’s food businesses must maintain clear and reliable records of their processes. This level of transparency boosts consumer confidence and helps businesses respond swiftly to food safety concerns, minimizing risks to public health and brand reputation.

ISO 22000 Certification in Madagascar: Ensuring Safe and Sustainable Food Production

Beyond food safety, ISO 22000 Certification in Madagascar also supports sustainable food production in Madagascar. The standard encourages businesses to optimize their use of resources, reduce waste, and adopt eco-friendly practices. By integrating sustainability into food safety management, certified companies contribute to a healthier environment and more responsible production processes.

For Madagascar’s food producers, this dual focus on safety and sustainability provides a competitive edge in a global marketplace that increasingly values environmentally responsible practices. As businesses in Madagascar continue to pursue growth and innovation, ISO 22000 Certification ensures that they do so in a way that prioritizes consumer health and environmental stewardship.

[immensitylogistics]

The Essential Role of Freight Forwarders in Temperature-Sensitive Logistics

In the realm of global trade and transport logistics, the role of freight forwarders is particularly critical when it comes to temperature-sensitive shipments. These specialized logistics providers ensure that perishable goods, pharmaceuticals, and other temperature-sensitive products are transported under the right conditions, maintaining their quality and safety throughout the supply chain. As businesses increasingly seek efficient logistics solutions, understanding the significance of freight forwarders in this context is essential.

Understanding Temperature-Sensitive Logistics

Temperature-sensitive logistics concerns the careful control of products that require specific temperature ranges during transportation and storage. It includes fresh produce, frozen foods, vaccines, and certain chemicals. Failure to maintain appropriate temperature conditions can lead to spoilage, loss of efficacy, and significant financial losses. Therefore, freight forwarders specializing in temperature-sensitive logistics play a vital role in preserving product integrity.

The Role of Freight Forwarders

Freight forwarders bring a wealth of expertise in regulations governing transport logistics for temperature-sensitive goods, ensuring that all documentation is in place, such as health certificates and customs declarations, which is crucial for smooth transit.

In selecting the most efficient logistics solutions, freight forwarders assess the appropriate mode of transport. Whether air, sea, or road, they analyze various factors, including transit time, cost, and environmental conditions, to determine the best option for temperature-sensitive shipments. Additionally, proper packaging is essential in temperature-sensitive logistics, and freight forwarders often guide the best materials and techniques to ensure that products are insulated and protected during transit.

Coordination and Contingency Planning

Effective communication and coordination with supply chain partners are crucial for successful temperature-sensitive logistics. Freight forwarders act as intermediaries, managing relationships with carriers, warehouses, and distributors to ensure a seamless flow of information and goods. Moreover, they develop contingency plans to address potential challenges, such as equipment failure or severe weather conditions, ensuring that temperature-sensitive products are delivered on time and in optimal condition.

Impact on Businesses

For companies dealing with perishable or temperature-sensitive products, partnering with experienced freight forwarders can lead to significant advantages. By ensuring that products are under controlled conditions, freight forwarders help minimize the risk of spoilage and loss, ultimately protecting the company's bottom line. Timely delivery of high-quality products is essential for maintaining customer satisfaction, and the efficient logistics solutions provided by freight forwarders enable businesses to meet consumer demands consistently.

Furthermore, adhering to regulations avoids costly penalties and enhances a company's reputation in the market. Reliable freight forwarders help businesses maintain compliance with safety standards, fostering trust with customers. Additionally, with their expertise in transport logistics, freight forwarders can optimize shipping routes and reduce transportation costs, providing businesses with a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the essential role of freight forwarders in temperature-sensitive logistics cannot. Their expertise in regulations and temperature monitoring and their ability to coordinate supply chain partners make them invaluable in transport logistics. As businesses continue to navigate the complexities of global trade, partnering with skilled freight forwarders will be crucial for managing temperature-sensitive shipments.

[sphaviation]

Dominant Sectors Leveraging Drone Technology in India

Drones have become a transformative tool in various industries across India, enabling efficiency, precision, and cost-effectiveness. The widespread adoption of drones is reshaping sectors like agriculture, real estate, defense, and beyond. Below are the key sectors where drones are making the most significant impact:

1. Agriculture

Drones play a crucial role in modernizing Indian agriculture. They assist in crop monitoring, precision farming, spraying fertilizers and pesticides, and even assessing crop health through advanced imaging techniques like NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). By optimizing resources and increasing yield, drones are helping farmers become more productive.

2. Real Estate and Infrastructure

In real estate and infrastructure, drones are revolutionizing the way land is surveyed and projects are monitored. Developers and builders use drones for 3D mapping, aerial photography, and progress tracking, making the design, approval, and construction phases faster and more accurate. Drone footage has become a vital tool for marketing real estate projects as well.

3. Surveillance and Security

Drones are extensively used in security, both by government agencies and private firms. Their ability to cover large areas quickly makes them ideal for border surveillance, crowd management, and monitoring high-risk areas during public events. Many industries, including oil and gas, use drones for inspecting pipelines, towers, and other infrastructure in hard-to-reach areas.

4. Media and Entertainment

Drones have become a game-changer for the Indian media and entertainment industry. Filmmakers and content creators use drones for stunning aerial shots that were once difficult or expensive to achieve. Drones add a new perspective to films, commercials, and even weddings, helping the industry evolve creatively.

5. Delivery and E-commerce

The potential of drone technology in e-commerce is enormous, with companies exploring ways to make drone deliveries a reality. Though still in its nascent stage in India, drones are being tested for delivering medical supplies, food, and essential goods, especially in remote areas. The success of these trials could redefine logistics and last-mile delivery.

6. Disaster Management and Rescue Operations

In times of natural disasters like floods or earthquakes, drones provide a lifeline. They help in assessing damage, locating stranded people, delivering relief supplies, and providing real-time data to help authorities make quick decisions. Drones have been instrumental in saving lives and optimizing relief efforts across the country.

7. Mining

Mining companies are using drones for surveying, mapping, and inspecting mines, offering a safer and more efficient alternative to traditional methods. Drones provide accurate data about mining sites, which helps in planning and decision-making, as well as ensuring worker safety.

8. Healthcare

Drones are beginning to make strides in the healthcare industry, particularly in the delivery of medical supplies and critical healthcare services to remote areas. With the ability to bypass congested urban areas or difficult terrains, drones can deliver vaccines, medicines, and even blood to hospitals and clinics faster than ground transportation.

9. Environmental Conservation

Drones assist in wildlife monitoring, tracking endangered species, and preventing poaching. They are also used for environmental surveys and forest management, providing data that helps conserve natural resources. These efforts play a vital role in India’s environmental conservation initiatives.

Contact: +91 85277 87146, +91 18001237199

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[dean2000]

Why HLTAID012 Certification is Essential for Educators and Childcare Providers

In today's fast-paced world, ensuring the safety and well-being of children in education and care settings is paramount. Children are curious and adventurous by nature, and while this is an essential part of their development, it also makes them more prone to accidents and injuries. In schools, daycare centers, and early learning environments, caregivers and educators play a crucial role in safeguarding the health of children. One of the most effective ways to equip them with the necessary skills to respond to emergencies is through first aid training, specifically the HLTAID012 - Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting certification. This course is designed to prepare educators and childcare providers to handle emergencies, from minor injuries to life-threatening situations.

This blog explores the critical importance of the HLTAID012 certification for educators and childcare providers and why it should be considered a necessity rather than an option.

1. A Legal and Ethical Responsibility

Educators and childcare providers hold a position of trust and responsibility. Parents entrust their children to these professionals, expecting them to not only provide quality education and care but also ensure their safety and well-being. In many countries, possessing a first aid certification like HLTAID012 is not just recommended; it's a legal requirement. It ensures that staff members are adequately prepared to manage any health crisis, which can significantly minimise the risk of severe injury or even death.

Beyond legal obligations, there’s also an ethical responsibility to safeguard children. Children rely on the adults around them for protection and support, especially when accidents occur. An educator or caregiver trained in first aid can make all the difference in an emergency. They are equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide immediate care, stabilising a child before professional medical help arrives. This not only prevents the situation from worsening but can also save lives.

2. Preparedness for a Range of Emergencies

One of the greatest benefits of HLTAID012 certification is the comprehensive training it provides. The course covers a wide range of first aid scenarios tailored to the unique needs of education and care settings. These scenarios include managing asthma attacks, allergic reactions, choking, fractures, and even cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). By being trained in these areas, educators and childcare providers are better prepared to handle emergencies specific to children, who often require different techniques and approaches compared to adults.

For instance, if a child experiences an allergic reaction due to food, a trained educator will know how to quickly assess the situation, administer an EpiPen, and call for emergency help if needed. In the case of a choking incident, knowing the correct procedures for performing back blows or abdominal thrusts can prevent tragedy. These are just a few examples of how HLTAID012 prepares caregivers for real-life scenarios.

3. Boosts Confidence in Crisis Situations

Handling an emergency situation can be daunting, especially when children are involved. The high-pressure environment of a medical emergency can cause panic and confusion, which can lead to critical mistakes. However, when educators and childcare providers are trained and certified through HLTAID012, they are more likely to remain calm and composed under pressure. The course includes hands-on practical training, where participants practice emergency response techniques in simulated scenarios. This experience builds the confidence necessary to take swift and decisive action during an actual emergency.

Knowing what to do, how to administer first aid, and having the skills to act quickly not only improves the outcome for the child but also reduces the stress and anxiety that caregivers may feel in such situations. Confidence in their ability to respond effectively can also inspire trust among parents and colleagues, enhancing the overall reputation of the educational institution or childcare facility.

4. Reduced Risks in the Workplace

First aid training through HLTAID012 plays a crucial role in minimising risks in educational and childcare environments. Accidents are inevitable, especially when children are involved, but knowing how to respond to them appropriately can prevent escalation. Educators who are aware of the potential hasards in their environment are better equipped to manage them.

For instance, knowing the procedures to handle falls, burns, or poisoning allows educators to react quickly and prevent further injury. Moreover, educators trained in HLTAID012 are more adept at recognising early warning signs of medical conditions, such as the onset of an asthma attack or an allergic reaction. Early intervention is often the key to preventing a minor issue from becoming a life-threatening situation. This preparedness significantly reduces risks and ensures that children receive the best possible care.

5. Creating a Safer Environment for Children

A childcare center or school that requires its staff to be certified in HLTAID012 is not only complying with regulations but also creating a safer and more secure environment for the children in their care. Parents want to know that their child is in a place where their health and safety are a priority. Institutions that can demonstrate their commitment to safety through proper first aid training give parents peace of mind and set a high standard of care.

The knowledge gained from HLTAID012 certification also allows educators and childcare providers to implement preventive measures. Being aware of common hasards and knowing how to prevent accidents means that these professionals are actively reducing the likelihood of emergencies occurring in the first place. A safe environment fosters healthy growth and development for children, which is the ultimate goal of any educational or childcare setting.

6. First Aid Training as a Lifelong Skill

First aid training, especially in a course as comprehensive as HLTAID012, provides caregivers with skills that extend beyond their professional life. These skills can be used at home, in public, or wherever an emergency might arise. The certification is valid for three years, but the knowledge gained will last a lifetime. Renewing the certification ensures that educators and childcare providers stay updated on the latest first aid techniques, further reinforcing their ability to provide top-tier care for the children in their care.

7. Peace of Mind for Parents and Caregivers

When parents drop their children off at school or daycare, they are placing immense trust in the caregivers and educators. They expect that in their absence, their children will be in the best hands. Knowing that the staff is certified in HLTAID012 provides parents with peace of mind, as they know the staff is trained to handle any medical emergencies that may arise. This trust strengthens the relationship between parents and the institution, creating a positive and secure environment for the children.

Conclusion

The HLTAID012 - Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting certification is an essential tool for educators and childcare providers. It equips them with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to respond to a wide range of emergencies, ensuring the safety and well-being of the children in their care. By becoming certified, educators not only fulfill their legal and ethical obligations but also contribute to creating a safer, more secure learning environment. In the end, first aid training is not just about handling emergencies—it’s about protecting young lives and ensuring that children can thrive in a safe, nurturing space.