VERONA ─ jj maybank

𝒊𝒙. will you shut up?

nine

jj maybank was the best person marina knight had ever met. it never would've crossed her pre-developed adolescent, eight-year-old mind that the annoying boy sat beside her, rambling about dirt-bikes and fishing would still be there eight years later – still rambling about dirt-bikes and fishing. marina had changed drastically since then, not only in her physical appearance but her entire life had somehow, completely flipped upside down and everything she knew back then was long gone.

jj maybank never had the safe, ordinary upbringing of most kids; in fact, he never had much of an upbringing at all. his mother left when he was six, and jj became nothing but a burden to his father. jj was just a useless thing that luke had to pay for - taking money away from his terrible drinking habits and cocaine addiction. despite it all, he was a good kid. well, as good as you can be when you're raised by a junkie and the entirety of your extended family have been to jail at least once. jj was somewhat troublesome – but what teenage boy wasn't?

marina had the fright of her life that evening. she had arrived home from the chateau hours prior and retired to her bedroom at the first chance she had. she lay there encompassed in thoughts about what exactly happened to big john; everyone had labelled john b as crazy.

jj stood, awkwardly in the entrance of marina's house. his eyes glazing over the pictures that adorned the white walls. he looked cautiously, like at any given moment they would burn away in front of his eyes. family photos were filled with smiling faces – a stark contrast to the place he called 'home'. it felt warmer in this house, and although him and marina were the only occupants, it felt much less empty than his abode on the cut.

"you still haven't told me why you're here." marina coughed, interrupting his thoughts and leading the boy into the kitchen. she hadn't seen or spoken to any of the pogues over the previous two days, instead she had locked herself in her house, watching gossip girl and eating junk food. it was far from a depressive episode, but she felt far from happy for the entirety of those days.

"oh, uh - i came to check up on you." jj told, pushing his hands deep into his pockets and swaying on his heels.

"why's that?" she enquired, opening the fridge and removing the carton of orange juice. "you want some?"

"no, i'm not thirsty," he replied, watching her pour the juice into a glass and return the carton to the fridge. "i just thought that john b finding some of his dads things might be, you know, stirring some emotions?" jj watched the girls face contort behind the patterned glass that she drank from.

"so you came here at midnight? it really couldn't wait until tomorrow?" she asked. "i assume you're planning on staying here tonight?"