𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕕-𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕕 (JJ)

④⓪

★★★

★★★

After our day in Chapel Hill, Kie and I had all of our school supplies ready and purchased, which was a huge help considering now we didn't have to go back out and buy them at the last minute.

We went back to the Chateau and did the same shit we always did: hung out with each other.

School was really gonna tweak this dynamic we had going, but it was okay. I was actually excited to see what was going to happen in a real school.

Not glorifying it at all because, duh, it's still just fucking school.

As we sat and talked for a little longer, our thoughts were interupted by a knock on the front door.

"Finally. Maybe JJ's back," I announced as I walked towards the door. "Why would he knock though?" Kie mumbled, but I reached out to get the door anyway.

With the door finally open, I saw who had been knocking, and it was not JJ.

I actually had no idea who it was. He looked a little familiar, but also not at all.

"Hi, I'm Teddy Routledge, is John B. around?" The man asked, and my eyes widened.

"Uh... He- Um..."

Kie came up behind me and took over for me when I couldn't find the words myself.

John B.'s Uncle T was standing before me, in the flesh. Words... I couldn't come up with any words to say to this man.

How was I supposed to say that after he abandoned John B., his nephew was presumed dead.

How was anyone supposed to break that news to any other person.

It was impossible.

"I'm gonna be sick," I muttered unintelligibly to myself. I turned and pushed past Kie, running to the bathroom as she explained what I could not to Teddy.

Hunching over the toilet felt like the most defeat I had fostered within me in a while. I didn't realize how terrible this would feel.

When I finally composed myself and brought myself to my feet, I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

I was pale, but color was now rushing back to my face. I brushed my teeth, rinsing with mouthwash after and pulling my hair into a ponytail to get it out of my face.

I reached for the bathroom door, but before I twisted it open, I heard commotion coming from where I had left Kie and Teddy.

"You fucking dick!"

My head snapped up at the sound of JJ's voice. I rushed out of the bathroom and saw Kie holding him back as best she could as he yelled at Teddy, his face growing redder and redder.

JJ tried to lunge for Teddy again, but I bounced closer to him before he could, physically pushing him backwards.

"Hey! What the hell is going on? JJ, stop it!" I yelled, holding him back as best I could. I held his arms back and made sure he couldn't take another swing that he'd regret.

"Someone explain what the hell is going on," I reiterated and JJ huffed, "The problem is standing right there."

"Look, JJ, I know we're not exactly happy with him right now but fighting him will do nothing for any of us."

"No, he's a selfish prick who doesn't care about anyone but himself. He left John B. to live on his own and deal with all this fucked up shit by himself. Do you think we would've had a DCS problem if this asshole was still kickin' it around here?"

"Hey, Maybank, settle down," Teddy started, and I rolled my eyes internally. It wasn't exactly time for him to start copping an attitude of superiority with us.

"Settle- What the fuck did you say? The fuck did you say? No, run that by me one more time!" JJ yelled, his face getting red again as he lunged from my grasp and got one good punch on Teddys cheek.

"Grab him!" I yelled to Kie as we both ran over to break the fight up. Teddy reached out and punched back, trying to defend himself and got a hit on his mouth.

I grabbed his arm again and pushed him against the wall behind us, sticking my forearm across his throat to pin him back.

"Enough with this shit, you fucking control yourself right the hell now, do you hear me?" I barked at JJ, needing him to get my point.

He said nothing, a scowl on his face as his eyes darted past me.

"You busted your lip open again," I said, noticing the bleeding coming from where Teddy had punched.

"And? It'll heal," He dismissed me and I shook my head. We were getting absolutely nowhere.

"Who are you two?" He asked and I looked back to him. "I'm Stevie and that's Kie. We're friends of John B."

"And I know Maybank over there, little shit," Teddy grumbled, and I rolled my eyes.

"This isn't helping. Teddy, I'm sorry, but what Kie told you is true. John B.'s gone," I said, feeling a pit in my stomach as the words left my mouth.

"Lost at sea... Just like his pops," Teddy said, his head hung down. I couldn't imagine what he felt like, his brother and then nephew gone the same way.

Even if I did think he was still alive somewhere,  I couldn't tell that to Teddy. What if it got his hopes up and I was wrong? I didn't want to be wrong, but what if I was?

"I- I don't really know what to say," He stammered. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything. There's nothing to say anyway. Where are you staying Teddy?"

"I planned on just coming home, coming here?" Teddy suggested, but JJ shook his head.

"The house was given to Stevie and I by John B. She's emancipated, so the house is ours, and there's no way in hell you're deadbeat ass is staying here," He hissed at Teddy and I grabbed his arm.

"He's not going to be kicked out onto the streets, JJ, let's think about this. He's John B.'s uncle, he's his family. He wouldn't have wanted this," I said.

I turned back around to Teddy and looked him in the eyes, "You can stay. You can sleep in John B.'s old room."

"Yeah, thanks," He said, still staring at JJ.

"A little more enthusiasm and gratitude would be nice," JJ snarled. He was really set off about this.

I turned around to him again and lowered my voice. "You seriously need to relax, okay? You're going fucking crazy," I whispered to him.

"I'm fine. He's my problem, he's just- I don't know. He's-"

"It doesn't matter. We have, like, a shit ton to talk about later, okay?"

"I know we do," He said, not looking into my eyes.

★★★

Heyyy here's another lil chapter! A little bit of a plot twist and uhhh introduction of Uncle T! I did it the best way I could, but of course the actual show will probably do it differently. We'll see!