"I don't wanna pretend, we're still friends in the summer. Did you think I'd forget? I said, leave if you wanna."
After exiling his best friend from Figure 8 territory, Rafe spirals further out of control using drugs and alochol to fill the void Ana...
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"You were my best friend, now you're dead to me. Said you'd become my worst memory. You played the victim in reality, you never were."
Anabelle Stevens never thought she would see the day when JJ Maybank was tending to her bruises. Despite the boy having just received one of the worst beatings of his life, he was only interested in the girl with the discoloured face and whether she was alright.
As JJ fussed around the teary-eyed girl whose cheeks were now stained with black trails of watery mascara, Ana shook him off promising him she was fine. The boy pressed further, but he soon gave in and allowed her to turn her attention to the deep cuts and bruises that were painted across his aching canvas of a body.
Ana gently lifted his T-shirt that was now torn and caked in dirt, he winced as her fingers accidentally brushed against the purple blotch of skin that now engulfed his side. If she was being honest, it was a miracle that the only injuries the boy had sustained were a few bruises and cuts - possibly a cracked rib. The force that Rafe was raining down his fists onto JJ's helpless body, Ana was surprised there was no internal bleeding.
After applying a generous amount of Arnica Gel to his bruises to help ease the pain and reduce any swelling, Ana was finally able to concentrate on JJ's face. Anabelle Stevens was the first to admit JJ Maybank had a beautiful face, but right now, it was a total mess. She took a hiccuped breath as tears threatened to spill from her eyes for the second time that day. Ana stared back down into her lap so the already troubled boy sitting across from her couldn't see the pain that flickered across her face.
"Hey, Angel Face. Look at me," JJ gripped the girl by her chin. Ana looked at JJ from beneath her lashes as her lips began to tremble. "I'm good, ok? I'd do anything for you, you know that right?" JJ said with sincerity. "Even if it ends in me getting my ass kicked by some bastard like Rafe," JJ laughed trying to lift the mood. "C'mere," JJ instructed, awaiting Ana to crawl into his lap.
JJ didn't know if he was imagining it? Had he sustained a concussion? Instead of Ana wrapping her arms around him as he was expecting, she placed a soft kiss onto his lips, careful not to irritate the cut on the corner of his mouth.
If JJ Maybank getting himself involved in a fight was going to end in a kiss from Anabelle Stevens, maybe he needed to partake in them a little more often. Today had been a total shit show, but the boy who was now totally smitten couldn't think of a better way to end it. Phase one of his master plan was complete - get a kiss from Anabelle Stevens.
*
Rafe melted into Barry's beaten up sofa, having just snorted an unimaginable amount of coke and popping a pill or two, to bring him back down to earth. He lay with his head back, red rimmed eyes staring at the chipped painted ceiling, as images of Ana's face flooded his mind. Her lips were trembling and her face was white with terror. He had frightened her when all he ever wanted to do was protect her and keep her safe, no matter whether the two were on good terms or not.
