Rhapsody (OBX S2 Book II JJ fan fiction)

TWENTY-TWO (II)

**LEXI**

We end up making it to this run down auto-repair shop that was in the middle of no-where, and spend a good deal of time watch the mechanic arguing back with Pope in an attempt to get more money out of him. I sit back with Kie, neither of us speaking as we listen into the conversation.

"You good?" I finally ask her, noticing how she's been off in thought a little more frequently today.

She doesn't say anything for a moment, shrugging my question off before looking off into the distance again. "Do your parents ever, threaten shit like boarding school with you?"

She still doesn't turn to look back to me as she speaks, like she was still engaged in the conversation she had with her parents despite it only being a memory now. "Sometimes, just because they know it's a threat," I tell her, "different intentions I guess, my dad, especially, cares more about being in control than my wellbeing."

I see JJ give up with the mechanic, walking over to us in defeat. "Dudes in heaven," JJ tells us, mimicking the mechanics voice until he notices the mood. "Hey, y'all alright?"

He looks to me for an answer, but I just nod my head towards Kie instead of explaining. "My mom is so worried about me being a Pogue, she's willing to send me away to boarding school," Kie murmurs. "I just can't wrap my head around it."

"She doesn't know what's best for you in this case," I tell her, "it seems in-personal to me, you didn't do anything wrong she's just... unable to see that you aren't the image she's drawn of you."

"I guess that's what you get for hanging out with the wrong crowd," JJ adds, Kie giving a small smile.

"Yea," I agree with a bit of a lighter tone, "what a group of kids we are; bad influences if you ask me."

"It's too late anyway," she tells us, "I already am who I am."

"Ain't all that bad," JJ tells her,"just look at that guy over there." He gestures to Pope; "he'd do anything for us. That's a Pogue if I've ever seen one."

We both watch as Kie studies Pope, before turning to look one another in the eye. "But that's just one mans opinion," JJ adds without turning back to her, giving me a little smile as our eyes stay locked.

"Make that two," I say, and part of me wonder's if JJ's just being a good wingman or if there's some other motive to opening Kie up to the idea of Pope. Had he begun to question Kiara's intentions as well?

Either way, it was weirdly comforting to hear him be so open to the pairing.

When the mechanic is done, Kie and I end up splitting the bill, hoping to minimize the fallout of dropping 370$ without our parents permission.

After paying, we drive to an open field, pulling out some blankets that we had found and making ourselves as comfortable as possible. I take a swig of JJ's flask before closing it for him, giving it to Kie to put away. I lie down next to him, which he takes as an invitation for him to slide his feet off of the trucks body so that he can turn to wrap his arms around me.

I hum in response, his body pressing against my backside making it feel like we're sleeping at home and not in the back of a pickup. I listen for the thought's I've grown accustomed to hearing as I fall asleep, the ones that tell me I'm better off dead, yet I wasn't really met with the same exhaustion that has been persistent for me lately, allowing me to savour the feeling of JJ's arms a little bit better.

God, I loved them, I think to myself as he pulls me in closer, noting how that's all that's running through my head now.

I let out a small breath, as without the thoughts—the ones that don't make me feel so good—I guess I can appreciate more of what life has to offer. Like JJ Maybank's arms.