NICKNAMES [1], jj maybank

CHAPTER 4

   AT THE END OF THE DAY we end up at the abandoned house we always somehow make it to. It's secluded by the water. It's been abandoned for as long as I remember. The back porch is slowly decaying after years of us sitting on it.

   The occasional splinters we endure are completely fine and reasonable because the sunset at the end of the day makes up for it. Weed blows around us, Pope getting second-hand high at this point even though he blows the smoke away from him. The white paint on the house scraping off with every lean against the wall. "This shit is strong JJ," I slightly cough as I inhale more smoke, clouding my brain.

    JJ laughs at me, "Pussy."

   I frown at him and chuck a rock at his legs. He doesn't react. Probably too high to realize something even hit him. John B only took one hit before he decided it was too much and now the blunt is being passed between JJ, Kie and I. "God, I don't want to go to school. Everyone is going to be so curious about Adrien. A million questions about my ex." The blunt is warm in between my fingers as I pass it to Kie.

    "But don't people know that him and A—prissy bitch, are like together?" Smoke blows out of her mouth as she looks into the sunset.

"Why do we have to talk about this?" Pope rolls his eyes at the mention of Amelia and Adrien. "I dragged your ass out of a hospital today, enough about the two fucks," JJ's words are muffled as he has the blunt in his mouth. "I'm mentally preparing myself," I hop off the railing with a loud creaking making me stop moving because I'm scared the deck beneath us will cave in.

The thing about Adrien and I's relationship is we had been best friends beforehand, which everyone knew but we kept our relationship a secret for a while. The only reason it was known is because his friends started rumors that I was crazy and obsessed with him. My red flag should have been him not denying the rumors until I cried to him one night. I had to deny them which is fine but I didn't want to have to cry to my own boyfriend to help me.

The Pogues did more for me in denying than he did. I feel like I've gaslit myself into believing he's the only person who can love me, I don't even think it was love a month in.

The broken window has a curtain that would move with wind letting me see inside the house. The house is sad to say the least.

It makes me nostalgic for a house I've never been in. The window is the only open way in but the glass is too sharp everywhere to get in through the window. "Hey, JJ?" I turn to him and he walks towards me. "What's up, bean?" I cringe at the nickname and decide to just not say anything about it. "Do you think you can lockpick the lock with your knife?"

"Why do you wanna go in there?" John B walks over to us and looks through the window. I've never had an urge to in before, maybe it's the strong weed but I want to know why it became abandoned.

"There could be a dead body!" Pope groans. "You're being dramatic Pope. Open the door," Kie says with a nod and a smile at the backdoor. "What if Pope is right?" JJ looks at me worried and then at the others with the same expression. "Pussy," I bring his remark back to him.

"Do not bring my own insult back at me—"

"Well then open the fucking door, Maybank!"

"You open the door if you want to go in so bad!"

"I can't lockpick!"

As JJ opens his mouth, we both get smacked on the back of the head by John B. "Literally shut up and someone open the door." My eyes glare at John B who just tilts his head at me. "Asshole."