PAPER RINGS | jj maybank

006. welcome home

"No."

"What, is she pregnant?" Big John questioned.

"No, no. God, no. No."

"I sure hope not." Athena commented. "I can not deal with another John B. One is more than enough."

"Yeah, I haven't really had time for the extracurricular activities." John B told him as Big John poured three more shots.

"Ew." Athena grimaced. "Please do not. I don't wish to hear about that, thank you."

"Like you can talk Athena, you and JJ are disgusting."

"Me and JJ do nothing!"

"Don't lie, JJ and Kie talk about it."

"They talk about it!"

"Well JJ tell Kie and Kie threatens to beat his ass because she's number one."

"She'll always be number one in my heart."

"And then Sage would say how she was the reason you are as good as you are."

"Oh my god!"

"But only because she used to hook you up with guys."

"Stop talking!"

"You're a little young, ain't ya?" Big John spoke up, cutting their conversation.

"I mean, you said it best. If it's right, it's right." John B smiled softly.

Big John sighed, "Do I know her? Uh, who is she?"

Athena pulled a face as John B cleared her throat. "Yeah. Yeah, you know her. Um..." Hw took the shot from the table. "It's Sarah Cameron."

Big John took his glasses off, staring at his son. "Ward's daughter? The queen of Kildare."

"Yeah." John B nodded. Athena looked between them before she took the shot that Big John had poured her. Not really wanting to have this conversation, or to be there while they had it.

"You just can't do things the easy way, can you?" Big John asked the boy.

There was a few beats of silence. "Are you mad?"

"That you went for the big prize?" Big John questioned before he chuckled. "Nah. How could I be mad about that?"

"Woah careful how you speak about my sister there mister." Athena snapped. "She's not a prize."

Big John's head snapped towards the blonde. "I forgot you were a Cameron too."

"Technically I'm not a Cameron, but Sarah's my sister so..." Athena smiled at him sarcastically, clenching her jaw at the man she had already decided she didn't like.

"Sorry." The man then turned to John B, the two taking another shot. "Congratulations."

After a while, Big John and John B went and sat outside while Athena stayed indoors. She led down on the sofa that her and John B were sat on earlier, playing with JJ's rings on her hand. She stared at the ceiling as she remembered moments from Poguelandia with JJ. The two were in the ocean, balancing on Sage's surfboards as the sun was setting. Athena had dragged the boy out, wanting to watch the sunset on the ocean because it was something she had never done.

Now, watching the sunset, Athena turned to the boy that she loved so deeply. She looked over his face, memorising every crinkle and line on his face, noticing how the sun hit his skin and how mesmerising he looked. How she prayed that she'd never forgot how he looked in that moment.

"Hey J?" Athena called. The boy immediately turned to look at her with a soft smile. "What happens after all of this?"

"What do you mean?" JJ asked her.