SINCERELY, YOUR DARLA. || ~ jj maybank.

🌿| grief and more grief. (30)

She raises her eyebrow. "For real?"

"Yep. They think it'll help, but I mean in what universe will that help." I shrug.

Bea nods. "Anyway, how will they send you to boarding school if you just say no and leave?"

"True." I sigh. "It doesn't matter, I'll figure something out."

"You always do, and that's why i'm so jealous of you. You have such a fun life, being a pogue seems so fun." She pouts.

I stare ahead, if only she knew what the pogue life for me consists of. Drugs, my mom going missing and hoping with all my heart that she's alive, alcohol (but not in the fun way), almost dying, losing everything and witnessing a murder.

"It's okay." I sigh.

"Does the pogue life consist of any love?" She shoves me.

I smile. "Mmm.."

"Tell me!" She laughs.

I nod. "Yep. The love aspect is pretty fun,"

"Who. Who!" She says.

"If I tell you you'll tell everyone." I say.

"Please, I'm desperate. I promise I won't."

Our feet squelch against the wet mud as the only source of light to see where we're going is
the street lights.

"A boy, I've know him all my life." I say.

"Oh my god." She squeals. "The murderer guy?"

I shove her. "He is not a murderer."

"Right, I know." She holds up her hands.

"And no, not him. Ew not Jombee."

"Wait.. Oh god. Even better. The gun guy?"

I laugh at her. "You don't know any of my friends names, do you?"

"I know Sarah and Kiara. That's it. I think one of them is called Bishop or something, though."

I burst out laughing. "Bishop? Oh my god I'm calling him that from now on."

"Who is it, then! Is it gun guy or Bishop?"

I bite my gum. "Mmmm, maybe gun guy."

"The guy that shot fire on that night at the kegger party? No way. Oh my god. Oh my god. He's so beautiful."

I stare blankly at her.

"Right, not beautiful. He's yours. My bad."

I giggle.

"So, what's the deal with him?"

I feel like she's the only one besides Ren that I'll be able to tell. "I liked him for like.. 15.. 14 years now."

"Ooh. A slow burn, I like it."

"And.. tonight we kissed." I feel so happy saying that.

"Kissed as in like... peck? Or kissed as in..."

"The second option." I nod.

"Darla! What? Ooh, okay."

"I've never felt so happy in my life, but I can't tell any of my friends because we have this rule thingy." I say.

"What rule?"

"No pogue on pogue macking.. and JJ and I promise we'd be the best at that rule when we were younger." I say.

"Gun guy is JJ? Okay.. Hmm. DJ, Dar-j, No! I have one! Jarla. Oh my god that's perfect." Bea tries creating ship names.

I laugh. "I like that, has a nice ring to it."