ᴀᴜɢᴜsᴛ | ᴊᴊ ᴍᴀʏʙᴀɴᴋ

Pʀᴀʏᴇʀs (2)

"What's that ? Pull over. That's a lot of smoke,
even for your dad's truck." Kie says

JJ coughs, "Pope, I got sensitive lungs, man !"

"I'm pulling over." Pope says as he swerves

"Pope, just slow down !"

"What are you doing, dude ?" Estrella says

"Okay, sure. Yeah, right now." Kie says as the trunk jumps. They all jerk forward as Pope comes to a stop. "Shit !"

"Pope you're the worst driver ever." Estrella says

"No. No. No. No." Pope says as he hurries to open the door

"Oh my." JJ says opening his door

"No. No."

"It's gonna blow up." Kie says

"No, it's not gonna blow up. You probably unhooked the radiator, Pope." JJ says as he walks away from the truck, "I haven't seen this before. You knocked the entire hubcap off ! Whoo !"

"We're not making it, Pope." Estrella says

"Plan B ?" Kie suggests, "We could, um... public transportation. We could hitchhike. We could rent bikes."

"Yeah, it's the radiator." JJ says as he looks in the engine.

"My dad's gonna kill me." Pope says

"Yeah, he might." JJ nods, "He might."

"Not helping." Estrella says as she sits in the car.

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The teens were able to get the truck to an auto shop. Pope was talking with the mechanic. Kie and Estrella were sitting in the trunk of a random truck. JJ sighs as he walks over to them.

"Dude's in heaven right now." JJ says leaning on the side of the trunk, " 'Gotta know the calibration point before you do anything with the intake valve, JJ. You do the--' " He stops as he finally looks up. His eyes landing on Estrella, "Hey. You all right ?"

As Estrella looks up, Kie sighs, "My mom is so worried that I'm gonna be a Pogue that she's willing to send me to boarding school."

JJ wasn't expecting her to answer, but when Estrella stays silent, he sips from his flask, "Well, I guess that's what you get for hanging out with the wrong crowd, Kie."

"I mean, I'm not gonna go. It's too late anyway. I already am who I am."

"Ain't all that bad." He says before pointing toward Pope, "Just look at that guy over there." Kie turns toward Pope, "He would do anything for us. That's a Pogue if I've ever seen one. Bone-deep."

Kie turns back toward JJ, "That's just one man's opinion, though." He raises his flask before taking a spin. Kie smiles before turning back to Pope.

Estrella watches as she gets up from the trunk and grabs her bag. Her eyes following her as she walks into the shop.

"You okay ?"

Estrella turns to the blonde. She takes a deep breath, "Yeah. Just thinking about how when I get back my shit is definitely gonna be on the porch."

JJ chuckles, "That's what we get for trying to do the right thing."

"I don't even know what happened. It's like she did a complete 180 on me."

"Well, maybe she's always felt like that." JJ says, "Now she thinks she has an actual reason because of John B."

Estrella shrugs, "I guess."

A comfortable silence falls between the two. Estrella in her own thoughts and JJ struggling with his own.

"Can I ask you something ?" He blurts out. Estrella looks up at him, "Shoot."

JJ sighs before twirling his flask in his hands. He was scared of what she would say if he asked what he really wanted to ask. They just got back on good terms and he was afraid she would shut him out again.

"We, uh, we heard you and your mom earlier. While you guys were in the house."

"Yeah."

"You said something about how we're the only reason you're still here right now ?" JJ says. Estrella looks down as she subconsciously rubs her wrist. JJ catches her, "What happened, Estrella ?"

It goes silent again as JJ waits for Estrella to speak. He was scared of what the actual answer would be.

"After John B and Sarah died." She starts putting up quotations, "I started hurting myself."

"And one night, I went overboard and almost actually ended it, but Pope called. Told me he wanted to do the memorial for John B." She says softly, "My mom ended up walking in and saw everything. If Pope wouldn't have called, I probably wouldn't be here."

She finally has the courage to look up at JJ. Her heart breaking in her chest at his expression.

Truthfully, JJ felt horrible. The girl he would do anything for had hurt herself. She felt like she had no one in her corner. When in reality, JJ was always in her corner.

"JJ ?"

"You could've called." He says, "To talk. Even if you hated me, you could've called. I would've come running."

"I know. I see that now. I should've called somebody, but I didn't feel like I really had anyone." She says shaking her head, "I mean, John B had just died, I found out what happened with you, and with the way Kie brought it up. I didn't think I had anyone."

"You have me." He says softly, "You'll always have me."

Estrella stares back at him as he says this. Despite all that happened, she realized that there were people who would've been heart broken had she actually gone through with what she wanted to do that night.

She smiles lightly, "Thanks, Jay."

JJ's heart rate spiked at the nickname. She hadn't called him that in what felt like forever. "Of course, Star."

Estrella's smile widens before she looks down in her lap. JJ's own smile taking over his face as he watched her.

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Kie was able to pay for the repairs on the truck. They were now on the side of the road attempting to get some sleep. Estrella was curled up in a corner. JJ laying horizontally beside her. Kie and Pope laid vertically at the end.

Kie grabbed the flask out of JJ's hand closing it before setting it beside him.

"Good night, everyone." Pope says

Estrella was already out as Kie looked toward her and JJ. She leans down and kisses Pope on the cheek. The boys eyes widening.

"Good night." She says as she lays back. JJ turns away as he pulls his hat further down. Feeling shuffling beside her, Estrella unconsciously moves forward. JJ staying still as she moves and cuddles right into him.

As she gets comfortable, she lets out a breath. JJ didn't dare move from his spot.

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The next morning, the teens were finally making their way into Charleston. Estrella looks up at the sign as they cross the bridge into the city.

"Wonder where John B and Sarah are right now." JJ says. Kie and Pope turning to each other, but they all stay silent.

Unknowingly, passing right over their best friends.

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