A LITTLE LUXURY // Outer Banks // JJ

Prince of Stupidity, God of War

"See how she looks at trouble.

See how she dances in it."

-"Cola", CamelPhat and Elderbook

----

"John B?" my voice came out hoarse.

The two of us were lounging on the couch while everyone else had gone to jump in the water. 

He had turned the compass around and around in his hands pensively for so long without saying a word that everyone else had tired of it. I had chosen to stay out of the sweltering heat, opting to lay next to him, completely lost in my own world as well.

"Yeah?" he answered, still staring off into space.

"Do you think I could crash here for a few nights?"

He turned his gaze to me, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"It's okay if you don't want me to, its just- I mean I know you have DCS trying to kick you out and everything. I just don't really want to be around Barry right now." I scrambled to explain.

He put a hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "Of course you can stay Athena".

I smiled at him gratefully, looking back down at my lap. "Thanks".

He looked at me tentatively, hand still on my shoulder. "Is there.. something else going on? With Barry?"

I gave him questioning look, and he continued. "I just wanna make sure you're okay, Ti. Does Barry ever... hurt you?". He squeezed my shoulder gently.

"No." I said simply, avoiding eye contact.

"Because if he ever did anything, you know the boys and I could set him straight. Hell, Kie would probably come too, to shoot him in the head".

I let out a quiet laugh. "I know John B".

He pulled me in for a hug and I settled comfortably on his shoulder. 

"Ok", he mumbled.

We lay there for a moment in comfortable silence, and I was grateful to have a friend like him. John B and I's friendship had always been easy, ever since we'd met on the playground in 3rd grade.

Barry and his friends, who were in 5th grade at the time, had been laughing at me because I had fallen off the monkey bars. And there John B was, nicely crouching down next to me and asking me why I was crying. 

Behind him had been a skinny blonde boy, who at first didn't want to talk to me because he claimed I had cooties. Eventually, John B had taught me how to outdo anyone on the monkey bars, and JJ had taught me how to out-surf any of the older boys. We'd been inseparable ever since, and soon adopted Pope and Kiara into our group of friends as well.

I owed John B a lot, I realized.

"Hey John B?"

"Yeah?"

"We'll figure it out. Whatever the clue is your dad left you."

He stayed silent, resting his head on top of mine.

"Her too? John B you gotta pick one, maaaaan" JJ's voice startled the both of us, "You can't have both!"

He grabbed a beer from the fridge, looking at us strangely, as if it was the first time he'd seen me and John B hugging before. He popped it, taking a swig, "well don't mind me then, lovebirds".