Hurricane - JJ | Outer Banks

Chapter Eleven

~ Five Weeks Ago ~

"When are you coming home?" I asked my mom through the phone. "You've been gone for ages. I miss you."

"I miss you, too, honey." The woman said softly. "But I don't know when I'm coming back."

"Mom, you can quit if you want to." I told her. "Nobody's forcing you to stay."

"Don't you think I know that, Alissa?" She questioned, raising her voice. "I'm doing this for you. I'm doing this so you have the option to do the things I couldn't do, like go to college."

"I've told you. I don't want to go to college and it's been almost a year since you said you were gonna get your old job back so why don't you?"

"I don't want to come home." The woman then snapped. "Not right now."

"But why?"

"I have to go but I will call you soon, okay?"

"Okay." I whispered before the call was disconnected.

"Urgh!" I screamed as I threw my phone across the room in frustration.

"Are you okay?" JJ asked me from the doorway. I turned around to look at the boy and I frowned.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." The boy said as he walked over to my bed and sat down. "You should cut her some slack, her best friend is missing. You would probably want to get away if it was your friend."

"Big John is like a father to me." I sighed as I sat beside the boy. "And I'm living here with his son who misses him just as much, if not more."

"She'll come back."

"I know that." I told him. "She has too. It's just... I don't want her to come back if she feels like she doesn't have a choice. I want her to come back because she wants to."

"I know just the thing to cheer you up." JJ then smiled as he stood up and walked out of the room.

Several moments later, the boy walked back with a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses. "Hey, so, where's John B anyway?"

"No idea." I said. "He wasn't here when I got home." JJ then sat beside me and handed me the glasses before filling them.

"Okay." He said. "To crappy parents."

"To crappy parents." I repeated as we both took the shot.

Five shots later, I was already drunk. I couldn't stop laughing and I was slurring my words. JJ was almost the same but we still continued to drink. "Can I tell you a secret?" I whispered into the boys ear.

"You can tell me anything." He said.

"You can't tell anyone I told you this but... Pope is crushing on Kiara." I smiled.

"Wait, really?" JJ questioned. I nodded as the smile on my face grew even more.

"Shh." I told him before I stood up.

"Where are you going?" The boy asked me.

"We need more booze." I smiled before falling to the floor.

"Ali, you okay?" JJ asked as he moved quickly to help me up. I nodded and when I caught my balance, I continued to laugh making JJ laugh, too. I wasn't thinking in that moment but we were both drunk and I needed to do something that would make me feel better.