Heavenly ✶ JJ Maybank

𝟬𝟭𝟴 the guilt troubled girl

     "Do you guys think he's okay?" Nova spoke up, her voice shaky as her quiet voice ripped through the short moment of silence, the girl expressing her worry for the Maybank boy.

     There was no denying they were all worried for JJ, but some more than others. Everyone glanced at Nova and noticed the look burning bright in her ocean, blue eyes and the way she stared at the rest of them for some sort of reassurance. They were all aware about how close Nova and JJ had become this summer, and how much they cared for each other. It was clear every time the pair were in the same room as each other, and that was why Nova was worried now. It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

Sarah stared at Nova for a brief moment, before she used her foot to kick John B from underneath the table, the boy flinching at first, a sharp wince leaving his lips as he lifted his gaze to meet eyes with his girlfriend. However, Sarah simply shot him a look and nodded towards Nova, indicating for the boy to say something that would ease Nova's nerves and crippling anxiety over the Maybank boy.

Nodding his head, John B cleared his throat. "Look, he'll come around, all right?" John B reassured the blonde sitting opposite him, his eyes locking with Nova's for a swift moment, before he let out a sigh. "It's...he's doing a JJ thing." He added, his words not doing much to help Nova, not even a little bit. Nova was grateful that he tried though.

"Do you think he'll go home?" Kiara piped up, the Carrera girl staring down at her reflection in the metal table displayed in front of her.

     Kiara's question was enough to make Nova wonder the exact same thing. JJ had no one to turn to in this very moment. He didn't have Nova and he didn't even have his friends, meaning he would have nowhere else to go other than back home where his father would be waiting for him. The very thought of what could possibly happen to JJ once he stepped into the four walls of his own personal nightmare was enough to make Nova Van Kirk worry all over again.

From what she had learned when realising the kind of man Luke Maybank was, it was that the majority of the beatings he inflicted on JJ was as a result of JJ doing something to get under his skin at first. But from her own experiences shared between her and Rafe, Nova had learnt over the past year that abusers will just snap for no reasons and do anything and everything to release their boiling anger and twisted fury. So, Nova also knew abusers didn't need an excuse to inflict pain on their victims. They do it because there's no one that can stop them.

So, it left Nova wondering what would happen to JJ if he came face to face with his father again. She knew the outcome wouldn't be good.

Nova began to look around the table, her eyes flickering between her friends as she parted her lips to speak. "He wouldn't do that, right?" She inquired, wanting nothing more than for someone to agree with her, and luckily for her, someone came through when she needed it most.

"There's about a zero percent chance that JJ goes home." Pope spoke up, causing for Nova to lift her gaze, staring into the direction where the Heyward boy stood, his eyes looking out at the docks displayed in front of his chocolate brown coloured eyes.

     Nova just hoped Pope was right.

"You okay?" Nova turned her attention away from Pope and over towards John B when she heard his voice ring through her ears, the girl noticing that he was staring at Sarah with a concerned look glazed over his eyes.

     The sight was enough to make a ghost of a smile form across her lips, her eyes flickering between Sarah and John B for a moment. It was a refreshing sight to see one of her best friends with a guy who genuinely looked out for her. No guy has done that for Sarah before. Topper was a contender, but he pushed the Cameron girl at times and Nova saw that every time she saw them together. She was happy that Sarah was able to find someone like John B — someone who will love and protect her no matter the circumstances.