"JJ, hey! Wait up." I struggled to catch up, chasing after him.
I caught my breath as he stopped and leaned against a tree. He looked out into the water. He messed with his hat, adjusting it. His blonde hair was barely able to contain itself under the hat, he really needed a haircut. Not really, it suited him well.
"JJ, talk to me."
"You know exactly why I'm upset." I heard him light up, a puff of smoke coming from his mouth shortly after. "So, you're into John B?"
"I never said I was into John B. And even if I was, why does it matter to you?" I crossed my arms, waiting for him to turn around.
"It just does. Okay?" He puffed the joint again, inhaling a lot more than the first time.
"Are you gonna share?" I step up to be shoulder to shoulder with him.
"Depends."
"On what? JJ, not that it matters but I didn't kiss him back." I sat down in the grass with the joint in between my fingers.
He slowly slid down the tree to be sitting next to me.
"It sure looked like you were."
"I swear I wasn't. I told him I didn't feel that way about him. I practically broke his heart into pieces, you should've seen the look on his face." I puffed the joint, following a lot of coughing after I exhaled.
"Give me that, dweeb. You're seriously coughing? Thought you were a certified stoner by now?" JJ takes the joint from my fingers, taking the last bit of it that was left before pushing it into the ground.
"Dweeb? What are you, 13? But seriously, why does it matter? Quit ignoring it. Do you have a little crush on me, JJ?" He kept his eyes on the water, not even blinking.
"No, I just know him and he would hurt you. I can't stand seeing you hurt." His eyes looked over me for the first time since he ran off, and they looked like they were full of tears.
"Are you about to cry on me? JJ Maybank crying? This is a sight I thought I'd never see."
"I'm being serious, Rach. For once, let me be serious." He pushes into my shoulder and looks back to the water.
"I'm sorry. I don't like him, I have my eyes on another boy. Plus, he's like my big brother. I couldn't." I shivered at the thought, me dating John B? No way.
"Another boy, huh? Pope?" He chuckles at the thought, or maybe it was the weed finally getting to his brain.
"No, not Pope and I'm not telling you." I get up, throwing my shirt to the ground.
I stood up to shimmy out of my shorts and his eyes widen.
"You're finally stripping for me? Thought I'd never get the pleasure." He puts his arms behind his head, thinking he was getting a show.
"No, I'm going for a swim you perv. Care to join?" I hold out my hand for him.
He hesitates for a moment but eventually grabs it. A smile appeared on his face as he threw his hat and shades to the ground. I felt his fingers wrap around me as we ran out to the beach. I let my toes sink into the sand below me and feel the cold, morning water flow over my feet.
"It's freezing."
"Freezing? You're such a puss." JJ's hand drops out of mine and he runs out into the water, laying down in the water. He runs his fingers through his hair, letting the water take him out.
I laughed as the wave went over his face, causing him to cough.
"Who's coughing now?" I chuckle.
"Get over here, you kook."
He comes towards me, and I turned around to run away from him but his arms wrap around my waist. He began walking backwards, pulling my body into the water. I felt my body begin to shake. His fingers dug into my ribs, pulling me farther into the water.
"JJ! I'm shivering! Stop it!" I tried flaling my arms but it was no use.
He finally turned me around to face him, a huge smile plastered across his face. He had been laughing.
"See? Wasn't that bad." He chuckled, his arms still around me. He was holding me really lose, I could feel his breath on my neck.
I pull my arms up and splash water in his face.
"Wrong move, cupcake." He tightens his grip on my waist and throws my body up in the air.
I was screaming by now, and then I felt my body go under water. I came back up and he was right in front of me, our noses almost touching.
"I'm going to murder you, Maybank. Also, still not your cupcake."
"Oh, but you are. You're just denying it."
"I hate you."
"You know you love me." He whispers, the large grin still across his face.
"You're making it really hard for me to hate you."
"So what you're saying is you're a slut for me?"
"When did I say that? You are a pro at twisting words."
"And getting your panties in a twist."
I just roll my eyes, swimming further away from him.
"The others take forever!" He yelled out, in hopes that they would hear us.
"I have a feeling John B is gonna be mad at me for a while."
"No, he won't."
"For all we know, he's been watching us and thinks that we have a thing."
"We are exclusive, sweetheart. He just doesn't know that."
"JJ. Please."
"Sorry, I forgot." He winks at me, hovering in the water.
He looks to the beach and sees John B and the others waving at us.
"C'mon! It's about damn time."
"Guys, you need to get out now." I hear Pope yell.
"Why? You're a party pooper."
"I'm getting sick of them, they never match our energy." I looked to JJ as he looks back at me.
"Let's go, Rach." He grabs my hand, taking me out of the water.
"What's going on?" JJ's emotion changed quickly as we left the water.
"Hurricane Agatha. She's heading our way. We gotta take shelter."
"A hurricane?" I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
"Yeah, we need to get inside. Look over there." John B points towards the other side of the island and I could see the darkness.
"I should get home." I drop JJ's hand, as I see everyone was staring at us.
He looks down to my side and back up to my face.
"No, you should stay here again. I want you to be safe." John B steps closer to me, looking down to my hand and back up.
"But, my mom-"
"I think she'd much rather you be here safe, then try to get home and get caught." Kie adds.
"You're right. So, is everyone staying then?"
"Yep. I'm not going home anytime soon." JJ sighs.
I could tell something was up with him. I knew his dad wasn't the best but he wouldn't open up about his past. I'd know him for almost a year and I still didn't know much about him besides the fact that he could be a jerk, but a hot one.
"Alright. Let's go. So much for a beach day."
"Hey, we've got the whole summer still." Pope walks beside me.
"You're right. I was just having a really great time." I look back to JJ and he was looking to the ground.
I grabbed my shorts and shirt from the yard before entering the house. I shook off my hair in the doorway, waiting for everyone to get inside. JJ entered the house with his head hung low.
Everyone goes to the living room. I shut the door behind him and he walks to the bathroom. I follow him before he shuts the door, my hand stopping it.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"What?" His attitude had changed once again.
His eyes made him look more irritated, angry almost.
"Your whole mood just changed again. You can tell me anything, JJ."
"I'm fine, why you gotta be all up on my dick?"
"Why do you have to be so stuck up all the time? What the hell did I even do?"
"Just leave me the fuck alone, okay?" He slams the door in my face and I exit to the living room.
Everyone's eyes went to me as I leaned against the wall.
"What's his problem?" Kie looks to the bathroom door.
"Just JJ being JJ, I guess."
"It's gonna be a long night." Pope sighs.
You've got that right.