The sun blinds me as my eyes open. I heard a groan beside me, feeling arms reach out for me and pull me into them. I roll over to face JJ, seeing his eyes were still closed. His hair was in a mess over his face. I pulled it back but it fell back over his forehead. I just laid there, my fingers running through his hair. It was quiet for a while, until I heard a knock at my door.
"Rach, is JJ in there? We can't find him. Hoping he didn't stumble out in the storm last night." I heard John B groan on the other side of the door, I could tell he was leaning into the door.
"He's in here."
"Okay, good." His tone of voice told me exactly how he was feeling.
"You think he's still mad at me?" I looked over to the sleepy JJ.
"About the kiss?" He finally broke the silence, his voice groggy.
"Yeah. I feel bad. I really do." I continued to run my fingers through his hair, his eyes still remaining closed.
"You don't have to feel bad, he's still going to be your friend."
"Yeah, I just imagine he thinks that I rejected him for you."
His eyes opened finally, the sun hitting them just right. He closed them a bit, looking into my eyes.
"So, you do have feelings for me?" He chuckled, his tongue slipping out of his mouth to wet his lips.
"Oh god, JJ. Seriously? Can you be serious for like 3 seconds?"
"Yes." He pauses for 3 seconds. "I knew it! I knew you had a thing for me. You just can't stay away from the bad boys, huh? That's what it is. John B doesn't fit your criteria, but I do."
I roll my eyes, taking my hands from his head and standing up from bed.
"Aw, c'mon Rach. I'm sorry." He groaned, leaning back into his pillow.
"Nope. You're just a horn dog."
I open my door to see John B and Kie standing in the doorway. They look to me, looking me up and down. I realized I was wearing JJ's shirt and no pants. I'm sure it was giving the wrong impression.
"Looks like you had a fun night." Kie scratches her neck.
John B just looked to the ground.
"What? Seriously? You guys seriously don't believe me? I said we aren't dating, we aren't doing anything. I'm wearing his shirt that he left on the floor and I wasn't going to wear my swimsuit to bed. He joined me in bed last night because he had no where to sleep. That's it. Get over yourselves." I go straight to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
"What she said, that's my girl." I heard JJ call from the bedroom.
I looked into the mirror and chuckled. It really looked bad once I thought about it. But it was the truth, JJ and I were just friends. Yeah, we did flirt and do coupley things but we weren't a couple. No matter how badly I might've wanted us to be, it wouldn't work. It would make everything awkward and I just know that if I dated any of the pogues, I would have my heart broken and I would never hear the end of it from my mother. As I sat down on the toilet, I realized that I hadn't spoken to my mom in at least a week. I'm sure she was freaking out.
I flushed and washed my hands quickly before the door hits me in the face.
"Ouch!" I groaned, holding my hand up to my forehead.
"Oh my god, my bad. Are you okay?" John B was quick to check me out, looking to my forehead.
"I'm okay. Knock next time, maybe?" I grab and drop his hand from my forehead and walk back to the back room. JJ was still laying in bed but he had his juul hanging from his mouth, scrolling through his phone.
"What was that all about?" JJ let the smoke escape from his lips as I shut the door.
"John B hit me with the bathroom door."
"What a klutz. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. I probably should go home today. I haven't talked to my mom in over a week. She's gonna have my ass when I get home."
"Day after a hurricane is a free day, Rach. Everyone knows that."
"Tell that to Pope, he already left this morning to help his dad."
"Pope's a buzzkill, you're not. That's the difference."
"Have you guys been outside?" John B calls from the hallway.
"No?"
"C'mon. Gods practically telling us to fish with this." I could hear the excitement in his voice so I pull on my shorts and pull back my hair into a ponytail.
"Whatchu pullin' up your hair for?" JJ says through the juul still laying in between his lips.
"We're going out on the water, I assume. I don't want my hair wet."
"Mmm-hmm." He says, hitting it again.
"Let's go, dork."
"Dork?"
I zip my shorts and open the door, seeing John B out in the yard. He was pulling branches off the HMS Pogue, his prized possession. The boat his dad left him.
"C'mon, J. Let's go help."
He groans and slips his cap on backwards, following me outside.
"Agatha really did us dirty." I heard him mumble behind me, not wanting to help.
"Yeah, she's a crazy bitch." John B threw some sticks off the boat, pushing it into the marina.
"Let's go fishing."
-
"Mandatory meeting, get in. Over." John B called to Pope, working with his dad.
"I told you the man was out for work today." I pushed JJ's shoulder as he didn't believe me.
"Day after a hurricane is a free day! I told you!" He called.
"Dad's got me working, bunch of orders after the hurricane."
"Your dads a pussy, over." JJ said.
I push into his shoulder again.
"Rude."
"I heard that you bastard." Heyward calls.
"I'll do it tomorrow, I promise." Pope walks down towards the boat.
"Gun it! Gun it!" I heard him whisper to us.
"You come back here! You'll be cleaning shrimp, fish, and your dirty ass room!"
We all chuckle and laugh as the boat drives away to pick up Kie. I give Pope a hand on the back as he walks past us. JJ was hyping him up for sure. Kie comes down with a cooler.
"Did you pack some juice boxes?" I call out excitedly.
"Yep, and some yogurt and carrot sticks."
"I sure hope they're my type of juice boxes." JJ says.
"You already know."
"It's barely noon." I call over to him, seeing him crack open a beer.
"It's 5 o'clock somewhere, baby." He chugs one down, going to the top of the boat.
Pope decided to take the boat for a spin, so I go to the front of the boat to watch him try. John B rarely let anyone else drive it because he was worried something bad would happen. JJ was acting a fool, pouring beer into his mouth as the air flew back into his face. Beer flew into my hair and kept hitting my face.
"JJ! Beer in my face!" I kept trying to cover my face from getting hit but it kept flying.
"Woohoo!" He just laughed in my face.
I went to go walk up to him, leaving my hand on his shoulder. A sudden change in the water had me flying forward, causing JJ to fly off the boat, sending me with him. I flew into the water below, feeling my whole body flip. The water was freezing. I felt JJ's hands on me under the water as I began to swim back up.
"Pope! What the actual fuck?" I call out, pulling my hair out of my face.
"There was a change in the current. I must've hit the sandbar."
"I felt my heels touch the back of my head." JJ came up behind me, his hands on my waist.
I pull them off and turn to look at him.
"I wouldn't have fallen in if it weren't for you!" I splash water up at his face.
"Hey! I was making sure you didn't drown! Be greatful!"
"I can swim, Maybank. I don't need your constant attention and assistance."
"Get the fuck off your high horse, Rachel. Jesus."
"So much for not getting my hair wet."
I feel his body language change as he turns around to look back into the water. His eyes focused on something under.
"Guys, I think you might wanna see this."
"What is it?"
"It looks like a boat."