WHEN COLA WOKE UP THAT MORNING, she was met with three things— one, a crippling headache that made her feel like her brain was being ripped in half, two, confusion as to why she was coddling her best friend despite the North Carolina heat and the tank top stuck to her skin with a thin layer of sweat, and three, an overwhelming sense of urgency when she realized what today was.
They had to prepare for Midsummers. She had to go to the club by 3pm to prepare everything with her co-workers at the Country Club for the event that would occur tomorrow night, yet here she was with the loudest hangover she'd ever experienced.
"JJ," she groaned, attempting to push away the six feet worth of JJ Maybank away from her smaller frame. It seemed like her own voice was too loud for her, as the crippling headache came again, but she managed. "JJ. Wake up."
JJ groans, obviously still deep in sleep.
Cola sighs, carefully peeling her body away from JJ, trying her very best to not rouse him awake. God knows how much shit he's had to handle the past night— she had a blackout. She couldn't remember anything, which meant that she did something stupid.
It was going fairly well, but when the warmth pressing on his body leaves, JJ instinctively chases after it, wrapping an arm around her waist and tugging the girl back to his chest.
"Don't go, Cola." he murmurs, voice still all groggy. Nicola figured out that his brain was still off and wasn't working properly, but despite the attempts to pry away from his grip, he still held on tight.
Cola eventually gives up for a bit. JJ was stronger than her, had her in a tight hold, so she was basically defenseless. (Although a small part of her wanted to stay like this a little but longer, but she wouldn't admit it.)
"JJ," she whines after five minutes, although slightly liking the feeling of his warm arms wrapped around her. "JJ, my head is pounding. I need to take an Tylenol."
That seemed to wake him out of his sleepy trance. In an instant, his eyes went wide open, and with a really sharp "oh shit" escaping his lips, he awkwardly removed his arms off the girl. "You look like shit."
"Tell me something I don't know." The words left her lips before she could even realize it, and soon, her head was going crazy once again.
"I'm gonna go get it. Stay right here."
Nicola nodded, too tired to muster out a reply— whenever she tried to say something, it played like a speakerphone in her head and she wanted to spare herself the agony. The girl only watched as JJ left her tiny room, more or less going to the medicine cabinet at her counter.
Despite being too tired to think, Cola was running down her schedule in her head one by one. The girl had really chosen the wrong day to be wasted— she and JJ promised Pope that they would be at Heyward's in the morning and she had to work at the Country Club from 3pm to god knows how long in a stupid skirt and a stupid vest, working for a bunch of stupid Kooks.
"Here ya' go," JJ entered the room, handing her the pill with a bottle of water. He had made sure to keep his voice low, knowing very well how much a hangover made him feel like shit.
Cola could briefly remember buying a bunch of bottles of water and a bunch of gatorades the last night since there was no running water in the Cut. The girl took the pill from him, drinking it with an overwhelming amount of speed. Instantly, the water seemed to make her feel a little bit better, but the headache still hurt like a bitch.
"What time is it?" The girl croaked out hoarsely, throat still dry.
"Eight," JJ replied simply, "We need to be at Pope's in thirty minutes."
She nods simply. For a moment, because of the silence, JJ thought that Cola had fallen back into sleep, but her voice croaked out again, "Can you give me a ride?"
JJ did a double take, almost spitting his water out. "Can I give you a what? Sure."
"To Heyward's." Cola rolled her eyes at the boy (and immediately regretted it after) while she continued to drink her water. "Give me a ride to Heyward's. I don't know if I can drive."
JJ started giggling like a child who was just given his favorite candy.
....
"I'm just saying, Cola." Kiara persisted, taking in the state of her friend. Cola was wearing shades that was a bit too big for her face (god knows where she stole it from) and her hair was lazily tied up in a sad excuse of a ponytail. She looked like a corpse and moved like one, so Kie wasn't really sure why Nicola was taking her offer. "You shouldn't be working when you look like you're going through your fourth divorce."
"I'm getting a fat paycheck for tomorrow, Kie. I'll be okay by then." The girl replied simply, leaning against the wooden wall. Her sense of balance still wasn't great and she needed support. Her eyes dance over to JJ and Pope, who were busy messing with something at the counter. "By the way, I need to ask a favor."
Kiara notices the shift in demeanor, turning around to see what had caused her friend to suddenly become serious. When she sees that Cola is looking at JJ, her eyes grow wide. "Uh-huh. Go tell me."
"So, me and JJ got drunk last night."
Kie, who was thinking of an entirely different thing, nods carefully. "Uh-huh?"
Cola notices the perverted smile on her friend's face. "It's not that. Ew, no Pogue on Pogue macking, remember?"
An amused smile makes it's way on Kie's face. "I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to. Your expression was implying it."
"Whatever," although she sounded like she wanted Cola to hurry up, she was still smiling. "Just tell me."
"I need you to go find out what I did last night. I blacked out." The girl took in a deep breath, feeling a bunch of blue eyes glancing at her. "You know how I am when I get drunk."
"I sure do."
"And JJ's been acting a bit weird this morning. He's been helping me with a bunch of—" the girl pauses at the look on her friends face once again. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're making this too complicated, Cola." Kie pointed out. "Just ask him. What's so hard about that?"
Nicola pouted. "Please?"
At the sight of her friend who never acts this way, Kiara let out a grin. "Well, I can... but I need you to do something for me in return. An eye for an eye."
Already knowing what this was, Cola shook her head no. "Nope. Nein. Hindi. Not doing it. I'm not gonna be your plus one."
Kie whined, tugging on her friends arm (hoping that this would somehow convince her) "You're my saving grace in a party full of fascists who don't deserve their wealth. Please come with me. I have a spare dress for you and everything. My parents even agreed."
"Kiara—"
"And I'm pretty sure that nicking their wallets would be much more than what the Club has to pay for you."
Hearing this, Cola did a double take. Kie was making a lot of sense. "I'm listening."
"To be honest, I have nothing else." The taller friend notices the smaller girl's features twist into annoyance once again, so she immediately holds her hands up to try to convince her more. "Come on! If I go on my own, it won't be fun. Please? Pretty please?"
The more Cola thought about it, the less worse it sounded like. The Midsummers was like a festival for Kooks to flaunt how much money they had, so of course, their wallets are going to be full. Besides, free food, good booze— and she was still trying to recover from a hangover, she didn't want to go to work today.
"Fine. An eye for an eye." Cola gave in, making Kiara squeal like a child. "I'll have to call my boss. I'm gonna be right back."
After informing her boss that she was going to be Kiara Carrera's plus one for the night through her phone that desperately held onto that 3% battery, Cola came back inside to a discussion between her friends.
Pope, Kie, and JJ were giggling about the night before. Cola smiled a bit, remembering how she had stolen Kelce's wallet in the midst of straddling him, and walked up her friends whose spirits seemed high for the day.
"Don't let it get in your head. Jumping us like that when they knew we were pissing? That's typical Kook shit right there." JJ exclaimed loudly, not caring that there were a bunch of people around who could hear everything.
"Hell, yeah." Kie laughed, linking her arms with Cola's.
"What was your thought process, using your head?" JJ asked Pope, who just shrugged.
"I don't know, man. I just kind of acted off instinct. I was a bit tweaked when Cola started going..." Pope cleared his throat, talking in a high pitched tone to imitate the girl. "Oh my god, Kelce? Hi! Kelce please tell your friends to—"
In the midst of portraying his very inaccurate deception of Cola trying to get Kelce stop that night, the boy was cut off by Heyward walking into the shop, a nervous look on his face as Deputy Shoupe trailed behind him. "Hey, Pope, someone's here to see you."
Pope, JJ, and Nicola all stiffened at the sound of the officer. Instantly, both their eyes trail over to each other, then to Pope, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. "Evening, officer."
It was ten in the morning.
"I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property. Hands where I can see them – young lady, stay out of my way."
Cola removed her hands from Kie, mouth opening in shock as she watched JJ mouthed the words; deny, deny, deny.
"Shoupe. What'd he do?" Heyward asked, an unimpressed and disbelieving look on his face. "You gon' just arrest my boy?"
"Shoupe, what the fuck?" Cola yelled a bit more violently, not daring to touch him since that shit would be turned against her so fast. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Shoupe ignored them, leading Pope out of the building while they continued to throw their concerns (and occasionally, insults) at the officer.
"How much did they pay you, man?"
"Shoupe, let go of him! What the fuck, dude?"
They all followed as Shoupe dragged Pope out the building and all the way to the police car. It was like they weren't even there. The policeman continued to ignore them, dragging Pope to the car.
Nicola swore she could her heart tighten in her chest at the look on Pope's face. It seemed like his life was flashing across his eyes— he didn't deserve this. If one of them was getting out of here, it would be Pope, but if he got arrested, his life would be fucking ruined.
There are no second chances to life if you're a Pogue.
"JJ, stop!" Cola hissed, pulling the boy away when it seemed like the boy was gonna lunge on Shoupe. "You're gonna get yourself arrested!"
Just like that, an idea popped up in his mind.
"It wasn't him!" JJ yelled, and for the first time, Shoupe actually turned around and glanced at the boy. "It was me."
"JJ, stop." Nicola whispered, watching as Shoupe listened attentively. "JJ, what are you doing? Cut it."
"He tried to talk me out of it, but I was mad because they beaten him up— they hurt my girl, too."
My girl. She feels her chest strangely perk up at the nickname he had never used on her before, but Cola quickly shoves it down her throat. Not the right fucking time, she reminds herself.
"I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit."
Cola wanted to do something, say something, but she quickly remembers the look on Pope's face, the way his father scowled, the way it seemed like his life was gonna be over. She knew she couldn't put the blame on herself since the cameras must've caught the figure of a man— she was five feet and five inches and the boys were at six feet, they wouldn't believe it at all.
"I can't let you take the blame for somethin' that I did. You've got too much to lose–"
"JJ, what are you doing?" Pope hissed, eyes trailing to Cola as if she would say something.
She did not.
"I'm tellin' the truth. For once in my goddamn life, I'm gonna tell the truth. I took his old man's boat, too."
Heyward's face twisted. "What the hell?"
"JJ, come on," Pope pleaded.
"Just shut up, Pope." JJ hissed, walking closer to the police officer. Cola could only watch in agony, fingers wrapping Kie's, a habit she had when she was nervous. "He's a good kid. You know where I'm from."
Shoupe nodded, licking his lips as he glanced at Pope. "Yeah."
JJ made eye contact with them, he turned around to glance at Cola, before taking a look at Pope. "This was all me."
Shoupe sighed, eyes trailing over to Cola and Pope. "That's the whole truth?"
"Whole truth, swear to God."
"I know what you think, damn it, I'm asking Pope and Cola."
So there was a camera from somewhere. Why would he know that she was there?
Pope looked like he was about to throw up on all fours as he refuses to look at anyone. Not JJ, not Kie, not Cola, and definitely not his dad. "Yeah, that about covers it."
Shoupe nods, turning to the girl. "What about you, kid?"
Nicola looks directly into JJ's blue eyes, feeling her soul rip in half. It felt like the world was crashing down on her, forcing her to pick a side although it technically wasn't like that.
JJ nods, eyes glistening red as he mouths the words I'm sorry.
"Whole truth," she doesn't keep her eyes away from him, holding her them in such a way that kept the tears inside the lids. "That covers what happened."
Nicola never believed in God, but when Shoupe put his handcuffs on JJ and slammed him inside the car, she found herself praying.
...
Sometimes, Nicola wishes that JJ wouldn't put other before himself sometimes. But it wasn't his nature— JJ would do anything for the Pogues, yet some part of Cola thought that they wouldn't do the same thing for him. She wishes that these absurd ideas would always come out of him before he uses his head. She wishes that he didn't have that goddamn temper of his, or the sheer need to prove himself; but that was what made JJ Maybank, JJ Maybank.
It was evening, and the day had passed agonizingly slow. Kiara had suggested visiting JJ in the prison to see if they could do anything to help him, but Cola quickly shut down the idea, knowing that his father was most likely going to be there. If they didn't want to see their friend getting hurt, JJ definitely did not want it too.
So, they were forced to carry on.
Cola was looking forward to the day— fitting dresses with Kiara and making impressions of Kooks while wearing them, but JJ was on her mind and wouldn't leave it.
The pink silk dress that matched Kie's purple one? JJ would've loved it. The flowers that Anna explained had to be put on her hair? He would've laughed at it. Mr. and Mrs. Carrera complimenting her and her outfit? Oh, JJ would have a field day with that one.
Eventually, they were done, and after charging her phone in Kie's room and checking if her father or JJ replied to any of her texts (none of the two did, much to her dismay) Cola drove back to her house all the way from Figure Eight in her motorcycle, only one thing in her mind— JJ.
Now here she was, standing in front her front door, waiting for her friend despite how late it was getting. Instances like this wasn't uncommon between the two, and somehow, she just knew that JJ would appear in her front door like he usually did.
The girl had been standing, waiting for more than an hour. And as each second passed, the more her nervousness grew and the more she considered just sprinting towards his house. In an attempt to distract herself, she turned on the radio— and a station was playing the Pixies nonstop.
It was killing her. It felt as if the universe was messing with her. JJ loved the Pixies.
She waited for a few minutes, messing with her seashell necklace before her mind started going to dark places— what if JJ couldn't even make it out of his house? The girl knew the damage the Luke Maybank could do on the boy at times, so now that he was arrested, what if he was too hurt to even move?
"Fuck," Cola whispered to herself, pacing around the room. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," she whispered, a million thoughts banging on her head. She could've done something. She could've testified or some shit, hell she could've even—
A weak knock at the front door tore her away from her thoughts. Immediately, the girl opens the door in a terrifying speed, and when the she was met with the sight of the blonde boy.
When JJ first comes into view she doesn't recognize him, it's too dark and his gait is all wrong. He walks like a scarecrow more than a man and all lop-sided at that. As he nears her heart falls right through her black converse— he's more purple than his pale skin. His face still bears congealed blood and his clothes are an utter mess. His arms are wrapped round his guts like he's holding them in and to be honest, he's beat so bad he could be.
Then he tries to say her name, his cracked lips failing at the first syllable, but he doesn't need to.
"Co-" JJ tries to say her name, his cracked lips falling at the first syllable. There were a few small tears he was clearly trying to hold back slipping from his eyes. He quickly wiped them away, taking deep breaths to calm himself.
"JJ," Cola whispered, seeing how his features immediately soften, how a stray tear his glistening eyes at the sound of her voice. "JJ, come in. Oh my god."
It doesn't matter how many times she does this, it still hurts. Every. Single. Fucking. Time. It hurts when her eyes got that wide look, her bottom lip trembled and she hurried to sit by his bedside. It hurts whenever he winces at a particular snap of pain, it hurts when she traces the Neosporin on his cuts— it hurts, it hurts so fucking much.
It hurts the most when he finally breaks down at the sight of Cola treating his wounds, he snaps.
It's like popping a balloon, the needle small but with so much effect. The emotions JJ's been holding onto ever since he arrived at her doorstep pouring down in a rush as the girl wraps herself up on him. His uncontrollable rush of emotion, his trembling, his nerve-wracked body heaving air in small bursts.
Cola held him, cradled his head and smoothed her thumb over the curled hair at the nape of JJ's neck. "It's okay, JJ." she whispered, voice cracking, the lump in her throat edging her to burst into tears and the raw need to weep welling up at the sound of her friend burying his head into his shoulder as he continued to weep. "It's okay. I'm here. You're safe, okay?"
Cola sifted her hand through JJ's hair and used the other to rub his back, stroke her hand up and down.
JJ Maybank was reckless, JJ Maybank had the worst fucking temper, but JJ Maybank would do anything for his friends — and Cola didn't want to change a single thing about him.
The night was painful. So painful that the girl found herself clutching her chest whenever JJ would give her details of what went down, but they eventually fell in her bed after a long hour, Hey by the Pixies playing somewhere in the background.
note
ok tbh idk if im following the timeline correctly but yeah i tried figuring it out but it was too confusing??? i couldn't figure out if the whole jj getting arrested and midsummer's situation happened all in a day but yeah i changed it up lol
also cola coming as kie's date #yaaas