"𝙤𝙝, 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙩"
𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨...
♪ 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙬𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 - 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙬 ♪
"THAT'S WHAT, A THREE-STORY fall to the deck? I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival."
Blue watched as her brother stood on top of the roof with one foot balancing him, a half-empty can of beer in his hand and a playful smile on his face. Pope spoke to him from the deck as he messed with a power drill the construction workers had left on the property.
"Hm," John B hummed, sticking his finger in his mouth and then pointing it up in the air. "Should I do it?"
"Yeah, you should jump, I'll shoot you on the way down." Pope aimed the drill at John B like it was a gun, though the boy would most likely never touch a weapon or shoot someone even if his life depended on it.
John B went along with their little game. "You're gonna shoot me?" He pointed finger guns at his friend while making gun noises like a child.
"Hey, I would really rather you not die on my birthday, please and thank you!" Blue shouted from her spot on the raised platform, watching as John B completely ignored her request. "That would be a really sucky gift!"
Although she was used to her brother doing stupid shit, it didn't stop her from worrying. John B was smart, but he tended to do things without thinking and he let his emotions get in the way of logic at times. He always managed to escape trouble pretty easily, but Blue knew his luck would run out eventually if he kept mindlessly playing with it. The very last thing she needed, or wanted, was him getting hurt in any way. She honestly didn't think she would ever be able to handle it if something happened to him.
JJ shook his head from his spot beside her. "Don't worry Blue, he'll be fine. His beer won't survive though." His eyes locked onto the can that John B was holding very loosely as he switched from one foot to the other, testing his balance.
The group had decided that their first celebration for Blue's sweet sixteen would start there; a construction site on Figure Eight that was bound to have security coming at some point. Loitering in empty, half-finished mansions wasn't anything new to the Pogues. The guards knew their names and the teens knew theirs. They also knew that it'd take the officers at least an hour to arrive on site given how slow and incompetent Kildare's law enforcers were.
Blue felt a sense of peace wash over her as she looked out onto the morning sky. It was painted a light blue, still lightly hued from its previous pink shades, and definitely a beauty to look at. The wind was warm and tickled against her skin, leaving a salty perfume in its wake. If this was what sixteen would be like - enjoying beautiful weather, getting into trouble with her friends, and sitting next to the boy who always made her smile - then she was excited to live it out and see what else the year had in store for her.
"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers." Kiara interrupted as she emerged from the half-built mansion. Disgust for the future of the property shown through her tone and expression as she made her way out onto the deck.
Being a fellow environmentalist, Blue knew seeing the excessive future mansion would bother her hippie friend. Even though Kie was rich and lived on the Eight, she definitely didn't act like it. Blue remembered when she first met Kie, back when she was only five years old, and how they quickly bonded over catching bugs and surfing in the ocean. Kiara was her first real friend on the island; her soul sister. It didn't matter that the Carrera girl was an anomaly in their group - she was one of them, and nothing would ever change that.
"Of course they are, why wouldn't they?" JJ responded to Kiara with a roll of his eyes.
"This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles, I guess?"
"I can't have cold towels!"
As Kiara looked up at John B, a sly smile made its way onto her baby face. "Can you please not kill yourself?" She asked teasingly.
"Maybe now he'll listen." Blue muttered, causing JJ to chuckle. She had a theory there was something brewing between the two, but she decided to keep quiet about it - for now.
The blond boy looked up at John B again as he raised his drink to his lips. "Don't spill that beer! I'm not giving you another one."
Seconds after the words hit the air, John B's grip on his can slipped, and the beer went tumbling to the ground below. The four teenagers on the deck laughed and shook their heads while the Routledge boy groaned dramatically.
"Of course you did! Like right when I told you-"
"Smooth."
"A-plus."
"Dumbass."
Their chorus of insults stopped when Pope looked over the balcony and then turned to his friends with an anxious smile. "Hey, uh, security's here! Let's wrap it up."
Just with one look, Blue could tell that Pope was itching to leave before anything could happen. He was the golden boy, the one with a bright future, the one with something to lose. If anything intercepted his path to earning his merit scholarship and going to a top college, the boy would positively lose his ever-loving mind. She wouldn't blame him.
While the Heyward boy hated the idea of being caught, the rest of them enjoyed the thrill of being chased, of balancing on the edge of making a clean getaway or being sent to the county jail for processing. Although Blue tried to keep good graces with authority figures on the island to lessen the chances of getting major trouble whenever they caught us doing something stupid, she couldn't help but love the rush that filled her body during these escapades.
Blue grinned, standing up on the platform and taking a look at the security guards hoarding the driveway. She excitedly tapped an upbeat rhythm on the metal bar in front of her as jitters ran under her skin. "This is gonna be so fun!" She squealed. Running from the cops was great cardio; it was why her legs were so toned and why her speed had gotten a lot faster over the years. Practice makes perfect.
"Boys are here early today." John B commented as he began to climb down from the roof. Blue watched his movements to make sure he made it down safely.
JJ took her hand in his as he led her down the platform. "Humpty Dumpty, let's roll!"
Kiara smirked at the others as she began to turn on her heel. "Let's go, boys," As Blue stepped down beside her, she threw her arm over her shoulder and pulled the younger girl to her side. "And birthday girl!"
"Gary, is that you?" Blue asked as she peeked over the railing and sent the security guard a small wave. The stout man grumbled in annoyance as he made eye contact with her despite her smiling at him like an angel.
Hm, most people didn't react like that. Guess he really doesn't like them.
"Gary, good to see you, man!" JJ yelled with her. Gary's face turned bright red.
Pope pleaded for them to hurry up, obviously not wanting the rent-a-cops to get to them before they had the chance to make an escape. As JJ continued his taunting, Blue laughed at him and began to step away from the balcony.
"Oh, you're just asking for it!" She yelled to him as she began running with the other three, watching as JJ quickly moved to join her. He loved to taunt their enemies until their breaking point. Blue would worry he was little unhinged, but it was part of what was so lovable about him, so she let it go.
With excited laughs and hollers, the five teenagers ran through the uncompleted mansion, dodging the metal bars and tools that littered the empty space. As they made their way down the stairs, JJ instantly crashed into one of the guards, but managed to turn before he could grab him. Another guard went after him and had him in a hold for a split second before the blond got loose.
"Not much of a hugger, man!"
Blue couldn't contain her laughter as she followed her friends through the house. Security seemed more focused on grabbing one of the boys then her or Kie, so the two girls were able to slip by without much trouble (sexism works out in their favor sometimes!). Once they got outside, they ran into the Twinkie with John B hopping in the driver's seat. Blue kept the side door open and watched as Pope struggled to climb over the fence and JJ urged him to keep going.
Pope fell and ate shit on the ground, causing all of them to laugh at his clumsiness. JJ stealthily hopped down the fence and picked the boy up. "Get up, Pope, Fatso's coming!"
"Come here, you little pricks!"
John B honked the horn twice, "The bus is leaving!"
"Come on, boys!" Kie and Blue yelled in harmony, shouting excitedly as they came closer to the beat-up hippie van they all loved and adored.
Once JJ and Pope hopped in the getaway car, John B hit the gas, and they were flying down the road. With the door still open, Gary's angry shouts could be heard from down the street.
Pope looked outside and laughed. "Check out Gary gunnin' for a raise!"
They all glanced out the door to see the officer running after the Twinkie with a furious expression on his sweaty face. Blue shook her head at the sight, wondering why he would even bother. She supposed running after rebellious teens was also great cardio, but come on, they were in a car for Pete's sake! Give it a rest already!
"Come on, Gary!" JJ yelled at the guard who was struggling to keep up with the van, but still managed to get close to the open door. "Wait, slow down, slow down!"
John B did as told and eased up on the gas, letting Gary catch up a little. JJ grabbed a beer can and hung outside the van door, taunting the security guard with it.
"You're gonna give him a heart attack!" Kie exclaimed but didn't seem too serious about stopping anything. They were having too much fun to ever think about the consequences of their actions.
"You're so close! You can do it!" JJ tossed the beer to Gary, who actually caught it, to their surprise. "Aw! They don't pay you enough, bro!"
With a smile hurting her cheekbones, Blue pulled on the back of JJ's grey t-shirt, making him face her. "Stop, stop!" She said, knowing that the rent-a-cop had been tortured enough and they were safe from getting booked.
"Oh, come on, Bluey! That sort of initiative is just begging to be punished!"
While their laughter still bounced off the van's interior, John B picked up the speed again, driving onto the bridge that would take them through Figure Eight and over to the Cut. As they all began to settle down, Blue's mind began to wonder off and she started thinking about her kitten, hoping the neighbors were taking good care of her. She didn't want to leave Rain at the Chateau, but her friends were dead set on not taking an animal with them on their adventures. She had grumbled about it on the way there, but eventually let it go.
Any thoughts concerning her new pet were interrupted when JJ pulled Blue to sit on his lap. The blond rested his forehead on the back of her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her concave waist in a secure hold. It wasn't abnormal for him to do this. While JJ's physical affection towards his other friends came in the form of playful punches and shoves, he never really acted that way with Blue, at least not all the time. He was always more gentle with her than anyone else.
Even though his careful hold wasn't a stranger to the girl, she still found herself melting under his touch. She wondered if there would ever be a time when he wouldn't have any kind of effect on her but she highly doubted that day would ever come.
Blue saw her brother's eyes glance back through the rearview mirror and noticed the annoyed gleam that appeared in them at the sight of her and his best friend together. "Dude! Get your hands off my sister!"
"What?! I'm just checking her for injuries!" The blond lied straight through his teeth.
"The hell you are! Put her down!"
Blue laughed as JJ pouted and set her back onto the cushioned seat she was on previously. "Way to be a buzzkill, JB." She said, still feeling the effects of JJ's touch all over her skin. John B muttered something in an aggravated tone as he turned his gaze back to the road ahead.
Kiara shook her head at the exchange, her smile from successfully evading the law still evident on her face. "So Blue, how're you liking sixteen so far?" She asked.
Blue looked around at the four Pogues surrounding her, taking in their labored breaths and satisfied grins. She then glanced at JJ, who had reached for her hand and held it out of John B's eyesight.
"I love it."
𑁍 𑁍 𑁍
RAIDING A CONSTRUCTION SITE wasn't the only plan for the day. Once the sun went down, a bonfire was started in the Chateau's backyard and a keg had been stationed near the pit. Many of the Cut's residents started flooding the small property as Kiara's playlist sounded through the humid air and the boys brought out more lawn chairs for people to take advantage of. Thankfully, it was a casual affair, meaning Pogues only and no Kooks allowed.
Blue had changed into one of Kie's layered hippie-style skirts and a black bralette top, leaving her hair down despite the summer heat begging for her to tie it up. She had put on some lip gloss, mascara, and a few of the rings and necklaces her friends had gifted and/or stolen for her over the years. A pair of worn-out, previously white vans that her and JJ painted last summer completed her birthday look, making her feel satisfied with the outcome.
Blue knew she was cute. Or adorable, or pretty, or whatever little words could be used to describe her. But beautiful? Sexy? Yeah, she didn't know about that. It was hard to see herself that way when there were very few people that looked like her on the island and she was constantly surrounded by perfect little white girls that everyone worshipped - like Sarah Cameron, for example.
Sarah Cameron was the Kook Princess, the Queen of Kildare, the girl everyone had their eyes on. She was the oldest daughter of Ward Cameron, the richest guy on the island. Blue had only spoken to the girl a handful of times, and that was only because John B worked for her father, cleaning their boats and doing odd jobs around the property. Kiara had been Sarah's best friend once during what the Pogues called her "Kook Year", but things definitely did not end well between them. Since Sarah had a birthday party and didn't invite Kiara and Kiara called the cops to break it up as an act of revenge, the two girls had been sworn enemies.
To make things clear: despite the beef between Sarah and Kiara, Blue didn't have any beef with the Cameron girl. Blue was the kind of person that didn't hold grudges, and she didn't go looking for them, either. She believed in karma and energy and all that hippie shit, so she didn't want to waste her time hating a girl she didn't know just for kismet to bite her in the ass. Still, she didn't like what Sarah did to her friend, and she supported Kiara and was always on her side.
Blue wasn't necessarily jealous of Sarah Cameron. While the Kook Princess seemed to live a perfect life, Blue knew that kind of life wasn't for her. She was a Pogue through and through, and living in mansions and drinking mai tais and dating snobby rich guys was definitely not her vibe. She just noticed that the blonde, with her sweet face and perfect body, was the object of the entire male population of Kildare's desire. Even though there were plenty of rumors that painted the girl out to be a serial cheater, it didn't matter. Because if there's one thing teenage boys will always go after, it's a white girl with blonde hair and Daddy's money. And Blue knew she didn't have anything like that going for her.
There was a certain beauty standard that Blue didn't meet and she couldn't even fully understand it herself. In the papers DCS gave the Routledge family a copy of, they had listed her ethnicity as "of Asian descent". Uh, duh! She didn't need a stupid report to tell her that. One look in the mirror and she knew she was different from the other girls on the island. But she didn't know where her features came from, what country she was born in, nothing. She couldn't help but wish there was something, someone on Kildare she could look at and say, "That's me! I see myself in it!" but she couldn't. She didn't even know what to look for.
Whenever she worked out in Figure Eight, the lonely housewives would always ask her, "What are you?" and she could never give them an answer - though her rage that the question provoked prevented her from saying anything other than a nasty comment. Not completely knowing who she was bothered her, but she'd keep it to herself. It wasn't like she'd ever get the answers, anyway, so what was the point in trying? Why not just try to forget about it?
Blue sighed, taking another glance in the mirror, telling herself that she looked fine before leaving her room. Her mind was now focused on having a good time and nothing else.
The party had only been going on for a couple hours and it was still growing as time went on. Teenagers took up nearly every inch of space in the limited yard, filtering out towards the dock to find room to stand. Kiara was chatting up someone she worked with at the wreck, Pope was with a girl on the porch, and John B was handing out to drinks to the guests. As Blue walked around the firepit, responding to all the friendly greetings sent her way, she set her gaze upon a certain blond.
JJ was in the surf shack, a small crowd of people surrounding him as he hopped up on his surfboard and pretended to ride a wave. A pair of white sunglasses sat upside-down on the bridge of his nose while a lit joint was hanging between his lips. Everyone around him laughed and smiled and soaked in the fun energy he brought to every gathering. He had a reputation of being the life of the party and he upheld that title with great pride, never missing a chance to prove himself worthy of it.
Blue longed to be in his presence, which was nothing new. But before she could even start making her way over, she felt a hand grasp her forearm, pulling her in the opposite direction. She turned and was met with the sight of a distressed and way-too-sober Pope. "Hey, what's up?" She asked wearily, his wide eyes and freaked-out expression making her cautious.
"You need to help me, Blue, I'm a complete idiot." He rushed the words out so fast she could barely grasp them.
Blue let out a small laugh. "We both know that's not true, Pope. What's going on?"
He took a hold of her shoulders and turned her body abruptly, making her let out a noise of surprise. With him behind her now, he pointed to the girl he was talking to on the porch steps, quickly putting his finger back down before she could notice the attention on her.
"You see that girl right there?"
"The one you forced me to look at?"
"Yes."
"Yeah, I see her."
Pope pulled Blue around again and she swore she was about to get whiplash. "I was trying to flirt with her, but I ended up talking about how corpses shit and fart up a storm after they die." The Routledge girl chuckled but the noise was buried underneath the boy's anxious ramblings. "I mean, who does that? Who tells a pretty girl about what kind of fecal matter dead bodies dispose of? A freak! That's who!"
"Pope," Blue said but he didn't hear her, still going on and on about how weird he was. "Pope, shut up. Hey, hey, Pope!" Once she raised her voice, his dark brown eyes flickered to her abruptly and his mouth finally shut. "Just calm down for a second, it's not the end of the world."
He groaned and threw his head back. "You need to help me! Quick, teach me how to flirt, go!"
"Why the hell would you think I know how to flirt?" She scrunched up her face at his command. Sure, she had talked to boys before, she had a boyfriend for about a month during the beginning of her freshman year, but she wasn't very talented in the likes of romance. She rejected nearly every boy that tried to get with her and she had been holding out for the same guy for half of her life. In her mind, she wasn't exactly someone to go to for flirting advice.
"Because everyone loves you! Duh!"
Blue was the one who groaned this time. "That's not true!"
Pope grasped her shoulders once again and she braced herself for the forceful turn. This time, he made her look at a group of boys who had been standing next to one of the big trees that littered our yard. A few of them already had their gazes set on Blue before they quickly turned away, not wanting to get caught in the act.
"That's evidence right there," Pope stated. "They've been staring at you for an entire hour."
"Why do you know that?" She asked skeptically, her brows furrowing at his observation.
"I keep the signal clear."
Blue huffed at his dramatics and stepped over to keg, grabbing a red solo cup and filling it with beer. She brought it back to Pope and raised the cup to his lips, but he instantly shook his head at her. "Oh, come on, you need this more than anyone!" She exclaimed.
"What did I just tell you?!" He argued back, trying to sway away from the cup.
"Well, the signal is gonna be a little blurry tonight!"
She put the beer up to his face again, letting the rim touch his lips. He sighed and slumped his shoulders in defeat. With a proud smirk, she watched as he tilted his head back and took a swig of the bitter alcohol.
"My superpowers come in handy, don't they?" Blue murmured to herself as Pope quickly finished off the drink. He tossed the empty cup on the ground and she picked it up before placing it on a chair, knowing Kiara would throw a fit if they left it on the grass. "Okay, now, here's the plan." She said, taking both of her hands and placing them on either side of his face so he would focus.
"Okay, I'm ready." Pope said as he bounced from one foot to the other, not being able to stay still.
"You're gonna go back over there, you're not gonna tell her any interesting facts about corpses unless she asks for them, and you're gonna have a nice conversation with her." Blue spoke clearly so he wouldn't miss a word she was saying. "Ask her about herself, get to know her. Be funny and charming and nice, okay?"
"I don't know how to be those things."
Shaking her head, she removed her hands from his face and flicked his forehead lightly. "Just go over there!"
While grumbling and rubbing his forehead, Pope did as told and began walking towards the girl on the porch steps. Blue watched as they restarted a conversation, smiles evident as they talked, and pride filled her chest at the sight.
Pope and Blue were a little different from the rest their group. They cared more about their futures, they liked to learn new things, and they tended to be the voices of reason in tough situations. The two were also a little awkward when it came to love and romance. Neither of them were very skilled in those departments and didn't have many good relationship stories to tell. So, seeing Pope trying to push his own boundaries and spark a connection with someone made her happy and impressed.
At least one of them could go after what we wanted.
Blue made her way back to the keg, saying "hello" to the few people surrounding it. They wished her a happy birthday and she thanked them kindly. As she went to reach for another cup, a hand shot out and blocked the stack from her reach. Before she could give a sassy remark, a voice spoke to her, letting the words die on her tongue.
"Hey Blue," She looked up and saw one of the boys from the tree standing in front of her. It took her a second to remember his name, but once she noticed his dark hair and green eyes, she recognized him as Sean Livingston. He was in the grade above her, a part of her brother and friends' class. She had seen him around at parties before and had talked to him a couple times but didn't know much about him.
Blue was surprised to see Sean at her party. From the limited information she remembered about him, he didn't live on the Cut. He wasn't necessarily a first-class Kook, but he wasn't poor, either. She had only ever seen him at the few gatherings that both social classes attended. She also recalled him having somewhat of a heartbreaker reputation, so she knew to proceed with caution.
Sean retracted his hand and grabbed a cup, filling it with beer from the keg. He handed the drink to Blue with a small grin. "Thank you," She said, bringing it to her rosy lips and taking a sip, noticing how some of her pink lip gloss transferred onto the rim of the cup. Although Pope and Blue had many similarities, they did not share his aversion to beer and weed. While she didn't partake in it as much as JJ did, she indulged frequently, liking the feeling of escaping her troubled mind for a little while.
"It's my pleasure." Sean shrugged, his gaze never leaving the girl's face or figure. It made her feel leery again, instantly getting a glimpse of his intentions, but she knew she would be safe if he tried anything. "Happy birthday, by the way. You're sixteen now, right?"
Blue nodded. "Yep, that's what they told me." She joked but realized he didn't get it once his expression turned from happy to confused. "I don't actually know my real birthday, it's a whole thing, involves a shipwreck...long story."
Great! Go ahead and talk about childhood trauma in the first five minutes of talking to a boy! Way to go, Blue! God, why the hell would Pope ask her for flirting advice?!
While she was silently cursing herself for being so awkward and bringing up that strange part of her past, he let out a little laugh at her ramble. "Oh, that's right, I forgot about that." Sean grabbed another cup and filled it to the brim.
Everyone on the island knew about what happened, but for the most part, they never talked about it. Most people just thought of Blue as Big John's daughter and that was it; no past life to speak of. There didn't need to be one, anyway. She was happy being a Routledge and nothing else.
After Sean took his first sip, he spoke again. "That must be pretty cool though, getting to pick your own birthday and all."
"My dad picked it, actually." Blue said, feeling a prickling of sadness hit her chest at the reminder.
He had picked the day he found her as her birth date, telling his daughter it was the day their new life started and therefore all other dates were lesser in comparison. As she recalled his words, she remembered he wasn't there. It was her first birthday without him. She had forgotten about that sad reality during the adventures of the day and the thought was now plaguing her mind at a rapid pace.
With each passing day that Big John was still missing, it became clearer to her that she was going to have to go through a lot of things without him now. She would have to graduate high school without him, she would have to get married without him there to walk her down the aisle, and she would have to spend every holiday and every single important and irrelevant event without him. It was a realization that she wished had never occurred. She wanted to remain blissfully ignorant of the tragic turn her life had taken for as long as humanly possible.
"Oh, Big John," Sean's voice brought Blue out of her headspace. He wore that same sympathetic smile that everyone else on the island did and it made her sick. "Sorry about him. It's crazy what happened, no one thought that guy could ever get lost at sea."
He was right, it was weird. Everyone knew Big John made a living off the water, so it came as a big shock to learn he hadn't made it home from a simple fishing trip. It hadn't even stormed that day. There was something off about the whole thing, and despite the authorities presuming him dead and/or lost at sea, both John B and Blue knew he was the last person to ever not make it back safe after a day on the water. That was why they never signed the papers declaring him dead.
While she could hear Sean still talking, she subconsciously searched out the person who always made her feel better. Blue's gaze left the boy in front of her and went over his shoulder, catching a head of blond hair making its way closer to the firepit. With his joint still sitting between his lips, JJ's eyes met hers, instantly latching onto her stare. He glanced at Sean for a split second and rolled his eyes at the girl, sending her a playful smile.
'That guy, really?' He mouthed the words, smoke spilling out of his lips as he took the joint into his hand. Blue shrugged helplessly along with giving a slight shake of her head, showing him she had no intentions of hitting on Sean. JJ mimicked pointing a gun at his temple, blowing his brains out. She had to keep in a laugh as she watched him from over Sean's shoulder, his actions making her sudden sadness disappear.
JJ and Blue had perfected having conversations without any spoken words. It was something that came easy to them, something they didn't even have to think about doing. After knowing each other for as long as they have, they could read each other like a book, not needing their voices to tell what was going on or what they were feeling.
Blue wanted to tell him how she wished she was talking to him, not Sean. Or how much she wanted him to flirt with her, how much she wanted it to be his eyes raking her body, not some random dude's pervy stare. But those were things she could never tell him; vocal or silent.
"Hey, you good?" Sean waved his hand in front of her face and chuckled once her eyes drifted back to his. "I kinda lost you there for a second."
"Sorry," Blue mumbled, taking another quick look at JJ, who's glare was set on Sean's back. "I spaced out. What were you saying?"
A smirk appeared on his face. "I was suggesting we go somewhere private to continue our conversation," His free hand left his space and entered hers, touching the side of her arm. She instantly became weary as soon as his skin made contact with hers. She didn't want him to touch her. "I really wanna get to know you."
Blue may have been a little inexperienced or unlucky when it came to flirting, but she wasn't an idiot. She knew Sean was speaking in code and that code meant 'I want to bone you'. He could've been a little more discreet about it, God. She thought it was weird of him to apologize about her father's disappearance one second and then attempt to hook up with her in the next one.
Not very gentleman-like, if you asked her.
"Um," Blue stumbled at first, letting out a nervous laugh. "I'm good right here."
"Ah, come on, it'll be easier to talk once we're away from everyone else." Sean motioned to the partygoers surrounding the bonfire and keg. The hand that was touching her arm went lower, grasping her hand in its hold. Her skin grew cold at the feeling. "Let's go inside."
Blue yanked back, severing contact with him. He looked at her like she had grown three heads, his green eyes wide with surprise and something akin to anger. Glancing behind his figure once more, she saw a certain head of blond hair coming closer and closer. "I said no." She spoke with a sense of finality in her voice.
Sean scoffed. "Blue, there's nothing to be afraid of. We're just gonna hang out." He moved towards her again, making another attempt to grab her arm, but was pushed back before he got the chance.
JJ's ring-clad hand shoved the boy's chest backward, making him stumble. Blue felt a sense of relief wash over her once he was in her presence. She knew she was safe.
"Did you not hear her, dipshit?" JJ snarled at Sean, bunching his shirt in his fists, speaking with a threatening tone that could send shivers down anyone's spine. "She said no."
Sean laughed despite being face to face with a wild Pogue who had gotten into more fights than him and his friends could count on all of their fingers combined. "Come on, man, lighten up. We're just having fun."
Blue rolled her eyes at his words. He should've known better than to talk at all, let alone lie.
"You're not having shit, okay, so why don't you just get the fuck out of here?" JJ suggested not-so-nicely.
"What if I don't want to? What're you gonna do?"
Oh, you're a dead man.
A cruel smile grew on JJ's face before he reeled his fist back, sending it straight into Sean's face with a loud crackling noise. Blue cringed at the sound and took a step back from the two boys while everyone else got closer. She wasn't dumb enough to insert herself in that kind of situation, knowing it would probably end with her getting smacked by a rogue fist - and she definitely didn't want to have a bruise marking her cute face on her birthday. That'd be a real downer.
Sean stumbled back, holding onto his nose that had started bleeding profusely. The red liquid pooled from his nostrils and onto his fingers in a sickly sight. "Dude, what the fuck?!" He yelled, causing blood to splatter in the air.
"I tried to warn you." JJ shrugged carelessly.
The injured boy ran towards him, a determined gleam in his eyes, but his actions didn't go in his favor. JJ threw another punch that landed on Sean's cheekbone, making his face turn at the impact. With the rings decorating the blond's fingers, Sean's bruises would be much worse and hurt a hell of a lot more than they would from a regular hit. Blue was pretty sure that was why JJ wore them all the time.
John B ran through the crowd and came up to his sister, placing a comforting hand on her back before speaking up. "JJ fighting for your honor again?"
"Of course."
"What'd the kid do?" Her brother asked, motioning towards Sean, who was still bleeding excessively.
She shrugged. "He tried to get me alone in the house to, and I quote, 'have fun'."
"Well, looks like JJ needs some help, then."
A sigh left her lips as John B went up to the blond's side, the two sharing a look before setting their sights on Sean. The injured boy's friends had started to rally around him in support. Some of them began cheering while a couple of them joined the brawl. Knowing that the night had only just begun, Blue grabbed her half-empty cup and started drinking.
"Woah, what the hell is happening?" Pope's anxious voice sounded from beside her. She looked over at his face to see his brows furrowed and a slight frown on his lips.
Kiara came up to them with a similar expression gracing her features. "Why are they fighting already? It's not even midnight!" She said, her voice sounding like an angry mother's tone.
"Sean tried to fuck me." Blue said simply, knowing it was enough to explain the events currently unraveling before their eyes. It wasn't the first time a fight broke out for that reason and it most likely wouldn't be the last.
Even though she was only a year younger than her brother and their friends, they protected Blue like she was a child at times. When it came to boys' aggressive advances or nasty fights, they always defended her with their fists and demeaning words, hardly ever letting her step in. Anyone who dared mess with Blue always ended up regretting it.
She'd always try to help, of course. She didn't want to rely on others to fight her battles. But whenever Blue attempted to join a fight, JJ would always pick her up off the ground and set her down a few feet away before going back to "defending her honor". Each time she gave him a lecture about not needing a man to fight for her, wanting to be an independent woman and all, but it never really stuck. JJ loved fights and he loved protecting his friends even more. Nothing would ever change that.
As the rest of Sean's friends filtered into the fight, Pope and Kie shared a look, and Blue instantly knew what was going to happen. "Guys, don't-" But it was too late. They both went through the crowd and joined JJ and John B, throwing punches and kicks at whoever came near them. Blue sighed, "Happy birthday to me."
The teenage derelicts in the yard cheered and hollered, pulling out their phones and recording the brawl that continued to grow by the minute. Blue heard a few people placing bets and felt sorry for the ones who were betting against her friends. They'd definitely be losing some money tonight.
She watched for a few minutes, letting fists fly for a little bit before ultimately deciding enough was enough. She walked towards the firepit and grabbed one of the plastic chairs, dragging it over by the crowd. Stepping up on the flat surface, she stood taller than anyone else and cupped her hands around her mouth, wanting her words to reach through the excited yells and cheers.
"Hey!" Blue shouted but nothing happened. She groaned and took a deep breath before trying again. "Hey, shut the fuck up!"
Her loud, ear-splitting scream caused the fight to stop, balled fists pausing in the air and attack stances frozen. JJ had Sean by the throat, John B had been in the middle of sending a kick to one of his friend's stomach, and Pope and Kie were double-teaming the rest of them. The teenagers surrounding the fight all looked up at her with annoyed glares but she paid them no mind.
"You four," Blue pointed to her friends and brother. "Cut it out." They dropped their fists and stood up straight. "And you," She set her annoyed gaze onto Sean, whose nose was most definitely broken. He stared up at the girl with hate and anger flooding his eyes. "Go home."
"What?!" Sean exclaimed. "You can't just kick me out!"
Blue scoffed at the boy and smiled playfully. "Oh, you mean I can't kick you of my party, that was thrown for my birthday, at my own house?"
Sean and his friends paused at her words, each of them passing around worried and embarrassed glances. Their shoulders slumped and they awkwardly shifted on their feet, knowing she had made a good point.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. Get the fuck out."
JJ grinned proudly at Blue, his gaze lingering for a second before turning to Sean, placing his hand on his shoulder. "You heard the lady."
Sean huffed, shoving JJ's hand off of him before turning towards his friends. Their group had started making their way out of the yard, but they had only walked a few feet when Sean decided he needed the last word.
"Prude bitch!" He yelled out. Ouch.
"Fucking dumbass." Blue muttered, watching as JJ instantly went after Sean and tackled him to the ground.
The two were wrestling on the grass for a minute before she turned to John B, who nodded in understanding. Her brother went over and peeled the two boys off each other, shoving Sean out of the yard forcefully. "Don't come back, shithead! Stay the fuck away from my sister!"
Blue hopped down from the chair and walked over to the blond. She could hear Kiara telling the partygoers that the show was over and to go back to whatever the hell they were doing. The crowd dispersed and filtered back toward the keg, mumbling about their disappointment and lost bets. JJ's ocean blue eyes locked with her earthy brown ones as she got closer to him.
They were silent for a second, just looking at each other in the glow of the fire's light. Blue's gaze ran over his split lip and bloody knuckles, accompanied by his messy hair and grass-stained shirt. She had seen him in this state hundreds of times and it still made her ache a little. The quiet was broken by his low voice.
"I have a mean right hook, huh?" He asked, imitating one of the punches he had thrown. A teasing and humorous smile made its way onto his handsome face, his lone dimple popping out to say hi.
She nodded, "Uh huh, you're coming with me." She latched onto his bicep and began dragging him into the Chateau.
"Aw, I'm not in trouble, am I?"
"A little bit."
𝗼𝗺𝗴 𝗵𝗶
𝗹𝗶𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲'𝘀 𝗯𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗵𝗺 𝗺𝗵𝗺
𝗶 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗷𝗷 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝘀? 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼, 𝗻𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁
𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘃 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆
𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲
𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘆𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘂