After their talk, John B led Maisie to the chateau. She wasn't excited, not at all. It meant she'd have to see JJ's face for the first time after admitting she was pregnant.
As John B had told her, he was indeed inside the spare bedroom, sulking and roaming in misery. He didn't know how to feel, it was like a rollercoaster of emotions that he couldn't control.
The door clicked and it swung open, allowing John B and Maisie to step through it — even though she was quite hesitant to. Walking in, the aroma instantly washed over her. It smelt like burned cooking, and the mess of the kitchen just supported the point even more.
"Ah, looks like JJ tried and failed to make pancakes." John B spoke up, grimacing as he stared at the burned food laying on the counter. It wasn't even placed on a plate, that's how bad.
Maisie slumped her shoulders, a sigh escaping her lips, "It's all my fault, for gods sake." she ranted, and John B clicked his tongue in response.
"This whole pregnant situation is still unbelievable to me." he formed a face of disgust, "You slept together..." as if it wasn't already stated, and obvious as hell.
It felt like Maisie wasn't even in control of her own thoughts and words. She just needed to talk to him. She needed to see if he was okay. She needed to see if he hated her. She needed to see if — they could ever be the same again.
John B tilted his head, his eyebrows furrowed as he watched her just standing there. No words, no movement. Maisie was so deep in her thoughts, she didn't even get annoyed at John B's comment and that shocked him, to say the least.
The thought of losing JJ snapped her out of her imagination, and somehow motivated her. She ignored her best friend's confused gaze, not hesitating to make her way to the door.
The door that had tons of pictures stuck across it. Each of them had JJ in them, but with different people. For example, there was a photo of Maisie sitting next to him on the beach when she had stole his hat and all he did was laugh his ass off.
Her fingers brushed against the picture, a tiny, but sad smile spreading across her face. He looked so happy, and it warmed her heart. She just prayed she would see that joyful expression again.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Maisie held her breath as her fist hit the door. Not that she would've expected it, but there was no response. Not even a breath. You could literally hear a pin drop.
She silently told herself to calm down, fiddling with her rings as per usual. But it didn't work. Maisie wasn't gonna be let in either way, so she just turned the door knob and with no confidence whatsoever, let it swing open.
JJ was sat on the foot of the bed, empty beer cans scattered around him. His hair was usually messy, but it was even worse now. It looked more like a rat's nest than his golden curls. And he also had no shirt on, revealing his toned chest.
She did this to him? She was the reason he isolated himself from everyone else? All the poor girl did was blame herself.
The worst part was, he didn't even look at her. Not even a quick glance. He could see from the corner of his eye that it was her, mostly because of her bright auburn hair, but also because Maisie was unmistakeable. She was — different, in a perfect way.
"Jay?" she barely croaked out, her throat drying up with each breath. It was terrifying.
The Maybank boy's lip quivered, making him drag the half drunk beer can he was gripping to his lips, in hopes it would hide any signs of weakness. He had this strong urge in his chest to reply, but he knew how much it would hurt.
"So beer, huh?" Maisie chuckled nervously, as she held her hands behind her back. She thought acting normal would somehow make him at least crack a smile, a small one, even. Yet it didn't.
She shook her head, directing her eyes to the ground. One word would be —
"I don't wanna talk to you." he finally admitted, sniffing as he shook the can a little. Still, he could not bring himself to meet her eyes.
— Nice.
Maisie's heart dropped to her stomach. No, he had not said a word to her for ages. However, hearing him admit that he didn't want to, hurt even more. Part of her was embarrassed, but the rest of her was just vulnerable, upset.
She bit back a sob, inhaling a shaky breath, "I know, JJ. It just hurts. You — you were my best friend for life." she stuttered, her hands now shaking in their place behind her back, "Fuck, we used to prank Mr Heyward together."
JJ snorted, not in an amused way. A smug way. Like he had no care in the world.
"We aren't thirteen anymore, Maisie. I thought now you're pregnant, it would make you more mature." he slurred, the drunk tone in his voice becoming more clear, "God." he scoffed.
Someone had clearly taken away the real JJ, because this was not him. The alcohol had claimed his body, controlling it. Maisie felt bad for him, she really did. The fact that he felt he needed to drink his thoughts away, was unsettling.
"I'm trying, Jay." were the only words she managed to form whilst trying to stifle her sobs, "I really am, but you're making it hard."
"So don't try. I didn't ask you to."
Maisie couldn't tell whether the sharp pain in her chest was because his words made her feel stabbed by a dagger, or just because that was a symptom of her pregnancy she'd have to deal with.
It was more than likely the first one.
The blond finally raised his head to look at her, his former best friend, but there was no love in his eyes. It was drained from him. "You're probably gonna say I should've worn a condom, right? I mean it's not like you could've told me you weren't on birth control or — or — it's not like you could've taken plan b." he shook his head frantically, his jaw clenching.
Maisie pursed her lips as the held back tears blurred her vision, "We were drunk. Both of us. The next morning, all I knew was that we had sex." she was almost certain her knuckles had become white because of how hard she was clutching the door handle, "I couldn't remember if you used a fucking condom or not." she raised her voice, the sadness in her eyes fading into anger. Drunk words are sober thoughts, so if this what he was truly thinking, Maisie had enough of it.
"I just c-can't, Maisie." the way he struggled to say that, the way he choked on his own words, broke her heart to a million pieces. She was lost for words, and it didn't make things any easier when he dropped his head to his hands, clutching the locks of his hair for dear life.
"I'm sorry." she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut as a tear travelled down her cheek. It was all she could say, all she could muster.
There was clearly something about that apology, that just broke JJ. Despite being muffled by his hands, the boy burst into sobs and god, Maisie could really hear it. She didn't hesitate to rush towards him, wrapping his body with her arms, not even caring if he hated her right now.
At first, he was reluctant. But then he warmed up, hugging her back with a tired whimper.
"Why — why am I like this? Why?" JJ stuttered out, desperate for an answer.
She played with his hair as a sense of comfort for him, letting out a sigh, "It's okay." she hushed, "It's okay." the repetition of her words made him hold her tighter, soft hiccups escaping his mouth. He found comfort in her arms, listening to the soft beat of Maisie's heart as his ear pressed against her chest.
They stayed like that for a good few minutes, not even moving until the floor boards creaked and it startled them. Nobody was there, but the room was so silent, any noise would be a shock to the system.
Well — the biggest shock in this moment to Maisie was that JJ had pulled away to stare at her, to look in her eyes with his clouded vision. And of course, with no hesitation, Maisie returned the action. His eyes looked so puffy and red, it almost looked like it hurt.
The sight had distracted her so much that — she didn't even notice the same exact, baby blue eyes directing towards her lips.
"Listen, Ja —"
Maisie was cut off by JJ, whose hand had found its home at the back of her neck. To say she was surprised, would be an understatement. Moments like these used to happen in her dreams as a kid, not now. She really tried her best to hide the way he was making her feel with his touch, dropping her head to stare at her lap.
Though, he had other plans. The thumb of his free hand had lifted her chin, giving her no choice but to see his face again. Maisie was so confused, she thought he hated her. She thought he would never want to go near her again.
But it wasn't like that at all. In fact, he did the thing she least expected.
He kissed her.
His lips crashed onto hers like they had no time left in the world, the grip on her chin trailing towards her jaw instead. Maisie, feeling fairly alarmed, just froze. Her eyes were widened and the fists she was clenching by her sides had released.
However, the longer JJ kissed his best friend, the more she settled into it. Maisie's lips brushed against his with great desire, and she grew breathless. Both of them.
He then attracted his lips to her neck, earning a soft moan from her. She started fluttering her eyes closed, but he shook his head.
"Keep them open." he demanded, his words partially turning her on, but also bringing her back into reality that he was indeed drunk. If he was sober, he'd probably be ignoring her.
"We can't." Maisie let out, as she pushed his head away gently, her fingers staying in his curls.
A sigh fell from JJ's swollen lips before he wet them with his tongue, "Why?" he asked in an innocent voice.
She reached over to cup his face, her warm but pale hands pressing against his cheek, "You're drunk. I'm not gonna take advantage of you." she told him, his doe eyes staring into hers as he waited for her to carry on. "I love you, Jay. I do. But I just can't do you like that." Maisie finished, exhaling as she ran her hands up and down her thighs.
"Hm." was all he responded with. Hm. Maisie wasn't particularly surprised, but she also wished that he had been less blunt. After all, she had comforted him after the things he said to her.
It felt like someone had kicked her.
≫∘❀♡❀∘≪
After the blond boy's reply, Maisie could not stop thinking about it over and over again. She was an over thinker, but that wasn't the reason why. It was the fact that she deserved more than just "hm".
But then again, he was confusing. He had every right to be.
Time went on, the clocks hanging on various citizens' walls ticked. She sat on the couch beside John B, who had his focus stuck on the tv. He was watching Teen Wolf, and it was no surprise. He adored that show with his whole heart.
Whereas, Maisie just scrolled through her phone. Of course, at this very moment, her instagram proceeded to show her happy couples. Happy couples with their arms wrapped around each other, or with their lips pressed together through their smiles.
That was until her phone went blank, and the only thing noticeable on her screen was a couple years old picture of Lyla, as well as her nickname "La La". From the age of seven, Maisie would never stop calling her cousin that.
You may be wondering — why couldn't Maisie hear the fact she was getting called? Where was the ring tone?
Her phone was on silent. She had left it on that mode on purpose so she wouldn't annoy her dad with the constant pings she got from the pogues' group chat every day.
"Hello?" Maisie spoke into the phone, her eyebrows furrowed as she awaited an answer.
A sigh sounded through the device, "Can me and Caleb stay at the chateau?" the voice who appeared to be Lyla, slurred. She was drunk.
"Day drinking? Seriously?" the pregnant girl deadpanned, earning a giggle from her cousin. "Oh my god, just come. John B doesn't care."
He really did not care.
However, it didn't stop him from turning his head and giving Maisie a confused look. She just ran her free hand down her face and that was it. He shrugged his way back around to face the tv.