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FOUR YEARS AGO
"That's not funny, Letty!" JJ claimed with a pout. She had playfully nabbed his last bag of chips and hid them. She was doing him a favor in the end.
"JJ, ketchup-flavored potato chips? Who even eats those?" She replied with a wince. JJ paused as he let his gaze linger on her, his chips wholly forgotten. Her nose scrunched up in disgust, and he couldn't help but want to coo at the cuteness of it. It wasn't a secret that he was madly in love with her, even at twelve. His heart was pounding so hard that he feared she would see it; he quickly pulled his hat off to squeeze it in his hands.
She noticed the action and sent him a beautiful smile that engulfed his entire being with pure warmth. It was his favorite feature on her; he kept a mental diary of each smile she had, documenting them all to memory. He wasn't embarrassed to admit that he spent most of his time watching her, observing her as she danced around the fire with Kiara or when she bickered with Pope about anime. She was a goddess he wanted never to stop worshiping; he hoped his unconditional devotion to her imaginary temple would help her flourish.
"I love you."
Oh, god. He ruined it.
"That's sweet, JJ. Now, repeat it without looking like you're going to puke." She said with a reassuring smile as she gently pried his hands from the squashed hat. She tossed it onto John B's couch and played with the blonde boy's fingers; his breath stuttered as the words got caught in his throat. Feeling their fingers intertwine anchored him a bit as he gulped in fear.
"I-I love you, Letty." He stuttered nervously as he rubbed circles onto the back of her hand. He refused to meet her dark eyes as he awaited the inevitable rejection. Maybe his dad was right. Why would someone as perfect love him back?
"I love you too, JJ," Scarlett whispered back and moved a hand to guide his chin up, his eyes slowly meeting hers. He shivered when her thumb caressed his bottom lip. "Kiss me?" And just like that, his entire world crumbled into nothing and everything. The impossibility of her loving him back wasn't something he expected or anticipated. He raised his hand to cradle her jaw. She gazed at him with pure adoration, and he trembled.
She must have sensed his nervousness and taken matters into her own hands, so she moved in to kiss him softly. The two smiled into the kiss with a sense of giddiness. JJ pulled away as he rested his forehead against hers with a grin. His lips tingled and tasted like her cherry lipgloss, his new favorite flavor. She closed her eyes as she relaxed into the boy she'd loved for years, his thumb caressing her cheekbone lightly.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?" She asked with a sweet smile, her chocolate-colored eyes sparkling with happiness.
"That was the first thing you've ever said to me. You were also wearing that pretty blue dress and complaining to your dad about how turtles had feelings. I knew I was in love with you when you turned to us and smiled at me. It was all I could think about for weeks, and then you approached us one day and said you liked my eyes." Scarlett hummed as she wrapped her arms around JJ's torso and propped her chin on his chest with a playful smile.
"I also remember you falling off the boat."
"Scar, your brother is here." The girl turned to Big John, who gave them knowing looks; the two twelve-year-olds blushed at getting caught.
"Bye, JJ. I love you." She whispered quickly and left him with a chaste kiss. She hugged Big John, too; she always assumed he never got enough hugs as he was too busy hunting treasure. The man leaned down to kiss the top of her head and nudged her to the door with a smile.
"Be careful, turnip." She scrunched her nose in distaste at the nickname but refused to voice it. She didn't want to hurt the man's feelings.
"I will! Tell John B that he owes me a coke." She said, making the older man chuckle. JJ couldn't help but find comfort in her laid-back demeanor. "Those horrible chips are in the bottom cabinet, JJ!"
"We will, Letty. And those chips are amazing!" JJ answered as he watched her run out to the car. He didn't care much for Rafe. He was a prick.
Scarlett climbed into the passenger seat as Rafe watched her silently. He motioned to the seatbelt, and she sighed. He was never this protective of Sarah or Wheezie.
"Why do you hang out with them? They're losers." Rafe mumbled as he drove away from the chateau. She looked at him in concern when he sniffled a couple of times. She gasped as blood began to flow from his nose. She used the sleeve of her jacket to cup his nose. She didn't care that his blood would ruin the clothing.
"That's mean, Rafe. Leave them alone, please?" She gently wiped away the blood once it came to a steady flow. "You've been having many nose bleeds lately; I'm worried, Rafe. I don't want to lose you." Rafe's bloodshot eyes softened at her worried tone. He reached out his hand to push back some of her bloody hair from her face. He noticed the deep frown on her face as he wiped the lingering blood from his lip.
"I'll be okay, Scar. I promise." He replied with a sad smile. He hated lying to her. He couldn't be sure he would last another year. The drugs and his self-loathing had grown detrimental to his mental state.
"I don't believe you," He ignored her gaze as she studied him. "But I trust you."
"Why? Why do you have so much blind trust in me? Dad doesn't even bother that much." Rafe questioned. The drugs made him paranoid and allowed him a brief second of vulnerability.
"Because you're my big brother. I trust you with my life." She answered with a beaming smile that made even Rafe smile. He made the mistake of turning her way for a split second, but that's all it took.
Rafe would never forget that night, even when she would. The horrible sound of metal screeching on metal, the dizziness that followed when the car spun out. He would never forget the screams of his little sister. Her calling his name when he was thrown through the windshield would forever haunt his dreams. He had managed to steady himself with shaky legs and limped to the car. He had to save her. He had to make sure she was okay.
He forced the door open and screamed for help as he noticed the blood pooling around her body. He pushed her bloody hair away from her pale face. He mumbled apologies as he rested his head against hers. He pressed his hand against her face as he cried into her hair. He did this. She trusted him, but what did it get her? Nothing good.
"Scar? It's okay. Wake up, please. It's okay." He mumbled in hysteria. "Scar? Please. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please don't leave me, Scar. I'm sorry." He pleaded as he cradled her close to his chest. His hands were covered in blood at this point, but all he could see was her skin becoming paler and the blood flow not slowing.
He never left her side even when the ambulances arrived; he held her close with promises of making things right. He fought the spike of protectiveness that threatened to make itself known when the medics pushed him back to get her out. He tried to fight the hands that were checking him over. He didn't care about his bleeding eyebrow or his injured leg. He only wanted to go back to his sister.
"Sir, calm down. Let us treat your injuries, alright?" The woman spoke with an edge; he knew she was annoyed, but he again didn't care.
"My sister, I need to get back to her. Blood was everywhere. She wasn't waking up. Why wasn't she waking up?" The medic had a sad expression as she watched them load his sister into the second ambulance.
"She had a major head injury and a concerning amount of blood loss. She might not wake up for a while, sweetheart." Her tone was almost comforting; he just wanted his mother's warm hug at that moment.
"But she will eventually? Right? She won't die, right?" His voice became more panicked as he tried to get to the ambulance. "I have to go with her. She can't die. What if...she can't die alone and scared." The medic nodded at her partner and issued a sedative to the boy. He was grabbed by the male medic and cried out as his sister was taken away.
"No, no. I have to be with her. It's my fault. This is all my fault." He mumbled as his eyes were forcibly shut and his body slumped in the man's hold. "What if she's scared?" He muttered one last thing.