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No one really knew what to do after seeing Ward's boat blow up. No one had heard from Sarah or any of the Cameron family.
Estrella, of course, felt terrible. Despite what Ward had put his daughter and her friends through, he was still her dad. And while Estrella was never close to her dad or even knew who he was, she could only imagine how Sarah felt. She could almost compare it to how she felt about her mother at the moment.
"He deserved it, right ?" JJ says as he stands on the dock with his fishing rod in the water and Kie standing beside him. Pope leaned against the railing as Charlotte and Estrella sat on the dock with their feet hanging off.
"Are you joking ?" Kie scoffs, "Of course he deserved it."
"Never seen anyone blow themselves up like that." Pope says
"Cross that one off the bucket list."
"JJ !" Estrella and Kie exclaim as Charlotte goes wide eyed. JJ looks down at the water as Kie steps down to the boat that John B was laid out on.
"Sucks for Sarah." JJ says
"Are you okay ?" Kie asks softly placing her hand on John B's shoulder
"It's not me I'm worried about." He mumbles
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"Estrella !"
The girl turns from her place in John B's yard. Her brows raise as JJ slows down in front of her. A smile takes over the boy's face.
"Where you off to ?"
"Oh, I was just gonna stop by my house. Try and pick up some boards I need to finish so I can sell them." She shrugs
JJ's brows furrow, "By yourself ?"
"Yeah." She nods, "I can carry two."
"I'll come with you."
"Oh no, it's fine."
"Your leg is fucked, Estrella." He says. The girl sighs, "Let me help."
Estrella looks back up at him. His face softens as she looks in his eyes. She tucks some hair behind her ear as she nods, "Okay."
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The walk to Estrella's house had taken a little longer than usual because of her limp, but they eventually made it. Estrella makes a beeline for her backyard with JJ right behind her. She pulls her keys out as they stop in front of her shed door.
"I can't believe you have this whole thing to yourself."
"It's full of paint stuff, there's no room for anything else." She chuckles
"Still." He says as she gets the door open. The both of them stepping in as JJ looks around. "This is cool as shit."
Estrella shakes her head with a smile, "I'll grab more supplies and we'll take the boards along the wall."
"Got it." He says moving around the room
Estrella walks over to her table and grabs a bag sitting there. She looks in to see it was filled with a few supplies, but she would definitely need more. As she starts to fill her bag, she unconsciously looks out of the window in front of her. Her movements stop as she sees her mother laughing with her friends out on the dock. All of them in flowy dresses sitting at a white table with drinks in their hands and food in front of them.
"Yo, do you think you can paint me somethin' ? I have zero money, but I can give you some weed." JJ snorts. When he's met with silence, he looks up. Estrella's eyes hadn't moved from the window. He slowly makes his way over to stand behind her. "Estrella."
The girl jumps as JJ places his hand on her shoulder. Her head snaps over to him causing him to slowly remove his hand. "Sorry."
"No, you're fine. You just scared me." She chuckles softly. She notices her vision was blurred and quickly turned back around. Her hand coming up quickly to wipe her eyes.
"You okay ?"
"Yeah." She says quickly packing her bag. JJ knew she was lying.
"Estrella-"
"Okay, I'll grab the two by the door and you can take the other two." She says throwing her bag on her shoulder. She attempts to walk past JJ, but he stops her.
"Hold on a second." He says. Estrella's eyes look elsewhere as JJ looks down at her. "Look at me."
Estrella's vision blurs again as she finally looks up at him. JJ could've sworn someone had ripped his heart out. "How can she be so okay when her daughter is basically homeless ? She hasn't tried at all to make sure I was okay, but she can go and have lunch with her rich friends ?"
JJ stayed silent as the girl talked. His father had always been a piece of shit and had no hope for change. He didn't know how it felt to have a good parent suddenly ripped away from you, but he did know that seeing Estrella in tears felt horrible.
So, instead of saying anything, he simply wraps his arms around her. Estrella let out a quiet sob as she sunk into JJ's arms. Her own loosely going around his waist. His head rested on top of hers as he swayed slightly. Letting the girl cry into his arms.
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It was dark out now and the Pogues were back at the Château. Charlotte, Kie, and JJ were inside grabbing the teens beers, while the other three were out at the dock. John B and Pope were lying on the HMS and Estrella sat with her feet hanging off of the dock.
"I don't get it." John B mumbles. Estrella looks out towards him, "I don't."
Pope sighs, "Love is five minutes of pleasure for a lifetime of pain."
"Wow." John B says
"So poetic, Pope." Estrella smiles as Pope chuckles softly
"So okay, you and Kie." John B says sitting up, "What's going on ? Talk to me."
"Um..." Pope mumbles while he sits up, "Well... she just wants to be friends."
"Death blow." John B sighs, "Oh no. I'm sorry, man."
"I... I didn't even see it coming." Pope says looking toward Estrella. The girl holding a knowing look. She knew. "I know."
Estrella turns as she hears steps coming down the dock. She stands as the three teens come into view.
"Hot potato, hot potato, hot potato two !" JJ says tossing beers to Pope and John B. The beer hisses as it hits the boat busting open.
"Impressive catch." Kie says sarcastically. She passes a beer to Estrella as Charlotte stands beside her.
"Oh !
"Oh ! He shoots !"
"I need another one." John B says
"One, two." JJ mumbles throwing two more beers to them. "What are you guys doing down here ? Having a good cry ?"
"Cry ?" John B repeats incredulously, "Cry ? What are you talking-- We don't cry."
"You know it's not your fault, right ?" Kie says
"You think she'll come around ?"
"Yeah, dude. She's one of us." Estrella shrugs as she sips from her can
"Hmm." John B smiles, "Sarah's a Pogue. She'll come around. Yep. You know, she'll come back to me. Right."
Estrella smiles at his rambling as he turns to them, "You know, I was just thinking about it. I'm gonna do a backflip."
"You're lying." Kie points
"I won't do it ?"
"You won't." JJ instigates
"You got any money ?"
"Hold my beer that you already dropped." John B says passing his beer to Pope
"I wanna see you do it !" Estrella yells. The group screams as John B doesn't hesitate to backflip into the water.
"Yeah !"
"Yeah !"
"That's my boy !" JJ cheers
"Woogity-woogity, baby !" John B shouts
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