"Sometimes, I remember you.
Even though I haven't met you yet"
-me
---
I was so confused.
That was the only thing I knew for sure.
I'd been avoiding whatever this weird feeling I had around JJ was but it had gotten harder and harder to do so the more time went on. I'd had a crush on him when we were younger but the two of us always had a special understanding that no one else in the group had, a special friendship, and I'd never wanted to ruin that.
So I'd pushed it deep down to that part of your mind that you don't even try to deal with.
Besides, I'd never thought there was even a chance he'd like me back. JJ was a player, flirting with anything that moved and bringing home different girls back to the Chateau after every party. He always lusted after Kiara, and girls like Sarah.
The beautiful, unatainnable kook girls. The perfect girls.
Not girls like me who wore ratty hand-me-downs and who were just as fucked up as he was.
JJ and I had too much in common. For both of us the pogues weren't just our friends, but rather our family. If anything ever messed up our friendship, I genuinely didn't know what I'd do. If I could cope.
But I could not honestly keep telling myself that I had the same friendship with JJ that I had with say, John B.
I'd noticed the tension between me and the blond boy a few times. That tension that made me think there were feelings being felt and words being left unsaid. But there was never any way to know whether it was just me feeling that or if he felt it too.
But was that... an almost kiss? Again?
Was that look in his eyes the same drunken look he gave the girls he brought home after keggers?
For the rest of the walk home neither of us made a sound.
But to me, the tension was loud.
---
"Girls weekend!" Kie stuck her arm out of her car window at me, smiling widely. "And guess whose parents went on a date night... leaving the entire house empty for this wonderful evening?"
I whooped, not caring how much noise I made.
Barry wasn't here, and I'd had just enough time after JJ had walked me home to grab a bag of my things before Kie had called and showed up to scoop me.
Irritatingly, JJ had stood outside the whole time and waited "just to make sure". Deep down I knew he was just worried about me and didn't want me to be home alone but frustration from our fight just made me roll my eyes at him and stalk inside to wait for Kie.
He was gone now.
Kiara sighed dramatically. "A girl's sleepover is just what I needed, you have no idea".
"Yeah, me too" I responded, staring out the window as we passed JJ's house.
She looked at me knowingly. "Whats up with you and JJ?"
"Whats up with you and John B" I retorted quickly.
She laughed at my outburst but I noticed the way she shyly avoided my gaze, pretending to focus on the road.
"John B doesn't look at me the way JJ looks at you".
My heart skipped a beat. "How does he look at me?" I asked, curious to see if she was being serious since I valued her opinion.
She gave me a look. "The same way you look at him".
I took a shaky breath, not knowing what to make of that.
"Yeah, well. No pogue-on-pogue macking right."
"I don't know" she sighed, we're older now and things are... different". She looked deep in thought. "Its been.. it's been a while. We used to do this all the time, remember? Hang out just the two of us"
I laughed. "Yeah, we used to steal your mom's expensive wine and her fancy nail polish and we'd dance around singing to terrible songs"
"And we'd talk about boys. All the boys! Our boys... the tourons, the kooks! Remember that week I had a crush on Kelce?"
I nearly screamed. "Ohmygod Kie I completely forgot about that!"
We were both dying of laughter still as she pulled up to her house and we rushed inside, feeling like 12 year old girls again, giggling and carefree.
Before everything had gotten complicated. When did it all get so complicated?
"I missed this" I blurted out, suddenly.
Kiara stopped in her tracks and for a moment I thought she was going to turn around and make fun of me for being soppy, but it was a genuine and soft smile on her face. "Me too" she whispered sadly. "When did we stop having sleepovers like this?"
I shook my head, not knowing.
A sly smirk came over my face. "I have an idea".
She tilted her head at me quizzically and just watched as I sauntered over to her mother's wine cabinet, a knowing expression slowly coming over her. It turned into a full blown cheeky grin when I span around, producing a cabernet that probably cost more than I made in a week.
If her mom hadn't changed she wouldn't even notice it was gone.
I kissed the wine as if it was my baby. "We have to listen to better music now".
"I literally love you so much", she laughed.
It wasn't long before we were wasted and dancing around her room, her speaker on maximum volume. Neither of us had a care in the world for over an hour other than how fun it was to belt out the lyrics we knew by heart and to spin around jumping to the beat, laughing at each other's terrible dance moves.
And then after that it wasn't long until we'd gotten tired and hot and jumped in the pool to cool off. We'd snuck another bottle of wine and swam around with it in the water.
I took a dainty sip, treading water all the while. "This is probably not our best idea". I passed it to her.
"I think its our best one yet".
"We're definitely a mood right now".
"I just- I can't believe our pool is heated, when the rest of the island doesn't even have water or electricity" she changed the subject, taking a generous swig as she ranted.
I laughed. "But we're not on the rest of the island right now".
She gave me sarcastic side eye.
I just splashed her, laughing. "Shut up Kie let me enjoy my kookiness".
"You laugh but I live with these people! Every day!" she exclaimed
I smiled. "Oh wowww must be so hard being rich my friend".
She passed the bottle back to me, treading water next to me, a humorous expression on her face as she did so.
"You know, they're still having Midsummers. You know, that party they have every summer-"
"Kie, I know what Midsummers is".
"Well my mom is making me go! She already planned my dress and my makeup and everything! God I want to die it's the day after tomorrow and that is the absolute last thing I want to do".
I sighed, floating in the water pensively. "Then don't go".
"She would never let me. I think she's actually ready to kidnap me and drag me there".
"Oof". I took another swig, lazily making it to sit on the steps in the shallow end.
"You could come as my date you know! It could be kind of fun!"
"Can you picture me at Misummers" I giggled.
"Yes!" she gestured dramatically, clearly warming up to the idea and getting more serious about it now. "I have so many dresses! You could wear one and suffer with me!"
"I don't belong there Kie".
"Shut up, if I'm there you're there".
"You cant have the kook perks" she gestured to the pool around us and the expensive wine I still held, "without the kook torture".
I groaned. She was definitely making me go.
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Word count: 1402
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Oof a lot of gooey feels in this chapter sorry if you wanted some action. But hey next chapter is like basically only action so brace yourself friends for a wiiiilld riiide.
I love reading all your comments by the way, I literally have my little email notification pop up whenever someone comments and I swear to god I smile every time.
Also please don't forget to vote it helps me so much!
Goodnight :)