happy place || jj maybank ON HOLD

chapter six

I gave Kie the compass before she got out of the van, asking her to give it to John when she saw him next.

After we dropped Kie off, Pope told us he needed to work on his scholarship essay, and asked to be dropped off at home as well.

Which left JJ and I in the car, alone.

"Where to, new girl? Figure eight?"

"Can you cut the shit, JJ? I've known you for what, a day? And you've been nothing but rude. So stop the shit, I'm here for the same reason John is."

"Ooo, someone's got a mouth on them today." He smirks into the review mirror, looking at me as he drives. I still refused to sit in the front with him.

"I don't understand you, JJ I really don't. When John's house is getting raided you're all protective over me. Even more so over me than you were with Kie! Then you act like it never happened, and put back up the 'I couldn't care less about you' front." I continue to confront him, not really caring what I say, now that the others aren't around.

"I'll just leave you to have a panic attack in the corner alone next time, Vienna." He replies.

I scoffed, "take a right up here. Just drop me at home too." I reply, annoyed with his attitude and lack of acknowledgment to what I'm trying to confront him about. He knows who I am, he understands that this all means just as much to me as it does to John. Yet, he still can't respect me or be decent toward me at all, other than when my life is in danger.

"Yeah, I know where you live." he mutters.

"Oh right, I forgot you invited yourself onto my lawn the other day. Pardon me!" I throw a sarcastic smile at him in the mirror. I slide the van door open, before JJ completely stops, not caring, just wanting to get away from him as soon as possible.

"Wait, Vienna.."

"What, JJ? What now?" I turn back around "if you're going to apologize I don't really want to hear it." I say.

"No it's just-well yeah apologies, I'm not good at those but thats actually not what I was going to say anyway.." he started rambling.

I cut him off, "then what, JJ?"

"Well it's just, John B locked the chateau before we left. I saw him. And I'd rather not go home right now. Do you mind if I stay here until we figure out what's going on with John B? I'll stay out of your way and I won't make any comments, promise." His request took me by surprise.

I noticed a bruise by JJ's eye, which earlier I assumed was from something else. But now, as he mentioned not wanting to go home, paired with the fact they all stayed in the van waiting for John and I, never going inside JJ's, I had new suspicions.

"Yeah, just stay out of my way." I responded.

I turned back toward the stairs, making my way up them and to the front door, unlocking it and letting JJ inside.

"The kitchens that way" I point down the hall to the right, closing the door behind us, locking it. "All the bedrooms are upstairs. The one at the end of the hall is mine, I'll probably stay down here but you're welcome to any of the other rooms and anything in the kitchen." He awkwardly shifts his weight, and nods, before making his way into the kitchen.

I made my way to the living room, which was opposite the kitchen, picking up my guitar.

I strummed the chords to the new song I'd written, proud of myself for finally writing again, excited to finalize a song for the first time in over a year.

I hummed the lyrics softly as I waited for JJ to leave the kitchen so I could continue, I didn't like people watching me.

I watched him take a seat at the table, with a big plate of food. Figuring he wouldn't be out of the kitchen anytime soon, I picked my stuff up and took it outside onto the deck to finish writing.