MARLBORO NIGHTS [JJ MAYBANK]

chocolate chip waffle

THE SOUND of the axe striking the tree over and over was almost as deafening as the silence that enveloped the Pogues. Pope cleared away a spot on the tree outside the Chateau, while JJ heated up the end of a crowbar with a blow torch. Karolina and Kie stood side by side, holding hands and trying to swallow their tears.

When the boys were finished, they joined their counterparts a few feet away to look at the piece of art. Ironically, the memorial slab Pope had cut out was in the shape of a heart; at the tips of the heart were the dates 2003 and 2020. Under it was a name- John B Routledge. And below that, three characters- P4L.

JJ raised his flask. "To John B." No one looked at him, but Kiara added weakly, "And to Sarah."

Kiara kneeled in front of the tree, where she and Karolina had dug a small hole, big enough to fit the little memorial box they'd made for him and Sarah. The blonde girl wiped away a tear and placed two wildflowers she'd picked onto its surface, before the four of the remaining Pogues started to cover the box with handfuls of dirt. It hit Karolina again in a wave of nausea and a thump of pain in her abdomen.

John B and Sarah were dead.

KAROLINA SCOTT shot awake, the nausea from her dream transferring to real life. She tossed the covers off of her legs, accidentally smacking JJ in the butt in the process, as she jumped up and ran to the bathroom down the hall. JJ jolted awake, too, hopping up to follow her.

It had been two weeks since Sarah and John B died, and this had become a regular occurrence for them. Karolina threw herself at the foot of the toilet, retching into it, as JJ gathered her hair into one hand, holding it away from the toilet water. She wore his button up flannel, which had slipped from her shoulder, leaving him shirtless and in some basketball shorts, standing over her as she sighed, leaning back onto her knees.

The wind shook Karolina's house, the silence holding a taut feeling in the small bathroom. She and JJ had hardly left each other's side since that night, figuring out that they couldn't sleep without the other. And even so, Karolina woke them both each morning with this occurrence.

JJ watched her, concerned, as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She'd been... different, lately, and he just wanted to make sure it wasn't solely because their best friend had died. "Karolina..." He only ever used her full name when he was serious. "Are you... are you pregnant?"

The blonde girl turned her head over her shoulder to give him a deadpan, tired look. "What, JJ?"

"Are you pregnant? 'Cause, i-if you are, we can... you can tell me, Lina, I swear, we'll work something out-"

Karolina sighed, exasperated, as she stood and flushed the toilet, moving to wash her hands in the sink. "I'm not pregnant, JJ." It was nice for her to know that he'd be there to support her if she was, but fortunately, that wasn't the case with her morning sickness.

Her boyfriend watched her in the mirror, observing her tired eyes and the dark circles underneath them, as she reached for her toothbrush, wetting it and sticking some paste on it before starting to brush away. JJ still eyed her, but she avoided looking at him as he asked, "How do you know? Did you take a test?"

Karolina sighed, tossing her hair over her shoulder so she could spit the toothpaste into the sink, washing it down with some more water. "I don't have to. I've been on my period for the past three days."

"Oh." JJ blinked, looking slightly stunned, but he shook it away quickly. "Do you need anything?"

Karolina shook her head silently, trying to leave the bathroom, but he slid in front of her. She finally met his eyes. "JJ."