Gold Digger// JJ Maybank- OBX

thirty two

THREE WEEKS had gone by since the death of John B and Sarah Cameron.
Three whole weeks.

During the first week, the Pogues had thrown their own memorial for John B. Scarlett's father, Sebastian, had offered to pay for them to have a proper service for the boy but the teens had refused, believing that it wouldn't have been what their friend would have wanted. They'd decided to do it in the garden of the Château, under one of the trees. Scarlett watched on as Pope carved a heart into a section of the tree before JJ burnt letters on the wood.

2003                               2020

JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

⚡ P4L ⚡

The four friends stood before the tree, beers in hand as they prepared to say goodbye to their best friend. Scarlett gripped tightly to JJ's hand, squeezing it. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she stared at the tree before her. She still couldn't believe he was gone. It wasn't fair. JJ used his free hand to raise his flask, holding it out towards the tree. "To John B." He toasted.

"And to Sarah." Kiara whispered, raising her own can of beer. Scarlett nodded, echoing her friends' words in a soft whisper. If she spoke any louder, she'd choke on her tears. The four shared a look, tears in each of their eyes, before taking a sip of their drinks. Kiara held a box they'd put together of some of John B's things, including a few of his bandannas. The boys had dug a hole at the foot of the tree, and Kiara placed the box there. Scarlett had picked a few flowers from around the garden, and she knelt down to gently place them atop the closed box. Together, the friends covered the box back up with the surrounding soil.

After the memorial, the four moved to the hammocks. Pope and Kiara shared one of them, sitting up opposite ends of each other. Scarlett shared the other hammock with JJ. She curled up into the blonde's side, wrapping her arms tightly around him. In turn, JJ wrapped his own arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. The four stayed like that until nightfall, swapping between moments of grief-filled silence and re-telling stories of John B and Sarah.

A few days later, Scarlett had found herself in her own garden having a small funeral for her mother. It was hard to accept that the woman was gone, but after nearly a year she finally had to accept the truth. Her mother was dead.

Her step-father had finally been arrested for the way he had constantly treated Scarlett, and so the home was empty and safe.

Scarlett had only allowed her father and his family to the ceremony, as well as her grandmother, her sister and the Pogues. The Pogues were as much her family as her blood relatives were. She needed them there, especially JJ. He had held her hand throughout the memorial, sticking close to her for the whole day. And for that she was extremely grateful.

The funeral was similar to the memorial they had thrown for John B. Scarlett had gone through her mother's belongings, placing the most precious ones in a pretty box. She kept her mother's necklace, there wasn't a day she wasn't seen wearing it. Her mother had owned loads of rings, collecting them from markets she would find on the mainland. Scarlett had kept a few of them, wearing them on her fingers, and putting the others in the box she had made. JJ had carved out Charlotte's name on the tree closest to the water's edge. It had been one of Charlotte's favourite spots to sit and think, often being found under the shade of the leaves.

Scarlett had hooked her phone up to a speaker, playing her mother's favourite song as she buried the box of her things. It felt like that one scene from 'Love Actually', as 'Bye Bye Baby' by the Bay City Rollers played. 'Love Actually' had been one of Charlotte's favourite films and every Christmas Eve, the mother and daughter would sit and watch the film together. Tears rolled down Scarlett's face as she stood up from under the tree, walking back over to JJ and her friends. They pulled her into their arms, hugging her tightly as she sobbed.