The Pogue Life || JJ Maybank

Brendan

Zac sets up his phone so our friend's faces are enlarged on the tv. The zoom call starts and familiar faces start to pop up on our screen until it is full of different colours. Zac and I stand in front of the television excitedly, waving at them all. The room is filled with a bunch of different voices and I am overcome with how much I had missed my friends. My best friend's blonde hair finally pops up on the screen, her face pixellated but clearly excited.

"S!" I yell.

"B!"

We both squeal, "I've missed you!"

Zac and his best friend Josh mock us, just like they always used to.

"Z!"

"J!"

"I've missed you!"

The 10 or so people on our television screen erupt in laughter, shaking their heads at the two deep voices attempting to imitate girlish screams.

"Hey B," another deep voice says through the screen. The face of the person is obscured by darkness.

Zac and I make brief eye contact before I squeak out, "Brendan?"

"Yeah, love," the voice replies, "miss me?"

All our friend's go quiet, waiting for a response. I am at a loss for words. It takes me a moment to remember that JJ is sitting on the couch to my right, just out of the view of the camera. I glance over to see him watching me intently, his eyebrow raised.

"Speechless as always, love?"

"Hi, Brendan," I say, barely above a whisper.

I take a deep breath and shake off my initial shock, "it's been a while."

"That it has. I've missed you," he replies.

I see my best friend roll her eyes in the corner of the screen, "I forgot you were even in the group chat."

"I- uh. Well, Brendan, I wasn't really expecting you to join this call if I'm honest."

"I had to see you. Had to talk to you," the light in his room finally turns on to reveal my ex-boyfriend in all his glory, "wanted to tell you I regret breaking up."

JJ shifts in his seat, leaning forward and gawking at the small image. Brendan is sitting on his bed shirtless. His brown curly hair is slightly damp and effortlessly styled to look perfect. It's impossible not to note the way his muscles shift as he adjusts his position after turning on his bedroom light. I glance to JJ, gaping at the other boy.

"Really?" I feign excitement, "so you think there's still a chance for us?"

Both JJ and Zac turn to stare at me in shock. I spare a side glance to JJ and feel my heart drop at the hurt written across his features. All the faces on the screen are staring at me in shock, waiting for me to continue. The only person who seems to know what's going on is Stephanie, who is smugly grinning in the corner, attempting to conceal it with a water bottle.

"What about Jess? Does she think there's a chance for us?" I continue.

Most of the faces relax, realising what's happening and the only person who remains tense is JJ. Brendan's face twitches angrily.

"You're still holding that against me?"

"Yes, Brendan, I am still holding the fact that you cheated on me with my so-called best friend against you," I say, "if I hadn't been moving, believe me, we still would have broken up. We were over the second you stuck your tiny dick in her."

Stephanie bursts out laughing, no longer able to contain herself, "you're. So. Dumb," she chokes out between laughs.

"Get off the call, bro," Zac says, "and get off our group chat. No one wants to see your gym pictures. You're actually too buff."