MARLBORO NIGHTS [JJ MAYBANK]

bring it in, sarah cameron

AS POPE SET the boat in motion to head back to the Chateau, Karolina thought about what John B said, taking the seat next to JJ. She beckoned him to look at her, watching his side profile silently, but he didn't.

When they arrived back at the Chateau, Kie and Pope went to turn the hot tub and all the lights on, while Sarah and Karolina brought all the beer inside, JJ and John B working to get it put into coolers. Before she knew it, everyone was stripping down to their bathing suits, and she sat on the edge of the hot tub in her black bikini- JJ's favorite- watching as Kie lit a blunt.

JJ came running out of the house with John B in tow, holding many cans of beer in his arms, and he started to pass them out; each of their friends got one, but when he reached Karolina, there was only one left in his hands. And he sat down with it, cracking it open and taking a sip for himself.

Karolina, thinking that maybe he was just messing around with her and was open to sharing, laughed slightly. "Could I get one?"

But when he cast a fleeting glance in her direction, refusing to meet her eyes, she understood that it wasn't a joke. "Yeah, they're in the fridge," he said tightly, looking away from her immediately.

She wasn't sure why, but this reaction caused her cheeks to warm violently, embarrassment icing up her chest, tightening her throat. So, they were mad at each other, and she had snubbed him a lot these past few days- but never in front of their friends. Well, once in front of Pope, when he tried to mess with her hair in the truck, but Pope wasn't even paying attention. Here and now, all their friends could see and cast pity-filled eyes at her. It was seriously bringing down the vibe, so Karolina just rolled her eyes, trying to get rid of the tears that wanted to swell being her eyes as she tossed her legs over the side of the hot tub again and hopped out.

Everyone's gaze refocused on JJ as she went inside. Pope whistled. "That was cold, dude."

He just shrugged, though he knew exactly what they were talking about. "What?"

John B sighed exasperatedly. All this being the mediator was tiring. "Go talk to her. Now."

JJ didn't respond, and made no indication that he was going to, so Kiara grabbed the beer from his hand, passing it to Sarah, who gave it to Pope. JJ glared. "Hey-"

Pope turned it upside down over the grass.

"Dude!" JJ protested, and John B pointed a finger towards the house. "We're not letting you screw up the best thing that's ever happened to you because of her piece of shit dad, okay?"

The blonde hesitated for a moment, biting his lip and thinking. He thought about what they were saying, and he knew they were right. He and Karolina at least needed to talk again, and try to work things out; he really cared about her, more so than any girl he'd ever been with, more than any girl he'd ever known. He was so mad at her for getting upset that he never really stopped to consider why. It wasn't her fault that she wanted her dad to be a good person.

They'd both screwed up. But John B was back, and they were ready to have a good time. There was nothing JJ wanted more than to have a good night for once, and he knew that wouldn't happen unless he could kiss his girlfriend when he got way too drunk.

With a quiet sigh, he lifted himself from the hot tub and trudged inside. There, he found his girlfriend in front of the opened fridge, squatting as she looked through the bottom shelf for the beers. She glanced up as he walked up, her eyes hardened.

Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his neck. "I dropped my beer, so..." He reached over her head to grab them off the top shelf, handing her one as a sort of peace offering. She stood from her crouch, still between him and the fridge, and took it, but there was no peace in her expression. Then she avoided his eyes, raising her brows expectedly when he didn't back away immediately so that they could return to their friends.