NICKNAMES [1], jj maybank

CHAPTER 2

MY EYES SLOWLY FLUTTER OPEN. I have a raging headache from yelling all the way here and until JJ went to bed. I pick my head up slightly.

I catch up with my senses and hear voices outside. I want to sleep more but I know I'm going to get dragged out of the house and onto the boat. My eyes close again but the sun was shining through every window. I can just fake it too I make it. Fake being asleep until I pass out again.

Maybe if I think hard enough I'll end up back in my dream where everything I did or left my mouth didn't end up so reckless. My brain starts turning off again. All the sudden— the front door opens and everyone walks in.

They're were talking about going on the boat, of course and then I hear Pope, "She's still knocked out?"

"She always sleeps late Pope." Kie replies. I hear three sets of footsteps go to the kitchen but the fourth is right near me. At the end of the couch near my feet I feel the couch dip and a figure looms over me.

JJ.

His cologne that he always wear quickly engulfs me. I remember when he started wearing AXE and I yelled at him and told him,"I was allergic," just so he would stop wearing it because he wouldn't stop when I told him he smelt like a sex offender. Now it changed to some minty ocean one I stole for him and now he just keeps stealing it for himself. It's hard to keep my eyes closed as JJ's leans in closer to me.

"Hey, lady, get up. Wanna go on the boat?" His breath tickles my ears and I'm trying hard not to smile or open an eye. I know he's going to push my buttons because he knows which ones to push.

He grabs my left shoulder and lightly shakes it, waits, and shakes it again and then—he shakes my whole fucking body to the point where I have to wake up.

I open my eyes and frown at him. He just smiles at me. It always ends up this way, we argue and the next day he's buying me weed and calling me affectionate things. "I knew your dumbass was awake. Do you have clothes here?" He moves off the couch and claps his hands, slightly startlingly me. He always has so much energy despite the amount of fucking weed he smokes. I flop my forearm over my eyes and groan at him.

  "Sunshine, if you get up I'll pay for your weed today."

I move my arm and open one eye at him, "Where are you getting $40 for us?" My voice is scratchy because it's the first words I've said after falling asleep crying. Pope had been playing with my hair the whole night while I drifted off into sleep with tears down my face.

JJ flashes another smile at me and shakes his head. "I stole some shit and pawned it so I got extra cash. Get up!" He's so loud. Waking JJ up is worse than trying to wake me up. He snores and God, you could drop an anvil on him and he'd still be asleep.

But when he wakes up before me and he wants me up? I never get peace. "Pinky promise?" My hand comes out of the blanket and I stick my pinky out at him. JJ interlockes his pinky with mine. His eyes look like a deeper blue, so deep I have to shift my green eyes away. I shift them to JB who stood above me at the end of the couch with beers in hand.

I use my elbows to push myself off the couch, throwing the blanket off.  I somehow fell asleep in denim fucking shorts. The material immediately makes me icky. "What time is it that you're grabbing beers?" A yawn leaves my mouth along with a stretch going through my body. "Are you kidding me? It's 1pm. We have two more days till school. Let's go, Sam," John B scoffs. Kie has a cooler of snacks and more beer I assume.

I watch out of the window as Pope is getting the H.M.S Pogue ready and Kie stocked the boat. "I don't have pants," I shrug.

I swear I'm not trying to find an excuse, I do want to go on the boat even though I never fish or go in the water. There is just no way I'm going to wear the shorts currently on my body. "I have sweatpants you can wear," JJ offers me.