NICKNAMES [1], jj maybank

CHAPTER 8

    I WOKE UP 5 minutes ago but all I've done so far is stare at myself in the mirror across from my bed. The bags under my eyes are very prominent because I stayed up a majority of the night trying to get Rafe's words out of my head. I don't need my first day of eleventh grade to be terrible, I really don't. He might just hate me because I'm me and he's him. Two different people with very different reasons for being so angry.

   The group chat is binging every two seconds giving me a headache so I just silence my phone while I force myself out of bed. Rafe graduated last year so I don't have to deal with his glares and slick remarks that he thinks are whispers. Topper and Kelce are still there though, they'll probably report back to him.

   Eventually I get dressed and ready, head downstairs and say good morning to everyone. They all talk like I'm on egg shells or a mental break, again. "What?" They all sip their coffee and pretend everything is fine. "I know you heard the fight." I look at all of them. Their act is given up.

  My mom is the first to say something,"I'm sorry. I didn't know he'd go to such extremes—in front of us."

I prop my elbow on hand and leaned against the counter,"Not like you stopped him." She never does, she barely defended me even when my dad was in my life. She claimed she did but I never believed her. I grew up learning to defend myself when no one else would.

My mom rolls her eyes,"I can't just curse Rafe out in front of Ward."

"You can—you're choosing not to." She makes a pissed off look at me while the boys give me warning glares. It makes me want to laugh because I know they agree with me.

I feel multiple vibrations in my pocket so I take my phone out and see JJ calling me.

"You're up for school?" I smile even though he can't see me.

"John B woke my ass up. We're down the road. Be quick dumbass."

I scoff and hang up. I go over to my mom, give her a kiss on the cheek, tell the boys bye and swiftly go out and wait for the van to pull up abruptly.

My stomach keeps dropping at the thought of entering the school. It's not that I hate school, I actually like it. It's just some of the people in it and their egos. Of course there are people I'm friends with outside of the Pogues but we made it so we had a lot of classes together. I even told the principal that I had to switch lunch periods because who 'bullied me was in it.'

No one that did is in it. I just wanted to be with the group.

Suddenly, I hear van tires turning the corner and see the infamous Twinkie with its infamous driver, John B. They pull up and Kie swings the door open. I walk over to them,"You guys ready? We're old." I pout. "No, it's a scholarship year." Pope groans. "You're smart, you'll be fine."

   "Get in the paddy wagon,"JJ grabs my wrist and drags me into the van. My heavy backpack makes me stumble and hit the ground of the van making all of them laugh. "JJ you ass!" I adjust myself and slap JJ on the arm.

"Ow!" He smacks me back so I curse at him and smack him which causes a slap war between us.

"Stop! You're children." Kie yells at us even though she was smiling.

"Guys, make me accidentally crash the van so we don't have to go to school." JB looks really tired in the mirror which is weird because he cares about school and getting the sleep to pay attention. I hope there wasn't another argument with his dad.

  JJ did sleepover though, maybe something happened because JJ is pretty awake which only happens when he stays up late and his body tries to make up for the energy. "You like history, just think about that."