body language - JJ Maybank

THIRTEEN.

the previous summer

— THE Cameron's were all sat around the dinner table, Evelyn accompanying them. It wasn't often she was invited to dinner at the Cameron house, she wasn't too sure that Ward was very keen on her, so she sprung at the opportunity.

"Have you ever considered transferring to Kook Academy?" Ward asked Evelyn, breaking up the sound of cutlery scraping across plates.
"I'm not sure." Evelyn said before taking a bite of the food on her fork, she knew Ward wasn't too pleased with her 'lack of kook' lifestyle.

"It would be good for you." Ward paused as he took a bite, taking a moment to chew his food. "To be surrounded by the right type of people." He held his hand up to his mouth as he spoke. Evelyn didn't like this comment, but she didn't dare argue with Ward.

"There just doesn't seem much point transferring schools this late. I mean, I haven't got long until I'm leaving." Ward nodded, not giving Evelyn a verbal response. The rest of the people at the table sat in silence, Evelyn wasn't quite sure how the deal with dinner like this every night.

"What about those friends of yours ? Are they still up to no good." Ward seemed to have this idea of the pogues, that they were nothing but troublemakers; this was surprising as he was once one of them in his youth.
"They're not my friends anymore." Evelyn told him, putting down her cutlery to take a sip of her drink.

"Well that's good, I've never trusted those kids." Rose nodded in agreement to Ward. Evelyn didn't respond, not quite knowing what to say next. Rafe moved his hand underneath the table, resting it on top of Evelyn's thigh.
When she looked up at him, he gave her an apologetic look; noticing she was uncomfortable by his dads interrogation.

"How did you find midsummers?" Ward then asked her, Evelyn was unsure as to why all his conversation was directed at her.
"It was good." Evelyn nodded. "I had a nice time." She put a smile as a disguise from the terrible evening she had actually had.

"I'm glad to hear. It seems like the only
moment of peace on this island, without the pogues there." Ward had this weird obsession with the pogues being bad people that Evelyn couldn't quite understand, if he grew up as a pogue himself why would he have so much hatred for them?

"Me and Evelyn are going back upstairs." Rafe announced, his plate wiped clean. Evelyn had just about finished her food, a couple pieces of food left on her plate. Rafe pushed his chair away from the table , he stood and waited for Evelyn to get up also.

   "Thank you for dinner Rose, it was delicious." Evelyn sent a warm smile Rose's way as she stood up, following Rafe out of the dining room and back upstairs to his bedroom.

  "I'm sorry about my dad." Rafe said to her after closing the door, jumping on his bed.
  "No, it's okay. He's skeptical of me, I get it." Evelyn sat on the bed delicately, not feeling comfortable enough to jump on it the same way Rafe had done.

  "Yeah but he shouldn't be. It's not fair on you really." Rafe pointed out and Evelyn shrugged, it didn't really bother her too much that Ward acted the way he did towards her.
   "It's whatever, don't worry about it."

present day

    — "DO you think he'll be okay?" Evelyn cried, she had her head rested on JJ's shoulder as they sat on her bed. He used the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders to pull her closer.
     "He'll be perfectly fine. He's John B." JJ let out a light chuckle. Evelyn wanted to laugh in return but she was far too upset. It was scary seeing John B like that, she didn't think he was going to make it out alive.