the middle ≫ jj maybank

xxviii. the reveal

"Isn't this the first place your dad is going to look for you though?"

Slater and Kiara were relaxing at the chateau, sitting on the porch swing as they discussed the fight the Cambry girl had with her parents. Kie and Pope showed up at John B's house not long after Slater had her meltdown in front of JJ. If either of them noticed the redness of her eyes or the puffiness of her face, they didn't say anything.

"Probably," Slater said with a sigh. "But honestly, I don't care right now. I'm not going home."

Kiara nodded with a frown. "I know the feeling. One of these days, my parents are going to ship me off to some kook boarding school. 'For my own good.'"

A smile flickered on Slater's face before disappearing again. "JJ and I were talking about the same thing. Maybe we can get them to send us to the same one."

Kiara smirked at the mention of JJ's name. "Speaking of JJ... how long are the two of you going to let this little charade continue? The boys are going to find out eventually, and when they do, they will be relentless."

Slater leaned her head against the siding, letting out a loud sigh. "God, I don't know. JJ doesn't know that you and Sarah even know, so..."

The door swung open and the girls immediately fell silent as JJ and Pope came out to join them, arguing about something.

"Where's John B anyway? I thought we were supposed to work on the gold plan," JJ said, sliding into a lawn chair.

"He said he'd be here by one," Pope replied, glancing at his watch. "It's almost two."

"What were you two talking about out here?" JJ asked, glancing between Slater and Kiara.

"Girl stuff," they replied at the same time.

"Always with the 'girl stuff,'" JJ teased, wrinkling his nose. "I liked it better when there were no girls. None of this 'girl stuff.'"

"Jeez, JJ, tell us how you really feel."

No one had noticed as John B and Sarah walked up the driveway, sans the Twinkie. They were wheeling two fancy looking bicycles that they'd most definitely borrowed from Tannyhill. The pogues rose to greet them.

"Did you ride those here?" JJ asked, laughing to himself as John B and Sarah walked up the porch stairs. "They look like they cost more than my bike."

"Like it takes much," Sarah replied with a smirk.

"Hey, John B, quick question," Slater interrupted, seeing as there was currently a duffel bag full of her belongings sitting atop the Routledge boy's bed. "I got in a major fight with the parents, so is it okay if I lay low here for a bit?"

John B's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly nodded, an amused grin filling his face. "Yeah, of course. Umm, follow up question, though. How major are we talking? He's not going to arrest me for, like, kidnapping, or harboring a criminal, is he?"

Slater laughed, the first real laugh she'd had since the fight with her parents. "Well, take it this way. If I hadn't left when I did, I'd be, like, handcuffed to my bed while the rest of you became millionaires."

"Did you say that on purpose?" JJ asked, a smirk on his face. "Kinky."

The rest of the group erupted into laughter, while Slater's face turned beet red. She hadn't meant it that way, of course, but they'd taken it that way.