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Prologue. Filth Raises Filth. 𓆝 𓆟 𓆜 𓆞 𓆡
JJ Maybank was born from a long line of angry men. He too being one of them. He had learned the lay of the land on The Cut by the time he turned seven. He wasn't a Kook and he never would be, so he should just accept his fate now. That he did.
He worked in the kitchen of a dingy, rundown restaurant when he was thirteen. However, he was soon fired for fighting with a customer who complained about his food. His next job was driving a car full of drugs for Barracuda Mike, but when Shoupe showed up and questioned why a fourteen year old, with no drivers license, was pulling into the driveway, he was fired yet again.
JJ never did learn the value of honest work. His heart ached for the roar of the sea and she knew that. She wished he could've released the grip he had on his ancestors, and quell the need he possessed to change what had become of them. Though, by the looks of things, JJ Maybank would too be nothing but a gravestone. Forced to feel the ocean he longed for erode him.
There were a few moments in his life were he felt truly alive. The one he remembers most vividly being the day his life changed for the worst ( if anyone asks, he'd say it was the greatest day of his life, but he really did want to go on that surf trip ).
". . I'm pregnant, JJ." Montana had told him, a hand on her stomach over the grey t-shirt she wore. The skin around her index finger was red raw, and she brought it up to her lips to chew on once more.
He sat her down on the pink velvet armchair she had brought with her when she first moved in with him with a gentle smile. He made her a cup of mint tea, her favourite, and she accepted it with a thank you. He was all tenderness.
"I'm gonna be here for you, every step of the way." He clutched her shaking hand between his and held it tightly.
Little by little she felt as if sheep skin was growing over the callouses on his hands and the bruises on his arms.
"Guess I'm gonna need to find a job, shit." He sighed, rummaging around in his pockets for spare notes, "How much are abortions usually? I have about forty bucks here."
She felt like a black hole had opened in the living room which swayed beneath her feet. Suddenly, his sheep skin was torn from his limbs. Her ears were ringing and her gaze lifted to his waiting eyes.
"Montana? How much does an abortion cost?" He waved his hand in front of her face and her vision became clear cut as he did.
She ran two hands over her face before answering him with a laboured breath, "I . . I'm not getting one, JJ. We're having a baby."
The clench of his jaw was alls she needed to see before standing up from her seat on the chair. She grabbed his bicep in an attempt to calm him, but white-hot rage was alls he could see. He grabbed the chair she previously sat on before throwing it out of the front door. It landed with a thud and Montana could see the dirt on one side of it. His devotion had turned violent.
"JJ! That was my moms, are you kidding me?" She followed him through the slim hallway of the house, "What are you doing?" Her voice became as small as the mouse beneath their bed as she watched him pull her stuff from the closet.
"You're a fucking whore, Montana!" He yelled, and she could see his eyes burn a hole through her head when he spoke to her, "Bet that's not even my kid." He spat as he threw an armful of her clothes into the dirt outside.
It was raining now. Water beating down onto all of her childhood. She saw a teddy bear her father had gifted her, and a beaded necklace her brother had put together in the first grade. She knew then that love with the man shouting in the other room would never be tender, but a scar. She recalled the time she once killed a plant as a child, by watering it too often. She should've realised then that love would forever be violence.
"You're ruining my fucking life with this, you know?" He was gathering more of her things at this point, "I was meant to be going on a surf trip this summer, Pogues For Life, remember?" He threw her stuff over her head and she squeezed her eyes shut when she watched them hit the ground.
JJ grabbed her shoulders harshly and turned her around, "I'll never forgive you if you do this to me." His tone was softer, but his words held more weight than anything he had said before, "Think. For a fucking second, Montana. Just think." His breath was hot on her face, like fire. She feared if she stood too close he'd burn her flesh.
The brunette girl shook her head slowly, "I am thinking." She spoke with her eyes still closed, but she opened them to look into the blue she once fell in love with, "I want to be a mom, JJ." She told him, but the boy only shoved her backwards and ran a hand through his dishevelled hair.
He picked up a half empty glass of beer from the counter and downed it, "You're a fucking bitch." He grumbled, before throwing the glass into the wall. Montana flinched, and watched him leave.
She'd been afraid of him everyday since.
notes. wowowowow, i worked so hard on this im exhausted !!!jokes!!! i know it's not the longest prologue but i just wanted to show a little insight to what jj and montanas relationship is like during the story. they were in love once though and ill include flashbacks throughout. #cantwaitfortanatomeetrafe 💗💗
