All Of You// JJ Maybank

27.

It's the next morning and jj is still gone. I sit with John b and his friends admiring the half melted gold. "It's beautiful and so so real" I shake my head

It might not have been my victory but I still was proud to play a part. "Dad would be proud ya know" I smile, tossing the gold couple times.  "I'd like to think so" John b smiles softly. I like this quiet truce we've called. No more hurting eachother on purpose.

Pope let's me relive yesterday through his eyes, not missing a single detail. "That sounds like so much more fun than where I was" "Speaking of" kie sits up straight like she's about to accuse me of something.

"Why are you leading jj on?" "Kie drop it" John b snaps at her. "I'm not?" "Jj really likes you, we just don't want to see him hurt" Pope shrugs.

"Rafe and I are just friends, I'm doing him a favor" at least that's how I've viewed it. "And he's paying you back by buying you fancy dinners and expensive gifts?" Kie is at my throat, wanting an explanation.

"The dress is for midsummers, ward was on his ass about having a date and sure, the fancy dinners are sorta repayment. But that's all they are" "any girl would be lucky to be with jj. So if you don't want to be, you need to tell him. So he can move on" the tone she uses gives me a feeling like she wants to be the lucky girl.

I'm not sure how to respond. I mean she's right, any girl would be lucky to have jj. It never crossed my mind to tell jj he needs to move on. I just assumed he had move on already when I saw him making out with that girl at his party.

"Were just looking out for our friend" Pope says nicely. "Of course, have you guys heard from him?" I nod. Everyone shakes there heads. "Hopefully he's paying his restitution" John b shakes his head.

"Barry's going to kill him" Sarah shakes her head with a worried look. "Maybe he'll understand?" Pope gives us a a fake hopeful look. We laugh and dismiss him.

~~~~
The sun was setting, I texted jj a few times and never heard a response. I left the house shortly after noon and had been getting the dress tailored. Now it fits like a glove.

I was starting to get kind excited about going to midsummers. I never went to prom because I had no friends to go with.  This will be a glimpse into what that night would have felt like.

Rafe buys me dinner, I insist we go to some cheap pizza place. Kies words stuck in my head. He compromises chap dinner by insisting we take his bike.

"You just hold on to me and enjoy the ride?" He smiles. The pit I'm my stomach grows. It wasn't that I didn't trust rafe, but rather I had never been on the back of a bike. I had always driven by myself.

"Go slow" I scold him as we get on the bike. He does not go slow. He goes out of his way to make the bike loud and show off. I burry my face into his back, only looking up when the bike slows to a stop.

We're in the middle of a neighborhood, my brothers van infront of us coming from the opposite direction. It stops because we're blocking their side of the road.

"What do you want rafe?" Sarah jumps out of the vehicle. Rafe gets off the bike and they walk twords each other, yelling. "Do you know who you just stole from?" Rafe was scolding her.

I jog over to John bs window. "Any sign of jj?" I was starting to get worried. "Nothing" "where could he be?" I shake my head. "I don't know, maybe his dads?" "Why would he go there?" My heart sinks alittle remembering the marks I had cleaned the other night.

"Maybe to tell him he paid restitution or something? I'm sure he'll show back up" john b sounded sure, it calmed me alittle. Rafe and Sarah still yell at each other. He waves the burn mark on his arm in her face.

"Sorry about this, we were going to dinner" I sigh. "Not that it's my business but jj is my friend. What's going on between you two?" John b asks in a calm voice. "Were just friends I sware. Mid summers is tomorrow Night, my favor to him will be over and we probably won't hang out again" I shrug.

"Just don't do something you'll regret please" "of course not" I nod. Sarah opens the door to the van and I realize rafes back on his bike.

I ask him if he's okay and he says yes. I ask him why he was showing his burn to Sarah and he tells me to not worry about it.

Dinner is boring but goes by pretty quick. He tells me that he'll pick me up after noon but before dinner. He wants me already dressed and ready to go. We'll party for a while and he'll bring me home- unless I want to spend the night.

The drive home is quiet. "Thank you for agreeing to do this" rafe glances over as we pull onto my street. "Of course" i nod but im not paying attention. As we pull into the drive way I see a bunch of lights strung through the trees, music blaring, and the boy I've been so worried about sitting in a hot tub in the middle of it all.

"What a dumb ass" rafe laughs. "Barry is going to kill his ass" he shakes his head but he's smiling. I get out without responding. Rafe doesn't do anything more, just pulls put of the drive way and leaves.