Westside || Jonah Marais

• THREE •

❝ A F T E R Y O U ❞

"What are you doing?" Amity asks, eyeing Jack suspiciously as he jumps in front of her, conveniently blocking Bey and Jonah from view.

"Me?" The curly haired adult points at himself, grinning innocently. "I'm not doing anything. I just really enjoy walking backwards."

Daniel appears at the girl's side, successfully distracting her from asking too many questions.

"So, what's your favorite place you and Bey have went to?"

Amity smiles, having taken an instant liking to the younger boy. Although, according to Bey, she's always been too easily trusting when it comes to meeting people. But anyone that looked at her best friend in complete awe was immediately okay in Amity's books.

He so obviously wore his heart on his sleeve, as well as all of his other emotions. Unlike Jonah, she could read Daniel like a book. He reminded Amity of herself before Bey came along; the quiet one of the group, always appearing nervous and as though any loud noise might scare them off.

Amity felt a strong urge to look out for him and hoped to grow close to him within the next couple of weeks.

"Not so fast, Mr. Seavey," she jokes, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I'll be asking the questions here."

Daniel gulps, his eyes widening as his mind races through everything that has happened in the short time since the two met, in an attempt to figure out what this was about.

"What's your-"

"Intentions?" He interjects, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm not going to murder your friend, if that's what you're worried about."

"Oh don't worry," Amity giggles, linking her arm through Daniel's as Jack continues to walk backwards. She hadn't missed the grin on his face at the thought of the other wild girl. "If you try to kill Bey, she's more than capable of ending you herself. I was just gonna ask what your favorite flower is."

"My favorite flower?" Daniel furrows his eyebrows together in thought. "Lilies."

Amity believed you could tell plenty about any male - no matter his age - by the simple question. Not by their answer, of course, but by their reaction to it.

If they wrinkled their nose at the question, or spouted some bullshit about how 'men don't like flowers', she dubbed them too filled with toxic masculinity and knew she ought not to be around them. If they responded like Daniel, however, actually taking time to think about it or appearing pleased that someone asked, they passed the test.

"My favorite flowers are sunflowers, thanks for asking," Jack comments, promptly tripping over a rock seconds later.

Amity giggles, tugging on Daniel to walk faster as Bey, Jonah, Zach, and Corbyn turn onto a concrete path - far sturdier than the sandy path they had been on.

"By the way," she calls out over her shoulder, giving Jack a dubious look as he pushes himself to his feet. "I know Bey put Jonah in a headlock. You weren't hiding anything."

<<>>

When the group of seven finally reached the docks, Daniel was carrying Bey on his back, Amity was on Corbyn's, and Zach was on Jack's. Corbyn, Daniel, and Jack we're constantly arguing over who got to carry who on the way back and complaining about how hard they had it, each boy trying to make his situation sound worse.

Bey and Amity casually spoke over their heads about anything and everything; university, the vacation so far, and retelling their favorite stories for the boys' amusement.