𝗟𝗘𝗙𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 ᴊᴊ ᴍᴀʏʙᴀɴᴋ

𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚

     "𝙇𝙄𝙇𝘼𝘾, 𝙂𝙀𝙏 𝘿𝙊𝙒𝙉 𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀! 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙒𝘼𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙄𝙎 𝙉𝙄𝘾𝙀 𝙏𝙊𝘿𝘼𝙔!" John B shouted to Lilac, who remained on the HMS Pogue's deck. The girl only shook her head softly in his direction before facing the Sun again. It appeared to the group that she was trying to tan.
     "Sorry, John B, but I plan on staying up here today. Maybe next time," she replied. He sighed and continued messing around in the water with the other Pogues.
       A while later, Pope looked over to see her still in the same spot, not having moved even an inch. "Lilac, stop being a bore and get down in the water with us!" he hollered over to her.
     "Yeah, Lilac. You are being such a bore!" JJ added, waving his arms about in his slightly tipsy state. He tried to splash her from his spot in the water, but the droplets just aimlessly hit against the side of the boat instead.
     "Sorry," Lilac mumbled, quickly grabbing her sunglasses and sliding them onto her face. She pulled her long-sleeved tee farther down her arms, as the sleeves had ridden up when she grabbed her glasses, before adjusting her hair and continuing to "tan".
     "Kie isn't being a bore!" Pope said loud enough for everyone to hear. Kie just laughed and continued messing around with John B. "Try being more like her!"
     "Dude, she already said she didn't want to. Just drop it," JJ muttered. As much as he wanted his friend to come down into the water with them, he felt that comment was a little harsh. Pope sighed and swam over to his other friends. JJ headed over toward the boat Lilac was on.
     "Hey, Lilac?" he asked, swimming up to the side of the boat. He crossed his arms atop the edge of it and peered down at her.
     "Yeah, JJ?" Lilac asked him quietly.
     "Why don't you want to come in the water with everyone? We all want you down there." He looked at her as he waited for a reply. Eventually, the girl sighed and rubbed at her forehead.
     "I just don't feel much like it today. Sorry, JJ," she whispered.
   "All right," the boy sighed, dipping back down into the water. "Just come in if you change your mind."

     "𝙃𝙈𝙎 𝙋𝙊𝙂𝙐𝙀 𝙄𝙎 𝙊𝙉 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙈𝙊𝙑𝙀!" Pope shouted as he started up the boat a few hours later. The group began their way back towards John B's house, the Chateau, where they would hang out.
"You got a nice tan in, Lilac," Kie said as she sat down next to Lilac with a gentle sigh.
In a sleepy mumble, Lilac hummed a quiet reply. "Thanks, Kie. How was the water?"
"Nice. You should get in next time, though."
"Maybe," Lilac mumbled.
"It's so hot out!" JJ whined from the other end of the boat. John B agreed, as well as Pope and Kie. "Lilac, how are you not dying over there?"
"What do ya mean?" she asked.
"How are you wearing long sleeves in the middle of summer?" John B asked from next to JJ.
"I'm fine. I don't think it's that hot out!" She put a small smile on her face to show to her friends.
"Whatever," Pope mumbled.
"Lilac, if you had gotten in the water, you would be a lot cooler right now," Kie told her.
"I said I wasn't hot," Lilac whispered. Everyone frowned, including JJ, who shook his head sadly.

"𝙂𝙐𝙔𝙎, 𝙄 𝙃𝘼𝙑𝙀 𝙏𝙊 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝘿 𝙃𝙊𝙈𝙀 𝙉𝙊𝙒," Lilac said to the group as they started walking up the yard of the Chateau and towards the porch. A few sighs were let out from her friends upon this statement.
"We just got here, Lilac. Stay for a while?" John B asked her. She sighed and shook her head.
"Sorry to leave early," she said.
"Well, you weren't in the water with us, either," Pope said. "We can find something else to do."
"Yeah, we don't need you to just hang out," Kie added, somehow smiling with her statement.
"Oh, alright." Lilac smiled. They don't need me? she thought.
"See you soon, then, Lilac," John B said as he started towards the Chateau. Pope and Kie waved, following him inside. JJ smiled at his remaining friend.
"Well, see you later, then," he said quietly, slowly walking backwards toward the house.
"Yeah." She smiled again, rubbing at the bridge of her nose where her sunglasses rested. "Uhm, let me know if you need anything."
"Alright. Thanks, Lilac." JJ smiled at her offer before walking inside with his friends. Lilac stared at the door he entered into before starting off towards her bike and her way home.