troubled || jj maybank

- nine - *

nine. amnesia

Danika Beckett approached the door of the small home, her duffel bag gripped tightly in her palm. She hurried her way up to the door, the rain pouring down her face. While it didn't change the mascara that was already dried on her cheeks, it was soaking her dampened hair that was resting over her shoulders.

Her brown eyes were puffy and red, the tip of her nose holding a slight redness as well. A large, dark gray hoodie was pulled over her body, concealing the top half of her denim shorts. She brought herself to the front door of the home, bringing her fist to the door.

It was about eleven at night, so Danika was unsure if the boy she used to share a close bond with would even open the door. The pair had drifted apart at the beginning of high school, their lifestyles failing to align.

What that meant was that Dani gravitated towards individuals who shared her socioeconomic status and John B just didn't fit. After his father's disappearance, Dani attempted to rebuild the relationship because she knew how devastated the boy must've been. This failed, as Dani's mother overdosed at a similar time. Dani herself, was completely destroyed.

She brought her right fist up to the door, knocking on it twice. The banging noise against the wood caused John B to shoot up from his slumped over position on the couch; he had just begun to doze off. He waited a moment before rising to his feet, waiting to ensure that he did truly hear a knock. When the door was hit again, he pulled himself up.

He cut across the messy living space to the front door, pulling it open. The harsh rain outside began louder at the door being open, the light from inside illuminating the girl in front of him.

At spotting the boy, the tears she had been holding back escaped. She began to sob, his face pulling together in confusion. He quickly came to the realization that Danika Beckett was standing at his front door, crying.

He grabbed the girl's arm, pulling her inside of the house and out of the rain that was further soaking her. He pulled the duffel bag from her grip, dropping it to the ground. Once she was inside, John B pushed the door shut. He then took the girl inside of his arms, grabbing her lower waist. Her arms lingered at her sides for a moment, before she brought her hands up to his shoulders and pulling herself towards him.

The material of his t-shirt was soft, and she buried her head in the fabric against his upper body. Sobs continued to rack her body, John B rubbing her back. He mumbled soothing words to the girl he had once known so well. "It's okay, it's okay."

In that moment, he could hardly believe she was the Danika Beckett he was previously friends with. In the way she seemed so completely and utterly wrecked, it was hard to even fathom that she was the strong-headed female who would accompany him on adventures in their youth.

Once her crying subsided, he stopped soothing the girl and pulled away from her. She allowed him to, standing near the doorway and averting her eyes to the ground. She brought her hands up to her face, rubbing them across her cheeks and under her cheekbones.

"Dani..." he began, unsure of what to even being to say to the girl.

Her voice was hoarse. "Look, I'm sorry to just show up here. But, uh," she paused for a moment, her right hand finding the spot where her head meet her neck and rubbing slightly with her pointer finger. "Do you think I could crash here? Just for a few weeks, I swear-"

"Yeah, Danika," he replied, nodding his head. "Of course you can stay here." While they hadn't been friends in a while, they had once shared an inseparable bond. He didn't need the girl to justify why she had shown up at his door, despite all of the places on Kildare she could've chosen.