underwater || outer banks- jj maybank

twenty-one - cabin

twenty-one - cabin

Layla awoke with a pounding in her head and a general disdain all over. She wore a hoodie and her dolphin shorts, her hair disheveled over her pillows.

Black mascara was smeared slightly onto her white pillowcase. She didn't remember that a guest had slept on her couch until she went downstairs, the boy snoring as he lay with an arm hanging off of the sofa.

  She held back a heavy sigh at the boy she had forgotten she felt sympathy for. She simply did not want JJ to have to walk back to John B's at night by himself.

She didn't consider how she would feel in the morning when she had to look at his face. She walked past the sleeping boy and headed into the kitchen to grab some Tylenol and a bottle of water. She popped one of the pills into her mouth, washing it down with a sip of water from the half-full cup sitting on the countertop. She set it back down, pushing the cap back onto the bottle that contained a child safety lock. Layla then headed back towards the living room, where she could head back to her bedroom.

 Instead, JJ had stirred and was sitting upright against the couch. His hair was messy against his forehead, his hands wiping his face as he stretched his arms. Layla inhaled sharply, beginning to walk past the boy who had just awoken. "Seriously, Lay?" he questioned to the girl's back as she was about to begin her climb up the staircase. His voice was a bit deeper due to him just awaking.

 She sighed, her arms falling over her chest as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. "What?" 

 "You're just gonna ignore me?" he questioned, sounding almost hurt.

 He didn't get to be hurt. "Um, yes." Her tone was flat and expressionless, as if it was common sense for the reasoning she would be not talking to him.

 He took a deep inhale. "I apologized, Layla, and I'm really sorry. I just don't know how else I can make it up to you." 

 Layla bit the inside of her cheek, as if contemplating going on a tirade. "You can't be sorry when you won't even accept responsibility for your actions. You still don't think you're wrong, JJ. You aren't sorry for what you did. You're sorry that it upset me."

 JJ looked at her, taken aback for a moment. While this was the girl he knew so well-thickheaded stubborn, dynamic, and hell, always right-he still wasn't prepared for it. The worst part was, she was telling the truth. He still didn't see how he was completely in the wrong, but that was the slight narcissism built into his personality. The boy was selfless at times, sure, but he couldn't handle being the center of blame.

 Instead of confirming her words, she chose not to say anything. "I know, JJ. I'll be ready in twenty minutes if you want to drive back the John B's with me." Layla was ready to pull herself together and pretend like it was all okay.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 Instead of the traditional hanging around John B's, the group took a different approach; they were driving about half an hour to a small cabin owned by Kiara's aunt that she had just learned about.

 Layla insisted on sitting in the front seat with John B, which sort of hurt JJ's feelings. Everyone else in tow understood, however, and complied. Upon arrival, everyone exited the vehicle. 

 It was a small home buried deep in the woods. A wooden door with a small window welcomed everyone into the home. Kiara led Layla, John B, and JJ into the home, the group looking around at the small two-room cabin. Pope was glancing around at the "small-anthered bittercress" plants that were apparently endangered.

 "John B, wanna help me grab the cooler from the car?" Kie questioned, John B following her out of the home. The door then slammed shut behind him, leading to Layla's head perking up. She glanced at the door, the door lacking a doorknob on the inside.

 Layla rushed over to the small window, it being pulled open only a few inches. She tried pushing it open more, but it wouldn't budge. "Guys, what the hell!" Layla called out as went over to the door and tried to pull or push it open.

 Kie's face appeared in the large window, John B next to her. "We'll be back when you guys resolve your problems."

 "Are you guys serious?" JJ called from the side of Layla, annoyance on his face.

 "We're going to starve before that happens, Kie." Layla was pissed. She hardly had interest talking to JJ, let alone being trapped in a cabin with him. What was worse was that her friends had planned it.

 John B smiled. "There's snacks on the counter." Dick. His positive manner pissed Layla off beyond belief, the girl seething at him.

 "If you guys don't let me out of here right now-" 

 Instead, Kie simply mouthed "sorry," as the two turned to go rejoin Pope in the van.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

 Layla found herself sitting on the couch, her shoes left by the door. She had her back pressed into the corner of the sofa. JJ sat on the floor, playing with a small tennis ball he had found. He bounced it on the floor, on to the wall, and then it bounced back to him.

 "Can you stop that?" Layla fired, the bouncing filling her mind and annoying the hell out of her.

 "Can you stop ignoring me?"

 "You deserve to be ignored." 

 "I don't know how much more I can do to prove I'm sorry," he explained, almost sounding tired.

 She scoffed. "'Prove you're sorry?'" she challenged. "You haven't done anything to prove you're sorry. Mostly because you aren't."

"So you're never going to speak to me again?" he questioned. "We're just never going to be friends again?"

 "As soon as you stop thinking with your dick, we can be friends."

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───