Ocean Blue [jjpope]

the party of the century

Shit. Shit. Shit.
The word was playing on repeat in JJ's head as he was walking back to his house.
What the hell had happened ? How did things go that far ? He had no clue. JJ was feeling like shit, far from how he usually felt after making out with someone.
But this time was different : the someone was Pope, and JJ wondered if the boy would even remember anything since he was very drunk. Guilt and shame hit JJ like a truck at the thought. Had he taken advantage of his drunk friend ? He didn't think of it that way, but maybe Pope would ?
JJ's head was full of questions, and he tried to clear his mind and stop overthinking as he opened the door.
He didn't have time to react when his father grabbed his shirt and threw him across the room. It seemed Pope wasn't the only one who got drunk; JJ could smell the whisky his father had been drinking from the floor.
After the hug they had shared a while ago, when his father had talked to him softly, JJ had been stupid enough to think things had changed. But they hadn't, and Luke was still a drunk piece of trash.
JJ tried to get up, but his father kicked him in the ribs, causing JJ to lose his breath for a second. Luke grabbed JJ by the collar of his shirt and spitted on his face.
"Where have you been ?! I said no more going out at night !"
Luke slapped JJ and released his grip. JJ stayed on the floor, breatheless; his whole body was shaking with rage as he wiped his face.
Luke turned away, but JJ catched his foot and dropped him to the floor. His father let out a scream of surprise, as JJ took advantage of it and got up. He kicked his father in the ribs, for seconds, until the man started to cough blood. JJ stared for an instant, as his father was trying to catch his breathe. JJ kneeled down and looked at his father in the eyes.
"Don't try to beat me up, Luke," he said calmly but threateningly. "I'm not 12 anymore, and i'm far stronger and smarter than you. Beat me once, i'll beat you twice. Thought i had made it clear last time."
Luke stared at his son, blood all over his mouth and cheeks; once JJ would have felt guilty. But now he was older, stronger. Stronger than his dad knew, and JJ couldn't wait to show him if he ever tried to hurt him again.
Luke grabbed JJ by the neck and pushed him on the floor, strangling him. JJ punched his father's arm to release himself, but Luke got up and pressed all his weight on JJ's body and neck, keeping him from breathing. JJ punched his father's face, causing him to release his grip. He tried to catch his breathe as Luke got back on his feet. He pulled JJ on his feet, holding him by the jaw, and punched him back. JJ fell on the floor, spitting blood. Hus vision was getting blurry; he only saw his father's silhouette walking dangerously towards him to give him the finale kick. Maybe this time he would kill JJ for good.
JJ's eyes fell on the small table besides him, where a flask was lying empty. JJ took it, got up and smashed his father's head with it, before falling back on the floor.
Luke fell right on his side, unconscious. JJ stayed on the floor for a while, trying to catch his breath, staring at his father.
After a while, he finally got up, and went to his room like nothing had happened.

Pope woke up with the most hurtful headache he'd ever had.
His mouth was dry, and his vision blurry. The grass under him was soft and humid.
He remembered going to the cliff. Feeling helpless and desperate. Drinking.
But the rest of the night was blurry. He remembered the feeling, like he was falling, or maybe he was flying ? Then it was just flashes. A hand. Blonde strikes of hair.
Pope shook his head. He had just been dreaming. That was it.
He got up and buttoned his shirt and pants, his mind still confused with the flashes turning on repeat in his head.

When he got back home, Pope found Kiara sitting on the bed like she'd been waiting for him. What he liked about their relationship was their ability to go back to each other like nothing had happened, but it also had its flaws, since it also meant they never discussed their fights, wiping them away with smiles.
Kie patted the bed, inviting him to sit with her. She was... Smiling ? Pope couldn't remember the last he'd seen her smile. A genuine, Kiara typical smile. The exact smile that had made him fall in love with her.
He sat and sent her a curious look.
"I don't know if i want to hear what you have to say."
It was true. Kiara looked too happy, it was weird. Too weird. It was impossible for her to be like this after the breakdown she'd had the last day. Pope wondered what Kie had been up to all night.
She grabbed his hands.
"Of course you do. Look, you know what tonight is ?"
Pope shook his head, genuinely lost.
"It's the last day of August. Which means...?"
Pope realized where Kie was leading the discussion.
"It's the Party of the Century tonight.
- Exactly !"
Kie gripped Pope's hands tighter, looking at him in the deep of the eyes.
"Pope, we have to go.
- Kie, you know i can't. Pogues aren't welcome to those Kooks celebrations.
- I know that, dummy. I meant we should go... Secretly."
Kie's eyes were bright with excitement. Pope didn't know how to feel about her enthousiasm.
"Why would you want to go to that party ? It's like, everything you hate the most about the Kooks, amplified a thousand times.
- We're not going to party. Think about it : they're gonna be drunk, so drunk. Too drunk to think about anything. Too drunk to... lie."
Both of them remained silent as Pope understood what Kie was thinking about. As Pope was about to talk, Kie cutted him.
"Just think about it, Pope ! It's the perfect night to get Rafe to confess ! It could be him, or any of the Kooks, since they probably all know what happened...
- Kie, don't you remember what happened the last night we messed with Rafe ? He almost got us killed.
- Yeah but we won in the end.
- False. We were lucky enough to escape. Kooks are dangerous. They have the world by their side. We have nothing but our own selves. I'm done fighting them."
Kie's smile was gone, and Pope couldn't face her as her eyes started to shine with tears.
"Are you... Giving up ?"
Pope didn't answer, but his silent was clearer than words. A tear fell from Kie's eyes, that she wiped quickly.
"Fine. Then i'll go by my own."
She got up before Pope could do anything, and slapped the door behind her.

JJ was smoking, sitting on his window sill and stargazing, when someone brutally opened his room's door.
"Dad, please, don't make me knock you out twice..."
JJ stopped his mocking speech when he realized it was not his father standing in his room.
It was Pope, visibly breatheless and worried. JJ's heart skipped a beat; he hadn't seen the other boy since they had been making out the night before. He tried to keep his face as neutral as he could, ignoring the confusion and panic going through his whole body and mind.
"JJ, are you alright ? I saw your father lying on the floor... Did he beat you again ?"
JJ's heart went warm. Sweet, caring Pope, always looking after him. The only one who's ever truly cared about JJ's struggles and issues. The only one to aknowledge his bruises and scars, to check on him daily. To be able to comfort and calm him, too. John B and Kie had never cared as much as Pope, and JJ actually didn't mind. Pope was enough.
Pope walked towards JJ and brushed his face, looking for scars. JJ's lip was slightly open, dry blood peaking from the cut. He had bruises all around the mouth, and his neck was covered in marks from his father's hands.
Pope's eyes rounded in terror at the sight of it. JJ gently chased his friend's hand despite enjoying the softness of the contact; he didn't want Pope to worry about him.
"JJ...
- I'm fine," JJ cutted him off, smiling softly. "Usual father and son affective demonstrations."
Pope was standing very close, looking at him intensely. JJ got off his perch and casually walked to his bed, ignoring his heart beating faster.
"What's bringing you here anyways ?
- It's Kie."
JJ's heart skipped a beat.
"What about her ? Is she alright ? Something happened ?"
Before catching feelings for Pope, JJ had been in love with Kiara for quite a long time. Or at least he thought he was in love; he knew now it was just a crush. But even if the feelings faded, Kie was still a very close friend and very important to JJ, and he always had the feeling he should protect her.
"I think she's fine," Pope said, visibly destabilized by JJ's panic. "At least for now. But i need your help. I'm scared she might do something stupid tonight."
Pope sat with JJ on the bed, and JJ couldn't help but notice their legs and shoulders were touching.
Pope explained Kie wanted to sneak in at the Kooks' party in order to get Rafe to confess his crimes. JJ's throat went dry with stress; the Party of the Century was a Kook reserved event, and even if Kiara was technically a Kook, she was absolutely not welcome there. If anyone found her, they could hurt her, or worse...
"We have to stop her," JJ said.
"It's too late, i tried to but you know how stubborn she can be. I think the only thing we can do is to sneak in as well to find her."
JJ mentally shivered at the thought. He had been involved in enough fights with the Kooks to know they would always have the last word. Three Pogues against the whole Kook Academy... They clearly wouldn't stand a chance.
But then, Kiara was probably already there, and she was even more in danger alone.
"JJ," Pope said soflty, almost in a murmur, and JJ felt butterflies in his stomach. "She needs us. I..."
Pope took JJ's hand, causing the boy's heart to skip a beat. Their gazes met, and they shared a look that made JJ wonder for a second if Pope remembered last night.
"I need you. Please."
JJ did his best to keep his voice natural, and smiled as casually as possible.
"No need to give me pleases. Of course i'm coming with you."

•×•×•

Annnd here ends chapter 3 ! Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts on everything that happened and your theories on what's to come next !
Did Pope really forget it all ? What's gonna happen at the Party ?
Stay tuned to find out ! Chapter 4 will probably be here tomorrow ❤️
Bisouuus
- maygreeves