MARLBORO NIGHTS [JJ MAYBANK]

mind-blowing

THE AMOUNT OF JOY that filled the boat ride back to the Outer Banks from Charleston was immeasurable. They laughed as Pope gave a dramatic retelling of all their adventures since John B and Sarah had been away, leaving out the depressing parts and instead telling it in a way that made their ribs ache from how much they laughed- and then it was Sarah and John B's turn, as they told them about the three characters they'd met in Nassau- Terrence, Cleo, and Stubby, who helped them steal the gold back from Ward- even thought they lost it again in the end- and how Sarah got shot by her own brother. A less fun story, but they laughed and awed at the appropriate times. 

There was almost enough joy on the boat that the tension between JJ and Karolina was nearly unnoticeable. He sat on one end of the boat, with John B, and she was on the other end with Kie, neither of them participating in any PDA- which was extremely rare for them both. In the short time they'd been officially together (and even in some of the time they weren't) there was no denying that Karolina and JJ liked to be touching each other at all times. And she didn't want to continue being distant with him, but he'd made no more effort either. And she kept thinking about how he was one hundred percent right about her father, that he'd only ever wanted something out of her- and it hurt to think about her dad and who she wanted him to be, so she didn't want to think about how JJ was right. If she admitted that he was right, it'd mean that it was true, that her father never loved her, never wanted to love her.  

The group's happiness almost overshadowed the fact that the two closest in the Pogues were not speaking- but John B was able to read his bestfriends like a children's book: without difficulty. 

And so, that's how the girls ended up going to look for some free breakfast in the garden of a Touron family that had gone home for the school year already and the boys stayed on the boat. 

Kiara found a watermelon almost instantly, and they couldn't resist from cracking it open immediately and planting themselves on a log to dig in. The boys would just have to wait, because from the glint in Sarah's eyes when she'd seen Pope and Kie together meant the three of them had things they needed to discuss. 

Ignoring the germs that probably got into the scrapes on her hands from where she'd fallen out of the truck, Karolina plunged her hand into the watermelon and ate it in chunks, while Sarah peered up at Kiara. "Am I crazy, or is there definitely something going on between you and Pope?" 

Kie smiled bashfully, looking off into the horizon. "Maybe." 

Karolina and Sarah shared a knowing look. "That's not a no..." chimed the Cameron girl. Kie shrugged, lifting another piece of watermelon to her lips. "It's not a no..." 

Sarah gave her a deadpan look. "Girl." 

The three of them laughed, their shoulders shaking slightly, before Sarah then peered at Karolina. "Okay, since we aren't getting anything out of Miss PopeKie over there- how're things going with JJ?" 

Looking at her shoes in the dirt, Karolina pressed her lips into a thing line, mood sinking hopelessly. "They're... Things are going." 

This time, Kie and Sarah shared a look, and the curly-haired girl said, "Okay, spill." 

Karolina took a deep breath, wondering whether she should get into it all. It might be good to get some outside perspective, from someone like Sarah, who didn't know the full story yet. "Okay, so... When I was ten, my mom died and my dad abandoned us-" Sarah's eyes widened, and Karolina quickly dismissed it. "-And my dad... Well, he called a few days ago. And I wanted to talk to him, because he's my dad, and JJ basically called me stupid for wanting to talk to him." 

"What? Oh my God..." muttered Sarah, scooping more fruit into her mouth. 

"Yeah, and... I don't know," Karolina shook her head, sighing and digging her shoe into the dirt further. "I know I'm wrong for still being upset... JJ was right. My dad isn't a good guy, and I'm way better off without him, but..." She sighed. Things were so hard to understand when you had Daddy Issues.