MARLBORO NIGHTS [JJ MAYBANK]

make it up to you

KAROLINA WAS NOT USUALLY IN FAVOR OF GETTING RIDICULOUSLY DRUNK, and usually needed some coaxing from JJ or Kie, but she was the first headed to the coolers upon their arrival to the annual bonfire, dragging JJ behind her by his pinky finger. He followed, of course, like the love-drunk puppy he was. 

John B followed too, because Pope and Kie were talking about her parents, which was too depressing for him, and he needed a Kook-sponsored drink. 

They grabbed whatever cheap beer they could find first, though. Karolina chugged it without any prompting, finishing her cup in seconds. She burped, looking out over the crowd. 

John B wrinkled his nose. "Real charmer you got there." 

Karolina shook her head. "I'm here to have fun, butthead. If you're gonna be a party pooper..." She grabbed a new cup filled with beer from the beer pong table next to them, and smiled sweetly at John B. "Go home."

"I'm not a party pooper, you're a party pooper..." he mumbled, looking away. He crossed his arms. 

JJ slid his hand into Karolina's back pocket, looking at John B. "Hey, man... Look, dude..." he said, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Her father blew up, right in front of her. Just give her a minute, all right?" 

He grabbed a can from the nearest cooler, watching as his girlfriend slipped away into the crowd of dancers. "In the meantime, shotgun, right now. Like old days—" 

"Hey, derelicts!" shouted a voice, and a can came sailing towards them, almost hitting John B in the face. They looked up to see Mindy, sitting atop the next level of the ampitheater. 

JJ was glad Karolina had disappeared, because she would have thrown the can back at Mindy, and not missed. 

"Hey! There she is," cheered JJ, planting his can of beer into John B's hands. "That's all you, buddy... See ya!" And he zipped off after his girlfriend. 

He found her chatting up a girl from their geometry class, adorably talking about the math test earlier that day. There was his drunk little nerd. 

JJ slipped up behind her and planted his chin onto her shoulder, arms around her waist, making her flinch and stop mid-sentence. "And, oh my ass, number seven was total bull— Hey!" 

She knew it was him before he even spoke. "Let me just—" He started to pull her away, waving at the girl she was talking to. "—steal you..." 

"Hey, wait..." Karolina laughed softly, fighting his grip. JJ realized she might have pregamed too hard when she just let him walk her backwards. "We were talking about that geometry test—" 

He cut her off by spinning her around and pressing a kiss to her lips firmly. She melted into him, and when they parted, she was stuck in a blissful smile. "Mmm... Hi." 

"Hello," he smiled, sliding his hands back into her pockets (where they belonged, he believed). "Where'd you run off to?" 

"Talking to Laura, about the math test," she repeated in a slur, humming and kissing him again. "Mmm, you taste like watermelon vodka..."