GLITCH.
018 | pure evil

" WHICH ONE?" Renee was slowly becoming inpatient with all three of her male friends as they sat on John B's bed as the blonde showed them the variety of bathing suits she could've worn that day.

Unlike JJ, the other two weren't enjoying this as much but without Kiara here temporarily to do all the girly things like choosing outfits — the boys seemed to have taken one for the team.

Renee caught onto one of Pope's cringed looks as she sighed, putting her arms and holding the swimsuits back to her sides. Looking at him and John B in annoyance,

"Can you two stop acting like little prepubescent boys?" She snapped "you two have see me in my swimsuit all the time so what's the big damn deal?" Renee groaned as John B answered on behalf of both of them.

" no offence, we love you Ren but don't you think you should wait for Kie to come back to do this," he told her awkwardly, not wanting it to come off as if he didn't want to help her because he did just with anything but this.

" I'm not walking around in the hot summer weather with a black baggy shirt and cotton shorts on, both belonging to JJ." She sassed back.

" I'm sure JJ wouldn't mind if you stayed in it for only a little bit longer, would you JJ?" Pope asked the boy awkwardly who just smirked with his eyes adverted up to the girl and shook his head.

" I prefer the bikini actually." it was if their two minds were connected since she could practically hear the dirty and risqué thoughts screaming from JJ's mentally pubescent mind.

Renee felt the tether of sanity break in her head as she dropped the sets of bikinis on the duvet cover. Beginning to usher the boys out of the room.

" come on, out!" she demanded, offending the boys that she wanted them gone for the next few minutes at least.

JJ was the only one not rushing out of the room like the two others, instead he was making it harder for Renee to exclude him.

" you sure you don't need my help putting it on at all ?" he winked, to which she rolled her eyes at his insinuation but remained silent knowing if she were to retaliate he would only continue.

" by the way, if it means anything. I liked the yellow one with the daisies on it." Renee felt her stomach drop as she looked at him.

that was her favourite bikini.

She shook it off as if nothing happened and finally managed to push the remaining boy from the room. " now you three stay here, tidy up or play soccer or something- I dunno!" she spoke in defeat, to the boy's amusement before shutting the door in their faces.

" god, I didn't know how Kiara did this all without me." she groaned, a sort of jealousy for her best friends' patience with them that she didn't withhold.

Her hand grabbing the yellow bikini, the one printed with white daisies, her mind convincing herself she wasn't wearing it because JJ told her that he liked it.

She opened the door, noticing John B and Pope had left for the dock — unlike JJ who wandered in the house.

" psst-" she caught the attention of the blonde who turned and noticed her peering out of the room.

" what can I help you with?" he hummed, trying to play off as slick whilst Renee pulled the two piece that was hanging between her fingers.

" wanna help or not blondie?" As she suspected it didn't take long for JJ to enter the bedroom. Closing the door behind him and not wasting the limited time that had until someone notice that they were both missing.

The bathing suit was the first thing on the floor, and then followed by Renee's shirt, then JJ's shirt. The kisses made their breath heavy as they continued to undress.

" wanna hear what I've been thinking?" JJ said against her lips as Renee nodded. " we should tell them."

" tell who what?" Renee said in between kisses, still dazed by their actions, " our friends that we're together."

And reality sank in again. Renee pulled away — as JJ furrowed his eyebrows wondering why she had stopped "What?"

" JJ," Renee said, she didn't want to say it knowing it would hurt him "We're not together," she told him. Hating herself as she was forced to watch his face drop in response.

It hurt even more when he tried to cover up his hurt, with a small laugh " So what? we just fuck and I'm not meant to fall for you." Renee reached for the shirt that she had only previously taken off and slipped it back on. " Because I fell for you long before we started hooking up."

" this wasn't the deal JJ."  she tried not to sound to harsh, but it was in fact the sort of relationship they had agreed on. 

JJ nodded, so clearly hurt. " JJ-" her hand reached out to grab his own, and hesitantly he accepted.

Renee used her other hand to cup his cheek as she wetted her lips " The rules, you know that."

JJ pushed himself away from her. Shaking his head "god fuck the rules!" his voice was louder than expected as she couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Why do you care about the rules so much?" he questioned, " tell me, you break enough of them as it is — why is this one so special?"

Renee shook her head " I don't have to explain myself, ok I laid out the terms and conditions of this and you accepted them!" she replied, " it's not my fault that you couldn't do that without getting attached."

JJ scoffed " you knew I liked you! You're not an idiot Ren, you could see that I like you and that I have done for forever now and you took advantage of that!" Renee couldn't say anything " and it's so clear you like me too, so tell me why we can't just be together-"

" because I'm not losing anyone else!" she raised her voice as she snapped back " I've already lost a whole life that I thought I'd have forever!" she told him.

" as much as you guys use to poke fun about me being queen kook or whatever you referred to me as in the butt of your jokes," she started "it was my life, a life I loved." 

JJ didn't know what to say, and instead stood still watching as she ranted about something she hadn't ever told anyone before " And then, I lost it all: my best friend ghosted me,  the boy I was dating was obsessed with me, my dad was dead and my brother and mom hated me."

Renee exhaled, feeling her heartache from inside her chest " John B found me at my lowest and offered me a new life, a new family that accepted me despite my past and people who loved me."

JJ knew exactly who whom she was referring: the pogues were her family. " and the idea of losing you guys— JJ I can't do it again." she told him.

 "and if you want to end this, I understand completely." She told him, " But I'm not going to end up alone again, I'm just not."

JJ  shook his head "No, like we said we can't just be friends after this started." he told her, as she continued to look at him " I'd rather have you this way than not at all." he said.

And Renee nodded " ok." she said softly — watching as JJ pushed back her hair and gently hovered closer. Not stopping until their lips collided — with more ease than before, it was gentle. Hunger and Infatuation didn't consume their actions instead it acted as a force of assurance.

They were both falling, and they were idiots for thinking it was purely lust. When In truth it was so much more.

THE BOAT SAILED PAST THE TOWN. It all still looked a mess but much better than a few days prior. The ride through from the chateau had consisted of Renee and Kiara both offering to help almost the entirety of the shop-owning community to clean up after Agatha.

But now Renee was lying in between JJ's legs with her head resting against his chest in a similar way to last night. Her overpriced sunglasses from her old kook days sat on the ridge of her nose and her white linen trousers and open button shirt she had stolen from John B disregard on the floor of the boat.

" ugh, the sun is blinding today." she moaned, turning her head slightly to avoid the harsh rays of the burning ball of fire present in the sky.

" yeah, that's normally how summer works pretty girl." JJ teased, continuing to trace his fingers over the brown beauty marks dotted over the skin on her arms.

Renee shook her her head and closed her eyes, despite it only being eleven in the morning she was already to nap. Kiara said this was a trait she had inhabited from hanging with JJ for too long.

" blondie, can you stop being a smug little shit for one day please?" she retaliated, obviously her words had no trace of malice as she spoke them considering everyone on board laughed ( JJ included) .

After a few seconds of quiet, after the laughter had died down, it was once again broken by JJ. He whistled grabbing everyone's attention, including Renee who opened her eyes and sat herself up.

" you guys see that?" he asked, referring to the boat sailing by them in the opposite direction they had come from.

"That's the Malibu twenty-four mxz , the words finest wake setter." Renee looked at the boat, it was glistening under the sun, it looked clean and if someone had that kind of boat they probably could afford a cleaner for it.

" number one in luxury, quality and performance, two hundred k easily," JJ told them confidently, knowing JJ's love for boats they didn't question his knowledge for a second.

"We picked the wrong parents." Pope chimed in, in a sort of self-pity tone.

Renee looked at the boat, her eyes locking on the brunette with fake blonde highlights and groaned.

"Sorry to ruin your fun boys but that's Prince and Princess Kook." Renee informed them, looking back down to the sea, not wanting to look at Sarah Cameron's face any longer than she needed to.

Renee kept her eyes steadied but her ears could sense the running of the engine sliding past them and eventually in the distance.

She looked up, noticing JJ's eyes looming. A tightening sensation in her chest. 

" JJ, I swear if you're checking out Sarah Cameron right now I will quite literally kill you." her tone was drenched with jealousy, her empty threat of course tearing JJ's eyes away.

" why would I when I've got everything I want right in front of me." his nice words were ruined by the fake English Shakespearean accent he put on as he spoke.

The girl failed to hide her smile "Cringe." she chuckled, closing her eyes once again but shuffled her body closer to JJ's.

" don't act like you don't see us bitch." Kiara spoke snarkily, earning an amusing laugh from Renee who turned her head to look at the brunette. Both shared a smile from the slight hurt from the entire situation that was only now buried under so much annoyance and hatred.

" COME ON REN, GET IN." John B called out the blonde who was the only one not currently in the water.

She hummed and shook her head, once again rejecting his offer to leave the warmth of the boat, where the sun was hitting her at just the right spot. She would get in the water eventually but just not now.

" not right now, give me another hour but I'm still tanning." her words caused a ripple of sarcastic comments from the others who commented on her kookiness from the ocean.

" you can take the girl out from the kooks but you can't take the kook out of the girl," JJ told them, a comment he was aware of what exactly reaction he would get.

An offended and pissed-off  Renee sat up in a jolt and looked at him, using her fingers to push down her sunglasses and set them down by her disregarded clothes.

JJ winked at her knowing exactly what he was doing, the gesture going over everyone else's heads as they all continued to chuckle at Renee.

" you did not just say that, Maybank!" she scoffed as she looked at him and smirked at his childlike wide grin.

" oh..you know I did." he retorted,

she stood up from where she had comfortably lounged before it. It wouldn't have been a lie if JJ had had to close his mouth to stop the drawl leaving his lips from just looking at her.

" oh no, mama bears angry," Pope announced, speaking in a holler of warning. Renee could hear the pushing of water as both John B, Kiara and Pope swam towards the boat and away from the lover's quarrel taking place.

" do you want me to remind you of how you used to be the kook princess, Ren- or should I say your majesty." with those words leaving JJ's mouth, a loud splash occurred. Renee felt her premature tan wipe off as her body collided with the water.

As she felt her body bob back up to the surface, she swam towards JJ. Unable to hide a smile as she did so.

" you need to learn how to shut your mouth JJ." she teased him, feeling a spine go cold at the feeling of his arms sitting on her lower back and hips.

He pulled her to wrap her legs around his torso. They had never done this before- it was a strange but heart fluttering feeling.

" oh yeah, and why's that?" he asked, moving his hands from her hips to push back her hair as she tilted her head back.

" because, making a girl angry will make her less likely to want to kiss you." she muttered at the end.

Both of their hearts seemed to skip a few beats as JJ tilted his head and Renee moved her hands to his cheeks. Now with an audience on the boat as they looked in amazement at how close the two were.

" you...you want to kiss me?" he stuttered in disbelief, he mentally had to pinch himself to wonder if this was one of the many other dreams he had about this moment in particular. Not because it was a kiss, they had done that a lot by now — but the fact she would do it in front of everyone who even with her back turned Renee knew were watching from the boat.

" In front of them?" he spoke in a breath, not quite believing it.

Renee hummed, pushing her hands to the back of his neck and beginning to lean in. Keeping her eyes open unlike JJ who decided to savour the moment.

Their lips were mere millimetres from pushing against one another, close enough to feel the heat from one another's breath . Renee could feel JJ's pulsing heartbeat on her chest.

She wanted to, she really really wanted to.

but also, she had to teach him a lesson. " sorry, you've just simply made me too angry."

She told him, pushing herself away from him as his eyes opened in disbelief.

It was like waking up from one of those dreams, only worse because it wasn't and he had to face the embarrassment from his friends for the rest of the day.

As Renee left JJ, swimming back to the boat. John B and Pope in an hysterical fit of laughter and mentally made a note to high five the blonde when she got back onto the boat.

" you're pure evil Renee Lowe." Kiara sighed, putting her hand out to help her back onto the boat.

Renee tilted her head back as she laughed, feeling Pope wrap her towel around her, more to make sure she didn't get the entire boat floor soaking and make it a slipping hazard for the rest of the day than being a good friend, but Renee chose to believe the second option anyway.

She noticed JJ getting back onto the boat, not sparing any time to go and talk to him.

She opened her towel for him to somehow share with him. He hesitated to agree but soon enough his arms were wrapped around her waist again and she her wrapped the towel around him.

there was a saddened look in her eyes as she asked her following question, " please don't hate me." she popped out her bottom lip out as JJ just nodded.

" hate you? princess I couldn't ever." his lips brushed over her cheek. Her heart fluttered from inside her chest. " but you'll pay for that tonight."

A little bit of her wished that she had kissed him.

——

A/N: just a filler chapter before we get into the main events of episode 3!!! Sorry there's lots of scene jumps just wanted to write some original stuff :)