Chapter 14: The Catalyst

The gif is once again the work of the wonderful AFTERGLOWLUKE // WILDFLOWERLUKE ❤❤❤ love you babes

{If you saw that I forgot to name this, no you didn't}

~SiriusCatBennett

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"Technically, I won. You said another month, I said two. It's been over a month. Pony up, sunny."

"No, no. It was closer to a month than two months. So, I win. Twenty dollars, please. Oh, and does that come with interest? This has been like a four-year-long bet, there's gotta be interest."

"Shove it, JJ. This wasn't even a fair bet. You've known them longer."

"Fair, shmair. You accepted the bet, you accept the consequences, compadre."

"Oh, my god! What are you doing here?!"

Stirred from her sleep, CJ hurriedly sat up, pulling the blanket up to her chest while a still groggy John B instinctively covered her up with his arm. With his free hand, he quickly found his shirt and gave it to her to slip on.

Now dressed in more than underwear, CJ's head swung up to look back at those that had woken her up in a panic. Her brother had a small, mischievous smirk on his face that read he was highly amused by her little freak out. A freshly lit joint sat between his lips from where he was perched on the dock, right knee bent while the other laid flat. A twenty-dollar bill was being tucked in his hat, something that fueled Pope's pouting face. The younger boy was leaning on the dock railing opposite the Maybank boy.

"'Sup."

"Did- did you just 'sup me?" CJ cried, looking at her brother incredulously as she tugged her shorts up under the blankets. "That's not even- were you two betting on us?"

JJ's best answer was to simply shrug with a mock innocent expression. At CJ's angered visage, he leaned forward, offering the joint as a peace offering. "You rolled it."

With one last glare, that was all CJ needed to hear to grab the thing out of his fingers. Cheeks burning in embarrassment, her face turned down to hide it as she hit the joint. From beside her - now also covered properly from the waist down - John B rubbed her back with a sheepish expression. He couldn't quite look JJ in the eyes.

"So..." JJ started off, his accent twisting into that of a southerner. Anyone could hear the amusement in his tone. "What do we have here?"

A groan fell from CJ's lips as she focused all of her attention on the water below them and the joint in her mouth. Her mind was all over the place, as was her heart. On one end, she was freaking out that something had happened between her and John B the night prior, and on the other, she was extremely excited about it. His fingertips trailing her back sent shivers through her body and remembering the words he'd said to her made her heart flutter. Throw in the mortification of her brother and one of their closest friends finding them the day after and she was a mess.

"Nothing." She grumbled, her voice barely more than a whisper as she handed the smoking J over to the boy beside her.

"Nothin'?" JJ questioned, his accent getting more and more country by the second. "Well, I'll be. Sure looks like somethin'. Care to explain?"

Obviously, the boy understood what had gone down, at least to a point. His only goal was to embarrass and fluster them, and it was working.

"I saw 'em last night. I think you took their room away, JJ."

"Oh." He said, the word elongating as his accent went back to normal. "I see. So, they wanted to hook up, but I was in the bedroom, so they decided the absolute best place to go was the HMS Pogue. Scandalous."

"Oh my God, JJ get out of here." John B groaned as he finally looked over at the dock. At the big grin on Pope's face, he clarified. "Both of you."

While Pope muttered a joking 'damn', JJ got to his feet with a crooked smile. "Fine, fine. Don't have too much fun, kids."

With that, he slapped Pope's arm with the back of his hand, prompting the other Pogue to follow. They left with grins, snickering over the situation and going back and forth on the top times they thought CJ and John B would've gotten together. When they were finally walking up the yard, shoving each other around, the female Maybank let out a relieved breath.

"My god, I thought they would never leave." She chuckled softly, raising the joint to her lips once again.

CJ felt a little awkward and didn't really know what to say. Not that she regretted anything that happened, it just wasn't exactly expected. Before yesterday she hadn't even realized she had feelings for her best friend. Now, they had both admitted they were in love with one another and had fooled around in a boat. A lot had happened in one night that she needed to wrap her head around.

"So..." John B started off, clearing his throat a bit self consciously. "Wonderful weather this morning."

An amused scoff fell from CJ's lips as she turned to face the boy next to her. Blowing smoke, she handed the joint back to him. "Did you really just go for the weather conversation?"

"Yes. Yes, I did." He responded, face screwing up as he nodded his head with apt certainty. His voice was deep and it made CJ's skin tingle.

Smiling widely, the Maybank shook her head as she giggled softly. "We're so bad at this."

"Yes. Yes, we are."

Hitting the joint, that was all he said. While he looked toward their legs, still wrapped under the covers, CJ's gaze turned to the water. The sun was shining brightly in the sky and something about it made her want to open her mouth. Maybe it was something about how the sun was never shy about shining so brightly in the sky. Something might cover it up, but day in and day out, that sun rose and shined as brightly as ever for everyone to see.

"So, I'm in love with you." CJ kept her gaze on the water as she simply nodded her head, her hands twisting around one another on her lap. "Yeah, I dunno when or how that happened, but it definitely did."

Her nerves were shooting through the roof as she waited for a response while John B physically couldn't breathe. His heart was racing and thoughts shot around in his head as if he could truly grasp on to any of them. He'd waited for this moment for so long and he was so worried that what happened last night and what she'd said had just been heat of the moment. That she was just drunk. He'd been so worried that even though he'd made sure she wanted to do what they'd done that she would feel he'd taken advantage of her. John B in no way shape or form wanted to remind her of the mistake she made with Topper.

"Wait, what?" Was the epic response his brain picked out, too muddied to think of anything else.

"Do I really need to say it again?" CJ questioned, gaze falling to her fingers as her cheeks burned. After all, she'd never been vulnerable like this and although John B had seen her at her worst and at her most vulnerable, none of those things ever had to do with him. It wasn't something that he had to understand, it was something he had to feel in return and despite the fact that all of this started with him kissing her unannounced, she was still worried that he might not feel the same.

"Yes." He responded, finally starting to come to his senses. All of the thoughts and feelings rushing through him transformed into a pointed rush of hope, love, and happy anxiety as his heart raced. "Please."

"I'm in love with you." She repeated, speaking quickly so that she wouldn't back out. Turning abruptly, she now faced him. She'd turned to look for any signs of anything but had been caught off guard by his utterly glowing expression. Within the next two seconds, he'd thrown the last of the joint in the water - something Kie would kill him for - grabbed her face and pulled it towards his own.

The kiss was sweet and filled with passion as John B's arms leisurely moved to wrap around her. Pulling her closer, CJ leaned over him with one hand caressing his face and the other pressed to his chest. She was so happy and her heart was beating erratically, being weighed down by all the overwhelming feelings she had.

"I'm in love with you too." He said, pulling back only slightly before pressing their lips together once again.

"Get a room!"

Pulling away with their eyebrows furrowed, CJ turned to see the same boy that had told them that the night prior. He was walking across the yard, obviously having just woken up.

"Oh my god, go home Glen!"

He simply flipped them off, rubbing his eyes as he walked up the driveway and peddled away on his mountain bike.

"He seriously needs to get laid."

CJ giggled and nodded in response, only making John B's grin widen. He was looking down at her with this positively radiant expression, just waiting for her to look back up. He couldn't believe she was sitting here, in his arms, having just kissed him senseless. He truly never imagined this day would come.

"So, will you be my boyfriend?"

The question caught him off guard as CJ turned to look at him with those big blue eyes that he loved so much. His breathing stuttered and his eyes slightly widened, looking down at her in wonder.

"W-what? Ye-yes, yes, absolutely, a hundred times yes."

CJ's smile was so big and her eyes gleamed with excitement, as did John B's. Despite how conflicted she'd been, she was so ready to embark on this next part of their lives. She realized now that it was always going to be him. No matter what lifetime or timeline or situation they found themselves in, it would be him for the rest of their lives. That's why she'd never had a real boyfriend and why if she ever forced herself to marry another, she would be miserable. She was ready to see what true love had to offer and she was ready to see what life was like with John B as her lover and not just her best friend.

Before they could kiss again, a giant cheer came from the previously unoccupied yard. It came from Pope and JJ who were now animatedly shaking one another, yelling in each other's faces. Kie was beside them, looking at them weirdly before looking over at the boat. It was obvious she was a bit conflicted, if not slightly perturbed at the change of events. After all, she was the one who made the 'no Pogue on Pogue macking' rule. But, despite this, it wasn't long until her expression warmed up. She couldn't be mad at her best friend for finding happiness, even if it was within their friend group.

"They wouldn't shut up about you two. I didn't think they were actually serious." Kie said, squinting from the bright sun's rays.

"Yeah, she kept saying we were joking so, obviously, we had to show her the evidence." JJ added, nodding animatedly. The boys had now stopped jumping around and were stood with their arms around one another's shoulders. JJ could still be seen jittering like he'd had one too many cups of coffee.

CJ nodded, looking down with a blush. Clearing her throat, she rolled over onto her knees and pushed herself into a stand. Looking down at John B, her eyes met his twinkling ones, reaching out to help him up. The boy graciously accepted the pull, never looking away from her. CJ ended up tripping slightly over the bunched up blanket, causing John B to grab her quickly. Both of them giggled, CJ's face pressed into his chest. John B kissed her on the head before they started gathering blankets and grabbing clothes that hadn't been put back on.

"Wait...hold on. Did you guys sleep together? Inside the HMS Pogue?" Kie asked, her tone twisting in incredulity as she pointed at the two. When the Pogues in question paused, looking at each other with blank expressions followed by a blush, Kie held out her hands with pursed lips. "I am never getting on that boat again."

"Oh, come on, Kie." JJ drawled as John B helped the other Maybank back onto the dock. He followed suit, being stabilized by his girlfriend's helping hand. "We've obviously gotta burn it. I mean, it's like you don't even know us."

Beside him, Pope nodded animatedly, raising his hand in a fist. "Sexless boat supremacy."

"You guys are all ridiculous." CJ shook her head, but she had a small smile on her face as John B laced his free hand in hers. "We weren't even touching the deck and we'll spray it off if it really matters that much."

"Oh, no. No, that's just not gonna cut it. Full decontamination, sister."

"Jesus, JJ. Do you even know how many times you've slept with some random blonde in my bed? On the bed? You were literally in there last night, dude. Calm yourself." John B said, swinging his and CJ's arms together as they walked down the dock and met up with the rest of their friends.

"Hey, hey. I don't discriminate. It was a brunette last night." Smirking, JJ moved and motioned for a high five from Pope which he promptly received. Grinning, everyone began moving toward the Chateau, JJ clapping a hand to John B's shoulder. "Look at you, finally got the girl. Didn't think you'd ever grow the balls."

John B scoffed, nudging JJ's hand off of him. The Maybank just grinned, enjoying getting under the couple's skin. "Hey, there were rules."

"Rules, smules. You've literally been in love with her since like the sixth grade. What was it that you told me that day..." JJ questioned, reaching his hand up to rub his chin in wonderment. "Oh yes, 'she's just so pretty and perfect, JJ, I swear it's not even human.' Pathetic." He said, having made his voice higher in a mock interpretation of a young John B.

"Shut up..." John B said, blushing fiercely as he looked toward the solo cup littered grass. CJ was just looking at him with this big, open-mouthed grin. Turning to her brother, she decided to get back at him.

"Well, what about you, lover boy?" She questioned, raising a brow at her brother as he began walking backward. "What was the name of that girl you were totally in love with in preschool? The one with the pigtails?"

JJ's amused smile immediately fell from his lips, looking at his sister with a small glare. "Lyla."

"Oh yeah, I remember her. She's Topper's cousin, right?" John B asked, in much better spirits now that he could turn the tables on his best friend.

"Oh, yeah. I totally forgot about that."

"She hates her cousin, shut up." JJ grumbled, turning back around to walk ahead of everyone.

"Aww, what, can't take the heat?" His sister called, grinning widely at the boy. She knew he still held a flame for the girl that had moved away; it was the perfect revenge for his rude wake-up call and the subsequent teasing.

Truthfully, she'd hit a bigger nerve than she realized or meant to. JJ grumbled, pushing open the screen door and stalking into the kitchen. An empty red ice chest sat on the floor, all of its contents back in their rightful place: the fridge. Pulling it open, he grabbed the freshly made ice tea and poured himself a glass. He couldn't help but think of that tiny brunette, chasing him around the playground with bouncing pigtails.

"I'm gonna take a shower." He overheard from CJ as everyone else filtered into the house. Pope and Kie immediately threw themselves on the couch, Kie pulling out her phone to scroll through Pinterest. "You wanna join me?"

Spinning abruptly, JJ set his cup down and pointed at the two who were grinning roguishly at one another. "I heard that. One to a bathroom."

Turning to her brother, CJ's smile widened at his stern expression. "Fine, mom. I was joking, anyways."

"Yeah, yeah. That's what they all say."

"Whatever." She said, turning to John B to hand him the clothes she held. He threw them on top of the blankets in his arm. "Can you throw these in the washer? Don't start it though, that would seriously suck."

"Yeah, no problem." The Routledge boy responded, faltering for a moment before leaning down to press a sweet kiss to her lips. They both pulled away with sweet smiles on their faces, ignoring Pope's exaggerated gagging.

"You should probably strip the bed, too." CJ giggled, sending a quick look JJ's way.

John B nodded, tilting his head to the side as he looked into the distance with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Yeah, yeah, that checks out."

Smiling to one another, they both moved in separate directions, John B to the laundry room and CJ to his bedroom. Grabbing new clothes for herself, she was quick to wander into the bathroom, locking the door. With the light flipped on, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess and the meager makeup Kie had done for her was smudged. Her lips seemed to be in a permanent upturned state, her cheeks rosy and her features glowing. With a tiny squeal of excitement, she pulled the clothes covering her body off and hopped into the newly warm shower.

Outside of the bathroom, JJ was flopping in between the Pogues on the pull-out, handing his tea to Pope when the boy asked for it wordlessly. Kie sneered at him when he bumped into her harshly, sending her phone to the floor.

"Jeez, JJ. Be careful."

"Now, where's the fun in that?" He drawled, looking at her with a lopsided grin. Kie sent him an unamused look before her phone began ringing on the ground. Grabbing it, she went into the kitchen to get some privacy.

Maneuvering now so that he was more comfortable, JJ closed his eyes and dug his head into a pillow. Pope's snickering from beside him should've been enough to alert him to something being off and soon something hit him in the face. Groaning, he pulled whatever it was off of his face to find an old shirt he'd thought he'd lost.

"Oh shit, where'd you find it?"

"CJ found it when you guys were cleaning." John B answered simply, coming into the living room with a big grin. "I forgot it was in the load of laundry Kie did when she was all stressed over CJ disappearing."

"Dope." He drawled, pulling off the white wife-beater he threw on to replace it with the tie-dye he'd made in seventh grade. Adjusting it, his lips upturned in pleasure as he fell back onto the pillows once again.

Kie suddenly soared back into the room, slinging her bag onto her shoulder. Messing with her hair, she pulled it into a bun, hoping she didn't look a total mess. "Hey, I've gotta go. Lucy's in the hospital sick with something. Will you tell CJ that she needs to cover her shift tomorrow?"

"Sure." John B said, grabbing her sunglasses from the table to pass over. "What time?"

"Umm, my dad said eleven to three, but she's already supposed to be in from eight to ten for prep."

"Got it, I'll let her know."

"Thank you, bye." Kie said, the last word being drawn out as she waved and blew kisses, rushing out the door. The girl ran all the way to her car, threw the bag in the passenger seat, and took off.

With Kie gone, John B jumped on the bed, earning a shout from Pope over the jostled drink in his hand. He quickly handed the tea back to JJ, not wanting to be blamed from a spill. With the two boys lounging at the head, John B spread out at the end, feet hanging off the side. He was thinking about CJ, eyes unfocused as he stared at some random spot on the wall.

"You know, I'm surprised Kie didn't freak out." Pope brought up, looking between his friends. JJ tilted his head, nodding in agreement while John B shook himself out of his trance. He just couldn't help it.

"I guess at the end of the day she cares more about CJ than some stupid rule." JJ suggested as he shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. "Crazy that you blamed not asking her out on some stupid rule that Kie ended up not even caring about."

"Hey, hey, everything worked out in the end, okay?" John B placated, raising a hand in JJ's direction. Moving so that he was leaning on his left elbow, he gave a little sigh. "I just really wish my dad was around to see it, ya know? He was always talking about how we'd get married someday and have kids."

"Ew, gross, kids." JJ said, turning his nose up at the concept. Truthfully, he would love to be a dad, he didn't hate kids, he was just terrified of ending up like his father. He couldn't, wouldn't, do that to his own children. "Seriously though, man, I'm happy for you. Hopefully, your dad will get his ass back here soon so he can see you playin' happy family... On a side note...if you ever hurt her-"

"You'll castrate me. Yeah, I know." John B chuckled, shaking his head to get the hair out of his face.

That was all that needed to be said. After JJ nodded, they just hung out in silence. JJ was scrolling through his phone, showing Pope funny videos while John B zoned out, thinking about last night. He couldn't believe that he could seriously call CJ his girlfriend now. It felt like he'd been pining over her forever and now she was actually his.

As if he had summoned her, the girl of his dreams soon came out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair as she absent-mindedly walked to the laundry room. She was wearing a black lacey bralette with her beloved red flannel pulled over her arms. The blue bandana she'd stolen from John B was artfully stuffed in her front pocket, purposefully hanging out. The shorts she wore were light blue, loose, and frayed at the edges. She looked beautiful.

CJ took her time, going through the steps ingrained in her mind to start the load of everything from John B's bed. When she finished drying her hair, she threw the towel in the basket with the rest of the dirty laundry. Normally, she'd leave it in the bathroom for a few more uses but someone had spilled something on the wall underneath the towel hooks.

While she was in there, the sounds of moving tires were heard from outside. JJ, ever the most paranoid, was the quickest to get up, jumping over Pope as he pressed his back to the small space of wall beside the door. Glancing outside, the other Pogues heard a hiss.

"Shit, what the hell does she want now?" JJ grumbled, walking away from the door to lean against the kitchen counter. At his words, John B glanced outside, his heart seizing slightly at the sight of the sheriff's truck on the back lawn.

"What's going on?" Asked a voice behind them, CJ coming out of the laundry room. Her brows were slightly furrowed, eyes expectant and hair wet. John B's eyes twinkled as she walked to where he was now standing to wrap her arms around him. Her hands stuck in his back pockets while she waited for an answer.

"Peterkin's here." The answer came from Pope, the boy kneeling on the bed to look through the window. He was watching the woman walk up, wondering what she held in her hand. The woman looked a bit worse for wear and he could only hope it had nothing to do with them. "She's carryin' somethin'."

It was only moments before Peterkin stepped onto the porch, standing before the door. The Pogues and the sheriff could see each other through the screen door, but she didn't walk in yet. She just looked at those she could see with a solemn expression. Once she steeled herself to walk in, Peterkin took a deep breath and opened the door with a creak.

"Mornin', sheriff. To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"JJ." She greeted, nodding her head with a slightly breathless look. "It's good that you're here."

CJ's brows furrowed once more, pulling slightly out of John B's arms so that she stood next to him. Her arm was still around him, hand stuck in the pocket of his shorts. "What are you talking about?"

Time seemed to stop as all of them looked at one another before returning their focus to the woman in front of them. Pope had plopped back down onto his ass, face filled with apprehension as Peterkin fiddled with the things in her grasp. With a big breath, she held out the files, topped with an evidence bag filled with a pair of familiar glasses.

"I'm so sorry, John. We found your father. He's dead."

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MUAHAHAHAHAHA

But fr though I hope you liked this train wreck of a chapter. There are two weeks left in the timeline of this book and then it will end *le cries violently* I hope y'all enjoy the rest of the book

Happy late New Years, I love you guys ❤

~SiriusCatBennett