CRUEL SUMMER.
002 | jealous boyfriend bullshit

THE MORNING OF JUNIOR YEAR Crept  onto Renee like baddest of dreams.

who unlike the previous years , she hadn't spent the evening beforehand carefully planning out each aspect of her outfit  with the excitement of seeing everyone and especially how they had changed over the course of the three month hiatus coursing through her veins. This year her only priority was keeping her head down and getting the hell of that place as soon as the final bell rang.

One thing she hadn't missed, was the blaring of her seven am alarm as it shook both her and JJ out of their deep, dream fuelled sleep.

Both of them groaned at the sound, Renee stretching as far as her arm would reach from her position in JJ's grasp on the right side of the bed, aimlessly pressing on the screen of her phone until the sound was silenced.

" I vote skipping." was the first thing JJ said, Renee shook her head and hummed — as appetising skipping school sounded and especially hiding out on the beach and most likely surfing all day and getting high. Summer was well and truly over.

" we have to face our demons sometime." she told him as she sighed and finally opened her eyes

"and plus Kiara and Pope won't let that happen."

JJ groaned as Renee felt a slight jolt of energy, beginning to peel the duvet off of her, and JJ too as he groaned as the cold air hit his skin.

" come on, we need to get up." JJ continued to grumble, leaving Renee to get ready as he flipped over and tried to get an extra five minutes rest.

" I take like two minutes to get ready." he defended his actions, Renee just nodded and rose up walking towards the dresser and began to rummage for an outfit to wear.

her hands picking at every piece of clothing, the kook academy uniform lying pressed on a stool by her dresser. The white shirt, pleated skirt and the blue blazer. exhaling, realising how little she had missed it all.

Eyes falling to the folded blue shirt that was displayed over a chair. It was John B's, one she had grabbed from his closet out of habit, her fingers took ahold of the material.

She felt her lips curve into a smile as she lifted the shirt to her nose — although when she inhaled the scent of the shirt, what was once John B's cologne was masked by laundry detergent and the artificial cotton smell that went along with it, her smile soon fading after the realisation hit her.

Entering the bathroom to change, she could hear shuffling from outside — grumbling and the rustling of bags and duvet covers. The door was still slightly open although not enough to be able to peer into the bedroom from the mirror Renee stood infront of as she pinned her hair up with a claw clip.

Like usual, she slipped the ensemble on —
excluding the blazer which she had folded over her arm and a pair of shiny new black loather shoes ached her feet already and socks that sat just under her knees.

She had unbuttoned the first couple of the white shirt. It was still hot out, although summer vacation had left, the roaring sun and humidity was yet to. She looked at it through the inverted gaze of the mirror.

Straightening the necklaces on her neck, the padding of her thumb silently rubbing over the small 's' initial  before lifting it to her lips and gently kissing it as she shook out of her little daze and left the bathroom.

JJ too looked on edge, staring at the framed photo of the five pogues that sat on her dresser from a summer summers ago. His eyes specifically on John B as she suspected.

Approaching her boyfriend, she placed her hand on his shoulder and leant against him. JJ could sense the comfort she was giving.

" he wouldn't want us to be sad." Renee mumbled, although it was a contradiction coming from her who was still grieving

" although he did always love the attention."

JJ let out a sad chuckle and sniffled although nodded, agreeing with Renee as he let go of the photo and turned to his girlfriend as she smiled at him.

" yeah," he ran his arms around her waist as she reciprocated the actions.

" come on, we need to eat." she hums, "we got pop tarts down stairs." using his love for the self proclaimed kook food was enough persuasion for him to follow her down stairs.

Both Lennon and Caroline were already sat at the table. Lennon pushing back going to college to stay home — although he hadn't indirectly said it was because of Renee, she still knew it was.

Their whispers quietening as the two teenagers strolled down onto the ground level of the house.

" morning you two." Caroline was clearly putting on a sympathy voice although Renee was the only one who knew her well enough to detect it " sleep well?"

JJ nodded and offered her a small smile " yeah, thanks again for letting me stay over again Mrs L." another nickname he had given a member of Renee's family.

Caroline smiled as she lifted her coffee cup to her lips, " you're always welcome to stay here JJ."

After that night it was quite evident that after a week of JJ staying with the Lowe's and lack of contact from his father what his home situation was like, even breaking through the coldness of Caroline Lowe's heart.

Some things had gotten better: her family felt well more family-like. They ate most meals together, her mom would compliment her instead of finding any chance to belittle her. It was almost like before their dad died. Almost.

The conversation dissolved, the four of them eating their breakfast in an awkward silence — neither Lennon or Caroline knowing if they should ask about John B and Sarah, or lack there of.

Before anything could become more awkward the text indicating Kiara and Pope were outside her house sent a slight relief between the two teenagers as they pushed themselves out of their seats and grabbed their backpacks.

Saying goodbye to everyone including a quick belly rub for Benji. Exiting the house, and walking down the path to the front gate of the estate, JJ looked at Renee,

" is it always that weird?" he asked, Renee nodded and hummed looking at her boyfriend.

" ever since my dad died." she told him, his hand reaching out for hers, Renee wasn't sure if it was because she was speaking about her dad or just nerves in general but she didn't mind.

" do you ever miss him?" JJ asked, Renee never really opened up to any of her friends about her father. Kiara being the only exception.

" yeah, it comes in waves though." she told him honestly " like sometimes it's just a sad smile over a photo in the hallway."

" and then," She begun " it's the thought of never helping him in the kitchen as he cooks french food and him never telling me stories about where he grew up."

JJ rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand as the image of the jeep and their friends sat it became more clear,

" do you think he'd like me?" Renee didn't even hesitate with her answer,

" he'd love you and he'd love how much I loved you." she told him " I'm sure of that much."

Approaching the jeep, one of the blondes jumped in the back. Renee resting her arms against the open window peering her head in " I'll drive myself, just in case I need to leave early or something." Renee said.

They all nodded " well our class starts like a half hour after yours so we can chill in the parking lot until you go." Pope suggested, Renee looking at him with a small smile.

" really? you don't have to." She murmured whilst Kiara objective " we need to stick together, as long as we can at least."

Renee nodded, a small smile of relief crawling on her lips  " ok, I'll see you guys there."

they drove separately towards the first stop of their journey, the kook academy that sat only a few miles from Kildare high — Renee could feel nausea building in the back of her throat as she leant her head back and exhaled heavily as she drove into the parking lot.

The twos car parked up, all four of them looked at each other, slightly fearing what was going to come next. The eyes of Renee's peers and past friends watched the two cars — the talking had already begun.

" I guess this is me." Renee mumbled, grabbing her bag from the floor of the car and looping it over her shoulder " I'll see you guys later, I guess."

" wait-" JJ said " I'm sure we can walk you in, at least to the door." he hummed, looking to the other two who nodded.

She gestures to the front of the school where kooks linger " I'm not sure they'll like that."

Her words earning a simple shrug from JJ "I'll take any chance I get to piss of a kook." As he leaned in and gently kissed her cheek.

She was the first to exit the car, and the first to feel the brutal burning of fellow students eyes. kooks  staring at her as if she were some sort of entertainment.

She knew it wasn't going to be easy. She was being thrown into the lions den — no one this side of the island believed that John B was innocent.

Kiara followed her lead, then Pope and finally JJ. Whom Renee couldn't help but notice was lifting a flask to his lips as she sighed and looked at him.

"JJ, chill it out please?" JJ looked to her, nodding as he swallowed the contents of alcohol in his mouth but threw the flask back into the car.

" if I black out, just don't remind me." Kiara looked at Renee who huffed in a slight disappointment, sliding her hands off the car door as she pushed it shut.

" that's really funny." sarcasm dripping from her monotone voice, beginning to walk around to meet the others.

The whispers weren't well concealed, Renee could feel her fingers wrap tighter around the handle of her bag as she felt her breathing becoming uncomfortably heavier.

Especially as the sight of the rock in the middle of the grass which was converted into a memorial for Sarah, pictures of her plastered to a yellow board lying against it, flowers lying around the rock as the four of them stood in a silence and stared at it.

Her eyes glanced to the small notes that labelled John B a murderer in thick red ink. Her footsteps heavy as she picked them up and began to rip them up.

" assholes, they don't know shit about him." she told the others.

" I feel like people are staring at us." Kiara broke the silence, Renee nodded and broke her eyes from the rock and ripping of paper. Looking towards the tens to hundreds of teenagers looking right back at her.

" oh yeah, we're definitely being watched." she mumbled, looking back at Kiara who placed her hand on her friends shoulder in a silent comfort.

" guys, I can't be late." Pope proclaimed, beginning to walk away from them although Kiara was quick to shut it down.

" hey, hey." he called out to him " we gotta stick together." Her hand falling off of Renee's shoulder and instead holding it out for Pope who looked at it with conflicting in his face.

JJ scoffed, beginning to stray away from them as Renee soon caught up to him and looped her arm through his, reeling him back to her side.

" not gettin' away that easy."

RENEE STOOD AT HER LOCKER, trying to find her books and not let her eyes linger too much on the photos of her friends, both dead and alive that were tacked up on the wall of the locker.

JJ leant on the locker opposite, watching his girlfriend's flickering gaze and harshness of the breaths she took.

" Renee Lowe, as I live and breathe!" As she turned  all five of the pogues were both greeted by the face they were not expecting to see and they hadn't seem in a long time.

Renee's lips parted as they formed a shocked 'o' shape — taking a few seconds to process it all.

" Fletcher?" her words came out more like a question as the figure who unlike the last time she saw him was now inches taller than her, his hair was longer and his patchy facial hair was now shaven off.

She stood in a slight shock as he pulled her into a hug, not wanting to be rude as she wrapped his arms around his torso although her hands were barely making contact with his skin.

" oh my god, what are you doing back here!" his hands crept to the skin of her waist.  Something Renee hadn't noticed but JJ who was now stood up straight definitely did.

Fletcher chuckled, obviously amused by her surprised reaction.

" parents decided to come back." he shrugged his shoulders " dad got the choice to stay in Manhattan or come back to the firm in Carolina."

" and he chose to come back?" Kiara murmured from behind Renee.

" yeah," Fletcher laughed off the brunettes comment " I mean it's home and especially after this summer-"

Renee's face dropped as she realised what he was hinting at, Fletcher stopped talking and before he could begin to profusely apologise they were interrupted.

" hey." JJ announced himself, altering his position and slinging his arm over Renee's shoulder — although his eyes never left Fletchers whose smile faltered at the sight of the couple.

Renee could already feel the male fuelled jealously between both of the parties in front of her. Kiara stood by almost entertained by the situation that she had preempted to unfold.

" wanna introduce me to your friend?" JJ nudged, Renee just faked a smile and nodded

"JJ, this is Fletcher Matthews, him and his family just moved back in a couple houses down from me." She told him " we grew up together, our siblings use to date."

Fletcher laughed " don't remind me of the turbulence that was Lennon and Maisie will they won't they have twenty-eighteen."

JJ frowned although it was merely noticeable before painting over it with a careless grin of his — although his mind didn't stop its rampage of self-doubt and jealously fuelled thoughts.

Fletcher Matthews as in Renee's first long term boyfriend.

Fletcher Matthews as in who was crowned homecoming king alongside Renee as homecoming queen.

Fletcher Matthews as in the person who broke was the first to his now girlfriends heart.

" Fletch, this is JJ." she mumbled, although JJ was done with introducing him.

" yeah, I'm the boyfriend but it's nice to meet you man." JJ greeted , as if they hadn't already had multiple physical altercations at parties in the past — only making Fletcher laugh as he tucked his hands into his pockets.

" it's nice to know that some people haven't changed around here." if by any means JJ had a nice guy facade on, mostly for Renee's sake. It almost immediately collapsed at that single comment,

Although before JJ could say anything to retaliate, Renee turned to him feeling the tension when he subconsciously fisted his hand.

" we were actually going to go and get coffee before I go to class." Renee told Fletcher who simply nodded in a winner's satisfaction, gloating as he leant against the locker.

" but, I guess we'll see you around Fletcher." JJ hummed, as Renee began to lead them both away before anything more pressing could occur.

" hopefully not too often else that pretty boy face of yours might get a little messed up." Renee only picked up the pace, dragging JJ away from the situation.

Soon leading the both of them into a quiet, almost empty part of the courtyard—  " hey." she snapped "what the hell is this sudden jealous boyfriend bullshit coming from."

JJ shrugging his shoulders. Renee examined his body noticing the outline of a metal object in his pocket, surprisingly resembling a flask.

" for gods sakes JJ." she reached into his pocket, his slightly tipsy self only making sexual noises.

Renee ignored him, taking the flask and placing it in her bag before looking at him.

" I know this is hard JJ." she mumbled to him, rubbing the palms of her hands over her face " but please just try, that's all I'm asking."

JJ tilted his head as he looked at his girlfriend who had a silently begging look on her face, " I know it's going to be harder that I'm here, but please?"

" yeah, I'll try." he mumbled.

AUTHORS NOTE
well...the ex fling is back to stir shit up </3

also excited to see how Renee reacts to John B & Sarah being alive!!

don't forget to vote and comment if you enjoyed <3