CHAPTER TWELVE

JUST FRIENDS — AUDREY MIKA
Just friends don't do what we do
What we do, can't do without you

ONE OF THE first things Stella learned about science was that it provided an explanation for almost anything. Biology said that things like feelings could be reduced to a series of chemical reactions. Physics said that sight was the manipulation of light. Psychology said that the attachment someone had to their parents as a baby could predict their romantic relationships. Years upon years of research conducted by the brightest minds in the field provided an answer to her ever growing list of questions.

That being said, Stella had always been a skeptic when it came to things relying on blind faith. She needed proof, causation. But while her need for substantial evidence lead to her struggle to keep an open mind, she was a firm believer in soulmates.

Stella found comfort in the idea that there was someone out there made specifically for her, that after all the pain and suffering, love prevailed and loneliness fell victim to the light. And while there was no way to know for certain, she had a strong inkling that the boy laying next to her was the closest thing to destiny as she was ever going to get.

Lost in her thoughts, Stella failed to notice JJ stir.

Despite being awake, his eyes were still closed when he reached for her. His arms wrapped around her bare waist and he pulled her close, nuzzling his face into the side of her neck.

The door to the spare room creaked open and the sound of hushed laughter flooded the air. JJ's eyes shot open and his gaze landed on John B trying to peak into the room.

Almost instantly, JJ grabbed the pillow from under his head, leaned over Stella, and threw it at nosey brunet before he could see anything he wasn't supposed to. "Come on, man. Get out of here."

John B laughed as he shut the door and seconds later, Kie and Pope could be heard cheering from the living room.

"Can't wait to deal with that," Stella mumbled, running her hands over her face.

JJ propped himself up and stared down at her. He waited for her to look at him before asking, "how're you doing, Sunbaby?"

Memories from the night before played in her mind as she laid in silence. Her friends were right in calling her stubborn all these months because looking back on her friendship with JJ, there was nothing friendly about it.

Friends don't cast lingering glances at the other when they aren't looking or have an overwhelming need to be in direct contact with them all the time. Friends don't call each other 'baby' when they want something or choose to sleep in the same bed and cuddle all night. Friends don't look at each other the way they do.

Perhaps they were never just friends at all.

In the six years of them knowing each other, Stella couldn't pinpoint a time where their relationship shifted from platonic to romantic. Even as ten year olds, their friends would tease them saying their banter was borderline flirtatious and adults would share knowing glances like they were waiting for something.

Perhaps they were always meant to be something more than friends. Maybe it was written in the stars before they even took their first breaths.

Maybe they were soulmates.

Stella's mouth twitched, the corners of her mouth peaking upwards. "Positively golden, J."

There was a banging at the door causing the pair to look up. "Don't have sex again!" John B shouted from the other side, causing Stella's face to twist into an annoyed, yet slightly mortified, expression. "We need to test out this drone!"

"Do it without us!" Stella replied, knowing that the moment she and JJ left the spare room, their friends would blurt out 'I told you so' without any hesitation.

"Come on, guys!" John B pressed, knocking again. "Don't make me come in there!"

JJ shook his head, a small grin spreading across his lips. "Trust me, John B, you don't want to come in here!"

Stella let out a small gasp and smacked his arm. "Dude," she scolded, knowing that John B was probably grimacing on the other side of the door.

As JJ let out a laugh, there was another harsh knock at the door followed by a demand that they hurry up.

Stella and JJ groaned before sharing a look and getting out of bed. They were quick in getting ready and when they emerged from the spare room, their friends took one look at them and started to applaud.

"Shut up," Stella said as she tried to suppress her smile. She walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch beside Kie, who was giving her a sly smile as the boys clapped JJ on the back.

"About time you guys got together," Pope teased. After a second, his face dropped and he looked between the pair in a slight panic. "Wait, you guys are together right? It wasn't just some one time thing?"

Stella and JJ shared a look, their smiles fading. Things happened so quickly last night that they didn't have the chance to discuss where they stood. All they knew was that they loved each other, but they both knew that love didn't guarantee a relationship.

"We don't... Uh, we don't know," Stella settled on saying, hesitation written all over her face.

The atmosphere shifted in less than a second and John B turned to JJ while Kie turned to Stella.

"The fuck?"

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?"

Stella shrugged. "It means we don't know. We didn't talk about it."

Pope's eyes flickered between the pair. "What is there to talk about? You're either together or you're not."

From his spot in the doorway, JJ shook his head. "It's not that simple, man."

"But you slept together!"

"Well technically with you and Kie on the pull out most nights and John B in his bed, we always sleep together."

"You know sharing a bed isn't what I meant!"

"Yeah, you meant that we fu—"

"JJ!" Stella exclaimed. He winked at her before she turned her attention to Pope. "Look, we don't know what we are, but we know we're something, right?"

JJ nodded firmly in support. "Right."

The three other teens in the room gave the pair a look of disbelief, wondering why they always made things more complicated than it needed to be.

The silence that existed in the room caused Stella to shift uncomfortably in her seat and she rubbed her hands on her knees. "Well, uh, are we testing this drone or what?"

She didn't wait for an answer before standing up and walking out the back door, JJ following behind resembling what most people would call a lost puppy.

John B rolled his eyes and walked out, leaving Kie and Pope alone in the living room.

"Unbelievable," Pope muttered as he extended a hand to help Kie up from the couch. "They're unbelievable."

Kie just shook her head and placed her hand in his. "Tell me about it."

AFTER FIGURING OUT how the drone—or ROV if Pope had anything to say about it—worked, the five teens piled into the Twinkie so John B could drop them off at their respective destinations.

Stella was the first one taken home. While her mind was swirling with insecurities about her relationship with JJ, the shadow of her father's reappearance in her life loomed over her like a childhood nightmare. She was restless and all she wanted to do was see her mom.

When John B pulled up to the French colonial style home, JJ took it upon himself to walk Stella to the front door. It wasn't an unusual gesture, but unlike all the other times he walked her to her door, they were blanketed with a layer of tense silence.

It was rare for the pair to be quiet. Usually, there was never a dull moment when they were together since JJ was a naturally loud person and Stella always had something to say. The silence was unsettling and neither of them liked it.

As they walked up the porch steps, JJ glanced at the girl next to him and saw that there was a deep line nestled between her brows as she stared at her bracelets with a concentrated glare, twirling them around her wrist in an attempt to calm her nerves.

When they stopped in front of the door, he didn't get a chance to question her before words came spilling out of her mouth.

"We are something, right?" Stella asked, gaze avoiding his. Despite backing up her statement to their friends earlier that morning, she still needed reassurance. She hated to think that JJ was anything like her father—she knew he wasn't and he'd probably throw himself off a cliff before the thought of hurting her ever crossed his mind—but there was still a small part of her that whispered doubt into the crevices of her mind, because even her father was a good guy at one point. "It's just everything moved so fast and after this morning when Pope asked... We're not friends and we're not dating, but we're something, right? Are you even listening?"

JJ hadn't listened past the first sentence. He was too captivated by the sight of the summer sun glowing against her skin as it broke through the gaps in the trees above them.

It was a peculiar feeling for him—being so drawn to her. Unlike all the other girls he had slept with in a vain attempt to get over her or make her jealous, nothing has ever come close to the way she made him feel. It was almost as if she was the gravity holding him in place.

With a small nod and a softened gaze, the corners of his lips quirk upwards and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm listening," he insisted.

Stella found that hard to believe and placed her hands on her hips. "What did I just say?"

He couldn't quote her verbatim, but he had the main idea. "We are something," he confirmed, grinning wolfishly. "Don't worry."

Stella wasn't sure what he was telling her not to worry about, but to JJ the sentiment was clear. There was no need to worry because they were going to end up together, he'd make sure of it.

There was nothing physically stopping him from asking her to be his girlfriend and he knew that if he asked right now, her answer would surely be yes. But he knew, as well as anyone who had the pleasure of meeting her, that Stella deserved the best.

He wasn't oblivious (or not completely, at least). He knew that he had a reputation for giving half-ass attempts that he only proved wrong in the context of his friends. No one would bat an eye if he asked Stella to be his in the simplest way possible, but he didn't want that.

A night of long awaited pleasure and a morning of not-so-subtle glances wasn't good enough. He wanted to give her grand gestures worthy of the romantic comedies she loved so much and a story to tell with a fond smile when she was old and gray. He wanted to put in effort because that's what Stella deserved. He couldn't be selfish, not when it came to her.

"In fact," he continued, bringing his hand up to tap the tip of her nose, "we're more than something."

There was a honk that sounded, popping the bubble they found themselves in, and they were reminded that their friends were waiting for JJ to return to the van.

"You should go," Stella advised before tuning to unlock her door. "Heyward's gonna be pissed if Pope's late again."

As she turned, JJ grabbed her wrist and spun her around, pulling her closer with one hand as the other reached behind her neck.

Before she could even process what happened, JJ's lips were on hers.

She could feel him smile through the kiss and when they pulled away, it was still present across his face.

"Don't forget," he said, slightly breathless as he opened his eyes, "we're going surfing later."

"I won't," she promised, pushing him away as another series of honks sounded from the driveway. "Now go before you're forced to help Pope deliver groceries."

JJ backed away and gave her a salute before jogging down the porch steps and strolling through the pathway lined with flowers.

He turned, walking backwards for a few steps before nearly tripping into a rose bush. "Better not forget, Stel!"

"Go!"

Stella laughed as he recovered his balance and pushed her door open. A blast of cold air hit her face as she turned and she was reminded that not all houses were out of power. She made a mental note to remind her friends that they were always welcome at her house if the lack of air conditioning at theirs became too much to bear.

The sound of music filled her ears and she followed it down the main hallway where she found her mother making an omelette.

The older woman hadn't noticed her daughter's presence and began singing along to the new wave pop song playing over the radio.

"Mom?" Stella called out, causing her mom to jump and nearly drop the spatula she was holding.

Emma turned with a hand placed over her heart. "Hey, sweetheart, you startled me." She offered a breathless chuckle and a warm smile. "I got your note, I was just about to swing by John B's place after breakfast to come get you. Have you eaten?" Without waiting for an answer, she plated her omelette and placed it on the kitchen island. "Here, eat."

Stella sat on a nearby barstool and smiled gratefully as her mom slid the plate over to her.  Her gaze then flickered over to the large flower arrangement sitting on their dining table in the other room. "What's with the flowers?"

"Oh, they're yours," Emma said, preparing another omelette for herself.

"Mine?"

"That's what the card said. They were on the porch when I got home last night."

Stella stared at them with narrowed eyes, a suspicious feeling growing in her chest. "Who are they from?"

Emma shrugged. "Card didn't say. Anyways, how are your friends?"

"They're good," Stella answered, turning her attention to her food. "Kie and Pope are working until later. JJ too if Heyward has anything to say about it."

"John B's not working?"

Stella shook her head. "The Camerons fired him."

Emma looked at her with wide eyes. "What? Why?"

The younger girl shrugged. "He didn't say," she lied smoothly.

Stella knew exactly why John B was fired, but she wasn't about to tell her mom that he stole diving gear so they could raid a sunken boat.

Emma bought the lie and pursed her lips. She had never been a big fan of Ward Cameron, even as teenagers, and since John B was practically a son to her, it wasn't hard to pick sides. "I'll ask around and see if anyone's hiring," she decided as she returned to the stove.

There was a brief pause of silence before Stella caught her attention again. "Actually, Mom," she started, almost as if she was nervous for the conversation that would follow, "I need to tell you something. It's kind of important."

Her mom spun on her heel and faced Stella with raised eyebrows. "You're not pregnant, are you? I won't be mad if you are. Just disappointed because I know I taught you better than to have unprotected—"

"Oh my god, no," Stella interrupted frantically. "Where did that even come from? No, Mom, I'm not pregnant."

Emma sighed in relief. "Oh, thank god. I'm not ready to be a grandmother yet. I mean, I love JJ, but that boy has a lot of growing up to do, you both do."

"Wait a second." Stella's eyebrows furrowed. "You thought me and JJ were together? Like before today?"

Her head tilted. "Are you not dating JJ?"

"No," Stella answered. "Well, yes. Actually, no. I don't know, it's confusing."

"What happened?"

"We, uh... We kissed."

"Oh, congrats, honey! He's cute!"

With a lazy half smile, Stella nodded. "Yeah, he is," she sighed. "But that's not what I needed to tell you."

Her mother gave her an expectant stare. "What is it?"

Stella tapped her fork against the plate and her leg started to shake as her foot bounced on the footrest of the stool. "I came to the house yesterday, you weren't home, and we had a guest." She tried easing into it, knowing that whatever reaction her mother may have, it wasn't going to be good. "Dad was waiting in his car out front. He knows where we live."

The blood drained from Emma's face. "What?"

Stella nodded. Her mouth set in a firm line.

"Are you serious?" Emma exploded in bitter disbelief. "First he comes to the hospital and now he's coming to our house? Did he see you? Did he talk to you? Please tell me he didn't."

The way Stella avoided her gaze was the only answer she needed.

"What did he want? Did he say?" Emma's eggs were long since abandoned as she walked around the kitchen island so she could be closer to her daughter. "Stella, did he touch you? I swear to god, if he laid a hand on you—"

"I was fine," Stella said quietly. She finished the last piece of her omelette and slid off the barstool, squeezing past her mother to get to the sink. "I wasn't alone when it happened."

"That son of a bitch. That explains the flowers then." Emma shook her head before reaching for her cellphone. "That's it. I'm calling my lawyers, I'm calling the police, I'm calling the supreme freaking court. We're getting a restraining order. Today."

Stella placed her dirty plate in the sink and turned to her mother. "I'm all for that," she nodded, "but you should probably take care of your burning eggs first."

Emma snapped out of her anger induced daze and her gaze settled on the smoking pan on top of the stove. She rushed over, muttering curses under her breath, leaving Stella to walk out of the kitchen with a small chuckle as the fire alarm started going off.

About an hour later, Stella and her mom were in her car heading to the lawyer in town. They spent the majority of the day there, going over technical law terms Stella didn't have the patience to understand. By the time they went to the courthouse to talk to the judge, the sun had left it's peak and she was late for surfing with her friends.

When she got to the beach with her board under her arm, she joined John B and Kie on the water as they waited for Pope and JJ, blissfully unaware of the series of events they had set off.

STELLA WASN'T SUPPOSED to go with her friends when they searched for the Royal Merchant.

Originally her friends had excluded her from their plan since she had been scheduled to volunteer at the hospital that morning. But since her father was more than likely patrolling the hospital grounds, her mother had advised her to cancel her shift.

So now, Stella was sitting at the front of Pope's family boat as they sailed out to sea. When they reached where the shipwreck was, she found herself in the helm with JJ. She had no predetermined role to fulfill and was no help to the others. At least in the helm she was out of everyone's way.

"Do you think Kie needs help? Or Pope?" Stella questioned, peering over JJ's shoulder. She didn't like feeling useless and wanted to contribute in anyway she could.

"Stel, you've asked me that like four times already," JJ chuckled as he steered the boat.

Stella sighed and sent him a sheepish smile. "I know, but I want to help."

"You are helping, you're keeping me company," JJ protested. His eyes roamed her figure and his eyebrow raised in amusement. "Is that my shirt?"

Stella's eyebrows shot up and she shook her head. "No."

"Yes, it is." He sent her a sly smile. "I know because I was looking for it today."

Knowing that she was caught, her shoulders slumped. "You left it at my house the last time you all slept over," she confessed.

There was a gasp behind them and they both turned. "What?" Stella asked, rushing over to the small screen in front of Pope. She stood on her toes, trying to see over him and John B. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," Pope said, shaking his head. "Sorry, I thought—"

JJ groaned. "Don't do that to me, man."

"My bad. I just thought I saw... never mind." Pope shook his head and lowered the drone further into the sea. "And to quote The Hobbit, 'Down, down, to Goblin Town. Down, down, you go, my lad.'"

When Stella returned to the helm, JJ reached out and gently pulled her closer to him. He placed her in front of him as he steered the boat, locking her in between his arms and placing his chin on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Stella asked softly.

"You said you wanted to help," he answered innocently. The truth was he could sense a storm coming and he wanted to make sure he was there to comfort Stella if need be.

Stella started rambling about which Marvel superheroes would look the best if they were ever invited to the Met Gala. The approaching storm was making her nervous. JJ listened with half an ear as she spoke, trying to juggle comforting her and listening to John B's directions.

The boat started to rock and Stella stopped talking and moved away, figuring that JJ's sole focus needed to be on steering.

"JJ, we'll turtle in this storm!" John B shouted.

"Stella!" Kie called out. "A little help!"

Stella rushed over to Kie and saw that she was struggling to keep a hold of the tether. She swore under her breath before moving to help.

"I'm at the bottom!" Pope yelled from his place at the controls. "I'm at the bottom!"

John B looked down at the monitor in his hand. "Okay, steady here, JJ! Steady here. Quarter speed, alright?" He turned to Pope and lightly hit his shoulder. "You should be seeing something, man."

"I know, I know!" Pope snapped. "Wait, wait. Oh, good god."

Stella looked over her shoulder. "What is it? Do you see it?"

There was a chuckle that followed her question and they boys gave her an astonished look. "It's the Royal Merchant."

The group of teens shared excited glances while Pope steered the drone around.

Though, their excitement did not last long.

The word 'disappointment' was the first to come to mind after they circled the wreck three times without finding anything.

John B sighed when he realized that nothing was there. "Look, just—just pull the drone up."

The sky darkened and thunder rolled, causing Stella to shift nervously. "Guys, we should go," she cautioned, staring up at sky worriedly. She didn't like that they were so far from shore.

Pope sighed, not ready to give up yet. "Look, we can do another pass, recharge the battery. We can go back down."

JJ pursed his lips as he studied Stella's expression. "We've done it three times," he said to Pope. "There's nothing there."

"Shut up!" Kie yelled, turning to face the helm after watching Pope's face fall.

"What? It's true!"

"The gold could be buried. We don't know!"

Stella started pulling the tether up as best as she could on her own and turned to the others. "Guys, it's not here. Let's just go."

John B agreed and shrugged in defeat. "If it was there, it would've been found on the metal detector, okay? Somebody beat us to it. Or it was never there."

Like a dying fire, their hope slowly diminished and the entire ride home was filled with nothing but an empty silence.

RAE SPEAKS !

you and the pogues when jj and stella say they're still not ~officially~ together yet: