Joey looked up when the flower shop bell rung. She sighed. "We're closed."

"Sign still says open." Topper said in return, flipping the sign around. "There."

"What do you want? It's literally almost midnight." she said in return, flipping the plant light on after watering one.

"I'm sorry, about your arm." he nodded to the scrap.

"I can handle a little scratch." she rolled her eyes. "I was expected it, walking into the middle of a fight. Because that happens. Wasn't gonna let you kill him though."

"I wasn't gonna kill him." the blonde argued.

"Really?" she rose her eyebrows with a look of disbelief. "So, do we all just go around shoving our elbows into peoples neck for the fun of it?"

"He was starting unnecessary shit." Topper defended himself.

"Shit that Sarah came over and got started." Joey nodded her head. "I know you probably missed that, stuck in your love sick state, but she came over and started to talk to him first. You know, before your best friend started to pick a fight with me."

"I would have stood up for y-" he started.

"No, you wouldn't have. Because despite it all, you still hold your Kook title way above our friendship." she argued with a shake of her head. "And, whatever, do what you want. But don't act like you want to be the best of friends and then treat me like shit."

"I didn't think you wanted to talk to me." he said back with wide eyes.

"How would you?" she shrugged. "Not like I show up at your house, the house i've been staying at, to see Sarah there. You could have called and just let me know that she was gonna be there and you didn't want your little secret pogue to stay the night."

"That's not what it was about." Topper shook his head at her. "She showed up, and I just- I didn't stop to think."

"Look, i'm glad you and Sarah are friends again. And i'm especially glad she has somewhere safe to stay, to have comfort by someone who understands." Joey stared at him with an exhale. "But the fact that you're seeing this is an opportunity to try and win her back is seriously ridiculous. Her dad literally died and she needs a friend, but instead you try to get a relationship out of it?"

"I'm not trying to get a relationship out of it. Her boyfriend didn't do shit for her." Topper defender himself, getting annoyed.

"Why should he? Ward murdered his dad!" Joey shot his way. "It's not like he was doing cartwheels and cheering on the docks or anything."

"He just stood there, letting her cry like that." Topper looked in disbelief. "Non of your friends did anything. They all just stood there."

"And i'm glad you were there for her, and i'm not saying that they shouldn't have at least tried to show her some comfort in a situation like that." Joey shook her head as she stared at him. "This isn't even about Sarah, or John B. No, it's about me and you."

"Joey, you could have still came to the house. Nothing had to chang-" he started.

"Everything had to change!" she rose her voice in return. "Do you honestly think it's normal for two people, that are attracted to the opposite gender, to live together, to sleep next to each other, to do literally everything friends just don't do? This isn't just a friendship, Topper!"

"I know!" he yelled back at her with a hand over his face. "I know."

"So, you know that, but you run off and try to get back with Sarah the second she gives you just a little bit of attention." Joey bite her bottom lip as she nodded her head. "You know, i'm really sick and tired of being the girl that people run to when Sarah Cameron doesn't want them anymore. It's not fair, and it hurts me."

"What? And i'm not the same way?" Topper laughed in disbelief as he pointed to himself. "I saw you and John B, you weren't just friends at the Bonfire either."

"If you were so curious, I shot him down." Joey argued as he stared at her. "Because he was drunk, and Sarah didn't want him so he was crawling back to me for some type of comfort a day later. Just like you do, but when she shows up again, it's so long Joey again."

"It's not." Topper looked at her. "Sarah, she's my John B. It's hard, Joey. You know that more then anyone. To love someone so much, just for them to hurt you. Then they come back, and old habits start to come back. You were the same exact way when you and John B started talking again this summer."

"Wanna know something that I didn't have when John B and I started talking again?" Joey stared at him, Topper waiting for her to go on. "I didn't have whatever this is. You did, and you still wanted her more."

"Joey-" he started.

"I'm not gonna keep playing these mind games with you." she shook her head honestly. "I love spending time with you, and you understand me and get me more then anyone else in the world does. But, i'm not gonna be lead on, feeling like maybe there was something more with us, just to have another guy choose another girl over me again."

This time, she walked to the back, and waited for him to go. Her eyes fell onto the mail that was on the back table, hearing the door chime as Topper left. Joey walked over to the mail, getting all her stuff here instead of to her uncles since they didn't have a mail box. She flipped through it, mainly her bills from the flower shop. Then, her eyes landed upon one envelope, pulling it open as the paper cut her index finger slightly.

Staring back up at her was her Duke acceptance letter.

"Yes, JoJo!" JJ picked her up as he bounced around. "Smartie pants! Getting into the big time college!"

Joey laughed as she held the letter. "It doesn't even feel real!"

"I'm so proud of you right now." he dropped her to her feet, taking the letter. "We gotta frame this, hang it up somewhere. So, while you're off, learning and shit, i'm gonna be shared a drink with your letter."

"Ah, my favorite fraternal twins." John B looked out of the Cameron house door. Joey had gotten the call that morning to meet them all there, Sarah finding the Island Room and them needed her help. "You got in?"

"I got in!" Joey tossed her hands up.

"Aye!" John B grinned as he skipped down the steps. "About time they get off their asses and send you something!"

"Right!" she agreed, accepting a hug. "How's that hang over treating you?"

"Headache." he said in return. JJ gave them a peace sign as he walked in. "Look, about last night-"

"You were drunk." Joey shook her head.

"Still, I shouldn't have been acting that way to you." he looked down at her with an exhale. "All that stuff I said, it wasn't to guilt trip you or anything. I was just...I just kept thinking about our break up, because of the break up with Sarah."

Joey flinched. "Did you mean anything you said?"

"Yeah, duh." he shook his head. "But we literally just got past the weird state, and I just made it worse."

"You didn't make it worse." she exhaled with a shake of her head. "I just....you can't tell me that you loved me still the night I told you I did at Midsummers."

"I know, that was seriously out of line." he shook his head down at her. "I never wanted to make you feel uncomfortable or upset, or anything."

"You didn't." she lied about the upset part. "I think that you were right. We were good together and if we didn't break up, a lot of this could have been avoided and things could have maybe been good. But, I know you don't regret everything with Sarah after one fight."

John B exhaled. "I don't, but-"

"But that's it." she cut him off. "Everyone has a choice. If you genuinely don't want to work things out with Sarah, then that's your choice. But if you do, that's also your choice. But, I don't want to be thrown in the middle of it. Weather you still love me or weather you've moved on entirely, I don't want to be straddling the fence, not knowing what to think anymore."

John B nodded down at her. "I know, and it's my fault for trying to put you in the middle again."

Before they could say anything, they heard cheers and yells from upstairs, shouting random words and feet hitting the floor above the two. "What the hell is going on up there?"

•

kylie speaks

joey finally realizing her
worth and making the boys
figure out what they want
instead of involving and
leading her on!!! so proud
of her right now, AND getting
into her dream school?!?

sis needs to tell jj they share
a dad though lmao, homeboy
is getting sissy jojo content
and doesn't even realize it