"No effing way!" Kie yelled in disbelief as she paced the porch, Sarah joining them not too long ago, "You brought her here? So what? She's in on this now?"

Joey stood, ridiculously uncomfortable, near the porch opening.

"Look, all I care about is her cut comes out of your share." JJ stated as he pointed toward Sarah. Throwing a finger back at Joey. "I mean, you already vouched for Jojo back here. You're splitting that shit three ways."

"You know, I don't remember taking a vote." Kie said in disbelief John B's way, "We ALL agree that Joey should be involved for your dad! This is our thing. A Pogue thing."

"I gotta say, i'm just a tad uncomfortable with all of this." Pope spoke up, taking Kie's side.

"Thank you!" Kie waved her hand his way.

"When are you not?" John B asked in disbelief.

"I dunno. I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably." Pope said back with wide eyes, nodding toward JJ on his right.

"It's true. Most relaxed i've ever seen him." JJ hummed in response.

"I'm also very uncomfortable and want to leave." Joey said honestly as John B look at her. "You should have at least given all of us some warning that we were involved someone else!"

"You know we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her." Kie went on as she looked at John B again.

"Stop talking about me like i'm not here!" Sarah spoke fast and annoyed toward Kie.

"Then leave." the taller girl stated.

Sarah scoffed as she looked at John B, "I told you."

"Told him what, exactly? That you're a liar?" Kie asked her with a questionable look.

"No, that you're a shit-talking bitch." Sarah snapped at her fast. JJ and Pope made a similar sound of shock. Joeys eyes widened as she looked toward Kie.

"When have I ever lied to you?"

"You get somebody close to you-"

"I didn't lie about shit!"

"Everybody shut up!" John B yelled over the pair as he stood up quickly, "Kie, you are my best friend, right? And Sarah, you're.."

"Say it." Sarah said softly his way.

"You're my girlfriend." John B said back, soft eyes and not breaking contact. Joeys entire face fell, feeling like she's just dropped on a roller coaster and her entire insides were sinking. Just two days ago she was confessing her love for her ex boyfriend, who she also hated, and now he'd ended up with a girl Joey never even though would have gotten in her way.

"Thats new." Pope hummed.

"She's your girlfriend now?" Kie asked in disbelief with a laugh, crossing her arms, "What was all that talk about you were just using her for information?"

"You said you were using me?" Sarah asked John B with a slightly hurt look.

"Sounds like something he'd say."
Joey said honestly as she crossed her arms, refusing to make any form of eye contact with John B.

"No." John B stated.

"Yeah, you did."

"Look, love just walked in, okay?" John B spoke up to cut them all off once again, "I didn't expect it. It just-it kind of happened. And i'm not gonna deny it. Right?"

Love. Joey was loosing it. It was a lot, just standing here. She couldn't hate Sarah, she didn't do anything. But she couldn't hate John B either. No matter how badly she wanted to. Didn't mean this all didn't hurt, didn't mean that she didn't feel like crying and dying all at once.

"That's corny." Pope stated.

John B blinked when Joey was suddenly storming off the porch. "Wh-Jo! Come back!"

"I have a thing." Joey said casually, which was terrifying. Where was the yelling? Where was the fighting? Where was the shoves? Anything? Nothing. She was completely calm. "I forgot about my shift."

"But-" John B began to follow her off the porch before Kie started yelling about Sarah yet again.

Joey had been crying into the recently grown Iris'. She didn't even realize she was, just leaning over some when she arrived, crying. "There's one way to water them."

Joey swore her soul left her body as she jumped, turning around and seeing Topper at the door. She turned away quickly to whip her tears, slapping her cheeks to stop. Too embarrassing to turn around, she stayed with her back to him. "The sign said closed."

"I know." Topper said with a long sigh. "But the door was open and I really need some flowers."

Joey almost laughed. "Why? Trying to win your girlfriend back?"

"My mom actually." Topper corrected her, peaking past her body. "And it looks like you're right infront of her favorite flowers."

Joey exhaled loudly, grabbing the Iris' and turning back to him. Topper got a good look at her now. Her eyes were red, lips swollen, face had a faint red glow, tears stained on her face. She looked so much more innocent when she had been crying. Not so angry, not so mean. Topper took them from her hands. "Why are you upset?"

"It's not any of your business." Joeys words didn't match her face. She walked behind the counter with a sniff. "Do you have a coupon with us?"

Topper frowned his eyebrows. "A coupon?"

"If people shop here more then five times they get 5% off." Joey said with a sniffle, whipping the last of her salty tears. "We also have a buy three, get two free."

"Well, I guess she could use two." Topper shrugged, getting another thing of Iris' before grabbing the Orchids near the counter. "So, have you seen John B and Sarah together since the.."

Joey met his eye in disbelief as she checked off the three flowers. Toppers face fell slightly in realization. "Shit. I forgot you guys use to.."

"It was a long time ago." Joey spoke. Her voice was scratchy as she met his eye. Her lashes weren't very long but they were dark, which he noticed now that he was looking at them covered in tears. She put on her customer service voice a second. "Anything else?"

"No, i'm good." Topper nodded, pulling his wallet out.

"7.45." Joey spoke, putting the three bouquets in a cardboard box that Mr Mooney recently got in for people that ordered more then one bouquet. Topper handed her a ten, Joey giving him two dollars, a dim, and nickle back. "Four more times and you'll get your discount."

Topper took them from her hands, his pressed against hers when he took them. Toppers hands were warm and sorta clammy, but not necessarily gross or sweaty. Joeys were frozen and slippery, from the amount of washing and hand sanitizer she used. "Well, i'm sure i'll be in a few more times."

"Raldoors is closed?" Joey asked, referring to the flower shop on the other side of the island. It was a lot nicer and bigger then Mooney, most of the people went in there, which is why Joey rarely had to actually give anyone her flowers. Especially not someone like Topper. She liked it like that though, she grew too attached to the flowers after she planted and grew them. But every now and then, like now, she sort had to give them away.

"No, I just was a bit closer." Topper
lied to her, taking the bouquet of Orchids from the box. "For what it's worth, John B's seriously an asshole."

Joey was tempted to defend him but decided against it. She shrugged. "Sorry you got cheated on."

Topper laid the bouquet infront of her as he headed for the door. Joey looked down at it oddly, the Orchids some of the most beautiful in the shop. When she looked up to ask Topped what he was doing, the blonde had already been gone. When Joey picked them up, she hugged them go her chest, glad she hadn't had to get rid of them. Her eyes set down on the small nip of paint in the desk.

Joeys button on her shorts scratched the paint when John B sat her on the counter that night. Neither noticed, too connected at the mouth to actually care. John B held her face as he kissed her, Joeys hands wrapped around his wrist to hold him in place. It was late, Mr Moony was out and Joey had a long shift. John B came to visit her for the night, ending up staying longer then usually. He yanked away from her. "Wait, I have to tell you something."

Joey huffed slightly with a faint grin. "What?"

John B smiled as he stared at her, face still in his hands. He leaned over and kissed her nose, making Joeys squint her nose at him. "I'm really glad you came down for the summer."

"I never wanna leave." she said honestly, leaning over and pressing her forehead against his while he rubbed her back gently. "I never wanna leave you."

Joey wasn't sure how long she'd drifted off into the daze, only coming back when a hand placed on her shoulder. Joey jumped as she looked up, seeing it had been dark now. It was mid day when she last spoke to Topper, she had to be going down memory lane for hours now. John B stood infront of her. "Where'd you go?"

"I don't know." Joey lied as she shook her head.

John B sighed as he looked around. "We should probably talk."

She wanted to fight, wanted to yell, wanted to tell him to get out. But she didn't, not this time, not with him. Joey was just too tired to do it anymore.

•

kylie speaks

john b 🤝topper
giving joey flowers
from her own shop.