𝟎𝟑𝟐.          𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥, 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬

into it             ────             chase atlantic

( hehehehehehehe )

☀︎ 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

𝖪𝖨𝖫𝖣𝖠𝖱𝖤 𝖢𝖮𝖴𝖭𝖳𝖸 𝖧𝖨𝖦𝖧 𝖲𝖢𝖧𝖮𝖮𝖫．

I hate school.

I used to love school and learning, but as I got older, my love for school declined massively. Now, I really, really hate school at the moment because it's the start of the new year after our whirlwind of a summer, and the news of John B and Sarah is still fresh in people's mouths. Despite it being two weeks since their "deaths", everybody and their freaking mothers still talk about it and me by extension.

I need some normality back in my life, especially after spending the past week since my breakdown crying all day, everyday. I actually started to tear up this morning when I couldn't find my toothbrush. Poor Pope had to console me over something so insignificant, and he found my toothbrush in about three seconds.

I'm just an idiot who doesn't look properly, I've learnt.

Kiara drove us in her dad's car to school, and now each of us are walking towards the dreaded building weigh everybody's eyes on us. Everybody in town knows about John B and Sarah, so I knew that coming to school would mean facing the stares and annoying whispers from other classmates. However, I still wish I just didn't have to handle it, especially when I overhear a few people utter their sorrows to me.

People will cough up their condolences to me, but then behind my back, they'll talk about how John B deserved to die after he killed Peterkin. I mean, JJ even blurted out to every Kook in the area that Rafe Cameron shot and killed the sheriff, and not a single bastard believed him. That's why he was fired── for telling the truth.

I fucking hate this town at times.

I just want all this to be over. I want John B and Sarah to crawl out of whatever hole they've been hiding in so people in town can shut up. Although, as the days pass, I become increasingly afraid of never seeing my brother again.

I hate people so much.

I hear a few people say, "That's them" which confuses me because yes, that's us── John B's best friends and sister── but they know that as we've lived in this town our entire lives. A few more utter, "There they are", and that's also right.

Way to point out the obvious, assholes.

We come to a stop when we see a memorial for John B. Resting against a rock with the school logo stamped across it is a surfboard. Attached to that surfboard are pictures of him alongside many signatures and messages from fellow students who knew him. Part of me finds it sweet, and another part of me really wants to throw rocks at it── don't ask, alright.

"I feel like people are staring at us," Kiara says, peering around at the students who look at us as we stare at the memorial.

I don't meet anyone's eyes. I'm sick of seeing that stupid sympathetic look and sad frown face in every single person I look at, so I don't bother meeting anyone's eyes. I just stare straight ahead or down at my feet.

"Guys, I can't be late." Pope begins to walk away, more excited about school than the rest of us. Well, he needs to go to school to make up for the scholarship interview. He wants to go off to college, and I'm holding out hope that he'll achieve that dream, so we need to go to school for Pope's sake.

"Hey." Kiara steps forward. "Hey. We gotta stick together." Kiara holds her hand out which Pope reluctantly takes. Kiara then wraps her arm around mine, forcing me to walk alongside her. I sigh, reaching out to wrap my arm around JJ's, and he falls back into step with me.

We walk into the dreaded halls of Hell.

I'm pulled into our classroom, and every part of me wants to bolt outside and run away. I so don't wanna go to school. My anxiety has skyrocketed, pattering heavily in my heart and squeezing tightly at my chest. I feel sick── like, I'm going to actually be sick, sick. Anyway, that's how I feel upon seeing the familiar history classroom. I always feel like that recently, but throw school into the mix and I'm a scrambled mess.

"Brooklyn." I turn away from my friends as we separate, them moving to our seats while I move towards Mr. Sunn── our history teacher. "It's nice to see you again."

I grip the handle of my bag tighter. "You too."

Mr. Sunn has always been a great teacher. He always treated me and my brother with respect and kindness, but despite how kind he is as a teacher, I will never pass a history class── sorry.

"I'm sorry to hear about your brother," he says, keeping his voice low even though everybody in this class knows about John B. I knew he'd say something, and I suspect every teacher I see today will comment on my brother's death which is just fantastic.

I smile politely, heart thumping in my chest. "Thanks," I respond, voice timid.

On that note, I step away to sit in my seat at the very back of the classroom. If you think I'm going to sit at the front, well, you don't know me at all. Every year I've indulged in school, I have sat at the back of the classroom, hiding behind somebody really tall so teachers wouldn't see me. It often didn't work, but I stuck by my choice at the back of the classroom.

There was only one instance where I was forced to sit at the front of the classroom, and that was when I was caught "chitchatting" with JJ which, apparently, disrupted our science teacher's lesson. Believe me, it didn't disrupt a single thing, she was just being dramatic.

"Just like old times, Sunny." I clap my hand over his as I move to sit down alongside him at the very back of the classroom.

The only issue with sitting in the back row is that I can see everybody turn and whisper as they look to me at the very back. They lean close to their friends as they whisper anything and everything about me and my friends.

One who sits in front of me── Yvonne, I think her name is── spins in her seat to talk to me. "I'm so sorry about John B." She places a hand on my desk, offering me the fakest smile I have ever seen. "If you need anything, I'm right here."

"Thank you," I say, smiling back just as fake as she did. She spins around, her long brown falling onto my desk. I peer at JJ, shaking my head as I utter the word, "Bitch."

If you didn't know this already, I hate just about everyone I go to school with except for my friends. I'm not a fan of people my age, that point has been made clear many, many times, but it's more obvious now that my brother is... well, you know, dead or whatever.

Just when I think class is about to start, Mr. Sunn steps towards me with a piece of a card in his hand. Did I walk away from him too fast? Oh, I'm off to a great start. A few people spin in their seats, watching like Mr. Sunn is going to yell at me in front of everybody.

Hey, maybe he is, I hadn't considered that.

"Brooklyn." He holds a card out towards me, and before I even take it, I sense what this stupid thing is that's in his hand. Oh, no.

"Uh..."

"I had the students sign this card to say sorry for your loss." I take the card from him, swallowing down the laughter that I feel the need to unleash because not a single person who signed this actually gives a shit about my brother. "If there's anything you need with school or, you know, anything personal, I want you know that I am here for you, and if you ever need a minute alone, you go take that minute, alright?"

I smile, nodding my head. "Thank you."

He walks away, and I look down at the hideous card in my hand. It's homemade, decorated with a sad, droopy purple flower with a message scrawled across the middle that reads, "I'm so sorry for your loss". This is seriously the dumbest thing I've ever seen in my life, no offence to Mr. Sunn.

I open the card to find several signatures and names of students I don't even know. Everybody apart from Kiara, Pope and JJ have wrote a small message inside, including Mr. Sunn.

"What's that?" Kiara whispers. I hold it up, and her eyes widen. "You're kidding." I hand it off to her, letting her have a look.

"I can't believe I got a "We're sorry for your loss, but let's move on and focus on school" card." Kiara hands it off to Pope who looks through the giant collection of names and signatures, his face scrunched up. He's just as confused as the rest of us. I know I've lost someone, but I don't need a fucking card to broadcast it.

"Hey, why didn't we get to sign it?" JJ asks.

"Well, you guys obviously aren't as important as all the strangers," I whisper, not wanting anyone to turn around and be offended. Some people in this class obviously did know my brother, but not well enough to care about his death.

"Well, shouldn't we get cards too?" Kiara frowns, earning something of a laugh from me which causes a few people to turn, probably shocked to hear the Brooklyn Routledge laughing two weeks after her brother was presumed dead.

Yes, I'm so over it, that's why I'm laughing.

Class actually begins a few minutes after we've shut up about the card that now sits on my desk, staring up at me as I dig my pen── that I borrowed from Pope as I forgot one, naturally── into the wooden desk, drawing shapes into the wood. I'm bored, and Mr. Sunn has only just started talking.

Ah, isn't it just so fun to be back at school.

My dad was a history buff, so naturally, that should make John B and I history freaks too, but John B always listened to Dad far more than I did, so he knows more about this subject than myself. Had I listened to Dad, I might actually be able to understand what Mr. Sunn is talking about. Actually, had I listened to Mr. Sunn, I might actually be able to understand what he's talking about.

Huh, funny.

I glance at Pope who sits next to Kiara, scribbling down notes frantically as Mr. Sunn talks. Kiara has her notebook out but she isn't taking any kind of note, she's just staring forward while JJ who sits on my side is, well, doing nothing like always. I have a piece of paper in front of me which, again, belongs to Pope just like this pen, but I don't plan on writing anything down.

"...and the slave becomes the new ruler. Now, Diocletian splits the sprawling Roman Empire..."

My phone dings── loudly, might I add. I decided to finally charge it this week, but everybody in my life is sitting beside me without their phones so who the fuck would be texting me. Just as I reach into my pocket to take it, Kiara's phone dings, snatching my attention. Mr. Sunn stops talking, turning to us just as JJ and Pope's phones ding.

Okay, what kind of freaky coincidence is this.

"Whose phone was that?" Nobody answers because why would somebody answer? "Nobody? You will be tested."

"Ooh, scary."

I ignore Mr. Sunn as he goes back to teaching. I peer down at my phone, swiping to open a message from an unknown number. I've been added to a group chat with Kiara, Pope and JJ alongside this unknown number. Weird.

"Hey. Did you guys get it?" JJ asks, looking at his own phone.

"Yeah."

We "subtly" shuffle closer, moving our chairs into a small, inconspicuous circle as we unlock the message, unsure on what we're walking into. Could this be one of those scams that, I don't know, try and scam all of us? Or──

My eyes fall onto a picture, but not just any picture. No, I find myself staring down at a picture of John B and Sarah.

"Oh, my God." I stand up, and all eyes fall on me as my chair scrapes across the ground. Mr. Sunn looks at me, a strange expression on his face. I clear my throat, looking around. "Uh, I-I need a minute, you know, it's just..." I swallow, staring down at my feet. "...so hard."

Turn on those waterworks, Brooke.

I find it's not too hard for me to turn on the waterworks because I just received proof that my brother and Sarah are alive. I mean, how fucking great is that?

"Right, well..."

Kiara stands up next, hand on my arm. "She can't be alone, not right now. It's a hard time for her."

"Yes." Pope stands up too. "It's the grief."

"It's just so, so hard." I shake my head, wiping a hand across my cheek, finding no tears to be falling, but he doesn't know that, does he?

JJ is up next as Kiara moves us towards the door so we can leave. "Yeah, we're just gonna..." He nods to Mr. Sunn, joining us in leaving as Pope follows closely behind, uttering a few apologises to Mr. Sunn.

Yeah, I'm not to sorry about running away.

We rush out of the classroom and break out into a run as we barrel down the hallway. We run a little too fast as we want to get out of here immediately so we can respond to the message, and as a result of sprinting off, JJ trips over a bucket on his way out. He picks himself back up, laughing it off as he catches up with us.

We turn the corner before we rush out of the school and into the courtyard. "I mean, is it even possible?" I'm unlocking my phone along with everyone else. "I mean, Shoupe said that they didn't make it. He said that."

"Okay, but I... I think we're overreacting 'cause we can't rule out the possibility that this could all be some kind of weird, cruel hoax." Pope does have a point, but I'm still a firm believer that he's alive. Sure, I've been grieving him this past week, but he must be alive── this picture is proof of that.

"I'm just gonna ask," I say quickly, already rapidly typing away.

"What if it's actually him, though?"

WTF is this you??? is what I send, sucking in a sharp breath as I await the response. I find him to be typing so I release that breath.

"He's typing."

The next message reads, Is JJ there?

JJ responds with a quick, I'm here Bree.

Did you pimp my short board?

A wide, bright smile breaks out across JJ's face, radiating a joy that I've been graced by several times before, and it tells me one thing── one thing that I always knew all along deep down. JJ nods, tears welling his eyes as he says, "It's him."

A smile brightens my face, warming me from the inside out as I realise that, all this time, John B has been alive. He is alive and well. He and Sarah are okay. They're going to be coming home. They didn't die like everyone suspects. He and Sarah are alive!

I don't realise what's happening until I feel arms cuddle around me, pulling me into a new kind of warmth. I'm swept into JJ's arms, body flush against his as I lift my own arms, cuddling around him in a fierce, much needed embrace. My head falls into the crook of his shoulder, and tears overwhelm my eyes as I think about how great this is.

John B is alive. I haven't lost my brother.

"He's alive, JJ." I feel so warm inside, so complete. I feel as if the world has aligned and perfected itself. All is good again. All is right again. All is perfect. And being here, wrapped in the warmth of the boy I love just adds to the happiness I'm already feeling.

JJ pulls back from me, tears in his own eyes as he places his hands on my face. "He's alive, Sunshine." I'm swept into another hug, and I wrap my arms around his middle, squeezing tight. I peer over his shoulder, looking to Kiara and Pope who share a hug.

"Yeah!" JJ cheers, holding his other arm out so Kiara and Pope can join the embrace. I don't know how long we hug for, but we stay there until another message buzzes on our phones, bringing our attention right back to John B.

Laying super low in Nassau.

Kiara laughs, tears sliding down her cheeks. "How the hell did they get to the Bahamas?"

"You can't kill a Pogue, dude."

"Especially John B," I quip, wiping my hand across my eyes.

Can you clear my name? Wanna come home.

I nod, liking that idea a lot. "We'll clear his name, right? We just have to find out a way to do so."

I type back. Be in touch. P4L.

Kira cheers, clapping her hand against my shoulder.

"That's what I'm talking about!" JJ claps his hands together, stepping forward so we can pull one another into another bone crushing hug.

We laugh. We cry. We squeal. We cheer.

John B and Sarah are alive!

──────────────────────────

𝖨'𝖬 𝖭𝖮𝖶 𝖮𝖭 𝖠 𝖧𝖨𝖦𝖧，𝖠𝖭𝖣 𝖭𝖮，𝖨'𝖬 𝖭𝖮𝖳 𝖠𝖢𝖳𝖴𝖠𝖫𝖫𝖸 𝖧𝖨𝖦𝖧．JJ is kind of high, but he's still very aware of what's going on. We're in the Chateau, trying to figure out a solution to getting John B back home. We didn't go back into class because why on Earth would we do that? Now Kiara is back home, as is Pope, and JJ and I are here, all trying to figure out a solution. Tomorrow morning, instead of going to school, we're going to meet with one another and address our ideas.

I'm over the moon, skipping and singing in the Chateau as my brother is alive. How can I not be happy?

I feel like drawing this moment── this moment of pure happiness. I'm dancing in the kitchen. Well, I'm just kicking my feet around in the kitchen, spinning around in circles while JJ sits on the sofa, watching me with a cigarette tucked between his lips. This is the moment I want to draw, but I'm also too jittery and excited to draw at this given moment.

I shuffle into the living room, smiling widely at JJ. "Get up!" I hold my hand out.

He pulls the cigarette out of his mouth. "What?"

"Get up," I repeat, reaching down to snatch his hand. "Are you not happy?" I laugh, tugging on his hand, but he isn't budging. "I mean, he's alive, JJ. He's alive!"

"Yeah, I saw the picture, Sunny."

"Then get up and be happy with me!"

"But──"

"No buts." I take the cigarette from him, flicking it to the ground before standing on it with the heel of my shoe. I tug on his hand once again, needing him to get the hell up. "Get your ass up, Maybank."

He groans, letting his arm go limp as I pull and pull and pull until he's up and off the sofa, falling forward into me. His arms lift, falling around my middle as I stumble back from the impact of him. I nearly trip and fall, but I laugh regardless, my hands reaching out to grasp his arms.

He feels a little wobbly but he holds on, a laugh falling from his own lips as he steadies himself. He stares down at me, that ethereal smile replacing the laugh. My face relaxes, my body slumps forward, moving just an inch closer into his wam comfort.

"You're happy," he whispers, his voice touching me in a way that drags up my spine in a shiver.

I nod, teeth digging into my bottom lip as I stare up at him. "I'm very happy. I knew he was alive. I-I could just feel it, you know?"

He nods back, eyes shifting down to my lips for a split second before they lift back to my eyes. "You were right all along, Sunshine. I'm sorry I didn't realise it."

"N-No, I understand why you didn't. I did sound a little crazy."

"You had just lost your brother. I was treating you like-like shit. I'm sorry."

I shake my head, hand moving up his arm to rest upon his shoulder. "I'm not mad at you. I'm happy, remember?"

"You're very happy. It's nice to see."

"It is nice to see because my brother is alive!" My other hand grips his other shoulder, and I hold on tightly. I pull myself closer to him, and his arms squeeze around my waist. "He's alive, JJ."

"I heard that."

I roll my eyes. "Ha," I scoff. "You're funny."

"I've heard that too."

John B is alive, and because he is, I feel as if I can move onto a question that has haunted my mind for the past two weeks. I hold on tighter, heart pounding in my chest as I stare up at JJ with a tint of a smile on my mouth. He's looking down at me, eyebrows furrowed with a questionable expression on his face. Because he knows me, he can see that I've ventured into a part of my mind that I can't pull myself out of.

He tilts his head to one side, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards. "What do you wanna ask, Sunny?"

"We haven't talked about us. You know, we didn't really talk after we... kissed." I feel my face warming as I talk about this, and it's not because I'm embarrassed by the kiss, it's because I don't know how to approach this topic with JJ. I mean, for the past two weeks, we've been mourning the death of John B so, of course, it wasn't appropriate to talk about us, but part of me still wishes we had so it wouldn't feel so strange to discuss it now.

He sucks in a breath. "Truths?"

We all know what happened the last time we played truths so let's see what happens now.

I nod, sliding my hands down his shoulders, fingers touching the muscles in his arms. "Do you want to ask or──"

"Would you have let me kiss you these past two weeks?"

I swallow, a little caught off guard by the question. "That's your question?"

He nods firmly. "Yep."

"Well, would you have kissed me over these past two weeks?"

We've both been grieving, that much is obvious, and as we've been grieving, we've kept ourselves separated from one another due to the shared loss. Instead of sharing these past two weeks consoling one another, we've stayed at a distance, suffering silently. Sure, we've been in the same room at times, but we haven't been... us, if that makes sense. I miss us, but I think we're on our way to pulling each other back.

I want us back── JJ & Brooke.

He's my best friend, and two weeks ago, he was my best friend who I shared a devastatingly heart throbbing kiss with.

I'm happy. John B is alive. Sarah is alive. We're going to bring them home. With that area of my life being solved after two painful weeks, I can finally understand this area of my life── the area which JJ and I haven't grasped just yet.

Even as I've been grieving, it's been impossible to wipe that kiss from my memory. It replays in my head, torturing me over and over again, begging me to do something more.

"You can't question my question."

"Since when was that a rule?" I ask, raising a brow. "I can question your question if I want."

"Well, fine." He stares down at me. "Yes, I would've kissed you if you had wanted me to."

I roll my eyes, grinning. "Bastard."

"Now answer my question."

"Yes, I would've let you kiss me if you had wanted to," I quip, repeating back almost exactly what he had said to me, and that comment earns me an eye roll. "We're never going to get anywhere, are we?"

He shakes his head. "No, I don't think so."

It is said that the moment leading up to the kiss is the most significant moment. It's actually more desired than the kiss itself, and before I kissed JJ, I did believe in that fact. However, now that I've kissed him, there's nothing I want to do more than lean up on my toes and press my mouth to his.

I mean, the timing may seem a little strange, but we've both had the lousiest two weeks of our lives. We had to navigate the loss of John B, but now that we have confirmation that he is alive and wanting to come home, I feel as if we deserve that tiny ounce of freedom alongside the happiness in our hearts. We deserve to do something exciting and thrilling. We deserve to have our moment.

We deserve something, don't we? 

I deserve something.

"The ball is in your court, Sunshine." Yes, that is technically true. He went and kissed me last time, so now it's my turn to make myself clear.

So I lean up, and I push my mouth against his.

I don't hesitate, I just do it, and the single press of our lips lasts for about two seconds before I yank back, pulling myself free from his hold entirely which, I think, actually shocks him. I step away, trying to hide my smile as JJ tries to understand what I just did.

"W-What was that?"

I move into my bedroom, laughing when I find what I came in here for.

A ball.

I turn around, about to move out of my bedroom when JJ crows the doorway, hands pressed into the frame as he leans forward, watching me closely. "What was that?" he repeats, eyes flitting from mine to the ball in hand. He exhales a laugh, head shaking as I push the ball against his chest.

His eyes move back, brown clashing with blue like always, and I make a mental note to seriously combine those colours just to see if they match. From what I can see, they match very much so.

"Y-You can't just do that." The smirk on his lips says otherwise. I think he liked that I barely kissed him, and now, as I've demonstrated, the ball is in his court.

I tilt my head to one side, tongue gliding across my bottom lip as I peer at him.

"Ball's in your court now, Maybank."

He pushes off the doorframe, and his hand reaches down to snatch the ball from my hand that I had pushed against his chest. He lifts it, and with his eyes still on mine, he throws it over his shoulder.

I hear the ball hit the floor once before he pushes forward.

I don't have any time to suck in a breath before he touches me.

JJ's arm falls around my torso, and he pulls me flush against him just as his head drops, his lips capturing mine.

With an arm hooked around my waist, JJ spins us around to push me against the door that comes to a crashing shut as his lips pry mine open. His other hand grabs my hip, fingertips pressing into the skin as I lean into him, pushing my entire bottom half into him.

From the get go, his movements and kisses are vigorous and fast. There's nothing sweet and kind about the way he kisses me, and if I'm being honest, I don't mind one bit. I like this side of him just as much as the other. I'm actually torn between with side I prefer.

I decide that I need to hold on so my hands find comfort in his shoulders, but with how his mouth slots against mine, I fear I won't ever be able to hold on tight enough.

I find JJ pushing back, his hips pressing into mine as he forces my back against the door, his body keeping me locked in. My hands slide upwards from his shoulders, fingers holding his face as JJ's hands hold my waist, keeping me firmly pressed against the door.

As his tongue slides across my bottom lip before entering my mouth in another soulful kiss, his hands slide up slowly, thumbs settling just under the lining of my bikini top that I wear under my t-shirt. I push back, trying to match his fast pace as I slide my mouth against his, trying to distract myself as his fingers press down, eliciting some kind of noise from me I have never heard.

I grip the back of his neck, my own fingers digging into his skin as he pulls back for a quick second, his breathing heavy. I catch a breath before he leans in again, lips finding mine in a second. I fail to match his rhythm so I just do my best to hold on, dangerously aware of his hands that only seem to slide further up, thumbs dangerously close to grazing over a part of me that, yes, he has touched before, but not in this capacity.

Instinctively, I push my hips forward, pressing myself against him which, in response, earns me a groan. I smile against his mouth, but that smiles dies the second he snatches it by pressing his teeth into my bottom lip. I jerk forward, pushing even harder to get myself off the door.

I kiss back, moving my mouth against his fast and hard, hoping that our paces meet somewhere. I find my back is now off the door, but I only have a few seconds before I likely get pinned back again so I push forward once again, spinning myself away from the door while keeping my mouth firmly pressed on his.

JJ grins, mouth covering mine as he realises I've forced myself forward and away from the door. Don't get me wrong, I do like being pressed against whatever surface he chooses, but I do like being free and open like this.

However, that's short lived when I find my legs have stopped in front of something── my bed. I yank my head back, my hands still on his face as I look down, finding that, yes, my bed is right there. Of course it is. I mean, I'm literally in my bedroom, what did I expect?

Bed. Right. That usually means── I mean, being on a bed usually leads to, well, you know. Uh...

JJ sucks in a sharp breath. "D-Do you wanna stop?"

My head spins back towards him, our eyes meeting. His pupils are larger than they were before, and I wonder if mine are. I clear my throat, my head shaking on its own accord. "No. No. I, uh..." My pupils may be dilated, I don't know, but I do know that my face is definitely red.

I hear the smile in JJ's voice as he begins to speak, "Your face is red. Whatcha thinkin' about, Sunny?" His hand lifts, resting gently against the side of my face. I find myself leaning into his touch absentmindedly.

"I-I don't want to stop, but I-I don't want to, uh, you know, do..." Okay, now I feel incredibly embarrassed. "...well, you know, that."

His brow raises, that shit-eating grin still on his face as his fingers drag across my cheek. "That?"

"You know what I mean," I exclaim, not finding him amusing at this current moment.

"I don't think I do. You might have to explain it to me, Sunshine." I bite down on the inside of my cheek, heart hammering in my chest as I glare at him. He is a damn bastard, and he knows it.

I don't answer him as I will not be explaining it. He knows full well what I mean. He leans in, still smirking. His forehead touches mine as his hand moves away from my cheek, moving to grasp my ponytail. I need to stop tying my hair up, I fear, but every part of me enjoys him grabbing my hair. I want him to grab every single part of me.

Did I say that out loud?

No, I'm okay.

His lips hover over mine as he speaks, "Do you want me to stop, Sunshine?" I shake my head, leaning in because I just want to kiss him and pull him down with me, but he pulls back ever so slightly, his hand still wrapped firmly around my ponytail. "Words, Brooke."

"No," I breathe out, fingers pulling on his shirt. I yank JJ forward, and he closes the gap, his mouth capturing mine feverishly. I slowly and tentatively lower myself down onto my bed, hands falling to grasp the bedsheets. Our lips detach for a moment as I stare up at him, trying to keep my breath steady as he peers down at me, something hot in his eyes.

His hands move to rest on my jaw, his thumb and forefinger pressing against my chin.

"Just kissing," he utters, and I nod, thumb pressing into my chin.

"Just kissing," I repeat, chest tightening.

JJ bends down, mouth covering mine as he pushes forward. I find myself falling backwards easily, my hands reaching out to grasp him, afraid that I'll fall if I don't hold on. JJ lowers himself down to rest his body over mine, and I find this position to be new and beyond hot.

With his weight over mine, he deepens our kiss. His arms hook under my back, lifting my lower half up and into him. My mouth falls open, a primal, unexplainable noise leaving my mouth as I feel his hips press down into mine.

My fingers dance at the ends of his hair at the back of his neck, holding tightly as he pushes me down into the bed. JJ's mouth turns upwards against my mouth as I attempt to catch my breath, wanting to hold back the noises that seem to leak out. Damn him.

JJ kisses my mouth once again, this time being more forceful and urgent. I find my head going a little dizzy as I lose myself on his lips, mouth moving over his carefully. My heart drums against the walls of my chest, and a sound climbs up my throat as JJ pushes down just a little harder, a groan stumbling out of his own mouth.

JJ's hands shift to grip my waist as he brings me impossibly close. My heart thumps harder because so much is happening right now, and my head is fuzzy and conflicted. This position is one I've been in only once before in the past, and it was new with Kiara, but I find it feels even newer with JJ.

It's probably not wise to think of somebody else while in the middle of kissing JJ, right?

I'll shut up.

JJ's lips leave mine, revealing that he's breathing as violently as I am. I touch his cheek softly, and his eyes close for a second as he catches his breath. "You okay?" he asks, and I nod. "Sunny..."

"Yes," I breathe out.

And with that lovely word, JJ's mouth doesn't touch my lips this time, they instead land on the soft spot between my jaw and neck. "Oh." Well, this certainly feels new to me, but I find myself tilting my head back just for him to have more access because I like this particular feeling. Something crawls up my throat, falling from my lips when he starts to press his lips harder against the skin of my neck.

His mouth moves, kissing a path up my throat, towards my jaw and against my ear where he whispers, "Sunshine, we──"

"Guys!" We stop, bodies frozen as we look out for the sound again. Are we imagining that or──

"Hey, guys!"

Pope.

"Shit!" JJ lifts himself up and off me, and I lift myself up and off the bed, body feeling weak and a little fuzzy. I feel as if I might faint but I force myself up so I can get to the door before Pope just barges in and finds us like this.

With my flushed expression and JJ pulling at his shorts in the hopes of covering something that I'll let you people figure out, Pope will have us all figured out.

I move to the door, legs feeling like jelly as I grip the door handle. JJ's hand covers mine, stopping me just before I answer Pope. "I can't answer the door."

"Why?"

"You know why!" His voice is below a whisper so Pope can't hear us, but if I don't open this door soon, Pope will push it open.

I peer down, watching as JJ shifts uncomfortably on the spot. He steps away from the door, turning away from me as I try to suppress my laugh behind my hand. "I have to answer the door, JJ," I say, a chuckle betraying me.

He turns back to me. "This is not funny."

"It is kind of funny."

"You've given me blue balls, Sunshine. How is this funny?"

"Actually, you gave yourself──"

"Brooke?" Knocking comes from the door, so I silently instruct JJ to jump into my closet like he's an embarrassing one-night stand. He's not, I just can't have Pope knowing, not yet. As far as I know, we're just... kissing, so why does everybody need to know?

Once he's in the closet, I pull open my bedroom door to see Pope standing there, a strange look in his eye. "Pope!" I smile, stepping out of my room and bringing the door to a close. "Hello."

"Uh, hi." He clears his throat. "I thought JJ was here."

I shake my head. "No. No, he, uh, went back home to grab some... clothes," I say, my head starting to nod. "Yeah, so he's at home."

"Right." He doesn't sound like he believes me, but I'll question his tone at a later date, not right now. "Well, Kie wants to meet now, and think of a game plan. Are you ready?"

"Yes." I smile, trying to look as sure as possible. "Yes, I am ready. Let's go!" I pat my hand against Pope's shoulder, pushing him towards the door.

How is Pope the one that always interrupts us?

That was a close call.

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❀ soph speaks

i used to be so bad at writing any kind of romance scene/kiss scene but i think i've improved ever so slightly

i actually enjoy writing them now

like brooke, i also hate school

thanks for reading!!