It Was Just A Bet

NINE: Heightened Emotions

🐢 The Chateau, Friday afternoon... 🐢

The Chateau was unusually quiet for the fact that nearly four teenagers lived there full-time. Usually, the TV was on, blaring the show of choosing while someone was bustling about the kitchen... and if JJ was around? Then the spare room would be echoing curses and moans from whatever unlucky girl he'd dragged in there.

Though on this very day, the small wooden shack was silent. Pope and Kie were up for the day, likely working for one of their parents and JJ was passed out on the pullout from the previous night's bender.

And John B? He sat by himself in the kitchen nursing a day-old beer that was left out all night and staring at the stupid, dumb, bitch-ass blonde who decided to ruin his life for the fun of it. In fact, the only thoughts that ran through John B's head were hateful works towards JJ and how much Sicily would hate that he's drinking beer for breakfast.

His phone ringing loudly was what pulled him from his thousand-yard stare, it seemed to have no effect on the sleeping boy.

"Hello?" JB answered, he hadn't even looked at who was calling.

"Hey! You're up, how's JJ?" Kie's voice rang out through the small speaker.

"He's asleep,"

"Me and Pope are at The Wreck, you should come meet us for lunch." Kiara's grin was pretty much seen if not felt through the phone as John B glanced at the stovetop clock. Holy shit, it really was almost one o'clock.

"I'll come down, I'm not waking JJ up."

"Oh, come on John B, wake him up." Kie pleaded and the brunette just rolled his eyes.

"We'll be down." JB promised, his chest was heavy as he put the phone back into his pocket, ignoring a mass of unread texts he'd purposely ignored. Reaching for a discarded shirt that was lying on the countertop and slipping it on.

He looked around the messy house for his hat, car keys, wallet, anything that would aid in him leaving faster. Once all those things were accounted for he cursed out loud.

"Fuck," He still had to wake up JJ. The boy grabbed JJ's ankle and pulled on his leg. Rocking the boy back and forth.

"Hey shithead, get up." He spat, taking pillows from the couch and throwing them at his blonde friend.

"Why?" JJ whined, rolling over to pull the blanket over his aching head.

"Kie's feeding us at The Wreck, get up or starve. I don't give a shit." His voice grumbled as he walked out the front door leaving the blonde scrambling to find shoes and a shirt.

"Holy hell dog, what is your deal today?" JJ huffed, throwing himself into the Twinkie as it idled in the driveway.

"Nothing," JB replied, turning up the radio and driving in silence to The Wreck. It was a short drive, nearly ten minutes but as strange as it was for JJ Maybank. He didn't say one word, climbing out of the van like a kid in trouble.

"Morning Sunshine," Pope and Kie grinned as the pair walked into the restaurant.

"Buenos Dias," JJ mumbled, still wiping sleep from his eyes. Kiara wasted no time in passing the boys each a plate of food.

"Okay!" The girl grinned, sitting back down next to Pope. "In light of the weekend being extra long because of the holiday, we should plan a party."

"No I don't feel like planning a party." John B immediately grumbled as he continued poking on the plate of food. Kiara had brought him.