RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

FIFTY SIX

INN

River sat alongside Silas and Topper at the Island Inn. She looked across and saw JJ serving some Kook and it caused a pang in her heart. She missed him.

The blonde boy made direct eye contact with her, causing River to smile in response but all JJ did was turn and face the other way.

The action was something that didn't go unnoticed by Silas, so he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she began to write in the back of her notebook. He let go of a sad smile, knowing what it meant.

"At least John B got what was coming to him, and it saved them the expense of a trial." Peyton spoke up in almost disgust. "I'm just saying, John B's going to hell for what he did to Sheriff Peterkin."

River only looked up once she saw JJ refilling Topper's water. She hadn't even payed any attention to what Peyton was saying. She quickly slammed her book shut so that JJ couldn't see what she was writing.

"Guys, they're still investigating." Topper spoke up, trying to steer the conversation into a different direction. He noticed the way that River shifted in her seat and JJ's jaw clenched. They were John B's best friend, they didn't deserve to hear that people were glad that he was dead.

"Yeah, I don't know why. It's obvious who did it." Peyton continued.

Silas grabbed River's hand, running his thumb over her knuckle. He looked up to JJ who watched the interaction closely. His nostrils flared in anger and his eyes darkened.

"Yeah, exactly." Kelce chuckled.

"Shut up." JJ snapped, pointing at Topper. He was sick and tired of having John B being defended by a Kook that didn't even know him. "Shut up, Top."

River slowly stood up and in front of the boy, she placed her hands on his chest, causing him to look down at her. This was the closest they had been in weeks and it felt strange, but she was pushing him away.

"Walk away, JJ." River spoke calmly, using all her strength to try and push the boy back, but he was too strong for her. He didn't even move a muscle.

"JJ, just walk away. It's not the time." Topper shouted back, placing his hand out in defence.

"I don't think we were talking to you, Pogue." Kelce spoke from his seat, glaring up at JJ.

JJ pushed River's hands off him, causing her to furrow her brows in response. Truthfully, she had expected him to keep her close or ask her to come with him to talk.

But he didn't.

Silas stood up to go and comfort the girl, he offered a glare towards the blonde boy. Wondering why he was being such a dick towards River.

The boy jumped forward and grabbed a fork and glass of water, clinking them together, so that he gained everyone's attention, just like he wanted.

"Can I have everybody's attention, please?" JJ shouted, looking around at all the Kook's he had previously served. "I have a little announcement to make."

River stepped back into Silas' chest, allowing his arms to wrap around her shoulders as she watched the event unfold. She didn't know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.

"My best friend, John B," JJ shot a look to River, almost as if he was silently telling her that she was betraying hers and John B's friendship. "did not kill Sheriff Peterkin."

"Oh no." River whispered, her hands wrapping around Silas' wrists anxiously. JJ wasn't coping well with the loss of his best friend and that much was obvious.

"Rafe Cameron killed and shot the sheriff in cold blood." JJ held his head up high. "That's what happened."

Kelce scoffed in response, looking over to River. He wondered how she was going to take it, the fact that her ex boyfriend was claiming that her cousin shot the sheriff. But she didn't say anything, or even move. Instead, she stayed by Silas' side.

"Wow." Kelce nodded.

"Is that so hard for you to believe, Kelce?" JJ questioned, scowling as he looked towards Kelce.

"It is actually hard for me to believe, because it's always the kooks fault." Kelce spoke, slowly standing up to become face to face with JJ. "It's never the pogues fault."

River couldn't help but scoff, for years the pogues were blamed for everything. The Kook's got it easy, and they all knew that. The girl broke away from Silas to separate JJ and Kelce before it got into a fight.

"J, just walk away." River placed her hand on his bicep, but he never broke his eye contact with Kelce.

"Get off me, you're a fake Kook." JJ spat, hitting the girl off once again without even looking at her. "Why don't you run back to your new boyfriend?"

The boy didn't hesitate in pouring the water all over Kelce and throwing the jug at River, who almost expertly caught it.

Silas clenched his jaw, stepping forward, ready to protect his friends even if Kelce was being a dick and saying things that he didn't know about.

"What the fuck is wrong with you JJ?" Silas questioned, he ran his tongue over his bottom lip and raised his brows.

JJ didn't even say a word in response, instead he clenched his fist and swung at Silas, his fist connected with his nose, making an audible crack. River's eyes widened as she rushed towards Silas, glaring towards JJ.

"JJ." Raz shouted sternly, causing JJ to rip off his apron.

"Yeah I know, Raz." He paused, shoving the apron into his chest. "I'm fired."

River wanted to go after him, especially since she saw the way he was holding his chest, almost as if he was on the verge of a panic attack, but he just looked back at her in disgust.

She wasn't sure how they were ever going to patch things up, if they could. Which made River sad, especially since she missed the boy dearly, but there was only so much they could do.

"Let's get you home." River whispered, placing her hand on Silas' bicep. He removed his hand from his nose and allowed the blood to stream down his face.

He let go of a small chuckle, looking at the blood coating his hands. He wiped his nose, making the blood coat his arm more instead of his top lip.

"Oh, that was fun." He spoke sarcastically. "He's lucky that I didn't hit him back."

"Why didn't you?" River questioned curiously, nobody was stopping Silas from hitting JJ back. Plus, she had seen him fight before, he never cared if he got hit, he always got a punch back.

"For you." Silas said with a goofy smile, that cause River to smile back. She nodded understandingly, guiding him away from the Island Inn and towards her grandpa's house.