Golden | JJ Maybank (2)

two | Brunch

It was the morning after the storm that Luna first heard the news about her dad.

She'd been sat on the beach with JJ all night. With nowhere to go, they sought comfort in each other. They could have gone back to the Chateau, but it was John B's Chateau and that was too painful. Instead the sound of waves and the light of the moon painted their evening.

JJ cried, a lot, which was unusual for him, but Luna understood completely. He wanted his best friend back, his brother. She spent hours reassuring him that it wasn't his fault, but he was adamant it was.

"I killed him Lu. That was me." He'd said.

"No," she insisted, "of course you didn't."

"But I told them where to go, I gave them the boat."

Eventually, he fell asleep with his head on her shoulder. Luna didn't sleep, she couldn't.

In the morning, they walked to the corner shop to find something to eat, they hadn't in a while. It was as JJ was inside that Luna received the call. Apparently she'd been listed as one of her father's contacts after a previous incident where he'd ended up in hospital, though she wasn't sure how her own mobile was still alive to take the call in the first place.

Luna didn't know what to do. She didn't even know what to say to the man on the phone. He asked a few questions as to whether she was okay, then listed some numbers of people to contact next to make further arrangements. It all sounded like mindless mumble to her, words that made no sense, a different language altogether. She didn't understand.

So, Luna had rang her aunt, it was the only thing she could think to do. She hadn't expected her to pick up, especially not straight away, but sure enough she did. Cynthia Thornton somehow understood the waterfall of words that tumbled out clumsily and gave her own strict commands for Luna to stay right where she was, she was on her way.

There was a minute where Luna just stood, still and silent with no real thought to mind, but then it hit. It was slow at first: her father was gone? But then, as though a bucket of ice had been thrown right at her, the realisation properly settled in. Her father was gone. As was her mum, as were her friends. 

"JJ!" She'd tried shouting into the shop, she'd even ventured in when he hadn't replied. "JJ!"

"What?" He had replied, alarmed yet completely worn down. His eyes had been dark and his mouth heavy, no humour in sight. There was a bundle of food in his arms.

"I'm sorry," Luna couldn't remember exactly what she'd said to him. It had been a rush of words and apologies and panic, but then there was a car horn sounding loudly outside and she knew her aunt was waiting. "I'll be back soon, I promise. This is important; I'll call you."

Cynthia Thornton's car was much too posh for the area they were in, as always, but for once she hadn't said anything as she saw Luna approaching.

"Get in." She'd instructed gravely. And that had been the last time Luna had seen JJ.

The entire journey to New York she was filled with a gut wrenching guilt. She had quite literally up and left. Over the next few days, however, with everything happening and the continuous build up of grief, guilt turned sour and now Luna couldn't help but feel annoyed. She had left JJ, but she'd messaged him a million times to explain herself and now it was as though he never existed in the first place. She couldn't even tell if he was reading her texts, and he certainly wasn't picking up her calls. It was almost like, on top of everything, he'd left her too.

Maybe she was being too harsh, but it was an overwhelming thought and everything was falling apart already. She didn't want to add more to the list.