written in the stars - a topper thornton fanfic (outer banks)

e i g h t e e n

one year ago

Genevieve glanced back and smiled softly as she walked away from Topper's car.

Topper smiled back and gave her a small wave, as he had already done 3 times before. It was cute, how she always turned to wave goodbye, as if he was going anywhere.

Genevieve waved back before she turned the corner. She smiled to herself in the dark as she walked home.

The night was silent, but her thoughts were loud.

As she approached her house, she heard a rush of footsteps, that seemed to be running away from her house and towards a certain somebody's house not far off.

'JJ?' Genevieve whisper-shouted, as she could tell that her parents were in the kitchen, within earshot.

No reply. Genevieve knew that it was JJ, and that he was still there. She waited a couple seconds for a reply, but then gave up.

The words that JJ had said to her cut through her like a knife, and everytime she thought of him, the wounds grew deeper and more painful. But was it the words themselves that hurt, or the fact that her and JJ's friendship would never be the same?

- the next day -

Genevieve woke up to the sound of two bikes crashing to a stop against gravel. They weren't outside of her house, but a few doors down.

'What are the bets that those bikes belong to Pope and John B?' She muttered under her breath as she slowly pushed her window open, so that she could hear any possible conversation.

'JJ, we know you're in there,' John B called out, banging his fist against JJ's bedroom window. 'You can't avoid us forever. We're your only friends,' he continued, a cheeky edge in his tone.

'Look, you don't have to tell us why you stormed off yesterday, or about the whole thing with Kiara, but can you at least let us know that you're alive?' Pope desperately tried to reason with JJ, always the sensible one.

'Kiara thing?' Genevieve muttered to herself in confusion as she eavesdropped in on the boys' conversation.

'I'm alive, ok? Happy now?' JJ's voice was full of an anger that Genevieve had never heard.

'Jesus Christ JJ! What the fuck happened to your face?' John B exclaimed, both in shock and confusion.

Genevieve's heart dropped. Had Luke punched JJ yet again? She hoped that he hadn't. The reason that JJ hung around Genevieve's house so much was to escape the beatings that he would get from Luke at home. She had to use all her willpower to stop herself from looking through her window to see the damage.

'Nothing happened, ok? Just drop it.'

'Was it your dad?' Pope whispered, his voice full of worry.

'No, it wasn't. It doesn't matter. Why are you guys even over here?'

'We're going out on the HMS. Kie's gone a-wall, but we'll probably find her along the way. We're calling over to Genevieve's house next.' John B said.

'You can count me out,' JJ said immediately upon hearing Genevieve's name, turning on his heel and heading back towards his room.

'What? You're not coming?' Pope asked in complete and utter confusion.

Genevieve exhaled shakily. Why had JJ been so quick to bail when he heard John B mention her name?

'JJ, what the fuck is up with you two? Did you make a move and she turned you down? I don't understand why you've been avoiding her, avoiding us?' John B exclaimed angrily, grabbing JJ's arm.

JJ turned around and shot John B a death stare. 'It's none of your fucking business, John B.'

John B dropped JJ's arm and defensively took a couple of steps back. He had never seen a look like this in JJ's eyes before.

'I said some things to Genevieve that were out of line, that's it.' JJ said, staring at the ground.

'So, go apologise. Genevieve always believed that actions speak louder than words anyways,' Pope said.

'You don't think I fucking know that? I've known Gen since we were toddlers, I know that she values actions so much more than words. And seeing as you two keep badgering me for answers, let me lay it out bare for you two.'

Pope and John B exchanged a worried glance. Genevieve held her breath. Her heart was pounding in her ears, but she needed to hear this.

'I planned on driving Genevieve home from the Chateau whenever we were last there. But instead, I drove to Figure Eight.'

'JJ....' John B groaned, running his hands through his hair.

'Shut the fuck up. We sat on the beach and, I don't know, we talked.' JJ shifted awkwardly on the porch, not wanting to admit that he'd spent the majority of it crying in Genevieve's arms. He sighed as the memories flooded back, and regret seeped through his veins.

'Then along comes Topper walking his dog. Fucking Kooks, man.' Genevieve heard the clatter of a can, which she guessed that JJ kicked in frustration. 'And I get up to give that motherfucker the beating that he deserved, and of course Genevieve yanks me back down and tells me to stop.'

Tears filled Genevieve's eyes when she heard JJ's tone. He sounded guilty, but not remorseful. Was he even sorry?

'I don't know why, but I snapped. I just..... Jesus I don't know what came over me. I said some pretty awful shit, guys. I don't know will she ever forgive me. And then-'

'It gets worse?' Pope exclaimed. 'Sorry,' he mumbled instantly after.

'Unfortunately,' JJ replied. 'I.... I drove off without her.'

John B nearly choked on his beer. Why he had a beer at 8 in the morning was beyond Genevieve, but that was not the topic of discussion at that moment.

'You left Genevieve in Figure Eight, by herself, at night? Are you out of your mind? What the fuck is wrong with you JJ? Not even two days after we got beat up by the Kooks in that exact spot! Jesus fucking Christ,' Genevieve heard John B begin to pace around the garden. She wiped a tear from her cheek. She hadn't realised how much she'd been crying.

'JJ, she could have been jumped. Or murdered. Or.....' Pope paused. 'You have no idea what some of those Kooks are capable of. For god's sake, Rafe Cameron lives within two fucking yards of that beach!'

'I made a mistake, alright? I fucking regret it. Her dad told me never to set foot in their house, I don't think Gen's ever going to speak to me, and now I've fucked the group up for everyone else too. You're welcome guys!' JJ let out a laugh, that was swiftly followed by a sob, which was swiftly followed by the slamming of a door.

Pope and John B stood there, dumbfounded. Genevieve sat on the floor beneath her window, dumbfounded. Genevieve was always willing to give people second chances, but could she really forgive and forget everything that JJ had said to her?