Falling Slowly - JJ Maybank Love Story

CHAPTER 21 - SEASON 2

That afternoon I was alone at the surf shack, waxing my board as I listened to Bob Marley from and old speaker Kie gave me.

I was definitely in a good mood after my talk with JJ that morning. I could feel our relationship starting to get normal again.

I couldn't wait for us to start joking around again, and just occasionally being flirty, like we used to do all the time. I couldn't wait for the rest of the group to mock us constantly because of our relationship.

But most importantly, I couldn't wait to show him that I was really getting better, ans that we weould be able to work everything up again, be together, without any complications.

"Looks like someone is in her own little world" Someone's voice behind me made me snap back to reality. I turned around, and ofcourse the blonde boy who I was just thinking about appeard right in front of me.

"Well, nothing new" I smiled at him. "What are ypu doing here?" I asked as I put the wax down in the table.

"I was looking for John B" He said looking down at the floor. I noticed him kind of out, almost cold.

"Everything alright?" I asked him as I turned down the volume of the music from the speaker.

"Sure, friend" He said with a slight sarcasm in his tone. He stared directly at me before walking away.

"This is not happening" I said to myself before running after him. "What happened? What changed in a few hours that you hate me again" I asked, walking fast to catch up with him.

"Nothing" He said without looking at me.

"C'mon JJ. If we don't talk we are not gonna fix things between us" I insisted.

"I just- I started thinking, and Hope, I can't stand the fact that you kissed somebody else. And then I heard you talking about the kiss, and I just-" He finally stopped walking. He was staring directly at the floor.

"When did you hear me talk about the kiss?" I asked confused, not recalling what he was talking about.

"With Kie. Right before I told you to talk to John B" He said kind of sad. "The way you talked about the kiss, it just-" His eyes started to get watery.

"But, you took it out of context. I was just-" I started saying, but he interrupted me.

"Even though it wan't your intention, I just can't stand it. The thought of you with someone else. And I know it's unfair but I can't help feeling this way"

"No, wait. We can do something about this" I insisted, trying to grab his hand, but he took it away from me. "We can work it out. Please don't do this to me. Not again" I said, trying not to cry.

"Hope, I just can't be friends with you" He said nodding. "Or at least, not right now"

"So what does this mean?" I said, trying to keep my guard up.

"I want us to be okay. But I don't think we can be friends like we used to be" He said quietly. "Everytime I see you, I see him too" I stayed silent at the comment, trying to understand.

"Okay" I said letting a deep breath out. "I get it. It would be hard for me too, so..." I started saying hesitant, trying to hide the fact that I was heartbroken. "We'll just... we'll be- we'll be just two people that share a group of friends" I said with every word bresking my heart a little more.

"Hope, that's not-" He started saying, but I interrupted him.

"I need to go" I said with a fake smile on my face. I walked away from the house and locked myself inside my room.

.....

"Hope, are you all right?" I hear Pope's voice behind my door. I quickly got up from my bed and unlocked the door.

"I'm fine" I said almost in a whisper.

"Well, you don't look fine" He walked insidd the room and sat down on my bed. "What's wrong?"

"Life" I simply answered, resting my head in his shoulder.

"What can I do to make you feel better?" He asked, gently stroking ny hair.

"Sadly, nothing" I said looking in his direction. "But being here is enough" I hugged him tightly.

"Do you want something to eat? You've been here all afternoon" He said once we pulled away from the hug.

"Food sound good" I said getting up. We both walked into the kitchen to grab sonethung to eat. The rest of the group was in the porch. "So, how is the cross mystery going?" I asked as I put jelly on my sandwich.

"Not so good" He scrached the back of his head.

"Well, hello princess" JJ's voice made me look outside the proche.

"What's up?" Kie said from the couch to Sarah, who was entering the space.

"Sarah's here" I said to Pope before walking into their direction. He quickly followed me.

"Shouldn't you be on Figure Eight with your little group of polo players?" John B asked her from the couch he was sutting on. She showed him a fake smile at the comment. "Or did you break up with Topper?" He continued.

"We're just friends" She answred him calmly.

"He's just a friend" John B repeated the comment to us, smiling. "You have a lot of friends, Sarah Cameron"

"Yeah, and it seems like you've got some of your own too" She argued bak.

"All right, what are you doing here?" John B asked her, sitting properly in his seat.

"I'm here for Pope" Sarah sighted. We all looked at our firend confused. "I think I found the Island Room"