MERCEDES, jj maybank

27.

NOT A DATE

The next morning JJ, John B and Pope were putting their plan into action up in the Alp quite far from any civilisation. What the boys decided to do is trap the girls for twenty-four hours on a stranded boat in the marsh to give them no choice but to talk and hopefully rekindle the friendship they once had.

After locking Sarah in one of the storage rooms and tricking Kie into thinking the alternators are broken the boys made their quick getaway. They quickly swam back onto the HMS Pogue and watched as the girls put the pieces together.

"Guys!"

"Are you serious?!"

"Are you joking?"

"Get your asses back here!"

John B shakes his head as climbs into the boat, "We can't. Not until you two figure it out."

"I will kill every single one of you!"

"You can't just leave!" Sarah pleads.

"There's food in the cabin and JJ rolled a blunt!" Pope yells and cups his hands around his mouth.

"Hydroponic!" JJ holds his thumbs up.

The boys start the engine and slowly start steering away from the girls, "So what's the plan now?" Pope asks.

"I don't know about y'all but I got today's plans sorted," JJ ruffles his hands through his hair, letting the wind blow through in order to help it dry. "I'm gonna hang out with Trinity,"

"What like a date?" John B smiles.

"Not a date date, just the two of us hanging out," He shrugs his shoulders.

"So a date," Pope says simply.

"No Pope, it's not a date because we aren't dating!"

"Yesterday tells me something different," John B mumbles.

"What happened yesterday?" Pope asks, looking between the two.

"Man! You said you wouldn't say anything!" JJ frowns and looks into the distance, annoyed.

"Did you guys..." Pope asks carefully.

"No, we just kissed, Pope, alright? Not that big of a deal!"

"Good for you," Pope says, not really knowing what he should have said. "Where is Trinity?"

"She had to leave last night to go to her Dad's and then the two of them went to do mechanics at his work," JJ says scratching his initials into the boat with a pocket knife. "I told her to wait at the docks when she's done and we'll pick her up,"

Pope and John B leave it at that and don't want to ask any more questions even though the two have plenty. Mainly to do with if they like one another or is it a fling or is it something that has potential? Although they were dying to ask him JJ made it pretty clear he wants it all to stay a secret.

Once they had finally reached the docks, ahead of them, Trinity was sitting swinging her legs over the edge eating a hotdog. John B noticed JJ's sudden change of behaviour, he wasn't in a mood and a wide smile washed over his face and he quickly got up from vandalising the small section of the HMS Pogue.

After Trinity stepped into the boat and they all made it around to the Chateau, Trinity and JJ wandered off together to discuss what they wanted to do.

"We can go to my Mom's," Trinity suggests, jumping onto the bed and laying flat on her stomach.

"If that's what you want to do then yeah," JJ says sounding unsure.

Trinity looks at him for a second, "Maybe not then,"

"What?"

"I can see that you don't want to go over to Figure Eight--"

"It's not that it's just..." JJ trails off and then doesn't say anything leaving a lingering silence between the two.

"Can I ask why you've been so nice to me recently and, like, organizing things?"

JJ thinks to himself whether he should tell the truth for a second, "You were really upset about Rafe and how you two broke up so I'm just trying to keep you happy, and distracted, you know?"

She smiles warmly at him, "Thank you JJ, that is really sweet and you've done a great job,"

"Shut up," He laughs and get's up off the bed. "Let's go say bye to Pope and John B and then take my bike to Figure Eight,"

§

"Where's your car?" JJ asks after parking his bike.

Trinity hops off the back and waits for him to get off the bike too, "At my Dad's?"

JJ chuckles at the stupid question he asked and heads to the door with Trinity right behind her. "Keys?" He holds his hand out waiting for her to drop the house keys in his hands, which she does and then two have the whole house for themselves.

"Shall we make food?" Trinity asks, heading off to the kitchen regardless of what his answer would have been.

JJ follows on and sits on a stool at the island table, "Uh, I can't cook - not like actual meals anyway,"

Trinity laughs and opens the cupboards getting out ingredients, "Do you like pasta?"

"Yeah,"

"Really?" She looks over her shoulder back at him, "You don't sound so sure,"

"I do,"

After Trinity made dinner for the two of them, they sat opposite each other on the stools in the middle of the kitchen, laughing and talking. When they were done and still sat at the table Trinity felt JJ's eyes staring right at hers which made her cheeks go red and her eyes look at anything but his.

She looked down into her empty bowl as he spoke and wasn't really paying attention until there was a knock at the door. Her head shoots up and the two share mutual confusion.

"What if it's Rafe?" JJ asks.

"Why would it be Rafe?" Trinity asks, going over to the counter and leaning as far as she could see through the window. "I can't see, just stay here, I'll be two seconds."

To Trinity's surprise, JJ obeyed and sat in the kitchen, straining his ears to hear who was at the door but he could barely hear anything.

Trinity opens the door, "Oh, hi Tara,"

"Hey girl," Tara pulls Trinity in for a hug, "Who's bike is that?" She points, grinning eagerly at Trinity.

She stammers not knowing what to say, "It's mine,"

"It's yours?"

Trinity nods, taking her bottom lip between her teeth, "Yeah - no it's not mine I'm just looking after it."

"Right," Tara nods doubtfully, "I was just walking past and I saw the bike and at first I thought it was Rafe's but it's not is it?" Tara raises her eyebrows, concerned in case Trinity was still fooling around with Rafe.

"Of course it's not Rafe's!"

"Whatever you say girl, I heard about the Midsummer's situation with Rafe by the way," Tara shakes her head disappointed but smiles because she's also impressed.

Trinity's heart stops for a second, "Nothing happened at Midsummers."

Tara laughs loudly, "For sure." She agrees but knows it isn't the truth and then heads off after giving Trinity one last hug.

"What happened at Midsummers?" JJ asks, coming around the corner as soon as the door shuts.

Trinity places her hand over her heart and steadies her breathing, "Jesus, JJ." She whispered. "Nothing happened."

"Well, apparently something did happen,"

She shrugs, "I don't know what she was talking about."

JJ just agrees and gives up because he can already sense it isn't going to work. So he just leaves it and waits for Trinity to become agitated for him to get back to his typical JJ behaviour.