NICKNAMES [1], jj maybank

CHAPTER 9

THE NEXT DAY ALL Adrien did was send glares at us and Dean and I actually said more than two words to each other.

The same thing happened on Wednesday then Thursday and then finally Friday is here, it's the day for the boneyard party.

We all stand in my kitchen filling our bags with the drinks JJ brought over. "Is the keg in the van?" I ask everyone as I put the last of the cans in my bag. "Yes ma'am." JJ tips his baseball hat at me. "Guys, I really can't be out long, I have to study." Pope complains. "We finished the first week of what is rumored to be the worst year of our lives. Take a White Claw and shut up." I take a can and shove it into his chest. All he does is sigh and open the can only taking sips.

There's some anxiety because all week I heard rumors that Adrien and Barry were arguing over clients and who had who. Barry sometimes showed up to the parties but Adrien was always there dragging Amelia along who definitely only came to be a bitch to me. Last thing I needed is to be in the middle of some drug dealer fight. They're fucking vile to watch.

I ignore Adrien bouncing in my head again and thought of Dean. He had actually given me his snap and we've been going back and forth on there. As I expected, he's shy, a nice contrast compared to Adrien. He's so sweet though. He had moved here from New York because his mom wanted to be closer to her family here. "Do you think Dean will be there?"

JJ fake gags so loud it makes us jump,"Did you invite him? He looks like he'd read a book in the middle of it." JJ is being so judgemental over him and it's really annoying me. "JJ, stop being so rude. You might get along if you tried." Annoyance is very clear in my tone. "He looks like he'd call you mommy—"

"I'm going to punch you Maybank." My voice is rising a bit. "You hate that I'm right." He picks up his bag and walks out the door to wait for us in the van. John B stares at me which annoys me more,"What?" I huffs. He walks over to me,"He's jealous. JJ would never judge unless given a reason to."

"He's right. Is Dean a Kook?" Pope asks.

"No, he lives on The Cut." Now it sounds like they're all judging him, everyone except Kie.

"I think he's sweet. Much nicer than Adrien." She walks over and slings her arm over my shoulders to show support.

"Adrien was nice at first too. JJ is obviously jealous—"

"Stop guys. Stop with this JJ and I bullshit. He's my best friend. Nothing more so stop." Truth is I just didn't want to ignite something that shouldn't be ignited in me. "JJ is just being protective JJ, normal JJ." Shit, I don't even believe my own words.

Something in me keeps denying it but I know that at some point it would come up and that terrifies me.

"Whatever you say, sunshine." John B uses my most common nickname against me. I flip him off and walk with Kie to the van. Now my head is a mess with them saying JJ's jealous. I don't want this. I'm not losing JJ because of feelings.

"Can you believe them?" I look at Kie who just pierces her lips and shrug ,"It does seem a bit off of JJ." God, not her too. "Kie—" I warn her.

We walk to the van to see JJ just sulking in the back smoking weed. "So is your new found love showing up?" Annoyance now clear in his tone. I want to know what made him hate Dean so much when he's done nothing. "Stop being dramatic." I take the blunt out of his hand. Weed fills the car and swirls making my eyes follow the smoke around the van. Kie waves the smoke out of her face as she sat in the passenger seat.

"Don't hotbox the fucking van."

John B and Pope soon got in the van and we head to the boneyard.

My finger slides up and down Dean's bitmoji. Would he even want to show up? He doesn't seem like the party type.