me and JJ passed the bottle between us, taking deep swigs.
"what was your dream about?" i asked.
"my dad," he answered after a while. "and some other stuff."
"i had a nightmare the day before i came to Outer Banks."
"what was that about?"
"i was with this person, it must've been a man, but he had this hood over his face and he kept hitting me. i think i was drunk in the dream." i frowned.
"apparently all dreams have a meaning."
"i wonder what our dreams meant." he wondered, a vacant look on his face.
"nobody knows," i rolled over to face him.
he handed the bottle over and watched me drink.
"i'm glad you chose Outer Banks over some boarding school." he whispered.
"me too,"
he took the bottle and lifted it to his lips.
"JJ?"
"yeah?" he swallowed and turned to me.
"i don't wanna go back to Outer Banks."
"why?"
"because then we're back to square one. John B won't let us see each other."
"then we'll stay here,"
it wasn't a proper answer but i didn't push the subject.
instead i laid down and pulled the covers me, closing my eyes.
i heard JJ screw the cap on the bottle and place it on the floor, then lay down next to me.
he tossed and turned for what felt like hours before breaking the silence.
"are you awake?" his breath tickled my ear.
"yeah,"
"can i..." he paused.
i was sure if we weren't in bed he would be rubbing the back of his head.
"can you what?" i probed.
he sighed, "can i hold you?"
"sure,"
"not in a weird way i just-" he gabbled.
"i said yes, JJ." i grabbed his wrist and put it round my waist, shifting back against his body.
he released a deep breath and held me closer to him.
in a matter of minutes his body relaxed and his breathing became soft and even.
i closed my eyes and relaxed onto him, running my fingers over his rings and bracelets.
before i knew it i was asleep.
——
that night i dreamed of my brothers, we were at the Hawaii House, lounging around the patio table, eating fruit salad.
"Leonardo Morgan!" Dad hollered.
"oh shit," Leo muttered.
we all knew it wasn't good when Dad called us by our full names.
Dad came out of the kitchen and grabbed Leo by the ear, hauling him up.
"why have i found this in the car?" he demanded, holding up a little bag of coke.
"i don't know what that it," Leo played dumb.
"you know full well what this is!" Dad shook the bag. "is this the type of boy i raised?! the type of kids i raised?!" he glared at us all.
nobody met his eye.
"is this yours, Leonardo?"
Leo shrugged.
"whose it it, then?" Dad looked about.
"Kaison? Elijah? Alexander?"
Kai, Eli and Ace all shook their heads.
"Benjamin? Zachary?"
again, they shook their heads.
"then whose is it?!"
"i don't know!" Ace huffed.
"i expect one of you to come clean, or you'll all be grounded until we arrive in Australia." with that, Dad turned and headed inside.
"why didn't you ask me?" i asked as he opened the door.
"what?"
"why don't you think they're my drugs?"
dad sighed. "Amalia, are these your drugs?"
"no, they're not."
"then why did you ask?!"
"because they could've been. i'm not some innocent little angel." i stared at him.
"what's that supposed to mean?"
"i mean i'm not some innocent little angel," i reiterated.
"you're all grounded," Dad's eye twitched.
"why?!" i stood up.
"the boys have obviously been leading you astray. they can't do that if none of you leave the house."
i smirked and looked down.
if he thought we couldn't get up to mischief inside the house, he was sorely mistaken.
"is something funny, Amalia?" Dad walked up to me.
"yeah, something is funny, Dad." even though i was considerably shorter than him, i stood up and glared into his eyes.
"care to explain the joke?"
Kai stepped in front of me before Dad came any closer.
"what are you gonna do, Kaison? huh?"
"they're not our drugs, we're not grounded, and i won't do anything unless you make me." Kai glared down at our father.
"right," dad laughed.
Kai didn't reply, instead grabbing my arm and dragging me indoors.
the rest of my brothers followed, pushing past Dad.
we headed to Leo's room.
Kai took another bag of coke out from a drawer and sorted it into seven lines, one each.
we each sniffed a line and flopped about the room, laying on Leo's bed or the rug or leaning against the wall.
"i fucking hate Dad," Leo said. "thanks for covering for me."
"anytime," Ben clapped him on the back.
——
the sun streamed through the window. i glanced at the alarm clock.
10:10am
i rolled over to see JJ sound asleep beside me.
i reached out and traced his blonde eyebrows, his straight nose, the shape of his lips.
he sighed gently and leaned into my hand.
i kissed his cheek gently and slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake him.
i already missed his warmth.
i raised my hand to open his door and noticed a plaited leather bracelet on my wrist.
it was one of JJ's.
i glanced back at the sleeping boy before walking across the floor and climbing back into the warmth of the bed.
YOU ARE READING
ONLY YOU
Fanfiction"John B would kill us if he found out about this..." i whispered onto his lips. "he'd kill me, and i'd die for you." he said, and kissed me softly. ~ Mia is John B's cousin. when she spends the summer with him and his friends, she can't help but...
