JONES → JJ MAYBANK [hiatus]

011. redfield lighthouse

Edited June 20, 2023 

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗘𝗥 eyes landed on the van parked on the side of the road a few strides away from the Redfield Lighthouse. Mackenzie had woken up early to make sure she would get home before her parents woke up to avoid being questioned about Rafe and where she was running off to. She also wanted to slip out of the awkward situation before JJ woke up and things got weird.

Mackenzie stepped out of her vehicle and watched as the other teens poured out of the van. Kiara gave the girl a nod, Pope waved, and both John B and JJ her a lopsided smile that she returned.

They stood behind the white picket fence, staring up at the extremely tall lighthouse that stood just about 20 feet away.

"Right, here's what gonna happen. You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?" John B walked over to JJ, explaining the plan to him.

"Wait, why me?" JJ questioned them, confused.

"Because you're not coming." Pope sighed, shaking his head at the blonde.

"Why?" JJ half-yelled back.

"Look JJ, there are independent variables and dependent variables. And you're an independent variable, we don't know what you'll do." Pope tried explaining to the blonde, making his friends furrow their eyebrows.

"Shut up, just shut up!" The blonde yelled back, causing an argument to break out between the two.

The boys kept fighting as John B interjected. "Listen to me for a second, just listen. Pope, you stand to look out for JJ, okay?"

"Kenzie you come with u-" John B started.

"I'll stand lookout with them." She simply stated, her eyes on JJ. She was starting to realize that leaving before he woke up was probably the wrong choice and that things would have been less awkward had she stayed to talk.

"Oh." John B's eyes lingered on the girl for a second, trying to hide the sting of her rejection. "Okay, um if we get split up we meet back at JJ's house."

"Great," Kie added before walking towards the fence with John B behind her.

"I'm gonna work on my merit scholarship essay," Pope told the two, walking over to find a spot to sit and write in peace and quiet.

JJ played with a hacky sack, rolling his eyes at the boy. "All right, will you just shut up already?"

Kie and John B jumped the white fence as Pope made his way to a quieter spot, leaving Mackenzie and JJ alone.

She backed up against a tree, sitting down in front of it picking at the grass and flowers and she tries to process and recollect all her feelings. She wasn't sure how JJ felt about last night, a lot of things were said and thrown out there that he probably didn't mean.

JJ caught the hacky sack in his hand, walking over to the sulking girl. She eyed him as he sat down next to her, a weak smile on her features.

Their eyes were on each other as they sat. Neither of them wanted to be the first to break the silence. Their faces were mere inches apart as Pope took notice of the pair again. The boy furrowed his eyebrows from afar, watching his friends with a confused look.

JJ's eyes flickered to her lips, clenching his jaw slightly. He wasn't sure if he wanted to kiss her again or ask why she had left him again.

Her head snapped the other way when she heard sirens, which cut off whatever moment they had just had.

"Shit. Cops." Mackenzie jumped up from her spot, the other two boys doing the same.

The three teens dashed from where they stood as the cop car pulled into the entrance road of the lighthouse.