JONES → JJ MAYBANK [hiatus]

018. i'm telling the truth

𝗔𝗦 𝗦𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗨𝗭𝗭𝗟𝗘𝗗 her head into the crook of JJ's shoulder, she couldn't help but feel a wave of anxiety over flood her. Everything had happened so quickly in such a short period of time that she had almost forgotten how vengeful Rafe and Topper could be.

Not only did her new friends, and boy thing, destroy Topper's boat, but she had publicly turned down Rafe for another man.

She nearly jumped when JJ softly nudged her off his shoulder to stand up.

"Hey were y'all going?" Kie questioned as JJ and Pope stood up.

"We gotta wring it out." JJ shrugged honestly, no point in lying.

"What you gonna hold it for each other?" Kie questioned as Mackenzie made eye contact with Rafe.

She turned to give JJ a quick smile before reverting her gaze back to a now empty spot where the kooks had once sat. She shivered, excusing herself to follow the boys knowing something horrible was about to occur.

"Where are you going?" Kie whispered.

"To find JJ and Pope." She whispered back, pointing to the empty seats of the kooks. "They're gone."

As she arrived behind the screen the girl nearly yelped at the sight of Pope and Topper fighting with each other. Topper had Pope on the ground as he continuously threw punches at his face. Kelce held back JJ as Rafe hammered his face with Punches.

"You think you're so fucking tough don't you?" JJ shouted. "Let me go and let's really see who the tough man is."

Rafe looked up from his set gaze on JJ and narrowed his eyes on the brunette girl lurking. "This," he violently gestured to JJ, "This fucking piece of shit is who you're ruining our reputation for?"

"I don't belong to you," Mackenzie spat at him, she was infuriated by the constant assumption that Rafe had of owning her. She was also disgusted at the way he had JJ held back unable to properly defend himself against the boy.

"Listen here you bitch." Rafe snapped, he lunged towards her moving away from JJ to grab the girl's jaw firmly. Her gaze snapped up by force to meet Rafes burning blue eyes, "You are not running my name to the ground by associating with that little fuck. Stop resisting me."

"Or what." She muttered out between his harsh grip on her face.

"Now you've made me angry," Rafe growled, pushing the girl backwards until she fell to the ground. He stood over her briefly before instructing Kelce to follow him.

Kelce pulled away from JJ and pushed him to the floor. JJ lunged forward to the girl, her ankle still wrapped up from her injury and was now throbbing thanks to her lunge to the floor. Mackenzie ignored JJ's protests to check her ankle and instead cupped his face examining how it was bleeding badly and bruises were forming quickly.

She looked over to Pope, who was still fighting with Topper, as Kie searched through JJ's bag and pulled out a lighter. At some point, the girl must have arrived to see what was unfolding.

"Got something you want to say," Topper shouted as he choked Pope, his gaze was quickly snapped away from the boy and redirected to the movie screen that was now blazing with flames.

"Let's get out of here, let's go," Rafe said as they ran away laughing. JJ let out a shaky breath as his arms wrapped around the girl, pulling her closer to him.

"We need to go," Kie said as she reached out to give JJ and Mackenzie a hand, "Now."

. . .

"Don't let them get in your head bro," JJ said as they walked around Heyward's store. His large hand was intertwined with Mackenzie's smaller one as they walked side by side behind Pope and Kie. "There's three of them and two of us. That's some typical kook shit right there."