JJ and a Routledge

Back On

My eyes fling open, my breathing heavy. It's as if someone had a hand to my throat. I look around, and see JJ, holding my hand. "Hey, hey." That's when I take in the rest of my surrondings. I'm in a hospital room, but why? 

"What- what happened." I gasp. That's when I remember the events at the Crain house. I look at my arm, which was now heavily bandaged, as well as my leg. 

"Um, well, you got poked with the fire poker, by Ms. Crain, and then she was shooting at us and a bullet grazed your leg." JJ's voice was raspy, and he looked tired. Was he up all night with me? That's when I remember the rest of the group. 

"Is everyone- is everyone else okay? Where are they?" I try to sit up but my arm and leg almost explode. 

"Yeah- yeah. John B and Sarah went back to the Cameron's they'll come to get you later." He then looks down at his shoes. "You told me you'd be safe." I then remember we were holding hands. 

I scoff and pull my hand out of his. "Why do you even care?" He basically called everything off with me for another girl and since then, he's been all worried and caring.  

"Listen, Coral, what I said was inconsiderate and dumb. I thought I still liked Kiara, but now, it's as clear as day. I like you, only you." I roll my eyes. 

I shake my head at him. "You still said what you said. I'm not worth losing the Pogues, remember? Don't lose the Pogues over shitty assme." I turn away from him. His hand touches my chin and warmth overwhelms me. I feel myself blush as he slowly turns my head back to him. 

"Cor, I'm sorry, I really am. But I really want to give this a try." That name again. I swear my period must be coming up because I immediately started to cry. It was all, all too much. "Shit, what'd I say now? I'm sorry, just tell me what I said, I didn't mean to." I don't know what came over me, but I buried myself in his chest. He rubbed my back, it's starting to become one of my favorite things about him. 

Eventually, I calmed down. "JJ... you didn't say anything wrong. Well, not really. What you called me, Cor. My mom would call me that before-" I hiccupped, "Before she started- you know." 

"Shit, Coral. I didn't know I was bringing back traumatic shit, I swear I'll never call you that again." JJ rants. "Out of anyone-  I should've understood, I can't believe I'm so-" I quickly interuppt him. 

"Jay, you couldn't have known what my mom used to call me, it's all right." I put on a weak smile. Why do I have to be such a pussy sometimes? 

"Back to what I was saying..." JJ smirks. "Can we please try messing around again?" 

"Yeah, I think we can." I smile.

Later that day, Kiara, Sarah, and I were sitting in The Twinkie. Pope and John B were building the device we were gonna use to get the gold out of the well. Pope drew us out a plan, but I wasn't really listening. Suddenly, someone I'm interested in comes over. "Kiara, this better work." JJ throws the three bars of gold at our feet. "We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it." 

Kiara picks up a fire torch. "It's gonna work." 

And it does, it does work. So we head off to the closest Pawnshop. I hope this works. "Hell of a job at melting it down, Dr. Frankinstien," JJ complains to Kiara as he jumps out of the van, with a blue towel and the melted gold inside.  

"Like you could've done any  better." Kiara rolls her eyes. 

"I could've done much better," JJ argues. "I took a welding class." He smirks. They start to argue but John B stops them. 

"Chill out, okay?" John B tells them. 

"Easy for you to say that, you're not the one who has to pawn off this piece of shit," JJ complains. "No, that's on Cor- Coral and I." He caught himself. He looks over at me and I give him a look to say I'm fine.