complicated • jj maybank

➳ 4

"We've really gotta stop meeting like this." I awkwardly laugh, trying to break the silent tension in the air. He looked down at me, raking his eyes over my body and taking in my whole face, as if he was observing every last inch of me. I instantly looked away, hiding from his intense gaze, feeling the pressure.

"I wanna apologise." He mumbles, ignoring the fact that I'd just completely soaked him in tequila. He sighs before continuing, twisting the rings on his fingers, something he did when he was trying to find his words. "I just can't get over you betraying us for your new preppy school and your snobby friends."

"Betraying you?" I catch myself off guard with the harsh tone that comes with my words, I almost want to slap a hand over my mouth and stop the words from leaving. But all my anger bubbles to the surface and I can't seem to stop all the bitter thoughts from coming out. "I didn't have a choice JJ! I wasn't going to abandon my family and not move to figure 8 with them just because you wanted me to."

"You had absolutely no right to speak to me the way you did at the club or even the chateau earlier. I've been nothing but nice to you. And I get I may not have been around lately but this isn't exactly easy for me. I'm still trying to adjust to my new life. Having you belittle me and talk to me like I'm some bratty little child who's nothing without her daddy's money."

"Don't be so ridiculous, Arabella. How can you stand there and complain about how hard your life is? You have it so easy and you can't even see that." He scoffs, rolling his eyes as if I was a complete idiot and he couldn't bear the thought of being around me. "And for the record, you're exactly that. A spoilt brat who runs around with her little rich friends, swiping your credit card without a care in the world. You pick and chose when you wanna go to school, and instead you spend your days and a fucking country club like you're some middle aged woman with marital problems."

I stand there, unable to find the words to express how angry he had me right now. I laugh, humourlessly. "What happened to you? I was supposed to be the one that 'changed' and I don't even recognise you right now."

"Things have changed around here. Not that you would've noticed because you're too busy throwing yourself at Rafe Cameron and trying to be someone we all know you're not." He spits, his voice laced with hatred and pure anger. "Rafe Cameron, Bella. Seriously? How desperate are you to fit in with these people?"

My jaw drops, my eyes widening at every last word. I can't believe what I'm hearing right now. The boy I've seen as my best friend for most of my life, someone who I've shared most of my secrets with, who used to know my every thought and feeling, treating me with so much disrespect. "You're unbelievable JJ. Stay out of my life." I mumble, turning away from him and making my way back to the party, not wanting him to see how much his words were hurting me.

Just before I was out of hearing distance he speaks up again. "With pleasure." I resist the urge to turn around and continue arguing with him, not wanting to waste any of my time nor energy on him. I stumble back to party, suddenly feeling a lot more sober after my little screaming match and heading straight to get a refill.

I find myself searching for the familiar face of my best friend's brother, not wanting to talk about what just happened. I knew if I went to Sarah she would notice I was upset straight away, and inevitably interrogate me until she got to the bottom of why I was feeling that way. But with Rafe, I knew he wouldn't ask. He would just be there for me in his own way.

I spot him sat by the bonfire, so I take my place next to him and put on my best fake smile. "Hey Cameron, thought I'd bless you with my presence." He looks at me and grins, his arm resting on my back.

"Hiya Parker, missed you lots and lots." He slurs, trying to string a sentence together. I let out a loud laugh, leaning into him and bringing my cup up.

"You're absolutely wasted. Looks like I've gotta catch up." He chuckles, bashing his cup against mine, causing the contents of both of them to splash everywhere. But neither of us care as we finish them and continue to talk, drinking the night away and enjoying each others company.

By the end of the night, we're both equally as drunk. Most people had left the party by now, with it being a weekday and close to 3 in the morning. Me and Rafe sat by the fire, huddled together speaking about everything and nothing. "Hey Cameron?" He hums in response. "I really enjoy your company, no matter what sober me says."

He laughs, looking down at me with glossy eyes and a stupid smile, the face of a very drunk Rafe Cameron. "I always knew you were faking it." He jokes, leaning down and catching me completely off guard when he places a quick and soft kiss on the tip of my nose. The gesture was sweet and in no way romantic, but something inside of me sparks and i can sense the same feeling in his eyes. Before either of us have time to hesitate, his lips are on mine.

With the blonde pogue and his stupid blue eyes in the back of my mind, I spent the rest of the night with Rafe. Any part of me that wanted JJ had completely disappeared, not wanting anything to do with him from now on. I feel as if JJ showing me how he truly felt, gave me the opportunity to see that it was Rafe all along.

Ever since I came to figure 8. Ever since I started at the Kook academy. Ever since I started hanging out with Sarah. It had been Rafe. And that night, as I lay next to him carefully taking in his every feature as he slept, in the house I'd stayed at many times before in the room across the hall, I realised that maybe this could really work.