MI MILAGRO, JJ maybank

Chapter 18 - Give Love A Try

"No effing way," Kiara exclaimed as she stood up from her chair and headed to the porch where Sarah and John B were sitting. "You brought her here? So what? She's in on this now?" She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms defiantly.

John B looked to his friends, hoping for their support, but they avoided making eye contact.

"All I care about is her cut comes out of your share," JJ said, raising his hands in surrender.

"I don't recall taking a vote. This is our thing," Kiara said, casting a cold look at Sarah and adding, "A Pogue thing."

Maria felt caught in the middle and sunk deeper into her chair to avoid taking sides.

"I gotta say, I'm just a tad uncomfortable with all this," Pope chimed in.

"When are you not?" John B retorted.

"I don't know, I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably," Pope replied.

Everyone turned to look at JJ, who simply shrugged. "It's true, the most relaxed I've ever seen him."

"And they say bromance is dead" Maria snorted

"You know, we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her," she remarked.
Maria began to think that Kiara was going a bit too far.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"

"Then leave!"

Sarah huffed, turning to John B "I told you."

"Told him what exactly? That you're a liar..."

"No, that you're a shit-talking bitch!"

Pope and JJ immediately pulled out their money and started betting on who would win the fight. María took the money from their hands and tucked it into her pocket.

"Betting on my friends, como si fueran caballos! (like they're horses!)" she scolded them.

"My money..."

"I'll give it back to you when you learn to behave."

"Yes ma'am" JJ smirked.

"Everybody shut up! Kie, you're my best friend. And Sarah, you..." John B looked at Sarah, unsure if he should continue. "You are..."

"Say it," Sarah smiled.

"You're my girlfriend," John B declared, leaving everyone stunned. It was the last thing they expected from him.

"Wow, they beat us to it," JJ whispered in Maria's ear, brushing her hair away from her ear.

Maria couldn't help but blush. It was true that she and JJ had admitted their mutual feelings, but they weren't official. To be honest, Maria was afraid he didn't want anything serious given his past with other girls. What Maria didn't know, though, was that he was afraid she didn't want to make it official, considering how much of a mess his life was. And not getting any response from Maria made him even more nervous.

María was thrilled. She had always thought Sarah deserved better than Topper, and John B was a great guy. However, out of respect for Kiara, she kept her enthusiasm to herself.

"She's your girlfriend now?" Kiara turned to John B. "What was all that about using her for information?"

John B fell silent, his eyes wide open.

"I-I didn't say that," he stammered.

"Yes, you did," Maria chimed in. "Don't try to deny it."

One thing Maria didn't appreciate was his failure to admit what he had said. If you have the courage to say it to your friends, you should be able to say it to her face, period.