Together

87. I don't believe you

I've been tryna call
I've been on my own for long enough
Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe
I'm going through withdrawals
You don't even have to do too much
You can turn me on with just a touch, baby
-The Weekend

JJ walks up to the Carrera residence and knocks on the front door. He would climb up to Kie's window, but it's Halloween and there are already dozens of kids roaming the streets and a fairly good chance that he would be outed by one of those little loud mouths if he tried.

Mike Carrera opens the door. He's dressed like a scare crow, full on overalls and hay sticking out his straw hat and everything. Even has face paint to accentuates his cheeks with bright blush and painted on freckles.

JJ stifles a laugh. "Nice look, Mr. C," he jabs. "Keeping the crows away from the Wreck?" He can't help it.

Before Mike can say anything Anna, the clear mastermind behind the costume idea, comes to the door decked out in her own matching scare crow costume, though she's much happier about it.

"JJ," she regards him warmly. She shakes her head lightly. "I'm sorry, I thought Kiara was meeting you at Tanny Hill."

He smiles easily. That's the planned cover story after all. Mike and Anna have let up considerably, but they weren't about to let Kiara go to a kegger at the chateau on Halloween. Nah, much safer to plan out a small get together under the careful supervision of the widowed Rose Cameron. Total crap, but it worked.

He avoids Mike's eye all the same, not convinced that he's as naive as Anna when it comes to falling for the Cameron's being the designated hangout spot.

"Yeah, I just was stopping by to talk to her a minute. She here?"

"Kiara!" Mike barks from behind Anna. It takes everything in JJ to not laugh at Mike as he crosses his scare crow arms, hay clearly sticking out of his shirt that's gotta be annoying him.

Anna excuses herself to prepare a candy bowl for the trick or treaters that they will be dealing out snicker bars to the rest of the night, while Mike beckons JJ to follow them into the kitchen. Whether the Carrera parents are past the point of not wanting him in their house or just don't want him to be standing where all the neighbors are able to see him standing in the doorway, he's not one hundred percent sure, but either way he's in.

"Not dressing up, JJ?" Mike asks as he rounds the kitchen island to grab a beer from the fridge. It's like watching a character from the Wizard of Oz crack a cold one.

JJ looks down at his jeans and t-shirt. "Nah, costumes aren't really my thing," he waves off.

"Are you sure?" Anna cautions. "I hear the Cameron's are pretty big on costumes."

He's sure. Costumes were never really his thing. Mainly because he didn't have the money for them growing up. Just threw a bedsheet over his head and called it good. Being a senior in high school and not a girl, he really didn't see the need to dress up. Besides, Halloween parties haven't been about candy and costumes for him in a long ass time.

"Yeah, I'm good," he assures. "Sarah won't deny me if I come with Kie," he jokes.

"Lucky you," Mike mumbles.

JJ chuckles as Anna rolls her eyes, ignoring her husband's comment before she excuses herself to see what's taking Kie so long. She leaves JJ and Mike in the kitchen with nothing to do but stare at each other.

"So, what are the real plans?" Mike muses, keeping a trained eye on JJ's response.

It's not an expected question, but it's also not out of the realm of possibility to be asked, so JJ isn't completely thrown by it. Not the first time his intentions with Mike Carrera's daughter have been questioned.