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꧁ － － － － － － ✧ － － － － － － ꧂
𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 — 𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘-𝑢𝑝𝑑𝑎𝑦
LEILANI APPLIED WAX to her shortboard, sitting on the dock at the Chateau. JJ was fishing with Kie standing beside him. John B was laying quietly in the HMS, Pope leaning against the dock railing. None of them knew quite what to say, or how to address the red mark on Leilani's face and her bruised fist. JJ could tell she didn't want to talk, so he didn't ask.
"He deserved it, right?" JJ asked aloud, casting a line into the water.
Kiara scoffed. "Are you joking? Of course he deserved it." she said, arms crossed.
Leilani finished with her board, standing and propping herself up on the railing beside JJ. "Never seen anyone blow themselves up like that." Pope said quietly, watching John B carefully.
"Cross that one off the bucket list." JJ joked, but it wasn't funny.
"Don't say that, J." Leilani said, playing with the end of her braid.
Kie walked down to John B, sitting on the bow of the boat beside him. "Sucks for Sarah." JJ said, placing one of his hands on Leilani's thigh, rubbing it affectionately.
Placing her hand on John B's back, Kiara spoke gently. "Are you okay?" she asked.
John B placed his chin on his arms. "It's not me I'm worried about." they all knew he was talking about Sarah.
Leilani was one step ahead of all of them. "She's okay. As okay as she can be, I mean." she fixed her pink top, settling it at the waistband of her shorts.
"You talked to her?" Pope asked. JJ gazed up at Leilani, trying to read her.
"No, I went by Tannyhill. Saw her. I couldn't go in, though." Leilani shrugged, fingers toying with the rings on her boyfriend's fingers.
"Why?" Kie asked, looking over at her.
"Shoupe won't let me near Rafe." Leilani honestly forgot that she hadn't told her friends what had happened the day before.
JJ narrowed his blue eyes at Leilani. "What did you do?" he almost smiled that she had stood up for herself.
Leilani held up her bruised hand. "Punched Rafe three times when they let him out of jail. I was just mad."
"Did he hit you?" Pope asked right before JJ could. Leilani smiled to herself. Pope was always her best friend, and that would never change.
"No, can't give him that credit. That's from Rachel. It's whatever." she shrugged, crossing her ankles.
