𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝟮𝟰/𝟳

Chapter 12

"Have you tried texting the number from John B?" I asked Kiara as we relaxed on the ferry.

Long story short, during school early that morning, Pope had gotten a letter from 'Carla Limbrey', a sole survivor's descendant from The Royal Merchant, and had been requested to meet up with her in Charleston. That was where we were currently headed to in the ferry, skipping school yet again. Kiara nearly had to beg her parents to go (they threatened Boarding school again), and Pope lied to his dad. Since JJ and I were pretty much parent-less, we were able to come too.

"Like a billion times," she sighed. "And still no response."

"Hear that, JJ?" I playfully shoved JJ beside me. "John B's ditching us again!"

But JJ didn't even shove me back, or like, kick me, like he usually would. He just shrugged at me, then turned back to play fighting with Pope and Kiara.

Okay ...

We got off the ferry and hopped in Pope's dad's car, starting the long drive to where Carla Limbrey lived.

"I miss Sarah," I sighed, leaning out the window.

"Miss John B," Pope said.

"They're probably off sipping pina colada's in the Bahamas," Kiara said enviously.

"Or ... they're doing you know what," JJ snickered at Kiara in the back seat. Pope and I were up front, and they were behind.

"Would you grow up," Kiara rolled her eyes.

"Definitely doing it," JJ nodded.

"JJ, no one asked!" Kiara turned away from him, while JJ howled with laughter.

So he was being weird to me, but not to Kiara? How was that fair?

"Dang it!" Pope swore as the car put-put-putted to a stop. We were out of gas, either that or something was definitely wrong with the car.

By the time the tow truck came and we pulled the car into a garage/repair place, it was night time in Charleston. Pope and Kiara went up to deal with the mechanic on the cost of the repair, while JJ and I hung back.

I spun at him, "What's the matter with you?!"

"Nothin'," JJ put his hands in his pockets.

"No, not nothing! You've been acting all weird lately, and it's ... unsettling." I accused him.

Before, JJ and I hated each other's guts. We were constantly jabbing at each other, angrily attacking each other, and generally fighting 24/7. But ever since ... well, everything had happened, he'd gotten quieter around me. A lot more careful. JJ was careful around me, I could tell. At the start, when I first joined the Pogues, he was even mean. I think he was scared to come close to me, I wasn't sure. But he didn't act the same way around me as he acted around the others, he acted distant, or at first, he was rude. And now, he was careful. He avoided me.

But of course, around the Pogues, he was besties with them, he was normal JJ. He would play fight with Pope and Kiara, tease them, whatever, but with me, he turned into this—this—other JJ. A JJ I didn't even know.

It scared me. What had I done to him? Why, all of a sudden, was he acting so distant? Admitively, I missed the old JJ. The JJ who I could fight with, even if we were bitching to each other, it was better than this distant, polite, thing we had going on.

"Whatever," JJ muttered, turning away.

"JJ!" I grasped his shoulders, and turned him towards me. "Don't run away from this! I'm trying to tell you how I'm feeling. I don't want you to be this—this shell of a person around me. Okay? Around Kiara and Pope, you're completely normal! But around me, you're like ... careful or something."

"No," JJ said.

"Stop being so polite! Stop being distant. Before—when we were, hating each other, that was better than this," I waved my arms gesturing to us.

"Mercedes—"

"You don't want to talk to me, and when you do, you act like I'm some stranger! I don't understand."

"You aren't some stranger," JJ said quietly.

"Then fight! Fight with me," I shoved him, but still, he did nothing. "Fight for me," I said in a small voice.

"Not this. Mercedes, I don't do this, okay?" He said, and then went to join Pope and Kiara back inside the garage.

I was left there, standing outside at night, alone. "Not this. Mercedes, I don't do this, okay?" JJ had said that. What had that even meant? He didn't do what, friendship? Or he didn't do Mercedes–Shoupe friendship? He seemed just fine with Pope and Kiara, which was insulting.

No, it sucked. He still thought I was a full blown Kook, only this time, he acted in a way that hurt even more. Before, he'd been punching at me, snapping at me, calling me names, whatever. But this act of avoidance, deep down it hurt me even more.

I wasn't even sure why.

Maybe I just wanted JJ to act the way he normally did, the way he acted naturally, where he could be himself, around me. Was that so much to ask? He didn't have to be so guarded around me, I didn't care if he'd open up. I just wanted him to be himself around me. He could be comfortable around me.

And I wasn't sure what I'd done to upset him in the first place.

↬——✾——↫

The night grew on. Pope and Kiara got the car deal done, the truck got fixed, we hit the road, then pulled over to the side of the highway to sleep in the back of the Ford F150. We all lay down on the September summer night, crickets buzzin', the moon shining, everything seemed peaceful in Charleston.

Except it wasn't.

JJ and I weren't talking again, we'd gotten into a fight again. Except it wasn't one of our usual fights, this time, it was more serious. More real.

As I snuggled down in the back of the truck, laying my head on top of my hoodie, I took a peek at my friends who were falling asleep. JJ was still wide awake, staring up at the stars. Pope was fast asleep, but Kiara was still sitting up.

She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Pope's forehead, lay down on her side, and closed her eyes.

JJ just stared at them for a moment, tucked his cap over his eyes, and then fell asleep.

WHAT?! Half this time Kiara had been "It's complicated". Well it didn't seem that complicated to me! I didn't really understand what was going on between her and Pope, but Pope seemed head over heels for Kiara. I really didn't understand how Kiara felt about Pope, but from that recent gesture, I guess she liked him well enough.

I yawned, closed my eyes, and fell asleep to the crickets.

a/n: included a line from queen charlotte (bridgerton) can u guess what it is??