I leaned against a wall, staring aimlessly across the crowd, simply people watching, when a blonde waiter wandered passed me. My eyes began to follow him. It wasn't long until he was hugged tightly by one of the other staff working here, clearly they were friends...Pogues. I stared at them a little longer as they began to talk, noticing the blonde had a split lip and under his eye on his cheek was bruised. It seemed like they were about to start arguing, honestly. I took a sip of my drink and simply continued to watch. As the blonde wandered off, he ran a hand through his hair and I went up to the other boy. I quietly stood next to him, giving him a fright when I spoke.
"Who's your friend?" He quickly looked to me and took a step away. "The blonde one? The waiter?" I explained, glancing to the teenager beside me and then to his friend who was walking away.
"Um, JJ...His name's JJ." I slowly nodded my head, taking another sip of my drink.
"And your name?" I offered a sweet and warm smile to him, hoping he didn't think I had come off as standoffish or cold.
"Pope..."
"Cool name, I'm (Y/n)." I held out my hand to him and he slipped off his glove and took it, gently and hesitantly shaking my hand. JJ had made his way to the dance floor and was talking to Sarah Cameron. "What's he doing?" Pope sighed and shook his head.
"Trying to get his ass beat..." He quickly caught his words and apologised. "Sorry, I meant-"
"It's fine." I laughed. "Would you mind?" I handed him my drink as he nodded, holding out his hand to take it as I saw Rafe and his friend approach JJ and Sarah, taking JJ's shoulder and turning him to face them. "I'll be right back..." My voice trailed off as they began to corner him before he started running.
"Where are you going?"
"You were right about your friend, he's gonna get a beating." I quietly wandered through the building, following the route the boys had all taken. I had asked a few people where the group had gone, mainly acting as though I were looking for Rafe. I found a woman in a red dress and asked her next. "Oh! Excuse me!" She turned from her friend to look to me with a sweet smile. "Have you seen Rafe Cameron? He promised me a dance, but I can't find him..." I asked with an awkward laugh, she offered me a sympathetic smile and laugh.
"The Cameron boy is always like that, isn't he?" I laughed with her and nodded. "Men's locker room with a few others, alright sweetheart?" I nodded and quietly thanked her before hurrying off. I gently knocked on the door to the men's locker room before pushing my way inside, noticing a couple older gentlemen washing up before leaving. I forced a polite smile before silently wandering through. My heels being the only sound made.
"Rafe!" I shouted, causing all six boys in the room to stop and turn to me.
"You shouldn't be in here, (Y/n)." He sighed, his friend not letting JJ out of a chokehold no matter how much this poor blonde struggled.
"I know, men's room and all, but come on, it's five on one." I crossed my arms over my chest awkwardly. "It's not fair...he was here to do a job, it doesn't matter what personal vendetta you have against him-"
"Who cares, he stirs up shit, he deals with the consequences."
"Oh my god, just let him go!" I shouted, surprising everyone a little.
"You're standing up for him?" I nodded.
"You've never worked a day in your life, at least he's trying, let him go, or I'm telling 'daddy' about your little extra curricular's." I smiled sweetly. The boy holding JJ looked to Rafe, who clenched his jaw and nodded. JJ was released and I grabbed his wrist, pulling him over to me, despite feeling him trying to pull his arm away from me. "Thank you." I dragged him out of the room and outside the building, to a little pavilion type of thing. I was surprised when I saw Sarah there with a boy. My hand stayed around JJ's wrist, who stood behind me when I stopped. "Friend of yours?" JJ hummed in a 'yes' way. "He's seeing Sarah?" The same noise. "But she's with Topper..." Yet again, the same noise. I watched as they talked before taking JJ somewhere a little darker and away from more people. "Why did they attack you?" I finally let go of his arm and he willingly stayed in front of me.
"Pope and I sank Topper's Boat..." I raised my eyebrows.
"That sweet boy you were speaking to earlier?" He nodded.
"It was his idea...I'm just an enabler." I tilted my head a little with a smile. "Thank you, though, for helping just now." I nodded, still smiling.
"You seem nice, wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you." He looked confused and I just laughed. "You're more trouble than you're worth, JJ..." I offered him a smile before wandering off over to Sarah, who had just gone inside from talking to Topper.
"See you found someone to talk to..." A male voice spoke from behind me.
"She stopped me getting a beating from Rafe." JJ had replied with a chuckle.
"Sounds promising for you." The second voice laughed.
"Shut up, John B."
"Go tell her Rixon's tonight. Go, before she goes inside!"
I felt a hand gently brush my wrist and I turned around to see JJ, not far behind him was the friend of his that Sarah was talking to.
"JJ..." I greeted, smiling sweetly.
"Hey, uh, do you want to come to Rixon's Cove tonight?" He sounded kind of...awkward... "Me and my friends are gonna be there..."
"I'll see...strict parents and all...you know?" He swallowed thickly and nodded.
"Great, uh, might see you later then..." I nodded with a smile as he turned back to his friend, who waved energetically to me from the distance. I slowly waved back to him before heading inside.
"Did you tell her about the treasure?" I heard as I wandered up the path slash road to the little fire with people around it.
"I was just trying to get into the archives!" I heard John B's voice.
"Is that a yes?"
"I left out key details!" He continued to defend himself as I stepped on a branch, getting all of their attention.
"(Y/n)?" Pope said my name, being the first to notice me. I waved awkwardly, still dressed from the Midsummer's.
"Hi..."
"You came!" JJ smiled, and I hesitantly returned it as he came over to me, gently taking my hand to help me over the branches and sticks without slipping.
"I mean, you guys asked me to..."
"Multiple of you asked her to come?" A females voice piped, I glanced to her, Kiara.
"Well, John B pushed me to ask her..." JJ admitted.
"Are you macking her too, John B? Oh my god!" She whined, already done with the amount the group had admitted today. I tilted my head in confusion and looked to JJ, and then John B.
"No, actually, I'm not. But, JJ wants to." My head whipped back to JJ, who looked to the floor, not having expected me to look over to him. His eyes were wide, clearly not having expected John B to say that. He then looked to John B.
"You're a dead man." John B smiled at the words before JJ moved to go for him. I grabbed his wrist again and pulled him over to me.
"Like a puppy on a leash." Pope laughed.
