Joy Rider - JJ Maybank

Just Friends

Pairing: JJ Maybank x Original Female CharacterWarnings: Strong Language, Mention of abuse (no direct description, just in passing), Mention of ill mental health and suicidal thoughts, (again, only in passing), Word Count: 2KAuthor's Note: please bare in mind that these are not chapters! You can read them however you like, skip the ones that don't interest you etc. It's okay not to read absolutely everything.

Summary: A glimpse into Arden and JJ's friendship.

There is blue as far as she can see to one side, and the comforting scenes of Kildare island to the other. She can taste the salt from the ocean as it sprays her in its path up to the sandy shore. With it wafts the smell from the barbeque that her friends cook. She feels the cold water up to her knees, her inner thighs burning with friction from the board. Waves crash against sandy shores and the sound of gulls fly over her head. Arden sits on her board, back to the beach and once again in her own world.

It's peaceful, relaxing, and exactly what she needs after a day out on the surf. The waves had died down now, so she only rocked gently on the water.

"Hey Denny," John B shouts from the beach, tongs in hand like a proper BBQ dad, He calls louder, fighting against the sound of Kiara and Pope laughing, "Whaddya want? There's a burger left?"

She doesn't answer, not hearing the calls of her name from the coastline.

"Arden," He tries again, to no avail, "Jesus Christ, will you go get her?"

"Why do I have to?" JJ asks, sipping his freshly opened beer, "I literally just dried off."

"You're still soaking wet." Kiara deadpans, spooning coleslaw onto a paper plate.

JJ huffs and walks along the pier, handing his bottle to the girl before jumping off the end. He swims to Arden, hands clinging to her board for stabilisation.

JJ Maybank was a caring person, but never one that particularly showed it. He did everything for his friends, and would always be there for them, but he wouldn't tell them that. He wouldn't chase you up when you didn't answer a message, but he would plan a stop past your house to invite you out. He wouldn't specifically say to call him when you got home safe, but you'd know that you probably should.

It was different with her, his twin flame, his best friend. They'd grown up together, Arden living in the house next door to his. They were each other's first sleepover, first fight, first friend, first kiss - though Arden swears that hers was with Colton Ashby in the first grade.

She'd always been there, so there was no need for defensive JJ. She'd seen it all, and he'd seen all of her. Of course, there were secrets. She never knew how bad it got after his mother left, the bruises that littered his skin from the age of 13. He never knew about the nights she cried herself to sleep with the want to never wake up. But, neither of them felt like there was information lacking. They had one another, at any time, any place, any point.

He was more caring towards her than he ever had been towards the rest of the Pogues. And his opinions never changed when she moved from the cut to figure eight - despite his inherent hatred for the rich southern side of the island. He was happy that she'd crawled from the depths, and that her uncle had invited her to stay with him whilst her parents were gone. Gone where? Nobody knew. Yet Arden didn't really care.

She was the glue that bound the group together. Without her, he never would have spoken to John B - much too territorial over his one best friend. If she hadn't got her first job at Heywards, then Pope wouldn't have been in the picture either. And even though he can't quite remember how Kiara got involved, he'd happily put it down to Arden's doing too. She was the exact definition of both a Kook and a Pogue.