P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

053

After we got a tow, we were taken to a fix-shop which also had some snacks inside, so she was checking some out for us.

I sat in the back of an old fixer-upper, thinking about my brother, and how surreal this all was.

JJ walked up to me as I flashed a light smile. I continued to think.

"Middle of nowhere," he murmured. "Dude's in heaven right now. 'Gotta know the calibration point before you do anything with the intake valve, JJ. You do the—" he looked up at me, realizing I wasn't exactly paying attention to his conversation.

He stopped himself, looking up at me. He reached inside the bed of the old truck, I touched my ankle to get my attention. "Hey." I looked up at him, slowly. "You all right?" He asked.

I nodded my head, lying.

"Dylan. Stop bullshitting me. I can read you like a book."

I scoffed, playfully. "Surprised to know how to read," I softly laughed. He smiled at me, grabbing my ankle and holding onto it.

"Seriously, baby. What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?" He asked me, making me smile.

"It's nothing just...I spent almost 6 weeks of my life thinking my brother's done and in only a week, I've heard and seen, 1.) he and my best friend's alive, 2.) Ward Cameron murder someone else, and 3.) Almost died while getting the murder weapon out of the storm drain. It's just... so much to think about," I explained, crossing my arms.

He shrugged. "Guess that's what happens when a pretty girl like you hangs with the wrong crowd. You could've been a Kook if you wanted to."

I rolled my eyes, with a slight laugh. "If I did, we probably wouldn't be dating right now. Plus, I have all that I need here." I paused. "Well, besides a brother."

"Still got your humor, I see."

"Have some faith in me, baby," I smiled, tilting my head. "But, I miss how things used to be. Crashing Midsummer's, drinking beer's in the backyard, going on dates—" I stopped myself. "Wait a damn minute. We haven't gone on an actual date yet, have we?"

JJ had a moment of silence, and realized I, in fact, was right. "We haven't actually. I think it's time we change that, hm?" He held his hand out to me, and I laughed.

"Really? Right now? Where we gonna go?" I questioned.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Wherever I take you."

Reluctantly, I took his hand, and he pulled me up, making me stand on the truck.

"Up and over," he instructed, picking me up at the waist and holding me in the air. I put my hands on his shoulder's as he put me down.

"We should tell them we're going," I murmured, as Pope looked over at us from talking with the mechanic.

"We're going on a date!" JJ shouted at him, as Pope shrugged, confused but waved it off. "Curfew at 10:30!" Pope answered.

"Yes, Mumma Pope!" I answered.

As I watched Pope walk inside, JJ took my wrist, pulling me towards the field beside the road.

"Where are you taking me?" I chuckled, as he walked across the road. He was speed-walking, like he had somewhere to be.

"Somewhere where we can be alone. Not have anyone look over ours shoulders just when I mutter a certain something in your ear," He explained to me, as we began to walk in the field.

...

The moon was bright, as we both sat beside each other in the middle of an empty field.

"Hey Dylan?"

"Yes, JJ?"

"Who are you?"

I laughed. "I honestly don't know. But I can start. Maybe I'll remember...If you ask questions that is," I joked, looking at him.

"Questions, Cupcake? Really?"

"Mhm," I hummed.

"Like what?" He chuckled.

"I don't know. Like 'what's your favorite color?' Something easy and simple," I explained.

"What's your full name?"

"Dylan Blaken Routledge."

He looked at me with troublemaking smirk. "I need to change that last part one day."

I blushed, biting my inner lip. "Oh really?" I scoffed.

"Yes, actually. Mrs. Dylan Maybank has a nice tone to it."

"Ah," I murmured, nodding my head.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Easy. Blue."

"Blueeee???" He asked for clarification.

"Light blue. Like the ocean. But you knew that," I winked.

"Hell yeah, I knew that. I know everything about you. Like a stalker." I know he meant it jokingly, but he said stalker completely straight-faced.

"Everything?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"You are born on April 22nd, a few minutes after your brother. You're an Aries. 17 years old, brown hair, hazel-gray-ish eyes. You don't like sugar in your tea. You like slow-burn books and you write in uppercase letters. You were never really religious but you did believe in God. When you were about 14 years old, you only wore baggy clothes because you didn't like your body, but you were absolutely perfect."

I lost some of my air because of how much he remembered. He didn't have a sheet to write things on. He couldn't remember what the Pythagorean theorem is, but he remembered everything else about me.

"You put your hair in braids when you want your hair to be curly. You love the smell of the beach because it reminds you of your mom. I know that you hate playing slow songs on your guitar. I know that you sing soprano and alto. I know that your nose scrunches up when you're happy. You laugh a lot, like A LOT. I also know how to turn you on," he said, scratching his ear.

"Uh-huh," I scoffed. "And do you think it's a good idea to do it in a field?"

His hands wandered to my hips. "Stupid things have good outcomes all the time, baby."

I laughed, beginning to straddle his waist. I laid my forehead against his. "A few kisses, then we can call our first date a success."

"I can deal with that."

I smirked, as he pulled me in for a kiss. It was very sensual, but loving. He was forceful, but caring.

Oh, JJ Maybank, I love you.

~|~

That night, we all went back to the truck, which was fixed. We all slept in the bed. JJ propped his foot up onto the sides, keeping his arm around me, as I propped my head on his neck.

I watched as Kie knelt over to Pope and gave him a kiss on the cheek, making me smile. JJ turned onto his side instead of his back, looking at me. He wrapped his arms around me, keeping me warm.

"Good night, Princess," he muttered.

"Good night, babe."