"And lastly, that's Madison, or Mads, my little sister who is also trying to climb up the broken lifeguard tower. We're only a year apart. When she's not doing some odd job for extra cash she is on the HMS Pogue with the rest of us. Most loyal perso...
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The second the boat exploded JJ's heart shattered into a million pieces like a broken glass, unable to be put back together. He stumbled back on the dock, the inconceivable notion that she was actually gone physically moving him. He had seen that look in her eyes, saw as she mouthed the words I love you like that was somehow supposed to make it all better. And then she had broken another promise to him, she had begged Plumb to shoot her. He was sure if there weren't so many other witnesses on the dock the cops would have gone through with it too. How many times had he tried to save her, tried to pull her back from the edge, hanging on to her by his fingertips just to make sure he didn't lose her, and it was all for nothing. He lost her anyway.
This was a nightmare. That was what it was. It had to be. He was going to wake up at any second and she'd be curled up next to him, her arms wrapped around her pillow, and her hair that inevitably ended up covering her face during the night slightly moving every time she exhaled. So then why wasn't he waking up?
There was no reality where she wasn't right next to him, no matter what, even if they hadn't been on the best of terms in the last few days. She was there. She had always been there for as long as he could remember, for everything from when he got a fishing hook stuck in his thumb when he was ten to them finally admitting that they were irrevocably in love with each other and there would never be anyone else.
It had always been Madison.
JJ let out an exhausted sigh, the overrated party scene starting to take its toll on him. It was always the same thing; loud music, cheap beer or liquor, and the same old faces. He hunched his shoulders over his drink, staring into the sweet-smelling amber liquid. It was an intoxicating aroma that he wanted to drown himself in. He delicately wrapped his fingers around the mouth of the cup, bringing the brim up to his dried lips and savoring the taste as it burned his throat and warmed his chest.
"Hey, grumpy," Madison plopped down on the couch next to him, nearly spilling her own drink in the process. It was a normal Saturday night for them and though she wasn't exactly sober she wasn't drunk either. It was the best feeling in her opinion, just enough alcohol to relax and enjoy without worrying about being hungover in the morning. "Still brooding I see."
"Leave me alone, Maddie."
She mocked a pout, resting her elbows on her knees as she tried to get him to look at her. "Let me guess, you got turned down by that gorgeous blonde over there who is now hanging all over that sorry excuse for a guy? I mean, come on, the dude is wearing a mesh shirt. He's got nothin' on you, rockstar. Besides, I'm pretty sure I saw her puke and rally and no one wants to deal with that."
JJ merely took a swig of his drink in reply and his lack of verbal communication sent worried lines creasing across Madison's forehead. She had been teasing but the moment he didn't shoot some sarcastic comment back at her a pit settled in her stomach, knowing this was more serious than she had originally thought and definitely not about some chick. "Jayj," she started slowly, running her tongue over her bottom lip as she tried to think of the right words to say so that he wouldn't shut her out completely. It was then she noticed the cut that was hidden mostly by his hairline which was why she had missed it in the first place along with the bruise that was beginning to show around his eye. "You know what, this party sucks ass. Think you can walk me home?"
