Junie - JJ Maybank

19

"What the hell is she doing here?" Kiara asks.

We all look outside to see Sarah walking towards the house with her bike.

I look back at John B to see him looking right back at me. I give him a look and nod to Kiara, telling him to tell her why Sarah was at our house.

John B gets up as he speaks, "I invited her." He tells Kiara as he opens the door and walks over to her.

He brings her onto the porch and she sits down next to me. John B sits next to her on the arm of the chair and smiles at her.

He brings her onto the porch and I give her my seat on one of the chairs. I move onto the floor in front of JJ as John B sits on the arm of the chair next to Sarah.

"Hi, Sarah," I tell her.

She smiles at me, "hi, Emery."

Pope and JJ both say hello and Sarah says it back. When Sarah says hello to Kiara, she doesn't get a warm response.

I look at Kiara and she has a mad look on her face, "I am not hanging out with her."

"Oh, come on, Kie." I say to her but she shakes her head.

"No effing way. You brought her here? So what? She's one of us now?" She says to John B.

John B looks at the Pope and JJ.

Pope shrugs with panic in his eyes, "I dunno."

JJ shakes his head, telling John B not to ask him.

Kiara is still staring at John B when he looks at her again and she speaks, "you know, I don't remember taking a vote. We always vote before bringing someone into the Pogues." She tells him.

I look at JJ and Pope to see JJ being his usual careless self and Pope practically shaking because he is so nervous.

When Pope sees me looking at him he speaks, "I gotta say, I'm just a tad uncomfortable with all of this."

I nod, "I kind of am too," I hold together my pointer finger and thumb, "just a little bit."

JJ taps me with his foot and I look at him.

"You okay?" He asks me in a whisper and I quickly nod and mumble a yes.

"Thank you," Kiara tells me and Pope but I shake my head.

"No, Kie, sorry, but I am not uncomfortable with Sarah being here. I am just uncomfortable with you guys fighting."

She shoots daggers my way as John B speaks, "when are you not?" He asks Pope.

Pope starts panicking again, "I don't know. I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortable."

JJ nods with him, "it's true, most relaxed I've ever seen him."

I smack JJ's leg, "you took Pope on a ride but not me?"

He looks at me with a confused face, "you already had a ride, Junie."

I shake my head then go back to watching the argument that is happening in front of me.

"That's cute, guys." John B tells them with an annoyed look.

Kiara speaks up again, "you know, we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her here." She tells John B.

Sarah finally speaks up, "stop talking about me like I'm not here!"

Kiara shrugs, "then leave."

Sarah scoffs as she looks back at John B, "I told you." She tells him.

"Told him what, exactly?" Kiara asks, "that you're a liar?"

Sarah shakes her head, "no, that you're a shit talking bitch, Kiara."

I let out a small laugh but keep it quiet so nobody notices. I hear Pope cuss to JJ and I look over to see JJ pulling money out of his pocket.

"My money's on Kie," he says then looks at me.

He nods for me to come over so I quickly do. I sit on the armrest of the chair and pull out my money.

"Sarah, all the way," Pope tells us.

"I think John B will break it up before anything serious happens," I tell them and they both nod their heads, making the bet official.

Sarah and Kiara continue to yell at each other until John B finally snaps.

"Everybody shut up!" He shouts at all of us.

The two girls go quiet and I mumble, "I didn't say anything."

Pope and JJ let out a small laugh but quickly stop when John B glares at both of them.

When we are all quiet, John B turns to Kiara and speaks, "Kie, you are my best friend, right?" Kiara doesn't say anything, she just gives him a look telling him to go on, so he does, "And Sarah, you're... you're my..."

"Ho-ly shit." I say to JJ and he nods but doesn't take his eyes off of John B.

Sarah gives him a reassuring smile then speaks, "say it."

John B nods then continues, "you're my girlfriend."

Me, JJ, and Pope all look at each other but Pope is the first to speak, "that's new." He says to us.

Me and JJ look at each other and he raises his eye brows.

Maybe if we tell everyone that we made it official then they will stop fighting... that's not gonna happen...

Kiara scoffs and lets out an unimpressed laugh, "she's your girlfriend now? What about the whole 'I would never date a kook, especially not a Cameron?'"

Sarah looks at John B with a hurt look on her face, "you said those things?"

John B runs his hand through his hair, a thing he does when he is anxious.

"Look, love just walked in, okay?" He says.

Kiara rolls her eyes, "oh, vomit."

John B ignores her and continues, "I didn't expect it. It just... it kind of happened," he turns to Sarah, "and I'm not gonna deny it."

Pope whispers to me and JJ, "oh, that's corny."

Me and JJ can't hold in our laughs and break out until John B looks at us.

Kiara sighs, "look, cut the bull shit, John B. If she's in, I'm out." She says.

John B shakes his head, "Kie, I'm not doing this."

She shakes her head, "you are gonna decide." John B tells her he can't but she ignores him and continues, "I'm very interested, actually. Me or her?"

John B shrugs, "both."

Kiara scoffs and walks away, leaving the rest of us in silence.

Sarah turns to John B, "it'll be cool, right?" She starts to stand up, "I'm gonna leave."

"Sarah, don't." John B tells her.

She ignores him, "I'm gonna let y'all chat." She walks off the porch.

I sigh, "well that went well." I say.

Pope and JJ both break out in laughter. After a few minutes, JJ stands up.

"I'd just like to say, you handled that beautifully." He tells John B.

I tug JJ's shirt and he looks down at me. I hold my hands up and he grabs them and helps me to my feet.

"So who exactly won the bet?" I ask JJ and Pope.