TROUBLE | JJ Maybank

011. Caught Between The Lines

THE NEXT MORNING, Amelia woke to the soft hum of the world outside, but inside, everything felt still—caught between what she wanted and what she knew everyone else expected her to do.

Reluctantly, she climbed out of bed and changed into a baby blue floral bikini top paired with frayed denim shorts. The soft colours and faded fabric felt like an unconscious choice—something easy, something familiar. It wasn't a decision but rather the closest thing to a uniform for a day spent caught between worlds.

Once Amelia slipped into her outfit, she reached for her faded white tote bag, the fabric worn soft from years of use. Inside, she tucked her essentials: a pair of sleek Chanel sunglasses, their dark lenses a quiet statement of luxury, alongside her portable charger—always ready for whatever the day threw at her. A new book, If He Was With Me, sat nestled between her things, its cover still crisp, a silent promise of an escape she hadn't yet had time to dive into. She tossed in her small makeup bag, the contents practical but carefully chosen: a swipe of lip gloss, a soothing lip balm, an eyelash curler, and a few band-aids, just in case. Everything was neatly packed, reflecting how she liked to keep things simple but always prepared.

Amelia stepped out of her room, the soft creak of the floorboards under her feet reminding her that the house felt too quiet. She felt the world downstairs hadn't changed, but she wasn't sure about herself.

Amelia took a seat at the kitchen table across from Sarah and enjoyed some Pancakes. As she sat there eating her pancakes, her father emerged, and she didn't have the energy to deal with her dad's questions today, especially not after... everything.

"Morning girls," Ward greeted

"Morning, Dad," The girls said in unison.

"Amelia, honey, I wanted to ask you about something", Ward said, taking a seat at the table and setting down his coffee mug. He looked over at her, his expression soft but serious.

Amelia (thinking) "Oh god. Here we go"

"Mhm", Amelia mumbled, bracing herself.

Ward's gaze shifted, narrowing slightly as he leaned in, his voice still even but with a hint of worry underneath. "Topper mentioned that he saw you looking upset on the way home yesterday. Do you want to tell me why? Does it have anything to do with you running out of the house mid-conversation yesterday?"

Amelia's stomach twisted. She hadn't realised Topper had even noticed, much less said anything to her dad. The way she felt exposed was immediate, and she had to fight back the rush of emotions that came with it. She quickly covered it with a sigh, trying to hide how much it bothered her, but the annoyance in her voice slipped out anyway.

"Well, yeah. You see... after you fired John B., I drove over to his house to try and apologise for what happened. But... he didn't want to hear anything I had to say. He thinks I told you about the scuba gear, that I got him fired." She shook her head, unable to stop herself from continuing. "And then he just started calling me—he called me selfish. Conceited. Arrogant. A Kook." Amelia ranted, her throat tight with the weight of his words.

Amelia paused for a second, then shot Ward a pointed look. "And Topper needs to mind his own business. Why does he care about how I'm feeling?"

Ward hesitated, caught off guard by the shift in Amelia's tone. But he didn't interrupt, his gaze softening, letting her vent.

"He's just looking out for you", Ward reasoned.

"No, he's not. He's only doing it to kiss your ass," Amelia scoffed.

Ward pauses, taking a deep breath, then leans forward, focusing back on the issue. "Look, I get that you're upset, but let's not lose sight of why we're talking about this. You ran out because of that?"