WASTE - OUTER BANKS

four - getting you home

It made JJ mad to see Marina make out with Ben from across the party. Obviously. But he knew he had it coming. He knew exactly what he was doing when he started making out with the blonde who was currently draped over his lap.

Before she started dating Ben, Marina and JJ had an interesting dynamic. Sometimes they argued. Like, screaming matches on the boat in front of everyone and being mad at each other for days. Sometimes they flirted. They had phases where they were super touchy and would constantly be pushing the line between 'just friends' and something more. But no matter what - they were always giving each other attention. JJ knew that making out with another girl would get Mari's attention and, if he was lucky, get her to talk to him. After he had told her about Ben, she left before he could explain himself.

He didn't tell Mari about Ben because he didn't want Mari to think he was purposefully trying to ruin her relationship so that he could be with her.

He wouldn't necessarily mind that, but he didn't want to risk an argument with Marina over it. That plan backfired, clearly.

JJ briefly wondered if it was wrong to be thinking about Marina while he made out with this other girl, but decided he didn't care. He pulled the girl closer to him and occasionally shifted his eyes to check on Marina, who was practically glued to Ben. The only times they were apart was for Ben to give her another drink or for his friends, Rafe and a bunch of other random kooks, to try to flirt with Mari themselves.

After a half hour of this, things took a turn for the worst. Normally, you wouldn't be able to hear someone yell from across the boneyard in the height of a party, but JJ heard a distant yell and instantly knew it was Mari. He briefly and haphazardly apologized to the girl he had been with, before shooting up and making a B line to Marina.

All of the guys were surrounding Mari, who could barely stand anymore as she leaned on Ben. They were laughing, which made JJ sick to his stomach. The boys were too entertained to even notice JJ.

"Come on baby," Ben said, in some obviously phony, fake sweet voice, "we're gonna go back to Rafe's and party there. We got big plans."

Marina could barely talk, but she was shaking her head.

"I wanna stay," she said, making a feeble attempt to wiggle her way out of his arms.

"We can't baby, we have to go," Ben said he gripped her forearms.

"Oh come on, Ben," JJ said as all of the guys' heads snapped toward him, "you heard her, she wants to stay."

Ben pulled Marina closer, moving his hands to somewhere under her dress. Watching it unfold was vomit inducing.

JJ didn't have a strategy, he just knew he had to get Ben off of Mari.

It only took one right hook to knock him back (not surprising, Ben was always pretty weak), but that also came with about five of the other guys on top of him and someone behind him starting a "Fight! Fight!" chant. JJ had no idea where the other pogues came from, but John B came into the fight to help JJ and JJ briefly saw Kie and Pope hovering over Mari, who was sitting in the sand. There were too many people in the fight and JJ lost track of Ben. Once he finally got his hands back on him, he pushed him to the ground.

"What the hell were you thinking?" JJ said in between punches, "Did you think you could just get away with this?"

They were rhetorical questions. JJ didn't leave enough time in between hits for Ben to respond even if he wanted to. After another round of punches, Ben looked sufficiently fucked. JJ could have stopped there, but he didn't. Rafe pulled JJ off of Ben and started hitting him, but that just made it easier for JJ to push Rafe onto the sand next to Ben. John B had taken care of the other guys, or at least scared them enough that they backed off. JJ spit in both Ben and Rafe's faces, who both looked like they were still processing the fight.

"Fucking pigs," JJ said.

"I'd rather be a fucking pig than ruining the party just to stick up for some slut pogue - "

Before JJ could get to Rafe, John B grabbed him and held him back.

"Priorities dude," John B said, pointing JJ in the direction of Mari, who was practically dry heaving as she sat slumped in the sand, Kie and Pope trying to calm her down.

JJ helped her up as she mumbled incoherent apologies.

"It's okay," he said as she leaned all of her weight into his chest, "this isn't your fault, it's okay, don't be sorry."

She didn't respond.

"We should get her out of here," Kiara said.

"I don't think I can walk," Mari said bluntly, the sound of her voice muffled because her face was pressed straight into JJ's chest.

Dragging Marina to the Twinkie felt like carrying a dead body, but not impossible. As JJ helped her get into the back, Kie popped her head into the sliding doorway.

"We're gonna go back and clean up, it won't take long. But you should stay here with Mari."

"Me?"

Kie looked at JJ like he was stupid, "Yes, you."

While the pogues cleaned up, all JJ had to amuse himself was staring at Mari, who was half asleep with her head in his lap. JJ never did well in school, especially his Literature classes. He hated the way the authors talked about love and feelings and he never understood it. But he was starting to understand it as he looked at Mari. If he could write words that could capture even a sliver of how he felt when he looked at her, he'd be turning out a novel filled with dramatic metaphors and overly detailed descriptions on every freckle on her face.

The pogues made it back to the chateau and let Marina sleep in the biggest bed. As JJ was gathering the pillows and blankets from off the couch, Pope walked in.

"Why aren't you just sleeping on the couch?"

"Oh, I was gonna sleep on the floor outside of Mari's room, in case she throws up or something."

Pope looked like he was suppressing a smirk.

"What?" JJ asked.

"Oh, nothing... Night JJ."

The floor was still uncomfortable, regardless of how many blankets and pillows JJ added, but he didn't mind. He felt more comfortable ten feet from Marina and sleeping on the floor then he would feel any further away from her on the couch or in a bed.