Adore You ☼ JJ Maybank

20

[ ME OR HER? ]

"no effing way!" kei shouted on john b's back porch.

kei was pacing the porch while john b and sarah sat on the couch, maya sat on the arm of the chair jj sat in, his arm around her waist to keep her from falling, the others not paying much attention to it because of the whole sarah thing, and pope sat on the stool next to jj and maya.

"you brought her here?" kei says, "so, what, she's in on this now?"

john b looked at the others for help.

"i dunno." pope shrugged

"look, all i care about is that it comes out of your share." jj said.

"i second that." maya said.

"you know, i don't remember taking a vote." kei said. "this is our thing! a pogue thing."

"i gotta say, i'm just a tad bit uncomfortable with all of this." pope said.

"thank you!" kei shouted.

"when are you not uncomfortable?" john b asked.

"i dunno. i rode here on the back of jj's bike, with maya, too, pretty comfortably." pope said.

"that's true." jj said.

"i was, in fact, not comfortable." maya said.

"that's cute, guys."

"you know, we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her."

"stop talking about me like i'm not here." sarah said.

"then leave!"

sarah scoffed then turned to john b, "i told you."

"told him what, exactly?" kei asked, "that you're a liar?"

"no, that you're a shit talking-bitch."

"oh, shit."

"when have i ever..." their voices drowned out as pope and jj bet on who would win with money.

"just shut up!" maya shouted, startling the two boys that were exchanging money the most. "you two sound like middle schoolers with beef."

it was silent for a few seconds before john b spoke, "kei, you are my best friend, right? and sarah, you're... you're my..."

"say it." sarah said.

"you're my girlfriend."

"oh... that's new." pope said.

"she's your girlfriend now?" kei said. "what was all that talk about how you were just using her for information? get a map, cut her loose."

"you said you were using me?" sarah said.

"i'm would rather shoot myself with jj's gun than be here right now." maya mumbled, sinking back into the seat and looking up at the roof.

"no."

"yeah, you did." pope said. "you said those things."

"look, love just walked in, okay?" john b said.

"oh, vomit." kei said.

"i didn't expect it. it—it just kind of happened." john b said, "and i'm not gonna deny it, right?"

"oh, that's corny." pope said.

"look, cut the bullshit, john b." kei said. "if she's in, i'm out."

"kei, i'm not doing this." john b said.

"you are gonna decide." kei said, "i'm very interested, actually. me or her?"

"both."

"ooh." pope said.

"went for the hail mary." jj says.

"i'm gonna kill myself." maya said. "and this is the reason."

kei pushed the screen door open and slammed it shut.

"it'll be cool, right?" sarah said, mocking what john b said earlier to her. "i'm gonna leave."

"sarah, don't."

"gonna let y'all chat. let me know." sarah said, leaving.

"i'd just like you say you handled that beautifully." jj said.

"i'm gonna go shoot myself." maya said, pushing herself off the chair and walking off.

☀︎

"hey!" maya said, sarah turning around to see the pink haired girl. maya picked up her pace to a jog as she wanted to catch up with sarah.

"what, are you gonna come and tell me to back off?"

"i wanted to say that i'm sorry for kei, honestly." maya said, crossing her arms as she walked beside sarah that was pushing her bike.

"what?"

"look, i still might not be the biggest fan of a kook coming in on our operation... but she didn't need to freak out like that." maya said. "i don't know what happened between you two, and i don't have to know. but you didn't deserve to have to sit and hear that."

"thanks, maya." sarah said, "really. you were actually the last person i thought would say something like that."

"why's that?" maya asked.

"you're kinda intimidating." sarah admitted.

maya laughed quietly, "i get that a lot." maya said. "if it means anything, i don't think you're as bad as kei makes you out to be."

"thanks, maya."