favourite worst nightmare [JJ MAYBANK]

ix. the genius

CHAPTER NINE:
THE GENIUS

[EPISODE FIVE: MIDSUMMERS]

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          Two drinks later (and a burger from Pope's grill) and the sun has set on Outerbanks, dipping the Island Club into a soft darkness, lit only by the yellow glow of windows and gas lamps -- very boho style. The dance floor, which is made of white panels and has been placed on the grass, bordered by tables and admirers, is bustling with activity: including Rita and, reluctantly, her dad.

In the dim lights, and thanks to Kiara's concealer, he hasn't spotted the cut on her cheekbone quite yet, and she'd rather like to keep it that way. God knows what her dad would do -- or say -- to Rafe or even Ward if he found out about what had transpired earlier. As much as she hates Rafe, she wants her dad to keep his closest friends. She wouldn't wish her loneliness on him.

Plus, she's a little bit scared of how far Rafe might go out of anger... but she'd never admit that, not out loud or even properly to herself. When she gets that thought, that feeling of fear, she forces herself not to think much further about the issue. She doesn't want to be scared of Rafe Cameron. Hell, she shouldn't be scared of Rafe Cameron.

At least, she hopes so.

          It's when she's spinning under her dad's arm that she spots him, and as her body jolts to a stop, her heart jolts too. Facing away from her dad, stopping so abruptly that she almost trips, her eyes latch onto something at the edge of the crowd. Or, rather, someone.

          JJ.

          "Dad, two seconds, alright? ,I-I need to go to the bathroom," is all she can manage as an excuse to slip away, her eyes never moving, and she ignores his worried questions of are you okay as, without thinking she starts shoving through the crowd, squeezing past twirling limbs and feeling suddenly claustrophobic.

          He's stood with Pope on the grass at the edge of the terrace, leaning close and murmuring conspiratorially, grinning all the while. His back is to her, but Pope sees her coming when she squeezes out of the crowd and quickly hushes JJ; his gloved hands plant on his chest and twirl him around so that both of them are looking at Rita.

          JJ smiles -- that's the first thing she notices. The second is the bruises on his face, she assumes from Rafe's fight the other day, that are growing worse day by day apparently, because now they're purple and black. He looks rough.

          Well, he had been in police custody, supposedly.

           Rubbing his hands together awkwardly, he starts forward, slowly, and Rita does too so that they meet in the middle; his eyes flash her up and down on the way, and hoping she's subtle about it she does the same. He's in the waiter's uniform: black pants, black dress shoes, white shirt and black dress-coat. He's wearing a bow-tie, but it's floral, unlike all the others.