Vapor

Chapter Three

Hey guys! Thanks for all the wonderful feedback! I'm glad people seem to be enjoying it! I actually really like the story line I decided to follow. It's a bit darker, and more emotional in a different way. I've been wanting to branch out and make something that I'm really proud of and I think this could be it.

Let me know what you think!

Also check out my other fanfics and the community page I admin on!outerbankscommunity We do a fanfic of the week so make sure to go over there and nominate your favorite OBX fanfics!

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I stayed out there the rest of the night. I couldn't sleep in the slightest. I couldn't get the thoughts out of my head. I wanted to see JJ. I wanted to know if he remembered that day the way I did. I got ready for the day and skipped down the steps, into the kitchen. I grabbed a bowl and some cereal, making myself the laziest breakfast I could possibly have. I took a seat at the table and heard my dad on the phone. He was on a business call but came over to me when he saw me. He kissed me forehead and smiled as if telling me to have a good day.

My dad and I have always been close. Ever since I was little, I felt like it was me and him. I couldn't have asked for better parents. I finished up my cereal and put my bowl in the sink before heading out. I stopped at my mom's bakery and walked inside. Everything looked delicious. I breathed in the sweet scent of frosting and reached down to grab a cupcake. Not just any cupcake though, a salted caramel cupcake. My mom grabbed my hand before I could get to it and told me it was too early for sweets. I sighed, knowing she was probably right.

"Hey mom," I said. "Can I take some muffins? I'm visiting an old friend and don't want to come up empty handed."

"Who are you seeing?" she asked, opening a decorative box. I didn't want to tell her, but I could come up with an excuse not too.

"JJ Maybank," I said. She set the empty box down on the table. She knew how much he had hurt me when he decided not to be friends anymore. She knew what path he had taken.

"Honey," she said. She was giving me the look. Every mom had a certain look that she's branded. Whether it was a look of disappointment or shame, every mom had one. I bit my lip and shrugged my shoulders. "What's this about, A?"

"I've started having dreams again," I said. Her face dropped. She knew exactly what I meant by that. She began to pack up muffins, packing more in than she normally would do. She told me that I should consider telling one of my friends what had happened to me as a kid. She told me I should tell Topper. She knew how important Top had gotten to me in the past few months, but there was no way I could bring myself to tell him. JJ was the only one who knew. I couldn't bring myself to tell anyone else. I can't bring myself to talk about it to others because then it becomes real. Too real. "I'm okay mom. I just want to talk to him."

"Be safe," she said, handing me the muffins. I smiled and thanked her. I told her I would see her at home for dinner. I walked out the door and drove over to the Maybank household. I didn't see JJ's bike which worried me, but I still went up and knocked on the door. I held the muffins in my hand as Luke answered the door. He looked in rough shape and smelled like whiskey.

"Addie?" he asked. I gave him a big smile and said hello. I asked if JJ was here and he said no. I frowned and asked if he knew where he was. "He hasn't been home in a while. He's probably staying at a friends house."

I knew exactly what that meant. I would have to head to John B's. This was a lot of mental preparation, aka a nice high. I hotboxed in my car before driving all the way to the chateau. Seeing the Pogues made me anxious like nothing else. I walked up and tried to control the constant shake my hands had whenever I stressed out. I walked up and saw Pope and Kie chilling next to the house while JJ and John B gathered in the yard. They looked like they were talking about something pretty serious, but I was too far away to catch what it was.

"What brings you here?" Kie asked with a smile.

"You've stayed away for too long, A," Pope added. At the mention of my name, JJ's head flung around. His eyes met mine and there was no turning back now.

"Got a minute?" I asked, never breaking eye contact. He nodded and shoved John B towards the marsh. I walked over and put the box of muffins on the table almost as a peace offering and waited for JJ to make his way over. He grabbed out a chocolate chip muffin and it was in his mouth before I could even say a word. "Jesus, JJ! There's like 12 muffins in there. Slow down before you choke!"

He coughed a little bit from all the dryness of him putting the whole muffin in his mouth. I rolled my eyes and held out my hands like I used to do when he would eat baked goods too quickly at our house. He spit some in my hands and I dramatically gagged.

"You guys seem on better terms," Kie said, questioning me with her eyes. I had spent the past two years complaining about JJ, and somehow now we were behaving exactly like we used too. How is that possible? I threw the muffin bits on the ground and wiped my hands on his shirt.

"C'mon, there's something I gotta ask you about," I said. We walked down the yard and sat on the dock. I sat there and looked at him for a second. He's changed a lot in the past two years. He's gained muscle mass and he's gotten really tall. I observed him for a second before opening my mouth. "Do you remember when we were little?"

I asked a vague question because I knew I didn't really want to talk about it. It's been two years since I spoke of it last. Maybe that's why it's bothering me now. I can finally make sense of it all, but I can't express it. I've bottled it all up.

"You mean that day?" he asked. "Of course I remember it. It was the worst day of my life."

"What?" I asked. We had to be talking about different days. Maybe he was talking about the day his mom left or the day his dad started beating him. There were so many horrible days that my day couldn't be the worst one of his life as well.

"You could've died," he said. He wasn't looking at me. He was staring out across the water as he thought about the events of that day. "You and your mom were always so accepting of me. I thought of you as family. Then I took my eyes off of you for two minutes. Two minutes was all. Then, you were gone, all because I wanted to play on the playground. Maybe if I had gone with you, I could've fought off that guy long enough for you to get help."

"We were eight, JJ," I said, pulling out my vape and taking a hit. "There was no way you were going to fight that guy off."

"It would've been harder to take two kids," he said, looking miserable. I never knew he blamed himself. I never knew that he felt so strongly about this. "You didn't hear the night terrors you had after that."

He was right. I didn't witness myself screaming throughout the night. I didn't listen to the cries and the gasps for air, but he did. He was always first in the room to give me a hug. He helped me get through it. I was lucky that he was staying with us during that time. His mom had left and then I also left too. I watched as he took off his hat, ran his fingers through his hair, and put it back on.

"I'm sorry," I said. His head turned to look at me for the first time since we started the conversation. He asked me what for and I let out a big sigh. I stood up, getting ready to take my leave. "For leaving you here alone. For becoming a Kook. For letting you down."

I turned to walk back up to the house, but he caught my arm and pulled me into a hug. Shock took over my body as I inhaled the familiar scent of weed and mint. My arms slipped around him like it was the most natural gesture in the word and my heart began to swell.

"You can't just say that and walk away. It's isn't fair," he mumbled. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have bailed on you."

Hearing him say that broke my heart. I pressed the side of my head against his chest and listened to the steady beat of his heat. I used to do this as a kid and it always eased my nerves. I always found it calming. I felt his hand run through my hair as we hugged for a little too long. The truth was that we both missed each other, but I wouldn't allow myself to love him again. We weren't the right fit for each other as time has told us.

"So does this mean we can be friends again?" I asked, moving away from him. He stared down at me and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Sure, A," he said.

Just like that, we were sort of friends again.