Alone Together • JJ Maybank

Eight.

⚓⚓⚓

The sound of a car pulling up on the rubble outside startled me awake. I sat up straight, unable to remember how I even made it to my bed last night. My eyes darted around the room, looking for clues to refresh my foggy memory of the night before. I was wearing a hoodie over my dress; my hair had been messily tied in a bun on my head and an empty bucket was beside my bed.

My head felt like it was going to explode with an intense throbbing. I groaned, trying to think back to the night before, but drawing blanks. I remember John B introducing me to some of the other Pogues on the cut. I remember avoiding Kiara at all costs and she was adamant on teasing me about JJ. I even remember attempting to wing-woman a hopeless Pope. But then I remember nothing.

The bedroom door creaked open, revealing a disheveled looking Kiara. "Oh good. You're awake." She said with an odd sympathetic smirk as she walked further into my room. "How are you feeling?" She sat on the end of the bed, crossing her legs.

"I feel like I've gone ten rounds with Muhammad Ali." I whined. "What even happened?"

Kie glanced down at her hands for a second before looking back up at me with an anxious look on her face. "We think Rafe put something in your drink." The memory flashed in my mind instantly at the mention of his name as panic shot across my face.

"Did- did he... did anything happen after?" I stuttered out, fearing the worst as tears glossed over in my eyes.

"No! God no. John B and JJ found you before anything could happen." She rushed her words out to quickly calm me down. "JJ carried you to the van and John B looked for him though." I took a deep breath, processing what happened and grateful it wasn't any worse.

"Did he find him?"

Kiara glanced down again. "Not exactly." She sighed. I gave her a confused look, urging her to continue. "He found Topper instead. I think Rafe had already left. And things kind of escalated from there."

⚓⚓⚓

I stood in the shower as a pathetic drip of water trickled down from the faucet. The water was still not running right since the hurricane hit. Kie's words were whirring around my brain of the night before. John B had gone looking for Rafe, but found Topper instead. After that, she was pretty vague with what happened. Just that there was a bit of a fight.

Changing into shorts and a crop top, I began to towel dry my hair when I heard a car door slam outside. I pulled back the yellow curtains to peek outside, seeing the cop car driving away from the Chateau. I dropped the towel in a heap on the floor as I made my way towards the back door, noticing the hand written note from Kie on the kitchen worktop.

Gone home to shower. Glad you're feeling better – K.

I pulled open the Chateau's porch door, walking straight into the messy living room. John B was sat with his head in his hands on the pull out sofa. "Everything ok?" I asked.