Chasing Sunshine | JJ Maybank

47 // The Phantom

"You sure he wasn't just being weird-Pope?"

I snorted a little from the step stool I was balanced on at JJ's question as I handed a couple packages of crackers from the upper pantry shelves at the back of the restaurant down to Kiara's outstretched hands. When I had asked again about what transpired between the two during our little field trip to the Tannyhill estate, she finally broke down and confirmed my vague suspicions; he had chosen that moment to confess his romantically-inclined feelings for her and she had turned him down.

Part of me felt bad for him, after all, it's never fun to be shot down but at the same time he didn't exactly approach the situation with the delicacy it required; he was completely wasted and we were kind of in the middle of a crisis. Add to the fact that he was now acting like sort of an asshole about it, and I couldn't find it in myself to muster up a whole lot of sympathy for him.

"It wasn't really the kind of thing that needed interpretation," Kie answered, handing the food to JJ where he was packing it all into a few extra cardboard boxes we'd found behind the counter. She added, gesturing to the supplies we had accumulated, "Is that going to be enough food for them?"

"I mean, for a couple weeks, and that's all they need so..." JJ answered, shouldering his bag and picking up the box to take out to the car. I jumped down from the ladder and patted her sympathetically on the shoulder,

"He'll get over it Kie. No one likes being turned down but everyone bounces back eventually."

"Look, I think I actually hurt his feelings," she replied, the two of us walking from behind the countertop to join JJ out by the car.

"Look, don't beat yourself up too much," JJ reassured her, stepping lightly down the stairs, "He's completely changed his feels. The past 24 hours have been like Jekyll and Hyde."

"And he's still struggling with the whole scholarship mess," I added, pulling the trunk of the car open, "I think he's mad about a lot of things and you're the person he can take it all out on. Give it some time, he'll come around."

"I hate to admit it, but I miss the old Pope," she lamented, standing by while JJ shoved the supplies into the back, "At least I knew what to expect from him."

"You and me both Kie," I muttered, jumping up to grab the edge of the hatch and pull it closed again. Suddenly, a familiar frantic voice came from around the other side of the car.

"Where've you been?" Mrs. Carrera demanded, raising her arms and dropping them against her thighs as we all froze awkwardly, Kie's eyes grew wide at having been caught but she recovered rather smoothly.

"U-uh, I'm fine...I slept here-"

"Well, we were up half the night scared to death, looking for you," she sniped, voice cracking under the strain and she seemed unable to decide if she was angry or relieved. My fingers flexed against my side and JJ began to chew on his lip, both of us looking equal parts uncomfortable and guilty. "Were you even gonna tell us?"

"Well, I'm telling you right now," Kie replied from the corner of her mouth, looking back at the two of us uneasily.

She looked around her daughter, pointing her car keys at me specifically. "I ran into your brother last night," she revealed and I couldn't bring myself to look her in the eye, pure shame making the back of my neck burn red, "and he's worried sick about you, but I guess at least you managed the decency of a text." Her eyes moved back to Kie at that last part then stepped back to address all of us. "Now what the hell are you three up to?"

"I'm sorry Miss Anna, but we gotta go," JJ dodged her question with ease, pulling on the back of my shirt so we could skirt around to the passenger side doors. Kie tried to preemptively apologize when her mother's eyes went wide and she began shaking her head furiously.