𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐓 / / 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐊

CHAPTER 2

Stella woke up the next morning with drool on her forehead. Her back was facing JJ who had curled himself around her, arm draped over her waist whilst his head rested on the pillow above her own.

"Gross." She grimaced, wiping the spit away as she untangled herself from the boy who was still snoring lightly. JJ had always been a heavy sleeper and could sleep for hours when we was at hers or the chateau. She knew that was because when he was at his own house, he didn't sleep much, always on edge around his father. So when the chance of a long snooze in a comfortable bed came to light, he jumped. With a sigh, she carefully climbed over him, heading out of her room in search of a cigarette.

"You got a cig, Barry?" She called out after closing the door behind her, noticing that their crew was already awake, watching Rick and Morty on the TV that was damaged in the corner. One bit showed only a patch of static, a contrast to the bright colours on the screen.

"Mhm," he mumbled without looking away, holding the packet out for her to take. She did, and snatched a lighter from the table. "You're staying here, right? During the storm?"

Despite Barry being the scary dude that everyone thought him to be (which he could definitely be at times), he did care about his sister. Since their parents passing, she was his responsibility and he made a promise to himself to keep her safe. No harm would come to Stella whilst he was around, perhaps that's because most knew who Barry Swayer was, and what the type of shit he was capable of.

"Yeah, think so." She said, puffing away on her cigarette as she perched on the arm of the beaten up sofa, stretching her legs out to rest on the stained coffee table. "JJ is gonna stay too—"

"Obviously," Jez snorted, causing the girl to look to him with a raised brow. "The dude practically lives here, should be paying rent."

"Says you Jez," Barry interrupted. "You near enough live on my sofa and all I get in return is you moaning about shit constantly. Shut the fuck up, man."

"Yeah Jez." Danny laughed. "Least I provide the booze as well as keeping you losers entertained. You'd be bored without me here, right Barry?"

"Sure, let's go with that."

"As I was saying," Stella spoke up again. "JJ is gonna stay here and probs' John B too."

"Cool, just make sure their both here before she comes in." Barry pushed her feet off the coffee table, a spliff hanging between his lips. "So go do whatever shit you gotta do so you can get back here, or I'm sending Jez out to find you."

She scoffed, stubbed her cigarette out in the ash tray before jumping to her feet. "Okay, but rude."

"Bye bye, baby Swayer!"

When she got back to her bedroom, JJ had finally awoken from his slumber. He was still laid in bed, his arm behind his head as he scrolled through social media's.

"I see sleeping beauty is finally awake." She smiled, shutting the door behind her.

"It's not my fault your bed is comfy, all these pillows and shit, like laying on a marshmallow." He looked up at her from his spot, twisting his phone to show the screen. "Agatha is meant to hit earlier than expected, Facebook says so."

"Well we better go get John B soon, Barry wants to lock up early."

"Aw, is big bad Barry worried about his ickle baby sister?" He mocked in a weird voice making Stella throw the lighter she was holding at his head.

She rolled her eyes when he annoyingly caught it. "You know if he hears you talking shit he'll kick your ass, JJ."

"Pfft," he shuffled himself up the bed into a sitting position against the headboard. "I can take him."