𝐑𝐮𝐧 ✯JJ Maybank

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐒𝐢𝐱 || 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝

✯♛✯

𝐈𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 one feeling Francine would love to feel for the rest of her life, this would be it. It made her feel like a child again, the wind blowing through her hair as she ran with her friends away from the Midsummer's party. She felt free. Free from her mother's controlling nature, from the mentally draining kooks that surrounded her, and free from trying to hide the fact that she was friends with her group again.

Sure, that feeling was mostly taken over by the fear of what would happen when she returned home but she tried to push that to the back of her mind.

The five teens had just arrived in a small clearing by Rixon's Cove, after they had walked a certain distance they took John B's van. John B and Pope were getting wood for a fire as JJ, Kiara and Francine sat on the logs surrounding the fire.

The two girls have been deep into conversation ever since the group stopped running and got into the van. The boys were really curious about what the girl was talking about, but their whispers were so low and fast that even if they caught a bit of what they were saying, it would sound like rubbish. They didn't fail to notice the way that every now and then Francine would begin to blush, or how Kiara had a teasing smile on her face.

Since the other two boys were busy, JJ was trying especially hard to listen in on what they were talking about. Every now and then he would walk behind the girls and try to hear them but came up empty handed every time. He wasn't being discreet about his curiosity either, and the girls noticed. So, whenever he would get closer to them they'd make their voices even lower because JJ was the last person they wanted to hear what they were talking about. 

"Kiara, I swear to the lord, if you don't shut it I will end you," Francine sneered as she glanced away from the other girl. Kiara has been on her case about absolutely nothing for the past half hour and she was getting annoyed. She just hoped that Kiara would drop the topic before any of the boys overheard them.

"Yeah I'd like to see you try," Kiara rolled her eyes playfully, giving her friend a sarcastic smile, bopping her on the nose. "I just think that the way you guys were dancing at the party wasn't an act and deep deep down you like him, you just wait."

Francine sighed, not answering Kiara, knowing that all the girl wanted was to get a rise out of her. She doesn't like JJ that way, she can't, they literally hated each other two days ago and they were only getting along now. There was nothing more than friendship, if that's even what you want to call it. She already came to the conclusion today that she didn't like him that way. She couldn't.

Sure, she was in love with him when they were younger but that was before she moved to Figure Eight. Before everything changed. Francine narrowed her eyes at Kiara before whispering back,"All I know right now, is that deep, deep down I really think you should shut up."

Before Kiara could bounce back with the witty reply she already had in her mind, Pope and John B approached the group. They dropped the wood that they found onto the grass as JJ threw some onto the growing fire. "Hey, guys. So, like, my dad's already gonna kill me. So what's this mandatory meeting about?"

Francine nodded in agreement with the boy, she hoped that when she returned home her mother would be asleep. But the woman was always awake when Francine had done something 'wrong' so she could yell at her as soon as possible. The teen rubbed her hands together, putting them closer to the fire in order to warm them up, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure my mom will disown me when I get home."

     After her statement she felt Kiara put her hand on her shoulder, sending the girl a sad smile. JJ had also wrapped his arm around her waist comfortingly. She glanced to the left and her brown eyes met the boy's blue ones. He sent her a grin, making her smile back and all the bad thoughts leave her mind. She looked back to the fire, not liking the feeling that rose in her stomach when he touched her.