June was sat in the passenger seat of Kies car, the two girls having been awkwardly talking through some of their issues since Kie had picked her up. The drive to the beach fortunately wasn't that far, the car parking in no time and the two girls getting out. This was the first social outing June had been to in awhile, party wise, and while she knew she needed some alcohol to get through it, she also knew she would definitely have to keep her head enough to talk through the things she knew she needed to do. Besides...the last time she was drunk was a lesson to her in knowing her limits, she couldn't pull a stunt like last time.

The fire was really going, the flames reaching extremely high. Kie joined her at the front of the car as June crossed her arms over her chest, surveying the crowd for her targets. She spotted them, Pope, Cleo, John B, and Sarah all standing in their own little group, no JJ  in sight. She was convinced this was because he was also mad about what happened, June letting out a dreadful sigh as she realized she was very much not happy with them right now.

"Us walking up together will freak them out, you think?" Kie said from beside her, June looking over at the girl with narrowed eyes. She then considered the looks on their faces if they did walk up together, a sly smile sneaking across Junes lips as she linked arms with Kiara. She felt a gentle thumping in the back of her head, like someone was beating on her brain and asking her what she was doing being so friendly with Kie. After June and gotten home she had realized she maybe wasn't as prone to forgiveness as she had thought, but really she had no choice now...she needed to get things rolling. The faster they got the done the faster she could focus on other things, so if all she had to do was pretend to be friends with them for a few weeks, then she figured she could manage that.

"Let's do it." June said with an air of confidence, wanting to see their shocked expressions when June and Kie walked up with linked arms. While June wasn't fully over what had happened of course, it did feel nice being friendly with Kie again. It was relieving to feel a crack in her resentment. It felt good to not extremely hate her at the moment.

The two girls walked across the sand, headed straight towards the group of four. Their backs were turned to them,  Kie giving June a raised eyebrow look and then  tapping John B on the shoulder.

"Hey guys." Kie said in a chipper voice, the group turning their heads to greet her. June watched as every single one of their faces fell, all of them looking from Kie to the linked arms to June. June had a devious smirk on her lips as she looked at the boys wide eyes, thinking it was worth it to walk over here with Kie, just for that reaction.

"Hey Kie...and June?" John B phrased it as more of a question, June pulling her arm from Kies and reaching for the red cup in his hand. John B watched as she took it, the boy blinking down at where the cup had been and then following it to her mouth.

"What's this? You guys are friends again?" Pope asked as John B grieved the loss of his drink and also prepared for some sort of argument with June, knowing he needed to apologize. June and Kie shared a look and they all waited for the answer to that, Kie shrugging her shoulders and giving them an obvious look.

"Yeah." They all seemed to not beleive it very much but the breath entered their lungs a little easier knowing that things between them were improving. "I'm gonna go get a drink."

"Can you—" Kie had already walked off before John B could finish, his lifted hand falling as he looked back at June. "—get me one..."

June had her eyes on Kiaras back, her head unable to catch into hardly any thoughts since Leon had threatened her in the car. She was running on rash decision right now, her chest burning as she looked at the group. They all looked at her like she was scolding them, Junes lips pursing as she tried to think of what she would say to them. Her eyes narrowed as they all waited for the other shoe to drop, June taking a sip of the beer again and then letting out a sigh.

"My therapist says I need to forgive you guys." They all soon looked at her confused, June taking a step forwards and gathering more words. She could feel the anger bubbling in her chest at just the sight of them, her stomach turning as she lied right through her teeth. They had pushed her over the edge with what they had done, and now she had to pretend she forgave them to their face. She would at least do it on her terms. "That, of course, if you apologize for it."

"I'm sorry June...it was wrong to force you into a situation you didn't want to be in." Pope was the first to speak, June crossing her arms overs her chest and tilting her head at him. He felt heavily ridiculed, the burning gaze in her eyes fully contradicting everything she had said. After a moments more of her scrutinizing gaze, he shrunk back, Junes eyes turning to Cleo.

"I didn't do nothing. Sorry." She said, June shrugging and accepting it. Her eyes turned to John B next and he tightened his lips into a straight line, wondering how necessary this all was. However she thought it was extremely necessary, her eyebrows furrowing as she gave him a condescending look, waiting for his apology. They held each others gaze for a few more moments and then he broke, his hands going to his hips as he shook his head and let out a sigh.

"Alright fine. Fine. I'm sorry June...I'm sorry I tried to fix things so we can all be happy again. I'm sorry that it didn't work out but I don't know...I thought it would help okay? Sorry for helping." They all looked to June to see how she was taking this, her neck turning red from holding in what she really wanted to say. She wanted to let him have it, to tell him to go to hell for forcing her into that, to shut up and never talk to her again. But then she pictured her brother and Zach and she let a breath out of her nose, fighting against all her better instincts to nod.

"Alright." She said through grit teeth, the others surprised that she had accepted that shitty apology. Her eyes took a moment to leave John B, her glare burning into his skin and making him uncomfortable. Her eyes went to Sarah and her hardened gaze broke, June feeling the most hurt from the fact that she had done it too. Sarah looked at her with a loaded expression, June not quite sure what she would say at all.

"Sorry." Was all Sarah managed, Junes lip curling up as she tried to accept it. She could see on her face that she was sorry, but the wound was still so fresh and open, June just didn't even know if she could fake forgive her. They held each others gaze for a moment longer before June looked down at her cup and then back up at them, her lips pulled into a tight smile as she felt discomfort in her body.

"I need uh...I need a refill." June moved past them, letting out a deep breath when she was no longer in their vicinity. She got a refill on her beer, wanting o chug it but knowing she needed to pace herself. She was now very on edge, hating Hardy more than anything for forcing her into this mess. But he made it very clear they had to be on good terms, she had to make amends... he needed all of them. A suspicious thought crossed Junes mind but was quickly expelled as her breath stopped in her throat and her stomach dropped. A certain blonde was walking down the beach, the boy wearing a hoodie and shorts, his signature backwards hat on his head. June felt resentment and anger burn in her and she looked down at her cup, shaking her head as she tipped it back, her face scrunching up as she chugged it. She wiped her mouth as she pulled the cup back, the girl turning to the keg again and refilling her cup.

"No way...no fucking way." She said to herself as she refilled her cup, the girl finally letting out a few breaths for confidence before she turned around. She saw him across the beach, her stomach in knots at the possibility of having to talk to him. Having to fake forgive him, having to give him hope for whatever twisted ass version of their relationship he was hoping for. She started towards him, her body wanting to recoil with every step she took closer to him. He was the last person she wanted to speak to, she was already wondering in her head how he would ruin her forgiving him, she was sure he would find a way. Somehow bring Rafe into it. JJ was about 20 feet from her now, June holding her breath as she approached him. At the last moment she swerved, unable to do it. She chugged the rest of her drink as she realized she needed more time...she wasn't ready to fake forgive him, to be the bigger person. She couldn't see any scenario where  they didn't argue, where she didn't tell him she never wants to see him again...again.

June walked defeated towards a bench by the fire pit, her stomach in knots as she felt better with every step away that she took. However soon she was reminded that  her making up with JJ was a little more than just to fix  her social life...there were lives on the line. June let out a deep sigh as she sat down, wishing her heart wasn't so black with anger and hatred and pain. She wished she could forgive them all the way she was pretending she had, instead of telling them she had and then initiating the process of forgiveness just because she had to. She dropped her face into her hands and tried to think of any other wya she could solve Hardy's problem without having to put her entire mental health on the line,  this act clearly driving her towards an impending mental breakdown. She remembered the Hawks Nest from before, her stomach filling with that same feeling, June trying to—

"Hey June." The voice startled her, Junes head lifting from her hands  to see who it was. She felt dread in every bone of her body when she saw JJ Maybank standing above her, a nervous look on his face.  "Can I sit?"

She contemplated it, squeezing her eyes shut for a moment and then reopening them, a heavy breath leaving her lips as she nodded. He immediately sat, their knees touching for only a moment before June scoot over a little bit, JJ looking out at the fire as he tried to gather what to say to her. Honestly had hadn't thought this far ahead, he didn't even think she would let him sit by her.

"You—you cut your hair." JJ stated the obvious, the fire reflecting and dancing in her eyes as she refused to look at him. His gaze fixed on the side of her face and she could see him in her peripheral, a numb feeling trying to enter her but June pushing it out. She needed to be able to do this correctly, believably.

"Is it bad?"

"No...no it suits you. I like it." Hearing this from him wasn't as terrible as she had expected it to be, her heart dropping into her stomach as she searched her brain for some way to get to her end goal with him. They had to be in the same side again. He cleared his throat and she could tell what was coming, her chest burning as he spoke. "June I—I know you're sick of apologies and stuff. I just want to make it up to you."

The numbness filled her chest again and she found the ability to look at him, the orange light painting him a beautiful shade. She searched herself body and soul trying to see him the way she used to, instead of how she saw him now, but it was near impossible...there was nothing.

"How?" She questioned, wanting to know what he would do to make her feel better. JJ looked surprised that she continued to give him the  time of day, his jaw clenching as he looked out at the fire. She could tell her was searching his brain for something,  anything that could be his opportunity to  prove to her that he had changed, and that what she saw the other night was just not him anymore. He looked back at her and she gave him an expectant look the boy quickly spitting out his answer.

"There's—there's a movie tomorrow night. Would you—we could go? And I could prove to you that I'm not actually  that much of a dick...I just don't know what  came over me you know? I swear to god I didn't mean to make you upset." June looked away from JJ and felt a deep fake pit in her chest at his proposal, the girls fingers digging into the wood of the bench. She figured she would probably have a splinter by now, her hands red from how hard she was gripping the seat. JJ looked back at the fire with a flustered look, cutting himself off from speaking even though his thoughts were running freely and  his mouth was still trying to form the words. June considered what he asked, picturing spending and entire evening with him, feeling fully defeated when she actually considered it without the added pressure. She wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the lives of her friends on the line, but she came to an answer that no one expected, her mouth burning as she spoke.

"Okay." She immediately brought the  drink up to her  mouth as she said it, feeling like she couldn't believe that she had agreed. She hated him, I mean truly resented him and she wasn't sure if being alone with him for an entire movie would be the best idea. But she would do it, and she wouldn't like it, but she would still do it. Her stomach turned and shifted and she felt sick as he looked at her with wide and shocked eyes, stunned that she had said yes to his suggestion.

"Yes? You're saying yes?" His face had lit up like a firework, excitement and disbelief covering his features as he shifted on his seat. Junes jaw clenched and she closed her eyes again, wondering for just a moment  if Zach and Adam were worth it. She groaned as she realized they definitely were, her eyes lifting to JJ as utter dreadfulness infiltrated her.

"Yes....but please don't make me regret it."