The sound of one singular annoying bird chirping outside is what stirred June March from her sleep, the girl groaning as she moved. She immediately encountered barriers around her, the girl sitting up with hair covering her face. She moved it and then stretched,  a yawn escaping her lips as she looked at who she was in bed with. On her right side was John B,  the boy laid on his stomach in shorts and nothing else, loud snores coming out of his mouth. On the left of her was Sarah, the girl laid out on her side. June wondered if this was her dream scenario, her bladder interrupting her immediately questionable thoughts of the sandwich she had been in.  She scooted out from between the both of them, making her way to the bathroom. She had been staying with John B and Sarah for a few days, since the bonfire due to the fact of not wanting to return home.

June hurried out of the bathroom and towards the front door, pushing it open and breathing in the fresh morning air. She was wearing a bikini top and some comfortable shorts, the heat of summer leaving them all with the least amount of clothes as possible. June rubbed a hand over her face and leaned against the porch railing, sucking a breath in and looking out at the yard. It had been an uneventful few days, the group just hanging out and catching up. Pope, Cleo, and Kie had left the night before and June actually had no idea where JJ was or if he had left. She had crawled into bed the night before with the other two, the three of them so entranced in what they were talking about that they had just fallen asleep in their spots. June was sure she could remember waking up at some point of the night, both John B and Sarah cuddled into her side. Again she was almost sure that was her dream scenario.

"Morning." June jumped at the sound of the voice and also the two hands that squeezed her sides, a small gaps leaving her lips as she turned to see who it was. John B was snickering as he leaned against the railing himself, June shaking her head at the boy and joining him back on the railing. "You ready to go?"

"Go where?" June asked with a confused tone, her face scrunching up as she pushed some of her hair out of her face. John B tilted his head to look at her, a smile on his lips as he looked at his friend.

"To get breakfast. Duh." He pushed off of the railing and held up Junes car keys, her lips parting as he started down the porch. "You coming?"

"Aren't you gonna wake Sarah up?"

"Hell no. If I wake her up now she'll kill me. Come on. We'll bring her something back." June looked between the front door and the boy, letting out a short sigh and starting towards the car. John B smiled triumphantly, unlocking the car door and sitting in the drivers seat. June joined him on the passenger side of her own car, the boy turning the car on as she buckled.

"Can we get coffee?" She cast a look over to him, John B  buttoning two of the buttons on the shirt he had worn the day before.  He put the car in reverse and took off, June still awaiting his answer.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Damn! We can get coffee."

"Well if you'd answer when I asked you I wouldn't be having to stare at your rude ass face." June said with irritation in her voice, wondering why  he was already being a dick. He looked at her with a disgusted look, his lips pursed as he let out a short condescending laugh.

"Oh I'm the rude ass? Definitely not you." He remarked, his eyes on the road as she was further surprised by his audacity this early in the morning.

"Yes you're the rude ass you just asked me a stupid ass question because you didn't answer mine." She said, looking away from him and out at the road. She was trying to decide whether or not she was willing to jump out of the car or not, the answer currently being no.

"I just wanna know why you always got that stink eye on me you know? You hate me?" He asked in a joking tone, June quick to shoot back a reply as she fiddled with the radio trying to find a good station.

"At the moment...maybe. And it's not a stink eye thats my literal face you dick." She was smiling as she called him a dick, their bickering reminding her of a n argument her and her brother had gotten into a few days ago. It also reminded her she probably needed to text him back. He had texted her two days ago and she hadn't said anything.

"You were definitely looking at me sideways." John B said, June pulling her phone out of her pocket to answer the text. His words annoyed her, her hand lifting as she stared at her phone, pushing towards his face. He pretended to bite her hand and she pulled it back, letting out a groan and texting.

"Okay just shut the fuck up." She said, continuing to type. John B looked halted by that, rolling his eyes and looking back towards the road.

"Okay." He said with a tight lipped smile, already searching his mind for the next bullshit he could bug her about. He shot a look over and saw her top, a cheeky smile going to his lips as he spoke again. "I enjoyed our little cuddle session last night.
Man you're so good at it. Too bad JJ wasn't in there."

"Not too bad. I got to sleep all over your girlfriend so it's a win in my book." She said, still looking down at her phone. John Bs face fell at the quick words, June finally putting the phone down and giving him a smile. He had realized she had gotten him on that one.

"Usually I'd take that and laugh but after you guys made out the other day and both of you seemed to really like it, I just want you to know I'm genuinely  threatened."

"You should be." June said, looking out at the road with John B. She thought back to the game a few days ago and how much she relished kissing Sarah, her heart jumping when he said that both of them had enjoyed it. Maybe she would steal John Bs girlfriend. She hoped he wouldn't mind.

"But you don't...actually like girls...do you?"  John B asked in all seriousness, a nervous tone in his voice. June looked over at him and then back out the window, shrugging her shoulders and answering his question with a question.

"And what if I did?"

"Is that why you can't recommit to JJ?" June eyes instantly widened, her mouth dropping open as he suggested something so out of bounds of the conversation. She turned to him fast, alarmed by how easily he can make something about JJ again.

"What?! What are you talking about?" She said frantically, her hand lifting to try and grasp the fact he had said that. He was truly exhausting with this.

"You've been hardcore flirting with him for the past few days dude, but you won't comm—" June cut him off, shaking her head at his accusations.

"Okay...you're like way off. First of all, I haven't been flirting, I've been talking to him again but that's about it other than when we were drunk. Second of all, even if I was flirting with him, that still doesn't mean I'm ready to recommit myself to a relationship. And third of all, I know you think you know what happened between me and JJ, but you don't know." June was rather defensive John B thought, meaning there must've been some truth to what he was accusing her of.

"I know what he said. I get it. I wouldn't want to talk to him either but you can't tell me you haven't been feeling something for him again." He was trying to get a confession out of her, June letting out a sigh and running a hand over her face. It wasn't that easy.

"John...why do our conversations always have to be on his behalf. Jesus at this point I wonder if you even think for yourself." She said,  John B feeling like he was being scolded when she called him John. He shook his head and cleared up the confusion, letting her know that he was thinking for himself.

"He didn't put me up to this."

"I'm not ready. Okay? I'm not ready and I'm not gonna be ready after some shitty convincing from you or from Pope. He hurt me. I needed time. I still do, especially now."  She was smarter than she let on,  she was completely aware of Pope and John Bs endless trying to sway her back towards their best friend. She thought it was sweet but frustrating, but now she was thinking it was just frustrating.

"Why especially now?"

"Because I'm trying to build a friendship. Because I don't want to hate him again. Because I do love him, I just have self control."She said, admitting the truth out loud. John B felt elated that she admitted she loved him, the boy automatically jumping to the conclusion that it was romantically. "Now can we please talk about something else?"

"Yeah...what kind of coffee do you want?" John B said as they pulled into the coffee shop. June felt better that they had changed the conversation, a weight sitting on her chest and her stomach still fluttering from the conversation they were having though. She swallowed the lump in her throat and looked down at her lap, waving off his question.

"Iced coffee—you know what I like."

"Let's get out and get it at least. The lines too long around the building." John B pulled into a parking spot, getting out of the car before June could even protest. She was flustered from the conversation taking the same turn it always did, the girl unbuckling her seatbelt. Before she could even open the door John B was ripping it open, giving her a wide eyed look.  "You take so long."

"Aw so sweet you opened the door for me. You gonna help me out too?" He took that as a challenge, pulling her out of the car by the hand. She rolled her eyes as he closed the door for her, dropping his arm over her shoulder and starting towards the building. He looked down at her and saw her frown, the boy shaking his head as he gestured towards the building. "You're always so moody. Just chill out."

He moved behind her, massaging her shoulder as she rolled her eyes, not happy with him at the moment.  She shrugged his hands off, pulling the door open and then answering him.

"You ever think maybe I'm moody because you make me that way?" She suggested, thinking about the fact that she hadn't been ill until he put her in that mood. He shook his head, and they both stood back, looking at the menu.

"You can't let me influence the way you act. Be your own person Juneypoo." She felt her blood boil at his words and he was too good at being so damn annoying, her hand running through her tangled hair as she shook her head at him.

"Oh my god you drive me insane." John B gave her a quirked eyebrow, a sheepish grin on his lips as he leaned towards her.

"A good insane?" He asked, and June wanted to shove him back from how close he was to her.

"No. Not a good insane." She said in a shocked tone, not wanting to make a scene in the coffee shop. He laughed a little and pulled back, gesturing towards the register where it was their turn.

"Tell me what you want and I'll order."

"Surprise me. Iced please." June stayed back as he ordered it, leaning against the little wall behind her. She was trying to get what he had said int he car out of her head, the reason why she couldn't recommit to JJ? Of course she was the problem, of course it couldn't possibly be why can't the one who actively pursued another girl during their relationship recommit? Of course it was on her.

"You're just mad because you love me." His voice brought her out of her thoughts and she assumed she was frowning, John B making the commit on behalf of it.

"I'm not mad." She said, shaking her head slightly. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she looked over at him, trying to relax her face.

"Tell that to your face." His name was called only a few seconds later, June grabbing hers and the two of them walking out. They got to the car, John B pulling the door open for her and June rolling her eyes as she got in. He rounded the car as June secured Sarah's drink in  the cup holder. He got in and then they just sat there, enjoying their drinks for a moment. June was thinking about John Bs questioning  and about the very real possibility that she had been flirting with JJ.  John B seemed like he was drifted off somewhere far away, not anywhere close to where they were now.

"Do you remember when we were in Nassau and we were sitting in the truck...and I told you—" June wanted to flinch at the sound of his serious voice and also the mention of Nassau, her own thoughts guiding her to her questioning.

"Me and JJ would end up together anyways?" John B didn't look at her, but she looked at him, and she realized now that this was a serious conversation.

"Well yeah but no—no I wasn't talking about that. Do you remember when we were talking about all of our wrong choices and I asked you if you regretted letting me in your car that day?" June did remember that moment, the girl looking over at John B with softened eyes and a mourning gaze. She remembered what she had said, why she had said it. She remembered how hopeless she had felt during that moment but also how much better that moment was compared to one's that followed.

"I remember." She whispered, John B nodding slightly. He turned his head and caught her gaze for only a moment before he looked down at his lap and  spoke.

"Do you still not regret it?" The words actually seemed to strike her, the girl looking out the window with a miserable and tortured look. She let out a sigh and was quickly unable to answer, knowing that she couldn't come up with one.

"It's not that simple." She said, John B now staring at the side of her face. He felt his heart slowly sink at her words but he couldn't really blame her, his head tilting slightly as he realized something about her.

"It's funny." He said, June looking over at him with a questioning look.

"What's funny?"

"You're sitting right beside me and yet you seem so far away." She swallowed hard, the eye contact faltering and her head turning back slowly to the front. John B gazed at her a little longer, his head resting against the seat rest as he thought about his dad for a moment. He was still there...holding his dad in his arms. He wondered where she was.

"I wish I was here." She said, shrugging her shoulders. John B furrowed his eyebrows, pushing on with the  questioning.

"Well...where are you?" He asked, wondering if even she knew.

"If I find out I'll let you know." She said admittedly, a small chuckle leaving her lips as she sipped at her coffee again. He nodded slightly and only for a second before he felt like now as the time to get something off of his chest. Something he had been reserving for a serious talk between the two of them.

"That uh...when—when you told me to take the shot in the forest...I hope you know that I don't regret not doing it." June looked over at him and she could see the pain in his eyes, her heart dropping at record speed as she remembered the moment. She had wanted nothing more than for him to take that shot. How different things would have been.

"Even though—"

"Even though things could've been different." John B said, nodding reassuringly at her. June felt  an unknown weight lift form her chest as he said it, and she slid her hand across the middle console to his, gripping her fingers in hers and squeezing.

"Okay." She said, accepting what he had said. He gave her a sorrowful smile and for this moment she knew that he loved her, and she loved him. She knew. He knew.

"I'm glad you're back." He said, his eyes flickering over her face with adoration in them. She grew a smile and he enjoyed seeing it, he felt like he didn't see a real one too often.

"Me too." She said, and she meant it. She was beyond glad she was back. She would rather be here than anywhere else, especially that school.

"Everything's okay when we're together." It was the most hopeful thing she  had ever heard John B say, and quite frankly she wasn't too sure if she believed it.

"Is it?" She asked, the boy sitting forwards and starting the engine. He looked at her with a breathtakingly exuberant smile and she believed him, even before he had to confirm.

"Yeah. It is."