CHAPTER THIRTEEN
maisie and jj

Theo can feel JJ walking behind him, the boy clearly not the biggest fan of personal space. He turns his head fondly, opening his mouth to speak when he spots two people having a clearly heated discussion behind him. They'd pulled up to shore not too long ago, closer to Theo's end of town and this is the result.

JJ gives him a confused look as he's pushed by, Theo storming towards the commotion – the other boy right on his heels.

"Mum!"

The woman in question turns her head and offers him a bright smile, having the audacity to act like she isn't causing issues. Maisie looks at him as well, her face flushed a deep red and her eyes glazed over with unshed tears. Despite their differences, their arguments, it stabs at his heart a little bit.

"Theo, it's so wonderful to see you," The woman speaks, her eyes glancing at JJ for a few moments before returning to her son. "Maisie and I were just having a chat,"

"A chat, huh? Looked like a lot more than that," Theo responds coldly, any joy that had been there with JJ before now completely vanished. "Why are you bothering Maisie?"

"Not bothering, Theodore, merely conversing. I was just talking to her about how you're going to be coming home with me when this is all over,"

Theo can feel JJ's eyes on him, can feel the way his gaze is questioning, confused. He doesn't like it, Theo wants to turn around and assure JJ that he won't be leaving (if he even cares that is).

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll be staying with Dad and Emmy," Theo says strongly.

"Emmy is not your mother, Theodore,"

And there it is. The misplaced jealousy from a woman who has no right to feel it, no right to even speak on who Emmy is to Theo.

"And neither are you," Theo hisses. "At least I know Emmy won't up and abandon me like you did. You know why? Perhaps it's because she can actually feel basic human empathy,"

"She'll leave, Theo. No woman wants to take responsibility of somebody else's child," Sapphire shakes her head, something akin to sympathy washing over her face.

"And yet she's stuck around for this long anyway. Emmy is the closest thing to a mother I've ever had,"

Sapphire's face is beginning to turn bright red, her eyes narrowed in a way that Theo often associates with the woman. It had been one of the last expressions she'd shown before she up and left the first time around.

"She is not your mother, Theodore Silver. I'm your mother. I'm the one who loves you, I'm the one who put up with you for all those years," Sapphire responds angrily, stepping a little closer to him.

The movement doesn't go unnoticed by JJ, the boy inching closer to Theo almost unconsciously. Maisie's eyes flick between Theo and JJ for a few moments and if either of them had been watching, they may have seen a small trace of a smile before it was gone again.

"Put up with me?" Theo scoffs out.

"Yes, put up with you! God Theo, I never wanted to be a mother, I never wanted children, I never wanted you,"

Theo's entire body flinches back at that, the tears quick to fill his eyes. It takes Sapphire a moment to comprehend what she had said, her expression dropping. "Theo, sweetheart—"

She reaches out to touch his face but is intercepted by JJ first, Maisie a few seconds later. "I think you've said enough," JJ says.

Sapphire stares at JJ for a few moments before tilting her head to the side. "Your father is doing a terrible job at raising you, honey. The people he lets you hang around with, the lifestyle he lets you lead—"

"Lifestyle? You mean the fact he's gay?" Maisie sounds outraged now. "Since when the fuck is it any of your business who he has in his life?"

"No, not that fact that he's gay. My son deserves to love whoever he wants to,"

There's a slight flicker of something within him then, the warmth of acceptance that is washed away when she opens her mouth again.

"When I get custody, we will be moving far away from here. Away from Emmy, away from Maisie and away from the Pogues that you've been hanging around with,"

Free to like anyone as long as it's not a Pogue, Theo guesses.

"Look lady–" JJ starts but is promptly cut off.

"No, pogue, I want you to stay away from my son. He's too good for you and too good for your group of friends,"

"I think Theo can decide who his friends are," Maisie interjects.

"Friends? Is that what you two are? I had a chat with Rafe at the Cameron home the other day, he said you ditched Theo for them. What kind of friend does that?"

It's Maisie who has a reaction to her words this time, the smug look on Sapphire's face enough to make his heart sink again. Good to see she's not above hurting her son to get her way.

"And this boy here, well Pogues only ever want one thing from the rich, money. So tell me, Theo, how much are you paying him to hang around?"

"You know, usually I'd try to be a little more uh respectful but you're a real piece of work, lady," JJ is still practically shielding Theo from Sapphire's view.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Sapphire's sneer grows even more as Emmy comes walking over. Theo can just see Kiara in the distance and knows that this must have been her — he wants to hug her right now.

JJ is still guarding him from the woman, even as Emmy closes in on them, Theo grabbing his arm for some form of comfort — the blonde doesn't even flinch at the contact of their skin.

"Do you have a tracker on him or something?" Sapphire spits out.

"That's funny coming from you. No, one of his friends called me. I'd like to think I've been fairly lenient with you so far but I've had enough. The kid wants nothing to do with you,"

Emmy looks over to her stepson and the look on his face is enough to make her heart crack just a little. Her eyes then stray to JJ. "JJ, can you take him home?"

The boy nods in response, giving Maisie a quick glance before guiding Theo to his car. "You want me to drive?"

"Yeah," Theo breathes out quietly.

"Wait!"

Maisie rushes over to them, noticing the look of distaste on JJ's face at her arrival. "I'm coming too,"

JJ scoffs. "Yeah, not happening. Scurry on back to your new friends,"

"We're not doing this, JJ. Theo needs all the support he can get right now," Maisie responds.

"He doesn't need it from you,"

"Guys," Theo speaks up and it catches both of their attention almost instantaneously. "I just want to go home, yeah?"

JJ gives Maisie a quick glare. "Fine,"

"Give me the keys, I'm sure Emmy would like for him to actually get home alive," Maisie speaks, holding her hand out.

JJ wants to argue with her so badly but Theo's mood is enough to deter it. He throws the keys in her direction, slipping in the backseat with Theo beside him. The brunette looks out the window, trying his best to ignore the tension in the car right now, neither of the other two saying anything.

"Wait, we were supposed to—" Theo suddenly says turning his head to JJ who shakes his in response.

"It's fine, yeah? They can either do it without us or wait, it'll be fine," JJ assures.

Theo hesitantly nods.

"T?"

It's Maisie who is speaking to him this time, the boy eyeing his best friend (if that's what they are anymore) and awaits whatever she wants to say. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches JJ sneer at the mere sound of her voice and nudges him.

"You're not really leaving, are you?"

The girl sounds almost vulnerable, worried what his answer to her question will be.

"Nah, my dad is a lawyer. He should have it sorted out pretty quick," Theo replies quietly.

"Good,"

"Wouldn't think it would've mattered to you," JJ snarks.

"JJ," Theo warns lightly.

"You're an asshole, Maybank. I wonder what I ever saw in you that I thought we'd be good friends, I wonder what Theo sees in you," Maisie hisses venomously.

"And I wonder what he sees in you. I'm not the one who goes around ditching my friends," JJ's tone is just as vicious.

Theo rolls his eyes before closing them, allowing the two to bicker whilst he slowly falls into a sleep. It's been a rough 24 hours, he didn't exactly get the best night sleep ever on that boat. This leaves the two former friends to silence, neither of them happy with the current situation.

"When did you two become such good friends?" Maisie asks JJ, breaking the awkward silence.

"Don't see why that's any of your business," JJ shrugs. It's so weird to think that there was a time when these two were friends, close ones at that.

"You're just not somebody I ever pictured him being friends with is all. You've been living on the same island for years and you've never once sought him out before,"

"Well that would be your fault, Maisie. Both parts of that actually. Your actions drove him to the beach where I met him that day. You are also the reason I steered clear of him for so long,"

"Couldn't stand being around me, huh?"

"You were the one who ditched us, just so you remember. John B and I were the only two people who gave a shit about you and you threw it back in our faces,"

Of course, Kiara and Pope had been a part of their group too but those three were the original trio. They were a tight-knit group too, the three of them spending most of their time on the beach — surfing and swimming about the ocean.

"What was I supposed to do, Jay? My mother and step-dad didn't want me hanging around you anymore. You know how kooks are about this stuff," Maisie mumbles.

"Oh, we weren't good enough for you? Yeah, I know, you yelled it in my face remember?" JJ hisses, glaring at her through the mirror.

"Jay—"

"Stop. You know what, Maisie? If it's such a kook thing to hate us Pogues, then explain this,"

Maisie looks back at him, her face crestfallen as she sees a sleeping Theo leaning against JJ, head on his shoulder and a peaceful expression on his face. The truth is, she knows that Theo has always been the better one of the two. He's never let the whole stereotype about their side of the island get to him. Theo liked who he liked and he didn't give a shit about what people like Rafe and Topper thought of him.

"So yeah, maybe it's just a Maisie issue,"

Maisie slows down the car as they reach Theo's house, taking off her seatbelt and turning around so that she can look at the two boys in the back.

"You could've had it both. The new 'cute boy' and your friends because it's pretty obvious to me that it never would've been an issue for him," JJ comments.

JJ doesn't spare her another glance, gently shaking Theo until he wakes up. The boy looks at him, a confused expression on his face as he realizes where he is.

"Hey, we're back at your's. Let's get you to bed, yeah?" JJ says, Maisie almost shocked by the softness of it.

Theo nods his head, sleepily making his way out of the car. JJ closes the door, looking back to Maisie who has brought the window down.

"Maybe it's time you start taking responsibility for your actions. Treat him better than you did us," JJ mumbles before he's gone, leaving the girl to sit alone in Theo's car.

NOTE !

I know this is boring and whatnot but I wanted to post another chapter today! Thank you for stopping by, hope you enjoyed!

Also, I'm thinking of maybe publishing a pope fic?? Would anybody be interested?

made by fireandbloods