They all sat around the yard, June taking a bite of her burrito as she looked at John B who was speaking. The food was easing the starving feeling in her stomach, Pope tightening his arm around her shoulders as he ate his own burrito. She had been relaxed into his side for the past few minute since John B had started talking, the girl feeling the most at ease as she had in days...weeks even. The Heyward boy was very seriously worried about her after seeing the black eye, the bruised cheek, the bruises on her arms...still he hadn't had the chance to ask about any of it yet because of John B taking the stage, but he made sure his grasp was gentle due to the fact that he was afraid of hurting her.

JJ sat across the circle, tucking into his own burrito despite how sick he felt. Every time he looked up he was riddled with an unkempt jealousy, due to the fact that Pope had his arm around June. And usually it wouldn't bother him, but it was the fact that she could be happy and on good terms with everyone but him. He looked down at the food, blinking a few times as he realized she had still thought of him, maybe this burrito was a peace offering.

Kiara was also surprised by the food she had been given, her guilt becoming endless the longer she ate it. She kept looking at June, wondering what actually happened to her and she figured everyone else was wondering the same thing. It was hard to pay attention to John B when whatever Junes story was probably undoubtedly more intriguing than his. She wouldn't admit it but the past few days without her had been stressful, even Kiara wondering where she was.  Now that she was back it was a bit of a breath of fresh air just to know she was actually alive.

"Yeah,yeah so we uh... we went to the archives in Charleston, and , um...it was...it was a dead end." John B ended his story, June looking up at JJ as they both found it hard to believe him. She hadn't even thought about the action, the two of them sharing a look before they got the chance to realize they weren't there yet. "A dry hole. So..."

"So that's the gold, the cross, and now El Dorado. We're three-for-three guys." Pope stood as he spoke, June feeling inherent guilt as she looked down at the ground. Losing the cross was her fault, and now the dealing she was doing with it made her question her moral culpability. He threw the can in his hand, everyone looking down in defeat as he shook his head. "The streak continues."

"That's great. See ya, John B." Kiara was the first to leave, the girl no longer interested in hearing anymore of this disappointing revelation. JJ was the next to stand, Pope and Cleo already having taken off.

"I'm going fishing. Thanks for the beer." June stared down at the ground as he walked off, biting her lip as she contemplated her own next moves. John B stood, the last two standing being Sarah and June.  She looked up and saw the way that Sarah was looking at John B, June getting the impression that they needed some time alone. She cleared her throat, starting off towards John B. She dropped a hand onto his shoulder, giving him a half smile as he looked at her with a hopeless expression. He had told her something he had promised not to tell, but if he trusted anyone it's her.

"Call me when you can talk." She whispered, giving him a tight reassuring smile and then starting off, raising her hand to half wave to Sarah. The Cameron girl watched her leave, June walking towards her car. She wasn't sure what she would do now, her hand gripping the door handle. She started to pull it but was caught by a voice, her head turning.

"Hey June." It was JJ, his eyes squinting slightly as as the sun hit them. He was standing by his bike, his eyes dropping over her body as he tried to gather the correct words.

"Hey." She said, biting the inside of her cheek as a breeze blew through her hair. She lifted her fingers to push it from her face, JJ feeling nerves bite at him as he took a leap.

"I'm going fishing. You wanna get out of here?" Her fingers still gripped the door handle and she mulled over the options, going home or spending time with JJ. She wasn't sure if it was her boredom or the fact that she wanted to escape having to visit Rafe again, but her fingertips fell from the door handle and she crossed her arms over her chest, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked at him.

"I don't know how to fish." He managed a chuckle, shrugging his shoulder and shaking his head at her.

"Well I am...so I can teach you." Her heart skipped a beat at the look on his face, his messy blonde hair making her stomach turn. This was the first step to trying to get her back, what's the worst that could happen? She had a good time? Despite their fight the night before she actually was considering spending a bit of carefree time with him, one point coming to her mind as she started walking towards him.

"Alright you teach me how to fish." He smiled and looked surprise at the fact that she had agreed, his heart pounding as he realized he had actually convinced her. "One rule though."

"Anything."

"No relationship talk. I need a break from all that." Her considered it for a moment before he sat on his bike, shrugging and holding out a helmet to her.  He wouldn't say a word if it meant he got to spend time with her. He needed to ride out this failure with a little bit of fun. He could manage to keep his mouth shut.

"Deal."

:::

"Okay now what?" June stood on the side of the dock, her eyes wide as she looked down at the hook she was holding between her fingers. JJ was standing beside her, the boy setting up his own fishing rod. He shook his head and smiled, putting his rod down and walking over with the little container of worms.

"Wow you're hopeless." He said, grabbing the rod from her hand and holding the hook out. He handed her the container, gesturing for her to open it. He watched as she pulled the lid off, his smile becoming more prominent as he realized how relaxed she looked. Despite her black and blue bruises she seemed more at ease than she had been since before the island, and he enjoy seeing her this way.  "Now grab one and rip it in half okay?"

Her nose scrunched up as she followed his instructions, JJ holding the hook as she started to put the bait on it. He watched her as she concentrated, her tongue going to the corner of her mouth as she tried her hardest to get the worm on the hook where it wouldn't fall off. He got the urge to speak about their relationship status, but he remembered the rule, instead taking the chance to admire her as she finished.

"That good?"

"Perfect." He said, handing the rod back to her and giving her a hopeful smile. She returned it, starting towards the side of the dock and actually managing to cast the line pretty well. She pulled her chair closer to where she was sitting, JJ watching her intently as she crossed her leg over the other. She was so effortlessly beautiful, he liked the peace of just sitting by her and being in her presence. He looked down at his fishing rod, reaching down and preparing to bait his hook. He put the worm on, casting his line and then pulling his chair over to sit beside her, June not turning her head to look at him.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, JJ glancing at her every few moments, trying to think of what to say to her. His eyes dragged across her face and settled on her busted lip, the boy looking back out at the water and then speaking.

"So uh...what did happen to your face?" That relaxed look melted off of her features and a discomforting look replaced it, JJ feeling bad for asking.

"It's a long story."

"We have nothing but time now. Literally nothing." JJ said, looking at her with questioning eyes. His comment hit her in between the ribs, her heart panging in her chest as she realized it was her fault they had nothing. She looked away from him and back out at the water, blinking a few times as she tried to gather whether or not she should tell him. Of course she would leave out major parts of the story, parts like the charity auction with Rafe, the stake out with Zach, the deal with Rafe, Kiara leveraging her—maybe she shouldn't tell him. There was too much he couldn't know about, too much that would condemn her, she let out a deep sigh. On the other hand she felt he deserved to know, he had been in the dark for a week now, June having an entire side of the story that no one knew. She respected him, he was her friend and a part of the group still...maybe he deserved to know. Her eyes traced over his face and she choked, stuttering out a few words.

"Well I was—" Her words were cut off when she felt a tug on her line, her head turning back to the water. Her mouth dropped open and she was unsure if she had imagined, until she felt another tug, her eyes widening as she stood from the chair. "I have a bite."

"What?"

"A bite! What do I do?!" She said frantically, jumping up from her chair and holding the rod out. JJ shot up, going to grab her rod as she struggled with it. He pulled up on it, instructing her to start reeling it in. She frantically began to reel the rod, her eyes wide as she felt the line pull and pull. Finally it got to the surface, a fish splashing out of the water. She laughed in excitement as she dangled the fish above the dock, JJ grabbing the fish while she held the rod.

"Good job. Looks like a striped bass, not a bad first catch baby! You're a natural." He said as he pulled it off of the hook, holding it in his hands. She had an excitable look on her face, JJ looking at her with pure pride in his eyes. He got an idea, a sly smile on his lips as he brought the fish towards her face. She reacted exactly how he expected she would, the girl letting out a yell as the fish squirmed in her face. He laughed as she took off, the boy throwing the fish into the water and chasing after her. She was stopped at the end of the marina dock, a smile on her face as he approached. He came up to her out of breath, his mouth open and his smile endless as he laughed a breathy laugh. "You should've seen that one coming. I wanted you to kiss it."

"Well you can kiss my ass." She joked, rolling her eyes as her arms crossed over her chest. He gave her a cheeky look, his eyes suggesting that he would as he shrugged. She shook her head, pushing his shoulder as the boy put his hands up in surrender. They both laughed and she felt a stir in her stomach, feeling like normal for a minute. It quickly subsided when she looked at him a minute too long and her lips turned down into a frown. His happy gaze broke when he saw the change in her face and he soon remembered the same thing that she did...things were not normal between them. In all honesty they had never been friends, the attraction had sparked from the beginning and they had wasted no time in getting together. They didn't know how to be friends.

JJ wanted to start his monologue about all the reasons he was wrong and they were right for each other but he remembered his promise, the boy biting back his words and shaking his head.

"I can't do this." He mumbled to himself, Junes eyes dropping to her hands as she stood in front of him. She knew what this was...them acting friendly when they weren't together, she felt it too. It hurt too much. "I can't pretend it's not killing me to be around you and not be with you."

"JJ-"

"Please just let me speak and I'll—"JJ was sidetracked, his eyes shifting to the marina office behind her head. She saw the shift, the girl turning her head quickly
to see who he was looking at. It was a man she didn't know, JJ reaching out and grabbing her arm gently, his face flushing as he looked at her. "I have to go talk to that guy about a job. But you—you don't move okay? We're gonna finish this conversation."

Before she could even comment he walked off, leaving June in his stead, the girl feeling the uproar in her heart die down. She considered staying, the wind blowing through her hair as she realized she had been ditched. She nodded to herself, looking around the marina. Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar boat, her stomach dropping to her feet as she realized whose boat it was. Rafe Cameron's. She started quickly towards the fishing rods and the chairs, packing them up as quickly as possible and starting back towards JJs bike. When he came back she would ask for a ride, she didn't want to be out here anymore, especially not near anything that had to do with Rafe Cameron at the moment.