THREE MONTHS LATER..

• • •

   I WATCHED the sun rise through my open window as I rested my elbow on the ledge, my chin in my palm and tiredly I yawned. This was the ninth morning in a row I'd been awake to see the sun rise, I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept from night until morning without waking up.

With a tired sigh I pushed away from my window and walked over to my small drawers, picking out some clothes for today and changing into them. I looked in the mirror and groaned lowly, the circles under my eyes were prominent now and they were of a dark black colour. There wasn't much I could do to fix them, nor conceal them, so I tried to ignore them and instead reached for a clip to pull the front of my hair off my face.

I opened my bedroom door and treaded through the one story home. My dad was leaning over the small counter in our open plan kitchen come living room and dining room. The set out of our house was almost exactly like John B's, I think all the houses on this street were. My dad was stood with a paper in his hand and his glasses were perched on the bottom of his nose.

I walked over to the cabinet we kept the glasses in, "Mornin'." I greeted, filling the glass up with water and taking a gulp.

"Morning sweetheart." My dad said to me as I walked over to the counter, leaning on the side opposite him, "Sleep w—" He stopped talking as he looked up and instead pressed his lips together, "How much sleep have you had, Mal?"

"Uh..." I paused in thought before shrugging, "No more than three hours."

He sighed and rubbed his face, "Mally that's eight hours sleep in the past seven days." He said to me, "It's not healthy."

"I know." I nodded, "And I want to go to sleep but I just can't."

He leaned on the counter top and patted my hand gently, "I'll see if I can get you anymore of that tea you used to drink."

I shook my head in refusal, "Dad that stuff costs, like, 80 bucks a bottle."

My dad couldn't afford to splash out on expenses like this. He didn't make much of a profit from work in the first place I didn't want him to put himself even more out of pocket.

"It doesn't matter." He told me, "I'd rather spend the money and know you can get a good nights sleep than watch you walk down here every morning exhausted.. and besides, I'll get your mom to buy it."

I rolled my eyes, "I don't want charity—"

"—It's not charity." My dad replied with a raised brow, "You know she loves you."

"Well then pity money." I said, "Loving me or not she's got a funny way of showing me."

"She doesn't, Mally." He said while shaking his head, "Your mom loves you, more then you think she does. You see her acts as acts of pity, you think she thinks she can buy your love but if you were still a Kook you'd never see it that way."

"I was never a Kook." I told my dad, turning my nose up in disgust.

"Regardless, your mother truly loves you. You're just holding a grudge. I can't help that she fell out of love."

I gave him a half smile, placing my hand over the top of his. So yeah, maybe my dad and I had had a rough go of it these past few years but we pulled through. The both of us had to rebuild our lives and that wasn't easy. My dad left the Cut behind years ago, he left his friends and his family to live the Kook life every Pogue dreamed of but in the end it backfired and he ended right back where he started with people telling him 'I told you so.'

But we managed my dad and I, we didn't need my mom or her money.

"Oh." My dad said in realisation, bringing our conversation about my mom to a close, "I forgot, John B and JJ came by. They said they're waiting for you down by John B's place, something about surfing?"

I nodded, "All right, I'll grab my bag and I'll set off."

I slipped my hand out of my dads and headed back towards my room but I didn't make it out of the kitchen before my dad called me back. I turned in the doorway to him, "I know you won't be surfing all day." He said to me knowingly, "Just don't get arrested."

I saluted him, "Yes, sir."

• • •

I cracked open another can of beer after JJ handed it to me silently — my third of the day. It was like he knew I was going to ask for one the minute I turned my head to him. I was sitting next to him on the flooring of scaffolding locked on to the property on the outskirts of Figure Eight by the docks on the nicer side of town that was currently being renovated. The sun was making it's slow decent down after the long day it had graced us with but we still had a fair few hours of daylight left.

A soft sea breeze blew across the property and us, the inviting aroma of the fresh water circulating the island and captivating the tourists even further. The familiar scent was comfort as I breathed it in, relaxing immediately as I felt at peace. I closed my eyes, listening to the soft lull of the waves gently lapping the shore, hitting the sturdy wooden fixture of the docks. The chirping of the cicadas could be heard more clearly as the island settled down.

This was why I loved Kildare and the Outer Banks. I never became accustomed to the feeling of tranquility that engulfed you when you sat and watched the breathtaking sun set on the beach — the way the yellow hues blended with soft orange and moulded into a pinkish tinge before the blue took it's claim against the sky and combined with the colours already standing there to create a purple.

I opened my eyes again, feeling someone's gaze on me and turned to see JJ looking at me already. His blue eyes matched the colour of the ocean — a beautiful shade with small specks of grey that brimmed bright. The way his eyes shone as the sun shone in his face created an almost glossy glow. His skin was tanned from the days we'd spent out on the marsh since the start of Summer Break and he portrayed a sun kissed glow. He was smiling at me, his white teeth on display as his pink dusted lips stretched out.

I furrowed my brows lightly and chuckled somewhat as he looked to me. I took a small gulp of the beer, the bitter taste bliss as the cool liquid slid down my throat, holding JJ's arresting gaze. Once I swallowed the beer I nodded once at him, "What?"

He shook his head to himself, looking away from me and back out to the sea. His red and white cap sat backwards on his head, blonde tresses framing his face. His jaw was chiselled, it always had been, and I had a straight and clear view of it. He smiled again and there was something about it that brought me to smile.

"What?" I asked again lightly, nudging my shoulder into his.

He shook his head with a smile, casting his eyes down to his lap fleetingly as he rested his arms on the metal scaffolding frame, "Nothing." He said to me, meeting my eyes again.

Before I even had the chance to ask him further I heard our friend speak up from the veranda of the property, "That's what?" Pope questioned, a power drill in his hand as he messed around with it, "A three-story fall to the deck? I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival."

I looked up to see John B standing on the pointed roof of the house, balancing right on the edge on one foot as he hovered there. He had his arms out for balance, a can of beer in his hand.

"We're rating John B's chance of survival?" I asked, looking back down to Pope. I kicked my feet as they hung over the scaffolding, "I say zero."

John B gave me a tight lipped smile that bordered on sarcastic before he looked to Pope, "Should I do it?"

"Yeah you should jump." Pope encouraged and aimed the power drill at him, "I'll shoot you on the way down."

"You're gonna shoot me?" John B asked, making a gun shape with his free hand and pointing to Pope, "Pew, pew."

"Yup." Pope nodded.

"They're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers." I heard Kiara scoff. I leaned over the bar of the scaffolding to see her better as she walked out of the first floor of the home and out on to the veranda next to Pope.

"Well at least someone'll have a cosy toilet to shit on." I told her.

She pulled a face of disgust, "This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles I guess?"

I loved that Kiara was all about saving the planet, she was so environmentally friendly and it was nice to know someone still cared on this self absorbed island.

"I can't have cold towels." JJ scoffed from besides me.

I looked to him and took his red cap off his head and put it onto mine with the visor backwards. He glanced at me, his lips parting somewhat but I arched my brow and gulped the beer before responding, "You don't know what it's like to have warm towels."

"Can you please not kill yourself?" Kie then called up to John B squinting under the glare of the setting sun.

JJ looked away from me and over my shoulder, up to John B as he continued to balance, "Don't spill that beer." He told him, "I'm not giving you another one." 

"Woah." John B muttered, holding his arms up to steady himself as he lost his balance. He let go of the can in his hand, "Oh, shit."

I watched the can fall to the floor and the hit the ground, the echo painful as the liquid poured out, running down the crevices in the wooden dock. He reached out after the fallen can, groaning in despair having forcefully parted with it.

I simply shook my head in disappointment, tutting at my friend as I looked to the wasted alcoholic beverage I'd had to flirt my way into getting.

"Of course you did." JJ muttered, "Right when I told you not to."

"What a waste." I said as John B groaned, "I had to flirt for that."

"A plus." Pope remarked unenthusiastically, "Mal's efforts were for nothing."

"Not for nothing, she did get three crates out of Tommy." Kie shrugged.

"That I did." I nodded, taking another sip of my beer."

"Three?" JJ asked me, "You only gave me one? Where's the other two?"

"In the secret compartment in the back of the VW." John B told JJ, "Hiding."

JJ furrowed his brows, "Why are we hiding beer?"

"I'm not hiding it, I'm saving it for tonight."

"Where are we going tonight?" Kie asked me.

I looked down over the bars of the scaffolding to my friend and grinned at her, "Party. Tommy is having one at his place."

"Nice." She nodded, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, well, count me—" Pope leaned back on the wooden railing around the property and looked around casually before his eyes caught something. His brows rose and he tapped the wooden surface twice, putting the power drill down before saying, "Hey, uh, security's here. Let's wrap it up."

I rose my brows in surprise, "Already?"

"Boys are early today." JJ noted, "Humpty Dumpty, let's roll."

"Who're you calling Humpty Dumpty?" I asked him in offence, looking to him.

He got to his feet, grinning mischievously at me and he held his hand out for me to take in an offer to help me up, "John B."

"Oh." I said. I nodded to myself and took JJ's hand, getting to my feet as he pulled me up, "Good."

JJ grinned, "Ready to run?"

I held one finger up and downed the rest of the beer before crushing the can in my hand and nodding, "Now I am."

He shook his head in amusement, "After you."

I climbed down the ladder on the scaffolding and jumped to the deck as JJ stood above me on the scaffolding, "Gary is that you?" He called out to the security that Pope had announced to us, "Gary! It's good to see you man."

"Get down." John B said to our friend, pushing him down the scaffolding so he could climb down.

While my friends were getting down I hung over the wooden railing to see the plump security guard with thinned hair I knew as Gary. I waved at him as he slammed his car door and marched up the driveway of the property, his companion got out too — a man I didn't recognise — and he closed the passenger door.

"Davis!" Gary yelled, "I'm gonna get you this time!"

"Yeah, I'm not willing to bet on it!" I called back to him with a grin.

"You know it's not a good thing that he knows your name right?" Kie asked me just as JJ and John B put their feet down on the deck, my brown haired friend shoving JJ forwards with a chuckle.

"Is it time?" Pope asked us, he looked somewhat anxious as he glanced between us and security.

JJ passed him and leaned over the wooden fence, tapping it excitedly, "Hey, Gary! I've missed you bro!"

"Yeah, you're just asking for it." Kie laughed while shaking her head.

"Stop egging him on." I said to her with a smile, passing her to my friend as he bounced on his heels excitedly.

"JJ!" I heard Gary shout over to us, "Get your ass here!"

"Dude, c'mon." I said to JJ, grabbing his hand and tugging it to pull him away from the railing, "We need to leave."

He pouted at me, "Stop ruining the run."

I rolled my eyes lightly while turning to my friends once I'd gotten JJ away from the railing, "Let's move boys."

Pope sighed in relief, "Finally."

"Come on." John B ushered us into the property through the open french doors, pushing on the backs of JJ and I. He grabbed my hand and we followed John B through the house.

"The stairs, the stairs!" Kie ushered and we ran towards the staircase, each of us taking the steps two at a time to get down to the ground floor where the van was parked. The five of us separated, Kie and John B turning left while I followed JJ right. I grabbed Pope's T-shirt and pulled him along with JJ and I.

"Hey stop!" Gary yelled out as he appeared in front of us, blocking our way out. JJ came to a sudden stop, skidding across the laminate flooring while letting go of my hand quickly. He changed his direction sharply, turning around to run back and he crashed straight into me.

"Woah, shit, JJ!" I chuckled, knocking back a few steps but before I fell JJ grabbed waist and steadied me before grabbing my hand again quickly and pulling me towards the direction of the open side door.

"Get 'em, they're coming your way!" Gary shouted to his colleague.

"Hey! Stop!" The second security guard yelled, trying to intercept JJ and I.

We ducked him while laughing and changed direction, following after John B, Pope and Kie, "Not much of a hugger man!" JJ called back to him in amusement.

"They're going out front!" Gary shouted.

"Go Pope!" JJ called to our friend as we tan outside. He had made it out and was in front of the wooden fence around the property, "Go, go, go, go, go!"

I let go of JJ's hand and we vaulted the fence at the same time. On the other side I saw Pope on the floor and stopped quickly to pull him to his feet, "C'mon Pope, up you get."

"C'mon Pope, get up! Fatso's comin'." JJ called back, running passed us.

I held on to Pope's hand as he squeezed mine tightly, helping him as we started running after the van as John B drove passed us.

"Get back here you little pricks!" Gary shouted after us.

I dropped Pope's hand as he ran passed me and turned to run backwards as John B started honking his horn. I looked at Gary and pouted in offence, "Aw, that's not nice man. I thought we were friends?"

"The bus is leaving!" Pope yelled back to me.

"Hey, Mal, c'mon!" JJ shouted and I turned to the front again, running towards John B's minivan as it drove away slowly. I was the only one not inside now and my three friends were hanging out of the open side door as John B continued to drive. JJ extended his hand from inside the van, offering to help me in. I grabbed it and hopped into the minivan, plopping down and rolling on to my back chuckling.

"Check out Gary, gunnin' for a raise!" Pope said.

I hung my legs out the minivan and leaned forwards as JJ hung out of the van over me, watching Gary trying to keep up with us, "Come on, Gary!" He encouraged and turned back to John B, "Wait. Slow down, slow down."

"Hey! You little pricks!" Gary insulted.

"Guys, you're gonna give him a heart attack." Kie protested and JJ leaned out of the van, holding a beer out for Gary.

"C'mon Gary!" I cheered.

"You're so close! You can do it!" JJ encouraged before tossing the beer overhead to the security guard, "There you go! Aw, they don't pay you enough bro."

"JJ stop, stop." Kiara said, pulling JJ back by his shirt.

"Oh, come on." He protested lightly, "That sort of initiative is just begging to be punished."

John B picked up the pace and we sharply lost Gary and his little friend. I pushed myself further into the van as JJ slid the door shut, sitting next to it by Pope.

This summer was dedicated to having the time of our lives and in order to do that we were going to have the most fun we'd ever had. I couldn't wait, time out on the marsh, chilling in the HMS Pogue — or John B's boat — and getting into as much non-illegal trouble as we could.

"So." I asked my friends with a grin, "Where to next?"

• • •

Kie and I had gone straight to my house after we got home from the docks by Figure Eight to get ready for Tommy's party. I took the two crates of beer out of John B's van and brought them with me knowing if I left them with my three friends they'd be gone by the time I got back to the chateau. Instead of leaving them there for John B and JJ to drink Kie and I had a few while we got ready. My friend had dipped into my wardrobe like I would hers if I was at her house and she borrowed a pair of my black denim dungarees and a white bandeau top. I stuck with a high rise denim mini skirt with simple black cropped top and my old vans.

We weren't really into makeup, it was always too hot to wear it but given that it was cooling down a little I opted on a thin line of black eyeliner, mascara and a pink lipgloss. I left my hair natural, the waves untouched and we walked over to John B's to force the boys up and out.

As usual whenever we went to a party or a kegger Pope was our designated driver. We never forced the position on him, he just didn't like to drink so he always offered to drive. The five of us piled back into JB's van, sharing the beer out between JJ and John B's backpacks. Tommy would have a keggers there anyways but it was nice to have our own alcohol to fall back on whenever the keggers went dry.

It didn't take us long to get to Tommy's place and it was already bursting with Pogues, people piling out on to the lawn while others were cramped into his place. JJ slid the van door open and we made our way up and that was just after eight. I'd left my beer with John B having not brought my own bag and it was just after half past ten when I went to find him to get my first bottle. I'd been getting cups of Tommy's keggers for a while, served by him, and I had a feeling if I went back for another he was going to try and make a move on me— especially after I'd flirted with him earlier today to get the three crates of beer from him.

So I found John B in Tommy's house, standing by a long table used for beer pong, talking to a black haired girl I didn't recognise. She was dressed in a white summer dress with red floral patterns on and I new straight away she was a Touron — or a tourist as they were formally named. She seemed pretty invested in what John B was saying and by the look on my friends face I could tell he was into her too.

I quickly made myself known to them, smiling at my friend while reaching for the zipper of his bag while saying, "Hey, John B."

"Hey, Mal, where've you been?" He asked me as I grabbed two bottles of Coors, using my teeth to pull the top off one of the bottles. I put the two glass bottles under my arm and zipped his bag back up.

"With Kie and a few Tourons outside. I needed a refill though and I thought I'd come and get a bottle instead of going to Tommy. I think if I go over there again he's gonna try and make a move and I'm not all about that tonight, thank you."

John B nodded in understanding before asking me, "You need a block?"

"Nah, I'll get JJ on the case." I said to him, taking a sip of the Coors and looking around, "You seen him lately?"

"Not recently." John B replied.

I nodded, continuing to look around until I met the somewhat scrutinising gaze of the girl John B had been talking to. I noticed as she eyed my outfit before settling back on my face and I smiled as nicely as I could at her, "Hey, I'm Mally."

She seemed to snap out of her judgmental gaze at that and she cleared her throat, "I'm Abbie."

John B watched the two of us converse and I tried to figure out what this girl could possibly have against me to dish me out such a dirty look. It wasn't until I remembered John B had offered me a block from Tommy if I needed it, she must've took something from that.

"Abbie." I nodded, "How long are you visiting for?"

"Two weeks. It's only my second night here—"

"—That's nice." I interrupted her as I saw the back of JJ's dirty blonde head making his way through the crowd of people inside. I also clocked Tommy approaching me from the kitchen and I turned to John B quickly, "Tommy, nine o'clock. I can see JJ, I'm gonna make a break for it while I still can."

"All right." He nodded at me, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

I raised my bottle at him as I walked away, squeezing through the bodies of people as I followed the back of JJ's head. He stopped moving once he had reached the middle of the open plan living room and I managed to get to him, wrapping my hand around his eyes jokingly while reaching up on my tippy toes and leaning into his back, "I'll give you a kiss if you can guess who."

"Oh, uh, I'm not sure." He mused, "This is a hard one, man... I'm going to have to take a guess. Mally?"

I chuckled, knowing fine well JJ knew it was me from the start and I lowered my hand from his eyes. I grabbed his jaw and brought his head towards me, moving to press a kiss to his cheek but at the last minute he turned and pressed his lips to mine quickly. He pulled away with a cheeky grin and I knocked into his shoulder playfully while chuckling. He looped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side and looked down at me — his blonde tresses of hair hanging low over his eyes.

"What's up?" He asked me casually.

"Tommy was heading over, I had a feeling he was gonna try and make a move. I might've overdone it today." I said to him, looking over his shoulder for the brown haired nineteen year old.

JJ pulled me closer to him but his facial expression remained relaxed as he nodded, "Ahhh, I get it. You wanted me to cockblock you."

"Yeah." I nodded, "JB offered when I went over for a beer but he's chatting up a Touron so I thought best not intervene."

"Good idea, it's been a while for him." He nodded as he looked over my shoulder. I saw him grinning at someone and I turned my head to see our friend already looking at JJ and I. He gave us a thumbs up and I smiled in response as Abbie looked over to see what taking John B's attention from her.

"She's..."

"Not at all his type?" I suggested, meeting JJ's ocean gaze with a raised brow.

He nodded in agreement with me, "Not at all."

"That's what I thought but he seemed pretty into her."

JJ pulled his lips down and nodded, "Let's leave him to it then."

"Let's."

He smiled at me and I found myself enthralled in the brightness of his smile. He looked so happy, his eyes lit in a way a person wouldn't understand unless you saw the change yourself and his little dimple on the left side of his face appeared again. And then suddenly his smile dropped somewhat, faltering as he focused on something over my shoulder.

But it wasn't a case of something it was a case of someone.

Begrudgingly I glanced fleetingly back to see the blonde of my nightmares approaching JJ and I. I found myself wanting to migrate further into JJ's side but as he loosened his grip on me I realised that it was not an option. She smiled, bright and fake, as she neared the both of us and something told me she'd been waiting for the perfect opportunity.

"Hey, JJ." She said, twirling a strand of her curled hair around her finger while holding a red solo cup in her hand.

"Hi, Melanie."

The tone of his voice almost killed me. He sounded so interested in her and suddenly I found myself jealous that he was giving his attention to her and not me. I glanced daringly up at him to see him looking Melanie up and down, pressing his lips together lightly.

I knew that look. I knew it all too well.

My nightmare turned to me then and she offered me the best forced smile she could muster, "Davis."

"Kleeton." I greeted in disinterest as JJ dropped his arm from around me completely. In response I gulped my beer.

I didn't know what it was about Melanie Kleeton but she just irked me the wrong way. She was the only girl exempt from JJ's one night only rule and I didn't know why. What was so good about her that had him willing to go back for more? I guess you could say I was jealous and maybe if you told me to my face I'd admit that you were right. I hated the way she took JJ's attention — blinding him so that he couldn't even see me standing beside him anymore. I hated that I was there first and I always had been and she could wander over and make it seem like she'd been there all along.

She didn't have a power over JJ, she just had the ability to pull him out from underneath me.

He was my best friend and how willing he was to leave me for her hurt me. So I guess you could also say that none of this was Melanie's fault, rather it was all JJ's but it took two to tango.

She reached into her top and pulled a baggie out of her bikini, a freshly ground stash of weed in the clear plastic bag. JJ's eyes widened at this, whether it was because she'd pulled the baggie from her bikini top or it was at the sight of the weed I didn't know.

"You wanna share a joint?" She asked him.

And he replied without any hesitation, "Yeah, I'd love to."

I barely concealed my eye roll as I looked around for anyone I knew. The only person I could see however was Tommy as he talked to some of his friends from the Cut and I weighted out my options.

I pursed lips and looked to JJ but he didn't meet my eyes, "I'm going. Tommy is better than this."

He looked over then and his facial expression had changed, "What? You're gonna go see him after you came to me to get away from him?"

I lowered my voice as I turned my back to Melanie, "I'd rather do that then watch you flirt with her."

He pressed his lips together in annoyance before clenching his jaw and just when I thought he was going to say something he didn't. I nodded once to myself, having noticed JJ's mind had been made up, and I rose my open bottle of Coors to my lips, downing the rest of the bottle. When it was empty I pushed it into JJ's chest, forcing him to grab ahold of it and I opened the cap of my second bottle with my teeth again before walking away.

I really didn't fancy trying to avoid Tommy and his advances on me for the rest of night and as I begrudgingly made my way over to him my arm was grabbed and I was pulled to the side quickly. I met the eyes of Pope and I sighed in relief, "Don't do something you're going to regret in the morning, Mally." He told me.

"You're my saviour, Pope." I said to him in response, "Who sent you."

"Kie clocked you heading over and sent me to stop you." He replied before saying, "Melanie Kleeton is not worth it, you know that."

I rolled my eyes at the mention of her name, "It just hurts that he would drop me so quickly for a night with her."

"Yeah, he's an idiot but are you surprised? I mean this is JJ we're talking about here."

"I am surprised." I responded, "I just don't get it."

Pope sighed and looked over my shoulder, presumably to JJ and Melanie but I didn't bother in turning. I opted on taking a sip of my beer instead.

"She's a girl—"

"—I'm a girl." I argued.

"She's a girl he can fool around with."

I groaned, "That is such bullshit, Pope. So, yeah, we have the rule but that shouldn't mean JJ can ditch me for a hot night in bed. That's not right."

"I know it's not." He told me honestly, "He's an idiot. If I were him I wouldn't turn you down for Maddie—"

"—Melanie."

"All the same." He smiled at me.

I huffed then, taking another drink of my beer and looking around until I saw Pope's eyes land on something over my shoulder. I was just about to turn out of curiosity but I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I glanced behind me, half turning to see a boy standing behind me with a charming smile. He had jet black curly hair, shaved on the sides and short in length on the top, a nice tan but more importantly he was wearing a Hawaiian style floral print shirt.

Touron.

But, hey, he was cute though.

"Hey, I'm Noah." He introduced himself politely.

I smiled at him and turned fully, stepping back in line with Pope, "Hi, I'm Mally. This is my friend Pope."

"Hey, man." The boy smiled nodding at Pope in greeting.

"Hey."

"I was wondering if you wanted to play a round of beer pong with me?" He asked.

My brows rose somewhat and I spoke, "Oh, I'd love to but I'm talking to—"

Pope shook his head immediately, "—We're just finishing up, actually." He said to the boy — or Noah, "Go ahead, Mal."

I looked to him, "Are you sure?"

Here I had been venting to Pope, angry that JJ had ditched me so easily for Melanie but I was about to do the very same. Or was I? Pope was the one shooing me away here. He'd told me not to do something I was going to regret though so I was feeling conflicted right now.

"Yeah, of course." Pope nodded with a bright smile, "I've gotta get back to Kie anyways."

I nodded and looked over to see Kie standing by the open front door. She was already looking at me and she gave me the okay gesture with her fingers as she looked to Noah while nodding her head. It was her way of telling me to go for it. I turned away from her and back to Noah before smiling as I nodded, "Yeah, okay. Why not."

"Great." He smiled and he boldly offered me his hand to take.

I took it before saying bye to Pope and following Noah over to the beer pong table where I saw John B still with Abbie. I thought for a minute we'd be playing against them until one of Tommy's friends looked to the two of us, "Ready to meet your opponent?"

"Bring it on." I nodded, taking a sip of my beer.

And then I saw JJ and Melanie step in front of John B and Abbie and I saw something twist in JJ's face. It only spurred me on somewhat though, sparking the competitive nature I harboured.

"Hey." Noah said to me quietly and I looked up to him as a response, "That dude with the backwards hat and the bandana." He said, "He's all right isn't he?"

I looked over to John B and furrowed my brows before looking back to Noah, "John B? Yeah, why?"

"That's my younger sister he's with." He responded.

Younger sister? I pressed my lips together before asking, "How young?"

"Sixteen." He replied, "Why how old is he?"

"Sixteen."

He nodded, "So does that make you sixteen then?"

"It does." I nodded, "And that makes you?"

"Seventeen — but I'm eighteen in three days."

Yep, seventeen was good. I wasn't going for someone five plus years older than me and John B wasn't flirting with a girl who was younger than him either.

"Yeah, John B's good. He'll take care of her."

Noah nodded, seemingly happy enough with my answer but he said, "Doesn't mean I still won't keep an eye on him."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'd trust him with my drink." I said to him.

And then he leaned in and he smiled as he asked, "Would you trust me with your drink?"

I licked my lips absentmindedly before saying, "Depends on how good you are at beer pong."

His smile broadened, "I'll take that as a yes."

"Hey! Are we playing beer pong or are you two just going to gaze into each other's eyes all night?" Melanie yelled over to us.

I rolled my eyes, taking the beer pong ball out of Tommy's friends hand and throwing it without looking.

"Holy shit." Noah said and I looked to see Melanie scowling at me, the ball in the cup nearest to her, "You're amazing."

"I wasn't aiming for the cup." I told him before reaching up on my tippy toes and whispering in his ear, "I was aiming for her face."

• • •

I may or may not have made a bad choice last night but then again you could define a bad choice by how much you regretted what you did. I couldn't say I regretted accidentally leaving my friends at Tommy's party, I didn't regret walking back to my house with Noah knowing my dad would be asleep in his room on the other side of my house. I didn't regret sneaking in through my bedroom window with him or what happened after that and I most certainly didn't regret shooing him out of my room early this morning before my dad found him.

I followed him out, giving him the directions he needed to get back to the hotel on the outskirts of Figure Eight and I walked over the short grassland to John B's place. I saw Pope on the sofa on the porch, barely awake and I smiled at him tiredly.

"Get much sleep?" He asked me with an arched brow, a knowing look on his face.

"Shut up." I joked, shaking my head as I reached for the door.

"Did you use protection?"

"You know me, Pope. Of course I did." I replied, heading inside.

I found Kie lying on the futon, pulling around from her slumber too and I smiled at her in greeting, "Mornin' Kie."

"Morning, Mal." She said sleepily, "Have a good night?"

"Yeah, wasn't too bad actually." I told her as John B exited from his bathroom.

"Hey, Mal."

"JB." I nodded in greeting as I headed into the kitchen, "There's not a black haired girl named Abbie running around here is there? I'm afraid someone is looking for her."

"That guy you were with last night?" He asked me curiously.

"Classic case of protective older brother." I told him, "Which Pope took the role of last night in regards to moi. JJ up?"

"Yeah, hey, Mal—" John B said to me quickly as I walked over to JJ's room in the chateau. I realised he was trying to warn me because when I opened the door I saw him lying over Melanie, his lips locked on hers as he wore only his shorts he had on last night.

They pulled away quickly and JJ groaned, "How many times do I have to tell you about the door, Jo—" He didn't expect to see me however and I raised a brow as he cleared his throat, "—Mally, uh—"

"—Ever heard of a little privacy?" Melanie scowled at me.

I twisted my face up in disgust at the smell in his room as it hit me and I walked in, leaving the door open, "—Ever heard of overstaying your welcome?" I asked her, unhooking the latch on JJ's bedroom window and lifting it up, "JJ, what've I told you about the window? You need to open it before you have sex and smoke a joint otherwise it stinks the whole chateau out. I thought you'd of remembered from our last time together."

"What?" Melanie said then. I took great pride as she snapped, her eyes narrowing on me as I lied in an attempt to irritate her. She turned to JJ who was speechless, "JJ?"

His mouth was agape as he stared at me with wide eyes, "I—I.."

"Come on Mel, I thought you knew what JJ was about?" I asked her.

The blonde turned to JJ again, "You told me you haven't slept with her!"

I remained silent and watched the two, leaning on the dresser in JJ's room. Melanie watched JJ expectantly for an answer but he never replied to her and she screeched in irritation before climbing out of the bed and grabbing her shoes. She stormed out the room, leaving the door open and JJ and I together.

"Bye, Melanie! See you later." I heard Kie call to her cheerily and then I heard the chateau door slam.

I met JJ's still wide eyes and smiled seeing the look of bewilderment on his face. I walked over to his bed and snapped my fingers in front of his face, not getting a reaction from him and I knew exactly what he was picturing right now. I shoved his shoulder playfully and watched as he fell back on to his bed, "Get your head out to the gutter, JJ." I told him, walking to his door.

And then he stopped me, "Where'd you go last night?"

I turned back to him in the doorway and shrugged, "Home with a Touron." He rolled his eyes in response and I said with an amused grin, "Sorry I ruined your fun."

I left him, walking to the futon and collapsing down on it next to Kie, sighing in contentment before looking to her, "So what's on the agenda for today?"

• • •