Chapter Text
Cherry glossed lips blew out a bubble of mango scented gum before popping it with a harsh smack as one softly tanned leg folded over the over - hammock swinging from the movement. It was one of the hottest days of the year so far and loose strands of hair found themselves plastered to her head, weighed down by a pair of sunglasses.
Footsteps approached and as they stopped she felt herself mouthing along to her brother's words, 'oh my god why are you still lying there, I swear one of these days I will wrap you in that goddamn hammock and toss your body out to sea- are you taking the piss right now? You know I see your mouth moving right?'
She snorted and let herself roll unceremoniously to the floor, wiping her shorts off as she offered the boy a mock salute and straightened up, sneakers kicking up dust when she walked toward him. "Seriously big brother why are you always on my ass? I stay out of all your dodgy business so why can't you leave me alone to relax?"
JJ rolled his eyes, a hand fixed on her shoulder to steer her to the van. "First of all, I don't do any 'dodgy business' just the occasional misdemeanour-" he smirked, propelling them both forward as he continued, "-second of all, I can't leave you alone because knowing your dumbass, you'll get yourself into trouble and before you know it our asses will be hauled in front of the DCS-" they came to a stop by the Pogue-mobile and Kiara wrenched open the doors to let them hop in.
"Really JJ? the DCS threat again?" she rolled her eyes at him, scooting across to let the girl settle beside her, "if she doesn't wanna hang with you all the time, can we really blame her for that?"
He ignored her for a second, rolling himself a joint and kicking his feet up onto the dash, "Not a threat Kie, it's the real deal...but hey maybe if we're lucky they'll chuck me, little sis and John B here all together in one nice big home, huh?" he laughed at himself and shook his head, indicating the topic was done with, "just don't do any drugs Lex and don't wander off and we'll be golden," he raised his middle finger at the teen in the back and she reciprocated, leaning her head on Kiara's shoulder.
Lexi Maybank was a lot of things - Pogue, JJ's sister, highschooler, troublemaker...but one thing she was not, was boring, so if JJ was gonna make her come to every kegger the Boneyard had to offer, then the girl was gonna have fun with it.
The smell of bonfire smoke filled her lungs as soon as the group tumbled from the van, the distant screams and shouts from further along the beach enticing her to stumble hurriedly after her brother and his friends as they navigated the path with the keg carried between them.
There was a heavy Touron presence there that night and Lexi heard Kiara say so to Pope who shrugged, 'weekly changeover, ferry just rolled in this afternoon.' The older girl turned to her with a smile and pressed a cup of the warm beer into her hand, "don't get too crazy alright?," she glanced to JJ and Lexi followed her gaze, "he might act like he doesn't care, but he wouldn't want you making yourself sick on this shit, right?" Lexi nodded, bringing it to her lips and taking several long gulps before raising her cup against Kiara's.
"So am I allowed to go and talk to people or do I have to stand here and watch you fail to get some all night?"
JJ turned to her with a quirked brow but shooed her away all the same, his attentions turning to a pair of leggy blonde's from the Cut that Lexi recognised from a couple of the other keggers she'd been dragged along to. Tossing her hair over one shoulder, she filled her cup back up to full and took off along the sand to find her first victim.
...
15 minutes later she emerged from the trees, thumb wiping away the smudged gloss from her lips as a very pleased looking Touron stumbled after her, his shirt still mostly unbuttoned. She knew the drill, he would ask for her number, she would tell him to dream on and he would either accept it or get a hearty knee to the balls for his trouble. Luckily, this one took the no and was just grateful for the experience as he took off weaving along the sand back to his friends and Lexi dropped down onto a nearby log with a sigh.
"Damn girl what did you do to the poor guy?" Sarah Cameron appeared beside her, folding her long legs as she settled down and stole a swig from the teen's cup.
"Shouldn't you be with John B somewhere?"
"I'm his girlfriend not his bodyguard, any inevitable trouble he gets into, he can get into it without my help-" she looked at the youngster for a moment "-so err, you and the Touron huh?"
Lexi snorted, shaking her head "have to make some fun somehow, I made a bet with myself on how many poor defenseless dudes I can lure into the bushes with me. I mean it beats hanging around feeling every bit the sixth wheel to you guys-"
"You're not a sixth wheel," Sarah brushed her fingers through the girl's hair like she did with Wheezie when she was sad "you're just...younger I guess, but you're still totally badass-" they were interrupted by a slight cough and looking up Lexi almost burst out laughing as a red-faced Touron was stood hopefully to one side.
"Round two" she murmured to Sarah, handing her cup over and fluttering her lashes at the poor guy as she struggled not to laugh.
Sarah caught her wrist before the girl could get up and as she pulled her into a hug she whispered, "just be careful Lex okay? Making out with them is fine but they're vultures on the island and you're only fifteen-"
"-I can handle it, don't worry," Lexi hooked her pinky around Sarah's, straightening and dragging the boy off to the shoreline by the front of his shirt.
Kiara dropped down on the other side of the log with a scoff and offered her friend a fresh cup "at least one of the Maybank siblings are having some luck," she gestured over to where JJ was still trying unsuccessfully to gain the attention of the two blondes and after watching him for a moment, both girls fell onto the sand howling with laughter.
The sky was an inky black now and someone had tossed more logs on the fire so that the air was even thicker with smoke than it had been. Pope stood by the cooler, slowly unscrewing his bottle of water as he looked around for his friends.
JJ and one of the blondes from earlier cosied up together on a log, him whispering in her ear as his eyes were rimmed red from a recent hit of weed.
Kiara talking animatedly to a group by the fire, gesticulating wildly with her hands to the sound of their buzzed laughter.
John B and Sarah pushed up against a tree, hands in each others hair - Pope didn't linger too much on that one.
He was so busy watching everyone that the sudden appearance of Lexi startled him ever so slightly as she stumbled beside the kegger, cup pressed beneath the tap, "hey Popey!" she greeted, eyes overly bright and the boy felt an odd surge of protectiveness when he noticed darkened bruises littering her neck.
"What have you been up to?" he asked her warily, debating whether or not to confiscate the newly poured drink before deciding she'd only find another way to get it next time, "didn't JJ tell you not to drink?"
"He said no drugs, this is fine."
"Fine," he repeated "well right now big bro is wasted so in his place I'm gonna say that's your last drink alright squirt?"
Lexi looked up at him with a fond smile, standing on her toes to pinch his cheek before walking away giggling to herself. Pope rolled his eyes and drank some of his water, twisting his cap around and joining the group engrossed in Kiara's story.
Lexi could handle herself.
Right?
...
The girl had found a group of kids passing a joint around, one of them blowing out cool smoke circles as he did so which she watched from the rim of her cup.
"Yo you wanna hit?"
"She'll pass"
Lexi turned to see John B stood behind her and with a huff she swung her legs around and stood up, trying her best to look sober as she approached him with a scowl, "are you spying on me now JoBo?" she demanded, swaying slightly as she stood in front of him, "I haven't bothered any of you all night, I've stayed out the way like a good little girl so why the fuck are you stalking me!"
"Hey, cut it out!" the boy chided, taking her cup and tipping the dregs onto the sand "what's the matter with you Lex?" he noticed the bruises on her neck and scrubbed a hand over his face, letting out a groan "JJ is gonna lose his shit when he see's you kid-"
She scoffed "that would imply he cared, I haven't seen him check on me once tonight. Because as long as I'm out of the way and out of his shit then he doesn't give a flying fuck about me!" Lexi shoved past the boy, giving him the finger behind her shoulder when he yelled after her.
...
The air was starting to chill and as she pushed her way through the brush, the girl wrapped her arms around herself and willed the nausea to fade as she kicked at the sand. An upturned boat lay discarded further along by the shoreline and she let herself drop down onto it, the rotting wood giving a creak of protest.
"Fuck sake!" the teen kicked out, falling backwards as the moonlight filtered through the branches and streaked her face. Her make-up had smudged a little and there were beer stains on her shorts that would only add to the collection of dirt and jelly already smeared on there. Now she was still and away from the chaos, the effect of the alcohol was starting to sink in and she started giggling to herself, oblivious to the cracking of twigs that indicated someone was approaching.
"What you doin' on your own over here?" a voice asked, coarse with whatever had been smoked. Lexi sat up slowly, chest still heaving from laughing as she took in the boy before deciding they must be yet another hopeless Touron.
"Does it matter?" she drawled, patting the space beside her "you can sit if you brought beer." The guy smirked and held two cups up at her, offering one as he sat and rested a hand on her thigh. Lexi regarded it for a moment with a somewhat impressed expression before batting it away "you have to earn the right buddy-" she shook her head at him and threw back the warm alcohol in hand, frowning when she felt him on her again. "Dude, take a hint yeah?"
The guy stood up, throwing his own cup away as his hands clumsily reached for his belt "I've been watching you all night, taking boy after boy off for some fun. Well now it's my turn-" he finished with his belt and dropped it down on the sand by his feet, shoving her back and gripping her ankles to steady her.
Lexi kicked out at him but he was too strong and she was too full of drink to even begin to muster her usual scrappiness. "Get the fuck off me!" she aimed a half-hearted punch his way as he leaned closer to her, his fingers etching across her cheek "I'll scream if you-" he cut her off by placing a hand over her mouth and that's when she really started to panic, writhing around as he had her pinned, the old boat creaking beneath her. Tears welled in her eyes, and she felt her skin prickle at the sound of him undoing his zipper which made her feel instantly sober again as panic flooded her veins.
She tried to bite his hand, to get free enough to scream for help but it only made him clamp down harder, his fingertips pushing into her cheekbones. She wished she'd stayed on the beach with John B yelling at her, or back at the keg with Pope telling her to lay off the drink. A hand scraped against her stomach and the girl thrashed around again, trying to use every ounce of energy to kick him away but she was only fifteen and he was...he was definitely older and there was no way she was strong enough. But with one last aim for his groin the guy fell away from her, his weight disappearing as the girl took frantic deep gulps of air-
"The fuck you think you're doing huh?"
"This is a private party man, why don't you fuck off-"
"Private party? Private fucking party, does she look like she's down for this to you?"
Lexi's head was swimming, one hand on her cheek to feel the inevitable bruising as she slowly eased herself up to see two figures beating the shit out of each other in the moonlight.
"What's it gotta do with you Pogue? You can't keep all the hot ones to yourselves, the bitches on the island live for this shit-" the guy collided with a tree with a dull thud, clutching his nose as he swung forward, a growl emitting from his throat.
"What's it gotta do with me?" there was a laugh and then the guy was being held by his throat against the bark "she's my baby sister you asshole!"
JJ? Lexi shifted off of the boat, taking a couple of uneasy steps his way as she watched him tighten his grip on the other guy's throat, face flushing red as his eyes rolled back. "JJ?" she breathed "JJ, JJ STOP IT, STOP JJ!" She grabbed her brother's elbow and pulled it loose, the Touron dropping to the ground in a wheezing heap, his blood dripping onto the sand. Lexi kept hold of her brother, dragging him back several paces.
The blonde kicked out at the figure as he scrambled to his feet and took off back through the brush, expletives lingering in the air behind him. When he was gone Lexi fell against her brother's side, balling his shirt in her fist. "I got you" he told her quietly "I got you." He turned to look at her, surveying her for injuries which was ironic considering he had blood trickling from his nose, "did he- was I?" Lexi shook her head no and with a relieved breath JJ pulled her into his arms and held her there, her tears finally falling and soaking into his shirt.
"How did you know?" she whimpered eventually, pulling away and scrubbing at her face "how did you know where I was? That I needed help?"
The boy took a swipe at his nose, "John B came and found me, said you were pretty out of it and that you thought I didn't give a shit about you?" Lexi bowed her head but he tilted her chin up and narrowed his eyes "that's not true Lex, you kinda have to know that because I'm not so good with all this soppy emotional shit-" he draped his arm around her shoulders, "-you've been a mess all night little sister, don't think I haven't noticed. I mean Sarah and Pope both came up to me to tell me they were worried about you but I figured as gross as it is, you hooking up with some lowlife Touron's was pretty harmless, beer goggles and all that-"
Lexi sniffled but laughed all the same "I guess they were pretty disgusting" she admitted quietly "but what changed? What did John B say to you?"
"Dude it's Lexi-"
"-what about her? If you're here to tell me she's wasted or that she's hooking up with Touron's then I already know and as long as-"
"-JJ shut up man, I'm serious, something is wrong with her, she just lost her shit with me - told me you don't care about her and yeah she's a little more than wasted!"
"Fucking hell...alright where is she?"
"I don't know, she went toward the brush. JJ, she's never talked like that man, I think she really needs her big brother on this one-"
"Doesn't matter," the blonde shrugged, leading her back towards the main kegger so they could find the others and head home "I'm just glad I found you in time." A silence fell between the siblings and JJ instinctively pulled his sister a little tighter into his side when they appeared the other side of the brush. They caught sight of their group stood up on the path, Kiara waving to get their attention and Lexi couldn't help but feel a little guilty when she saw how worried John B looked, she made a mental note to hug him later - he was after all pretty much her big brother too.
"Hey J?" the boy glanced down at his sister, realising he'd never seen the usually cocky piece of shit he'd grown up loving look so vulnerable, "thanks big brother" the unusual moment of love an affection between them made her cheeks flush but with an easy laugh the boy pulled her into a hug.
"Shut it you dork" he teased, taking her by the shoulders and steering her up the path before sending her running over to their friends. He held back a moment with a sigh, blowing on his knuckles as he watched Lexi run into John B's arms, the blonde smiled "I'll always keep you safe."