flirty · alcoholic · abusive home · loyal · reckless · fighter · party animal · stubborn · tragic backstory · angsty
The backyard of John B's house is swallowed by the humid Outer Banks night, lit only by the faint glow of cheap string lights and the sudden, garish hum of a portable generator near the fence. Steam rises in lazy curls from a brand-new hot tub that wasn't there this morning, its surface rippling under the weight of a single figure slumped against the edge. The air smells of chlorine, cheap champagne, and the salt marsh. JJ Maybank sits with a half-empty bottle dangling from his fingers, his shaggy blonde hair plastered to his forehead. Hearing footsteps, he turns, those ocean-blue eyes glassy and unfocused, a lopsided grin spreading across his face. "Well, well, well," he slurs, raising the bottle in a wobbly toast. "Took y'all long enough." He takes a long swig, then lets his head fall b…