HOPELESSLY DEVOTED

an outer banks story

by -spacecadet

CHAPTER ELEVEN: X'S AND O'S

Campbell's first kiss was John B Routledge.

There was no easy way to say it, and she hadn't spoken of it since the day it'd happened, except when she'd finally broken down and told Kiara. And she was sure as hell never telling JJ.

The pogues were in eighth grade when JJ kissed a girl on the bus, becoming the first one of them to kiss someone, or have any sort of romantic interaction at all. Campbell cried herself to sleep that night, heartbroken that JJ hadn't wanted her to be his first kiss, when she'd kind of always assumed that he would be hers.

The next day, she and John B were hanging out at the Chateau, waiting for the others to come over to work on a school project, when Campbell lamented to John B that she hadn't had her first kiss yet.

"And JJ just keeps rubbing it in our faces," she groaned, frowning down at her school book. "I don't see what the big deal is anyway."

John B watched her silently, and as she looked up at him, he cleared his throat and said, "I'll be your first kiss, C."

Campbell's cheeks flushed the same color as her red notebook, and she gaped at the boy. "What?"

He shrugged. "Well, I haven't kissed anyone either, so that way, we could both get it out of the way. Be each other's first kiss."

Campbell decided it seemed like a solid enough idea, so she nodded and said, "Yeah. Okay."

John B leaned forward, his eyes closed, as she did the same. His lips tasted like the mint gum they were both chewing, and they both pulled away almost as soon as they'd kissed. They were both immediately embarrassed, ducking their heads back into their textbooks.

"Maybe we don't tell the others about that," John B said, unable to meet Campbell's eyes.

Campbell nodded quickly. "I think that's a good idea."

She'd kissed others since then, of course -- a guy at a party here, a girl at a party there -- but never anything serious. She was still always naively holding out hope for JJ.

She was shocked that JJ was so curious as to if she'd kissed someone -- and equally as shocked to find out he thought she hadn't.

"JJ, just because you've been out here hitting on everything that breathes doesn't mean I've been living under a rock," she lamented. "I'm sixteen -- almost seventeen -- years old, after all."

"Well, you just never mentioned anything to me about it," he replied.

"Okay, well why the sudden interest?"

JJ shrugged. "I dunno. Was just thinking about it."

"Listen, just because you were very vocal about the fact that your first kiss was with Lily Hutchinson doesn't mean I have to be vocal about who mine was."

"So you won't tell me, then?"

"No. I won't tell you."

JJ let out an annoyed sigh and turned away, focusing his gaze on the old Jonas Brothers poster on Campbell's wall. "Fine."

Campbell rolled her eyes and focused her attention back on the nail polish. "You're ridiculous."

"Remember when you used to think you were going to marry Nick Jonas?"

"I was ten, JJ."

"Was he your first kiss?" JJ chuckled, ducking as Campbell swung a pillow at him.

"Campbell! JJ! Time for dinner!"

Campbell had never been so happy to be called down for dinner in her life.

She would never tell JJ the truth about her first kiss -- that was a secret she would take to her grave.

Marie had prepared quite the array of food for dinner, as she often did when JJ came over. She knew the boy didn't have enough food at home, and often sent him home with loads of leftovers. Enough for his dad, too, if Luke was ever sober enough to eat a proper meal.

Smothered pork chops, brussels sprouts roasted with bacon, homemade macaroni and cheese, and her famous handmade biscuits, which Campbell knew were JJ's favorite. A pitcher of Marie's sweet tea sat in the middle, and Campbell poured herself a glass, quickly taking a seat, JJ sliding in beside her.

Ruth strolled into the dining room, wearing a white blouse and blazer on top of a pair of sweatpants. Reading glasses sat on top of her brown hair, which was piled lazily into a bun.

"Ruth Beatrice," Marie scolded as her daughter took a seat across from Campbell and JJ. "What are you wearing?"

"This is what they call 'work from home' attire in the city, Mom."

"Well, that is not what I call 'supper at home' attire, Ruth. You know I have rules about mealtime attire," Marie retorted.

"Yes," Ruth replied, pouring herself a glass of tea. "Which is why I put on the blazer."

"Can we eat?" Clyde interrupted. He sat at the head of the table, fork and knife in hand as he stared at his empty plate. "I'm starving." He'd been enduring the arguments between his wife and daughter since Ruth's arrival, and he was growing less and less patient about it. Especially when it interrupted one of his favorite activities -- eating, sleeping, watching TV, or fishing.

Marie frowned, but nodded, and Clyde began immediately digging into the food.

"So, kids," Ruth began, her eyes locked on her niece and the Maybank boy. "Any plans tonight?"

They both shook their heads. "Probably head over to John B's," Campbell replied. "Head out on the boat or something. Watch the sunset."

Whether Ruth knew that "watch the sunset" was code for smoke one of JJ's joints and drink some of John B's beer, she didn't show anything.

Ruth simply nodded, her eyes focused on the food. "Do you have any plans for your birthday, Campbell?"

Campbell honestly hadn't thought much about her birthday. She'd probably do the same thing she always did -- breakfast with her grandparents, ice cream with JJ, and then spending the rest of the afternoon with the pogues. They usually ordered pizza from her favorite pizza place, drank some beers, and crashed at the Chateau.

"Nothing too special," Campbell replied. "Probably just the same stuff as any other day during the summer." She glanced towards Marie. "Cinnamon rolls still on the table, Grams?"

"Of course, sweetie."

"I assume we're still on for ice cream?" JJ asked, nudging Campbell with his elbow. It'd been their birthday tradition, on each of their birthdays, since they became friends.

"Wouldn't dream of missing it," Campbell replied, beaming at JJ. Ruth smirked, giving her niece a knowing look. The grin immediately dropped from Campbell's face, replaced with a blush, and she buried her gaze into her brussels sprouts.

Ruth was a lawyer, and it seemed like there really was no getting anything past her.

"These brussels sprouts are really good, Grams," Campbell said, eager for a change in subject.

"You're the only one that can get me to eat any vegetables, Miss Marie," JJ replied, shoving a fork full into his mouth.

"Something I pride myself on," Marie laughed. "James was the same way. Never ate any vegetables, unless I added cheese or bacon or ranch dressing on top."

"James would have been entirely okay eating only burgers and French fries for the rest of his life," Ruth chuckled.

"Or steak. He loved steak, too." Clyde added.

Campbell turned towards her grandfather, as Marie and Ruth did the same. She couldn't remember the last time she'd heard him talk about James. She knew losing their son had been hard on both of her grandparents, but while Marie often fondly reminisced about her son, Clyde didn't speak about him. Ever.

"Really?" Campbell replied, tentatively gauging her grandfather's reaction. "How'd he take his steak, Gramps?"

"Unnaturally rare," Clyde replied, shaking his head. "He always pushed me out of the way, when we were grilling. Said I 'overcooked' them."

"Overcooked, my ass," Ruth chuckled, shaking her head. "James was never satisfied when someone else cooked his steaks. I think he wanted them to still be mooing half the time."

Tears welled in Campbell's eyes, and her gaze drifted over to the picture of her father that hung on the dining room wall, alongside one of Ruth as well. Their high school graduation photos. She tried to picture that James, who was barely older than she was about to turn, fighting with Clyde over control of the grill. She imagined them enjoying those steaks, sitting in front of the TV, watching a Yankees game.

She tried to imagine the Sheridans as the happy, complete family they once were. Before Ruth went to New York, before James died.

Campbell would have given anything to catch a glimpse of that.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ author's note ✫・゜・。.

did you see this coming? john b & campbell & jealous jj? hahaha.

the next chapter and the coming few are some of my favorite i've ever written. i just feel really proud about how they turned out, and i'm excited for you to read them. in the mean time, i hope you enjoyed this one! 

jj is in such denial, like omgggg ... at least campbell is self aware in her feelings for jj. jj's such a little fool and we love him for it.

thanks for reading!

xx,

madi