Silver Keys - Chapter Five
JJ Maybank x OC x Topper Thorton Soulmate AU
warnings: none, let me know if there ever are :)
notes: first, I know this took agesssss I'm sorry but I've been sitting on a couple chapters so you guys should be getting some updates for a while. Second, I lost my tag lists. so lmk if you want added to this one or my general tag list. I've been writing a lot more to cope with my anxiety so... things are coming bahaha. Love you guys, thanks for your support recently - J
Silver Keys Masterlist
June probably wouldn’t admit it to anyone besides her sister and Kie, but going out with Topper was fun. When he had asked her out to have dinner at the country club, she was worried she wouldn’t fit in at all. June was convinced she’d make it about 15 minutes before she bailed and met everyone back at the Chateau. She had on shoes she could barely walk in and a dress she found at goodwill, no doubt someone’s from a homecoming dance in years past and she was fighting the urge to pull her hair up all night. But then she realized they had talked straight through appetizers, dinner, and the waiter had come by twice for the check. The two of them had fallen into a comfortable understanding with each other that had continued into the following weeks.
He picked her up from work on most days, driving around in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. June argues that the small bakery run out of one of the local’s houses has the best cookies, but Topper is determined to try every option before making a decision. It had started as kind of a joke, but now it was just an excuse for them to hang out.
Currently, they were at the island’s movie night, chairs propped up near the back and various snacks shared between the two of them. Topper’s arm rested on her shoulders, something she had become accustomed to the past few weeks. June found herself more relaxed with him, it was easy being with Topper. She didn’t have to think or worry, June could just be.
They were playing The Sandlot, arguably the best movie of all time and June had to hold back from saying the iconic lines with the characters. She had grown up watching this movie with her sister and had practically begged Topper to go see it.
“Really?” He had asked the day before, “The movie nights aren’t really our thing.”
“Yeah, that’s because you guys always cause trouble and then get kicked out.”
He shook his head.
“Yes, you do. Besides, you’re gonna be with me and I am a model citizen.”
He laughed then and again in the chair beside her now.
She found herself leaning into him naturally, even with the arms of both their chairs in between them. It was something she had never had previously. June didn’t do relationships. In high school, she mostly stuck with the pogues and focused on school and not getting in trouble with the cops. Sure, she had the occasional crush or hookup with a touron, but nothing was ever serious. Not that this was, but it was closer to that than anything else June had experienced.
The next morning June had her last piano rehearsal with Mrs. Hana before the recital. The Saturday coming up was the big dress rehearsal. The one with the kids from all over the island and hundreds of different schools and programs. And the weekend following that was the recital. Her whole family was going. Her dad had even surprised her by getting a hotel room for all of them and making a whole trip about it. He had to work night shifts for two weeks, but he assured her it was worth it. Not that that added any pressure.
At rehearsal, June played nearly perfectly. She had only messed up a couple of notes near the end. She’d be lucky if Saturday went as smoothly as this. Mrs. Hana corrected her posture and made her go from the top. They went on like this the whole lesson: June playing and her correcting one thing at a time before making her start over. Normally, June would argue, but she knew it was because Mrs. Hana understood how important this was. This could set her future up, get her off the island if she wanted. She could do something she loved every day.
The night before the recital, June was laying on a hammock in John B’s backyard.
“Nervous?” Kie questions.
June shrugged, “Kinda, yeah.”
“I’m sure you’re going to do fine,” Pope said with confidence. It was only the three of them. John B and JJ had ventured out to get snacks and beer but hadn’t been back for an hour. June’s guess was they found a party and couldn’t bother to text an update. That or they got arrested. Which probably would’ve earned a phone call quicker than the first option. She chuckled thinking about this.
“It’s just a rehearsal and Liv is driving down with me so I don’t really have anything to worry about.”
“You seem to have this all figured out,” he said with a laugh.
Kie said, “And I cannot wait to celebrate when you get back! It’s gonna be so fun.”
June could only imagine what her best friend was thinking when she said this. She was sure it would end like most nights did, tipsy and watching movies on John B’s couch. Her favorite way to end a day. The three of them drift into a comfortable silence, lost in their thoughts. June starts to hear a familiar melody, but can’t quite put her finger on it. She was sure it wasn’t anything she had chosen to listen to, but couldn’t figure out where she had heard it before.
She was brought back to reality when John B and JJ come strutting into the yard, cases of beer on their shoulders and grocery bags in their hands. Kie and June both started cheering.
They set down the stuff on the closest table.
“What took so long?” Pope asked, getting up and rummaging through the bags. He pulls out a bag of chips before turning around.
“You’re not even going to believe it.” John B starts, taking a seat.
“Hey,” JJ yelled at June, “Gummies?” He asks and holds up a bag of gummy worms.
She nods her head and he tosses them over before grabbing his own snack and beer and joining her on the hammock. They all listen to JB’s story, JJ adding in his own variations and making everyone laugh.
“And who ended up being in front of us at the grocery store?” He paused for dramatic effect, “Sarah Cameron.”
June realized a beat late that she was supposed to be reacting, “Sarah Cameron!” she repeated.
JJ turned his head to keep from laughing.
“Am I supposed to be excited?” Kie asked, an annoyed expression on her face. She and Sarah used to be friends before they drifted into different friend groups.
“Yes, Kie. It was like fate.”
JJ spoke up, “I would hardly call it fate.”
John B just rolled his eyes at his friends and took another drink.
“What happened to Molly Fields?” Pope questioned. That was the girl we had gone to elementary school with, the latest victim of John B’s soulmate search.
“Nah,'' he dismissed, “This one’s different.”
“Well, I hope it is, JB,” June spoke up. He looked over and smiled at her.
The next morning June and Olivia jump in the car and start towards the concert hall where her dress rehearsal was being held. She had been up for hours, too excited and nervous to sleep. June had gotten ready, done her makeup, changed three times, and called Topper twice all before Olivia had even woken up. Downstairs, their mom had made some breakfast and June couldn’t bear to tell her she was too nervous to eat anything. So, she grabbed a pancake and thanked her parents.
They listened to music the whole way down, Liv was always determined to get June to listen to the most mainstream pop music she could. She always argued that she wouldn’t understand anyone’s references and it would be an embarrassing mess. June made sure to point out that she had made it 18 years without that ever happening, but nonetheless she persisted.
When they arrived, they parked the car and decided to window shop. They were still about an hour early from call time and Liv was restless enough as it was. June was trying to push her nerves down. She didn’t want to come across that way to the instructors. June had a vision that she would walk across the stage, take a deep breath, and be transported by the music. She didn’t want to have the weight of the competition on her shoulders or the constant confusion about her soulmate circling in her head. That was a new development. June found herself lying awake at night going over everything Topper had said or done and trying to place it into this mysterious soulmate cut out she had in her head. She was trying to do a puzzle with the wrong number of pieces. And she wasn’t even sure if it was the right picture on the box.
….
“Okay, turning the key a bunch of times isn’t going to do any good if the battery is dead,” Olivia said, snapping her head to look at June from the passenger side.
After the dress rehearsal, June had called Liv and the two of them had eaten in the cafeteria with a few other performers. June was practically glowing after being there for a few hours, she couldn’t imagine how she would feel at the actual recital. Everything was going perfectly.
Until they got back to the car and realized the battery was dead.
“Well,” June sighed, “I don’t know what else to do.” Her voice pinched.
“Can’t we call a mechanic?”
“Liv, you know we can’t afford that. Especially in this area. We just need a jump.”
She surveyed the empty parking lot and tried to think of what to do without panicking. They were too far from home to have someone just pick them up and there were no cars in sight. Even if there were, they didn’t have any jumper cables. Maybe they could take the bus home and get help tomorrow. June probably had enough cash in her purse for two bus tickets.
“Isn’t there like a trick with distilled water? That could get us somewhere.”
“You think I have distilled water in my car? Besides, I have no idea how to do that.”
“I’m just trying to give you ideas here,” Olivia said, unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the car.
June leaned her head back and closed her eyes, thinking and thinking.
She was interrupted when Olivia opened the driver’s side door and handed her the phone, “here.”
Confused, June lifted the phone to her ear, “hello?”
“June? What’s going on?” JJ’s voice was on the other end.
“J, we’re fine. Just a little car trouble.” She rolled her eyes at her sister.
“We’re stranded!” Olivia yelled so that he could hear.
“We’re fine,” she said, shooting her sister a look.
JJ speaks up, “Doesn’t sound fine. June, I’ll just come out and help. No problem.”
“No, no. We just need a jump-”
“I’m already in the car, just send me your location.”
“You don’t have to.”
“Yeah, but I’m going to.”
Defeated, June agrees and sends him the address of the music hall.
About 45 minutes later, JJ pulls into the parking spot opposite of them, “Hey,” he says as he turns the key and gets out of the car.
“Oh thank god! JJ, do you have AC? I’m melting.” Olivia yells. She’s already getting in his truck and rotating the fans to blow her hair back before he can process what she’s just said.
“I’m sorry,” June starts, but he interrupts her.
“Eh, no big deal”
“I can give you gas money for coming all the way out here.”
He shakes his head, “Nah. Here catch.” JJ throws one end of the jumper cables to her, “You know how to put them on?”
June scoffs, “This isn’t my first jump, Maybank.”
Once everything is sorted out with June’s car, the three of them drive to the nearest ice cream shop. Mostly because Olivia was being dramatic and promised to pay for herself, but also to thank JJ for driving the whole way out here just to get them home.
“I don’t know, it’s like what if my soulmate doesn’t like ice cream? Ew, or worse, orders mint chocolate chip.” Olivia said as they headed to a table outside. The spot they had picked was really nice, there were picnic tables with umbrellas lined up on a patio in front of the window they had ordered from.
June just laughed, a conversation the two of them had had more than once.
“What’s wrong with mint chocolate chip?” JJ asked.
Olivia made a face, “only everything.”
“Isn’t the whole point of a soulmate that you overlook those flaws and-”
“Please. Don’t lecture me.” She begs.
“She’s kinda right though,” JJ replies, looking at June for a second and scrunching his nose. She smiles back, looking down at her ice cream.
“Have you heard it?” She asks him.
“Yeah,” he clears his throat, “the other night at John B’s.” He meets June’s eyes. “I fell asleep on the pullout and the storm woke me up. So I was just laying awake and that’s when I heard it. It was really faint. Mad weird though,” He finished and took a bite of his ice cream, making June shudder.
She remembered the night he was talking about. It had stormed for about two days last week. She thought about what she was probably doing at the time, practicing for the recital, maybe reading until
she drifted off.
“Do you think you know who it is?” Olivia inquired.
He shook his head, “No, haven’t thought about it.”
“You don’t wanna know?”
“I mean, sure. But if I’m gonna find out anyway by force of,” he struggled for the right word before landing on, “the universe, then why stress right now?”
That answer seemed to have satisfied her enough because she nodded her head and stopped asking questions.
When she finally pulled into her driveway, June had a phone call.
The three of them had left shortly after ice cream, JJ following them most of the way back before he went off towards John B’s and June continued straight, with a quick wave behind her.
Olivia had practically jumped out of the car before she had even parked so now, June answered her phone, unbuckling her seatbelt.
“Hey,”
“Hey!” Topper said on the other end, “I wanted to see how everything went. I stopped by your house just a little bit ago, but your car wasn’t in front.”
June groaned, “That’s because we just now pulled in. The practice was great! Everyone was so talented and I got to meet a couple of instructors. It was really cool.”
“That’s amazing, bub.”
“Yeah, it really was.”
“What took you so long getting home?”
“Oh, uh. I just had some car trouble, no biggie.”
“Oh, is everything alright?”
“Yeah, yeah. Just needed a quick jump and then we were on our way.” June chuckled, nervously. She hadn’t even thought to call Topper when her car wouldn’t start. Truthfully she hadn’t thought to call anyone, but she still felt nervous to tell him what happened.
“So someone had cables? That’s pretty lucky.” He pressed.
“Uhm. No, actually. We had to call JJ for some help and then we were good to go. It drove perfectly on the way home.”
There was a pause before he spoke again, “You could’ve called or texted me.”
“I didn’t want to bother you. I wasn’t even the one who called JJ, it was Liv.”
“Well, I could’ve helped.”
“It’s fine, really.”
“I would’ve called a mechanic for you, had someone come out and get you.”
“And I would have really appreciated it,” June laughed nervously, “Next time I promise I will call you.”
He stayed silent for a long time before speaking, “It’s just your first thought wasn’t to call your boyfriend. Forgive me if I’m a little upset.”
She pondered over his words for a moment, skipping over the mention of ‘boyfriend,’ “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come off that way.”
“Yeah,” he sighed, “yeah, you’re right. I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”
June nodded even though he couldn’t see her and hung up the phone. She huffed, threw her phone in her bag, and marched up the sidewalk inside.
