"Please don't fall. I'm actually begging you." Collins called up to him as he was trying to beat his own record of how high he could get before he invaded a squirrel's nest. He was practically one with the tree, his limbs camouflaged with the branches and leaves stuck in his hair. 
"Don't you want a pet chipmunk? All the princesses have one. Trust me, it's all the rage." He yelled back down at her, his voice already sounding distant. She kind of did in the most arbitrary way, but she wasn't going to feed into this behavior by saying yes. 
When she was finally able to get him to lay with her before he could break his leg coming down, most of their time together was spent with his head in her lap, her fingers in his hair, and her lips reciting words off a page until JJ felt like he was falling asleep. It was the only time JJ ever felt like he was experiencing true bliss. In a world where shitty circulated like air in his life, being with Collins was the only thing that made him feel like it was an even trade. No one could ever have something so special with a person and have a perfect life outside of it as well. JJ would give up anything to keep having moments like these with her.
He hated when the inevitable came and the night fell, leaving him to make the decision on where he would sleep for the night. That first night after John B was gone, he'd slept at Pope's house. Then when he felt like he'd overstayed his welcome, he'd tried sleeping at the Château. But the first step he took inside, he felt so sick to his stomach and couldn't bear the thought of taking another. And so he fled down the front steps and stumbled to a lawn chair, gulping for air and shuddering so violently he thought he was about to go into shock. 
A night sleeping outside was all he could handle, but even then it was still difficult for JJ to bring himself to sleep when there were so many memories surrounding him everywhere he looked. The Château was their place; they'd done everything there and it was the only safe haven that he knew. When going back to his own house wasn't an option with his dad, this place was all he had. And now, it just wasn't the same when the person he linked it to was no longer around. It just felt wrong to be there, and it hurt like hell.
The following night, JJ found himself on the front porch to Collins's house, knocking on the door before he could retract his hand back to stop himself. Immediate regret began to set in, but it was too late, footsteps were already approaching the door and there was no going back now. 
The screen door opened and Charlie's face was the first one that JJ saw. Yeah, this was a mistake. 
"JJ, what's up, man?" Charlie greeted him. There was still an aura of curiosity in his casualness. Charlie had sort of warmed up to the idea of Collins and JJ together and he hadn't protested about the time they spent together both alone and with their friends since he knew what they were going through. Yet despite this, he still kept his eye on them, he just didn't voice his concerns aloud. 
He had to admit though, as much as he hated to say it, things had gotten a lot better. Collins wasn't staying out too late, she was back hitting the books, and she was looking for a job. Charlie had finally relented on the whole working thing because she begged him and Charlie figured that this was something she needed to keep her mind off of everything. Overall, the big idea was that Collins was easier to manage now that she wasn't chasing after gold. 
And yeah, he knew all about that now. It'd taken a lot of explanation, but it felt good to finally be in the loop of things, even if it was already over. Charlie felt like the whole thing had opened his eyes to who his sister had become and he could now see her for the person she'd always wanted him to. It was different, but not like in a bad way. It was just a little weird at first. 
But seeing JJ on his front porch, that was a sight that he had grown somewhat used to, although, not at this hour. 
"Hey, Charlie, sorry to bother you." JJ cringed. He drew a blank. God, he probably looked so stupid. What the hell was he doing there? Just as JJ was about to blurt out some feeble excuse to try and make up for his disruption and run for the hills, Collins, his angel sent from heaven itself, suddenly came to his rescue.