The bonfire crackled, casting flickering shadows across the beach sand. John B and Sarah were tangled up on a blanket watching sunset. Pope and Kie, as always, were locked in some intense discussion about the local environment.

Meanwhile, JJ, fueled by a healthy dose of whatever cheap beer he'd swiped, had decided tonight was a night for culinary innovation.

He slurred, waving a piece of dry seaweed, "we're gonna toast this bad boy...directly on the flame."

"JJ," you sighed, "You're gonna set your hair on fire."

He just grinned, mischievous glint in his eyes. "Nah, it's a culinary adventure!"

He hummed up a melody and started doing this weird, jerky dance towards the fire.

"Observe," he announced, holding the seaweed over the flame. "The dawn of a new era of dry seaweed!"

Suddenly, a gust of wind whipped the flames higher, and the seaweed caught fire with a whoosh.

JJ yelped, pulling back. "Whoa! okay, maybe a little too much adventure."

It scares the hell out of you. JJ saw your reaction. He quickly and panicky dropped the flaming dry seaweed into the sand, kicking sand over it to smother the flames.

He knew. About the fire, the one that took your old house and left you a scared little girl on the cut. He saw you flinch, your eyes squeezing shut, and you instinctively moved behind him, trying to hide.

He winced, his face softening. "Hey," he said, his voice low, "Hey, I'm sorry, it's okay now, it's out." He crouched down, trying to meet your eyes.

The others, drawn by the sudden flare-up and the smell of smoke, "What the hell happened?" John B asked, his voice laced with concern.

But JJ ignored him. His focus was entirely on you. "Hey," he repeated, softer this time. "You alright?"

It was typical JJ. He'd act dumb, impulsive, like he had no sense at all.

But then, He knew, somehow, when to put the chaos aside and just... be there. He always knew how to take care of his friends, even if he did it in his own, messed-up way.