𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐄𝐖, ʲʲ ᵐᵃʸᵇᵃⁿᵏ

xxxii. bad ideas

Chapter Thirty-Two: Bad Ideas

JJ WAS FUMING as he drove deeper through The Cut, arriving to a trailer park.

"Welcome to crackhead wasteland." Sarah shook her head in disgust.

"Yeah, I don't think this is a good idea." Pope told JJ as they pulled up to a worn down trailer. JJ parked as he checked Barry's license, making sure he was at the right place before cutting the engine. "Dude, why are we at Barry's?" Pope asked.

JJ popped open his door. "This'll only take a second." He made his way around the van.

"Where are you going?" John B asked the boy, Pope sliding the back door open.

JJ walked up the steps. "Yo soy justicia." He retorted, disappearing into the small home.

Ava's fingers drummed against her thigh, thoughts racing. "Dammit." She quickly jumped out of the van, hearing John B to tell her to wait as he got out as well. She didn't wait, shoving through the front door seeing her boyfriend completely tearing apart the trailer. This was something she had never seen before, the boy had anger issues, that she knew all too well about, counting the numerous times he'd come to her after he got in a fight with a Kook that spoke to him the wrong way. Ava somewhat felt stunned, stuck in place. "J-" Her voice barely even came out as a whisper.

John B entered the already open door. "Yeah, so what's your plan, slick?" He asked.

JJ had his back turned on the other two. "Well, as thou hath stealeth from us, we shall stealth from ye." He spoke, lifting up couch cushions and throwing them wherever.

"That kinda got lost in translation." John B shrugged.

"An eye for an eye, John B." JJ clarified, rolling his eyes, trying to move further into the trailer when John B grabbed his shoulders to stop him.

"Yeah, that's great JJ, but what happens after you rob a drug dealer, huh? He knows who we are." John B tried to explain as JJ just moved passed him. "JJ, don't-" He was ignored when the blonde went in the bedroom. John B leaned against the chair, looking toward Ava. "This is insane, you know that right?"

"Stop." Was all she said, keeping her sight on the sheet in the doorway of the room JJ was in.

John B shook his head. "What are you doing?" He called out to JJ.

"Getting even." JJ simply responded. "Alright. took care of business." He walked out of the bedroom, shoving one last stack of money into a duffel bag.

John B stopped JJ once again. "Hey, look at me. If you keep going down this road, you're gonna end up just like your dad-"

"John B-"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence when JJ grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Watch your mouth, man." He spat through gritted teeth. "Aren't you tired of getting messed with?" He questioned.

"That's not the point, JJ." John B told him.

He scoffed. " 'Cause I am." He let go of the boy and walked out of the house.

Ava stood and glanced over at John B. "You just had to say it, didn't you?" Countless time JJ had nearly broken down in the girl's arms at the thought of becoming like Luke Maybank when he was older, telling her how he could sometimes see his father in himself when he got extremely angry, it was something that terrified the boy.

She walked out of the trailer and saw JJ with Kie, Pope and Sarah. "So that's what we're doing now?" Kie asked shaking her head. "Robbing drug dealers?" She spat.

"This Barry guy is gonna find out." Sarah told JJ. "And he's gonna come after us." She pointed out.

"Yes he will." Pope added. "This is not the time to start wilin' out."

JJ looked up at them angrily. "How'd you guys like having a gun pulled on you?" He turned to John B, pointing a finger in his face. "He had it right here on you bro. God dammit, he had that shit directly on Ava's chest, man!" His voice straining as he shouted.

"Look, we gotta go get the gold, man." John B grabbed the bag from JJ's hand. "Give me that shit." JJ was quick to grab it back while shoving his friend into the van. "Do you feel like a tough guy? Huh?" John b pushed back. "What're you gonna do when he comes after us?"

"Punch him in the throat."

John B grew even more frustrated. "Yeah, good fuckin' idea, JJ."

"I'm not putting it back." JJ climbed into the bus. "You guys getting in or what?" Ava, seeing how visibly upset he was, went to sit next to him, though it only lasted a second before he got back out, she held her head in hands. "What?" He questioned those in front of him, hands on his hips while waiting for an answer.

"We're sick of your shit." John B said, stepping forward.

"Oh, my shit?" JJ pointed to himself, nodding, a scowl worn across his face.

"Yeah, yeah. Your shit." John B repeated.

"Yes." Kie added. "Your pulling guns on people shit-"

"You acting like a maniac-" Pope also said, Ava looked up at the group, how the hell could they be turning on him just like that? Ganging up on him, of course it was stupid, JJ was the basically the walking definition of an idiot, but something about this felt unfair.

"Okay, Pope." JJ started loudly, gesturing toward the boy. "I took the fall for you man!" His voice broke slightly, causing Ava to get our of the van to try and comfort him but we wasn't done just yet. "Do you know how much money I owe because of you?"

"I didn't even ask you to do that!" Pope shouted back. "And I already told you I'd pay it back-"

"I just did!" JJ spat tightly. "Pay it back. Right here, right now, by myself." He let the words register before looking at the rest of them. "Ya' know what? That's exactly what I'm gonna do." He moved Ava out of the way and grabbed the bag of money and his backpack. "Go off by myself." He started walking away.

"JJ..." John B trailed off.

"Hey, wait man." Pope called, stepping forward when Ava caught JJ's wrist, stopping him.

"What the hell are you doing?" She asked him, shaking her head. "Y- you can't just leave."

JJ scoffed. "They obviously don't want me here at the moment, Ava. I would ask you to come with me.. but it's safer staying with the crew right now." He leaned down to kiss her forehead, her eyes closing, a stray tear rolling down her cheek that she wiped away as fast as she could.

"I want you here." She whispered.

"Stay safe for me alright?" With that, he let go of the girl and walked off. Ava stormed into the van, climbing as far away from the rest of the group as she could, cornering herself in the back of The Twinkie.