PARADISE LOST | JJ Maybank VS Rafe Cameron

THIRTEEN

T H I R T E E N

JULIETTE WAS EXHAUSTED FROM THE DAY'S EVENTS. After the little incident with slapping Rafe and the boys sinking Topper's wakesetter, JJ taught her how to surf alongside Kie, John B, and Pope. She kept slipping off the board, but other than that, JJ said she was doing fantastic already. She knew he was lying, but she took the compliment anyways.

     Darkness was setting in on the velvety night sky as all five of them lazed on the hammocks outside John B's house — Juliette shared one with Kie, Pope and John B, and JJ had his own to himself. Juliette felt at peace sitting around with them, there was a contented smile curled on her lips as she and Kie occasionally tapped each other's legs randomly and then giggle as though they'd told each other a joke.

     "You really think it's out there?" Pope asked. "Like, no bullshit?"

     "My father thought it was," John B replied with a hum.

     A pause. "But do you?"

     Thunder rumbled from far away, and Juliette prayed it wouldn't rain on them tonight. John B let out a small exhale through his nose and said, "After hearing his voice on that tape . . . I think I do."

     Kiara tapped Juliette's leg and said, "We let you listen to the tape already, right?" Juliette chirped out a yes.

     "Only one way to find out," Pope said, sounding unconvinced.

     "Look, we're gonna find it, you know?" Kie said firmly, turning to the direction of where JJ laid swinging gently to the wind. "Even JJ believes."

     Juliette's lips curled up and she called out teasingly to him, "Oh, my God, JJ, do you really believe?"

     JJ's head turned to her and she knew he was smiling when he mimicked what she said, "Oh, my God, Julie, do you really believe?" He chuckled. "Totally — yes, ma'am. Wait. Are we talking about four mil?"

     In unison, Kie and Pope corrected, "Four hundred mil."

"Quick, someone call it," Juliette threw in, nudging Kiara with her knee.

"Jinx," Kie jumped at the opportunity as Pope snorted, a grin on his face.

JJ turned on his hammock and said, "I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks." A pause before he called out, "Good night, Bird!"

Pope added, "Good night, bird shit!"

There was five seconds of absolute silence before Juliette hesitantly piped up, "So like — do you guys actually fall asleep in these hammocks? Because suddenly the idea of waking up to bird poop, tree sap, and mosquito bites doesn't seem very — "

"Good night, Julie," all four of them chorused at her, chuckling to themselves at the newest member of their little crew. She was a princess of the Kooks — practically reigning consort to Rafe who acted like the king of the OBX — and now she was a baby Pogue learning their ways.

"Okay, yeah, this is actually perfect," Juliette said, shifting to 'snuggle' herself as best as she could.

Kie was laughing, reaching over to pat Juliette's leg comfortingly. "If you surpass tonight sharing this hammock with me, I'll be immensely proud of you."

"Yes, ma'am, you got it."

Another five seconds of silence passed before JJ snickered and said, "Julie just said 'ma'am'."

Pope and John B groaned at the disruption to their attempt of sleep as John B swung a leg over to send a kick to JJ's way. "Go to sleep," he said in a nagging voice.