𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

044. They're Gone.

     

     AS THEY wait down by the dock, Josie stood up and looked around. "Dude, where is he?" Kie said, looking over at Pope. "Give him a second. He'll be here." Pope tells her. "He's coming. He'll be fine." JJ says as he finished up and Josie goes out onto the little dock. Just then, a cop car pulls off with the lights on and the sirens blaring. "Shit." Josie says. "Get back on the boat. Get back on the boat." JJ says.

"Untie it."

But who gets out of the police car is none other than John B himself. "Wait. No way." JJ says as Josie sighs. "Dude, you scared me!" She exclaimed at the boy. "I'm sorry." Kie says with a confused look. "You've gotta be kidding me." JJ says and Kie chuckles. "Uh..." She says, glancing at Josie at her side.

"Shoupe let me take it for a spin."

"Okay, that's believable. I'll buy that for now." Kie says as her and Josie walk over to John B. She hugs him first before he pulls back and looks at Josie. "It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for you." JJ says as John B hugs Josie next. "And she runs like she was made yesterday." JJ walks to the front of the boat and Josie pulls back from their hug as they then walk onto the dock. The blond boy tosses the key to him and he quickly caught it, looking to the boat. "You ready to go?" JJ asked the boy.

"Where's Sarah?" He asked, turning around. "She's not with you?" Josie asked with her brows furrowed. "No, no, we got separated in the swamp. She said she was gonna meet me here." John B tells them. "No, we haven't seen her, man." Pope says. "Okay, well, I'm not leaving without her." John B says.

"John B, look at me." JJ said, walking to the edge of the boat. "I know you feel bad for leaving, but there's no time, man. You've got plenty of gas, you've got plenty of food. Once you get around that point, it's a straight shot across the sound to Dismal Swamp, okay? Once you get there, lay low, alright? Hang out for a couple of weeks and then go overland, cross the border at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville." JJ shook the boy's shoulder but John B isn't even looking at him or listening.

"You, hey! You got that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Brownsville."

Thunder rumbles in the distance as JJ got up. "Alright, saddle her up, saltwater cowboy. Let's do this." JJ jumps off the boat onto the dock. John B gets onto the boat and JJ gets ready to push out the boat with Pope when John B stops them, "hey, hey." He turns around. "I'm sorry for basically... throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing." He says with tears evident in his eyes and Josie frowns.

"Hey, John B, yo... we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?" JJ says and they all laugh together as Josie held out her hand and grabbed Kie's gently in hers. "Yeah." John B says, looking at them with a smile. "At least we did it together, though." JJ said and pulled Pope in closer to him before looking at Josie and pulling her in by her waist as Josie puts her arm around JJ's shoulders and her other arm around Kie's shoulders. "Pogue style."

John B nods, smiling, "Pogue style." He repeats after JJ. "Get out of here! Please!" Kie says and Josie nods. "Now. We'll see you in two months, down in Mexico." Pope tells him and Josie sighs. "Love you." JJ says and Josie smiles. "Hey, wait a second," he turns to them again. "Tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?"

"Don't forget. Cross the border at Brownsville, okay?" JJ says as they salute him. "Got it." John B says as he walks up and turns on the Phantom, they push out the boat together and stand there on the dock.

Josie waves as John B drove off in the Phantom. They stand there together for a while until the boat is out of sight, then JJ swings his arm around Josie's neck before walking off with her. When Josie realizes Pope and Kie aren't following them, she stops and JJ did so as well, turning around. Just then, Kie hugs Pope, she's grateful they made up at least but when they pull away, Kie leans in to kiss Pope. JJ looks at Josie right away, pulling his arm back slightly and the girl just looked away.