Carefree || JJ Maybank

Chapter Sixty-Four

When they finally arrive back to the site of the Twinkie half submerged underwater, JJ honks the horn, backing into a safe are to pull the Twinkie out.

"Where the hell were you guys?" Pope yells at them as soon as they get out of the car.

"Were y'all hooking up like I said you would?" Kiara chimes in, obviously pissed.

"Not exactly." Everleigh says, "Paternal complications."

"Luke was at the chateau." JJ says, grabbing the things out of the truck.

"Oh, great! While your were having family time with your pops, John B got bit by a gator." Pope shouts.

Everleigh immediately looks up at him, lying across the roof of the Twinkie.

"Like for real?" JJ asks in disbelief.

"Yes for real." Kiara answers for him.

"Does it look like we're joking?" Pope asks.

"John B!" Everleigh shouts, trying to go into the water and get to her twin brother.

JJ stops her, pulling her back. "If there's one gator, there's probably more, just wait."

Everleigh nods, looking at the murky water.

"Okay, so what the hell actually happened?" Everleigh asks confused.

All Everleigh managed to hear was "Bit by a gator." everything else was mixed with other voices.

"I don't know why I'm getting yelled at." Everleigh argues back at the yelling.

"You're getting yelled at because you took so long." Pope yells at her, making her take a step back.

"We got here as fast as we could." Everleigh argues back, her voice shrinking.

Sarah, John B, Kiara, and Pope's voice all start to mix, all yelling at Everleigh, who stood there silently.

"Shut up!" JJ yells, louder than everyone, stopping them from yelling at Everleigh. "Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore, alright? Everyone just cut it out for a second."

He paces away leaning back against a tree with a nervous laughter.

"Look, I just helped my dad leave this island, like for good, like he's not coming back." JJ says. "He's just straight up like the Spanish. Just, bon voyage."

Everyone looks at him confused, knowing that it was the wrong language.

"That's French." Pope whispers so JJ can't hear.

"That's not the right language." Sarah also whispers too quiet for JJ to hear.

"All we got..." JJ starts again, "And I know for a fact, all I got, is you guys. You're it."

Everyone stops and looks at him quietly.

"And, I've come too close to using you, all of you." JJ says. "I mean shit, you almost drowned." JJ says, pointing at Kiara. "Pope you were kidnapped. Sarah, you've been shot. John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator, bro."

He turns to look at Everleigh who bites her bottom lip, knowing exactly what was coming.

"Let's go over Everleigh's list, shall we? Nearly killed from impact, nearly choked out multiple times, held at gunpoint, smoking too much, shot with a bow and arrow, getting in fights with people..." JJ starts.

"I think that's enough for now, JJ." Everleigh says with a slight laugh.

"So, this blaming each other is some Kook ass bullshit, alright?" JJ continues. "We don't do that. Okay? We're Pogues." He pauses for a second, thinking about what he had just said. "Sorry, that was a lot right now. I didn't mean to..."

Everyone starts to clap for him except Everleigh. Instead she walks up to him, kissing him on the lips, making him smile.

When they pull away Everleigh jokingly squishes his face, "I'm so so proud of you." She says with a silly voice.

JJ jokingly pushes her away with a laugh.

"I gotta be honest. That was the best freaking speech you have ever given." Pope smiles.

"Also, you should think about, like, a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flip-flopped." John B chimes in.

JJ simply flips the group off.

"We should bon voyage out of here." Sarah says, eager to leave.

"Alright, let's get this damn Twinkie out of here." JJ says, walking to the truck.

Once they hook it up, somehow, Everleigh ended up with the driving job.

She had her license, but she never used it. She liked to walk and ride her bike more than drive.

"Keep it coming. Keep her coming." JJ directs as Everleigh pulls the Twinkie out with the truck. "She's almost out. Keep it going. Easy! Easy! Easy! Sarah, turn her to the right, straighten out!"

Somehow the two people that never drive ended up directing the cars.

"I am!" Sarah shouts back.

When the Twinkie finally gets out, Everleigh stops driving.

"Whoo! The Twinkie lives!" JJ exclaims. "The Twinkie lives! Let's go!"