good outcomes, all the time

"The Lucky Compass"; pt.2

"It's a heavy vibe right now."

The car ride back to the chateau was mostly quiet. This time, JJ was driving and I was in shotgun, my cousin just sitting in the back staring blankly at the compass and turning it over in his hands a billion times.

I rolled a joint on the dash while JJ and I made light conversation the whole ride, passing the joint back and forth, even tried offering it to John B in hopes that my cousin would talk to us, or at least take a hit, but no such luck.

We picked up the others on the way to the chateau, since most of the towers were still out, we had to do it the old-fashioned way. And even when they got in the car, John B was completely silent.

Once we were all on the porch JJ began recounting our time at Ms Lana's house. Besides me chipping in here in there, supplying correct details when JJ was exaggerating, I wasn't really listening. I couldn't help but stare at my cousin who was zoned out and not listening either.

"-and then we were right outside like this," JJ leaned up against the fireplace and demonstrated how we were pressed against the wall. "And all we hear is just 'BAM! BAM! BAM!' Knocking paint of the wall G, from the inside. Alright? And I was just looking at them like–" JJ interrupted himself, "wait, first of all, look at this shit," JJ bent over in front of Kiara and Pope shaking his head, letting all the loose paint fall out of his hair as he ran his fingers through it, "Look this shit."

"Gross," Pope frowned.

"That's dandruff," Kie stated, also making a face at JJ.

"No, Look," He reached over and ruffled his hands through my hair as well, before I swatted him away, "Look at all that! Alright? That's paint. At that point, I was just like... I'm waiting for death." JJ finished his story, and I could tell his adrenaline rush was ending.

"Okay, so you saw the guys that shot at us, right?" Pope asked.

"Yeah."

"Um. Did you get a good description of them?"

"Yes, anything?" Kie agreed.

"What did they look like?"

"Anything's helpful"

"Maybe something we could bring to, like, a police report maybe?"

I opened my mouth to give a description of the guys, based on what I had seen.

"Burly" JJ breathed.

"I-" I shut my mouth, confused, "Burly?" I repeated.

"Yeah, you know like..." he tried to continue.

"That's not very helpful," Kie muttered.

"Okay well, no like... the-'' JJ paused to gather his words, "the type of guys at my dad's garage. You guys know he made cargo hides for drug smugglers"

"Yeah," Kie said hopefully, assuming JJ was going somewhere with his description.

"Alright so I can tell you with full confidence guys," JJ picked up a Juul from the table beside me, "these boys," he took a hit, "these killers," he breathed out deeply, "they're square groupers."

"Oh my god, really JJ?" He couldn't be serious.

"They're square groupers like narco square grouper?" Pope confirmed, apparently agreeing with JJ. "Like Pablo Escabar square grouper?"

"Yeah man," JJ nodded.

"You guys. Not everything is a kingpin movie." Kie interrupted.

"Okay, so what did these square groupers look like? Specifically. You're, you're-"