PARADISE ON EARTH | jj maybank (DISCONTINUED)

2.07

THE FAINT SOUNDS OF Kiara's shaky breath continued to alarm Laura, since she wasn't able to see what was happening. There could be plenty of things down there that could be harmful, and they had just sent her right to it.

Pope leans down, resting a hand on top of the drain, looking in. "Kiara, you find anything yet?" He asks with concern.

"Yeah, Kie, do you see the gun?" JJ chimes in.

"Nothing."

Pope sighs, "It's probably at the bottom of the catch basin." He yells towards the girl in the sewage drain.

Laura sighs, dropping her head into the hands. All she wanted was her brothers name cleared and it was complete bullshit that they had to go through all of this to get there.

"All right, bro, I see you vibing on Kie, okay? Give me the details, man. Are we talking first base, second base, or third base?" JJ asks, showing each number on his fingers.

Pope looks away, then back at the blonde boy. "Try not even in the same ballpark. It's like we're not even playing the same game."

"The other night, we're– She was all over me. And.. But she was wasted, so it doesn't really count. I tried to be edgy, out there, Pope, and she didn't like that. So I tried to be straightlaced Pope. She didn't like that."

JJ grabbed his shoulders, "I understand!"

"So I don't know what to do." Pope yelled in a panic.

"Pope, think. I know you can do that, all right? Like, light some candles. Put on some Otis Redding." JJ started.

Briar tapped the brunette girl on her shoulder, causing her head to turn. "Is this what JJ does for you?" She smirks.

"Absolutely not. We haven't even– no. Absolutely not." Laura said, turning her head away and looking back at the two boys who were still laced in conversation.

Briar laughed, "Do you want to?"

"I mean–"

Laura was cut off as she heard Kiara yell from in the sewer. "Guys, I think I found something!"

"Wait, you got it?" JJ yelled back to her, crouching in front of the sewer, cringing at the smell.

Pope crouched next to him as the two girls stood up and ran over to the sewer entrance, trying to hear what was going on. "Is it the gun?

"Pope! Pope! Oh my god! You guys, there's something dead in here!" Kiara yelled with panic as they heard water splashing.

"Like, a person?" Pope asked, but the only response we got back was a scream.

Laura stood up straight, looking at JJ. "What the actual fuck?"

"Oh my God! There's something dead! I repeat, there is something dead in here!" Kiara repeated. Laura and JJ shared a look of concern and panic, not knowing what to do. JJ leaned back down, thinking.

"Kie, don't touch it. That's how you get worms."

Laura slapped his back, looking at him with a look of 'are you serious?'. He gasped, moving away from his girlfriend.

"Did you find the gun? Is it Gavin?" Pope asked, ignoring the couples bickering.

JJ turned his head back, "What is it? Is it Gavin?"

"Don't touch it!"

Laura scoffed, "You guys continue to repeat each other. You know she can hear you, right?" But she just got ignored since the two boys were concerned for Kiara, as was she.

"Kie, is it a gun? Do you see the gun, Kie? Do you see something?" JJ yelled.

Briar knocked shoulders with Laura. "I swear I've heard them say the same things ten times. Do they think she's deaf or something?"

The two girls started laughing, until they got a disapproving look from Pope. Laura sealed her lips shut, trying to keep her laugh in as did Briar. The two had to walk away from each other or they would continue laughing during this terrible situation.

"You guys owe me for life!" Kiara yelled to them, ignoring their continued questions.

JJ put his hands on his head, "What if Ward put Gavin in the sewer, dude? That makes so much sense."

Laura looked at him as if he were insane. She didn't understand why Ward would put a dead body in the sewer when it could be flushed out at any moment. Especially if it rained. At least she thinks that's how it works, she doesn't really know. But she was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard something.

"Wait. Is there water running right now?" She asked, as all three people turned to look at her.

The four huddled around the sewer, trying to hear the sound of running water which they could easily point out.

Kiara's voice was immediately heard. "Oh shit. Guys. Guys, the water!"

"Yup. Definitely running water." JJ said, standing back up fully.

Realization struck Pope quickly. "Shit. Kiara, get out of there now!"

"I don't have time! Guys!"

The sound of the rushing water was getting louder and louder by the second. They all became panic stricken, not knowing what to do. Water immediately pooled out of the sewer, throwing them all back. They all grabbed onto the gate quickly.

"Maybe there's a manhole!" JJ yelled.

One by one, they all tried to stand up, running up the grass to find the sewer from where Kiara was. Laura was last, running after the three people in front of her. You could see her fingers poking out from the top of the sewer.

"Help! I'm over here! The water is coming up!"

The two boys were grunting as they tried to pull up the sewer top, being unsuccessful. All five were panicking, not knowing what to do since it wouldn't open. Kiara was yelling, Pope, and JJ were trying to get it open, and Briar and Laura stood back, having no idea what to do.

"Hurry! Hurry!" Kiara yelled, hitting the top. "Pope. Pope! Please! Please!"

"We're gonna get you out of there. I promise."

JJ took the out his knife from his pocket, trying to pry open the sides since it wasn't budging.

"JJ! Pope!"

The blade of the knife broke, falling down into the sewer.

"Shit." Laura yelled, dropping down to her knees to help her friend.

They all began pulling on the sewer as water began pooling out of it. Briar joined the three, trying to get the thing to budge, but it wouldn't. None of them gave up, using all of their strength to open it.

Finally, it popped open from the water pressure, Kiara coming up and beginning to cough heavily.

"Kiara, are you okay?" Pope asked, putting an arm around her. "I thought we lost you."

Kiara moved his arms, struggling. "Pope, get off me. Pope! Get off me!" She pushed him off, sitting on all fours, coughing up water.

"Kie, you good?" JJ asked.

She put up a thumbs up, and looked up. "Never better." She sat up, taking something out of the back of her shorts. "This isn't what we were looking for, was it?"

They all started laughing with joy, seeing the gun that would prove their friend and brother innocent. JJ went and grabbed it, wrapping it in his bandana.

"We're gonna get this son of a bitch, man!" He hugged Laura tightly, avoiding touching the weapon to her skin. She chuckled, extremely excited. "Let's get this to Shoupe."