MATILDA , jj maybank

20

MATILDA! CHAPTER TWENTY:
ITS A JJ THING
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if there was one thing Liz knew about JJ, it's that when someone messes with his friends he made sure to get them back ten times harder. When they were younger Liz had her bracelet stolen. It was her favourite bracelet and JJ found out he found the kid who took her bracelet and punched the kid. sure, his dad made him pay for it at home but he didn't care. He defended Liz, and that's what he promised himself to do ever since he met her. Liz could tell by the way JJs face was from the passenger seat that he was infuriated. He was about to do something he'd undoubtedly regret.

"Welcome to Crackhead wasteland" Sarah said as they entered where the dude named Barry lived.

"I don't know about this, man."

"Dude, why are we at Barry's?"

"JJ it's fine, we left him we don't need to fight back" Liz told him

"This'll only take a second." JJ muttered getting out of the van and heading towards the house

"Where you going?" John B asked

"Yo soy justicia."

"Did you pick up on any of that?" Pope asked

"JJ is gonna do something estúpido" Liz stated plainly "You know somebody should probably—" Liz looked towards John B

"Yeah, I got it" John B moved out of the car and went to go find JJ

"Right" Kie said

Liz sat back in the car and waited for the two boys to come back out. They all got out of the car and Liz stood with Sarah. "All right, so we're looking at five grand each for reparations for putting us through that bullshit." JJ said as he came out and they all turned to face him "Sorry about that, y'all."

"So that's what we're doing now? We're robbing drug dealers?" Kie asked

"This Barry guy's gonna find out. And he's gonna come after us." Liz said

"Yes, he will. This is not the time to start wilin' out."

"How'd you like havin' a gun pulled on you?" JJ asked

"Relax." John B stepped forward to JJ

"He had it right here on you, bro" JJ pointed a hand gun at John Bs face

"Look. We've gotta go get the gold, okay? Just give me that shit. We're putting it back." John B grabbed the bag of money and JJ pushed John B against the side of the van

"Do you feel like a tough guy? Huh? What are you gonna do when he comes for us?" John b asked

"We punch him in the throat."

"Yeah, good fuckin' idea, JJ." Liz muttered

"I'm not putting it back." JJ got in the van
"You guys getting in or what?" JJ stayed in for a minute before getting out and standing in the middle of the group

"What?" He asked

"We're sick of your shit." John B said. JJ scoffed

"Oh, my shit?" He asked

"Yeah. Yeah. Your shit."

"Yes. Your pulling guns on people shit."

"You acting like a maniac"

"Okay, Pope, I took the fall for you, man! Know how much I owe because of you?" JJ asked

"I'm gonna pay you back, and I didn't ask you to do that!"

"I just did! Pay it back. Right here, right now, by myself. You know what? That's exactly what I'm gonna do. Go off by myself."

"JJ" Liz said stepping forward "what's gotten into you? JJ if you want to protect us, put the damn money back" Liz pleaded, and JJ looked at her sorrowly.

"No" JJ said simply "don't follow me" he told her before turning around and walking the other way

Lizzes mouth opened slightly, her lip quivering trying to hold back tears. She pursers her lips as Kie came to her side.

"Just let him go." She muttered

"Look, he'll come around, all right? It's... He's doing a JJ thing." John B said

"You think he'll go home?" Liz asked as she starred down at the table. no matter how hard she tried her mind could only go back to the Maybank boy.

"There's about a zero percent chance that JJ goes home." Pope said

"You okay?" John B asked Sarah

"Yeah. Are you?"

"I mean, I'm in one piece, so..." John B said

"Okay. It's too dangerous to pawn this thing off piecemeal. So our best bet is to go down there and get the rest of it. Bring it all up at once. Put it in-- in a safe or a vault or something." Pope said as he paced back and forth "I-- I don't know. Just until we can find someone who won't rip us off." He stopped and looked at the group "I can figure it out tonight, get it done, and we can be out there tomorrow morning." Pope explained

"All right, let's do it."

"Easy. Let's go."

"What about that thing with my dad?" Sarah asked

"Shit."

"What thing?" Liz asked

"I have to go fishing with Ward." John B said and Liz furrowed her eyebrows

"You can't get 400 mil 'cause you're gonna go kill fish?" Kie asked

"Look, I have to go."

"Blow it off. It's 400 million in gold!"

"Make something up!"

"Look, I-- I have to, okay? He... he saved me, all right? If it weren't for Ward, I would be in foster care... So... I have to go. Plus, it'll be better to do it at night. Right?"

"Fine. Fine, go fishing."

"And at least JJ will probably have washed up by then" Kie said