MATILDA , jj maybank

26

MATILDA! CHAPTER TWENTY SIX:
THE PIER
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All four of them sat at the junkyard where John B would be departing from. "Dude, where is he?" Kie asked and Liz sighed

"Give him a second. He'll be here." Pope said

"He's coming. He'll be fine." Liz spoke before Cop sirens became more and more clear as a cop truck came towards them and stopped.

"JJ!"

"Hey, yeah. Get back on the boat."

"Untie it. Shit." They all got ready to drive away with the boat and stopped when they looked up to see John B getting out of the drivers seat and walking towards them

"Wait. No way." JJ said

"No f'ing way."

"I'm sorry-what?."

"You've gotta be kidding me"

"Shoupe let me take it for a spin." John B said as he walked towards them

"Okay. That's believable. I'll buy that for now."

"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for you, and she runs like she was made yesterday." JJ said as he got the keys

"You ready to go?"

"Where's Sarah?" John B asked

"She's not with you?" Liz questioned 

"No, we got separated in the swamp. She said she'd meet me here."

"No, we haven't seen her."

"Okay, well, I'm not leaving without her."

"John B, look at me."

"I know you feel bad for leaving, but there's no time, man. You've got plenty of gas, 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, all right? Hang out for a couple of weeks and then go overland, cross the border at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville."

"You-- Hey! You got that? -Yeah, yeah."

"Brownsville."

"All right. Saddle her up, saltwater cowboy."

"Let's do this. Yeah." John B nodded as JJ finished up setting the boat up.

"Okay John B, it's ready" JJ said in a sad tone before taking John Bs spot beside Liz

"Hey. Hey. I'm sorry for basically... throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing" John B said

"Hey, John B, yo... we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?" JJ asked with a small chuckle

"Yeah."

"At least we did it together, though." JJ siad wrapping his arms around Liz, Kie and Pope and they did the same "Pogue style."

"Pogue style."

"Get out of here! Please." Kie said "Now."

"We'll see you in two months, down in Mexico." Pope said

"Love you."

"Hey, wait-- wait a second. Tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?" And Liz nodded

"Don't forget. Cross the border at Brownsville, okay?"

"Got it."

Liz watched as John B road away in the boat with more tears streaming down her face. Once he was out of her sight she turned around and walked off a bit towards the car with JJ.