Serenading Sunshine - JJ Maybank

Page 3

"Yo, JJ you been outside?" I turned over to hear a smack, "I have polio, bro. I can't walk." I stretched with a yawn and sat up, the arm slung over my waist sliding off to sit over my hips. John B waved at me and walked outside right before I looked over at JJ and moved straddling his back with a tap of my hands against his shoulder blades, "come on you big baby lets go check on the outside world unless you want me to put you in an Iron lung." I gave his shoulder blades a deep rub downward, stretching out the muscles under my fingers for a moment making him whine.

I crawled off of him without even thinking about what I had done before I trudged outside, John B turning to see me as he rubbed his face, not really worried but cautious, "hey so your parents aren't gonna think you were kidnapped will they?" I paused with a scoff before walking up to him with a stretch, "not a chance, they don't acknowledge my existence enough to begin with, don't rough me up though they might not like that too much," I spoke kind of slowly, giving few extra words jokingly as I began taking a look around. I whistled at the sight, "wow she did some damage."

"Yeah, no power or service," I groaned looking at the large tree, "poor trees... My uncle could come cut that up for ya, won't charge anything if he can keep the wood," he looked at me and nodded, "yeah that'd be cool, thanks."

"No problem," JJ had walked out rubbing his face, "well at least my jeep and the van's okay, not even a broken window as far as I can see."

"Yeah that's a plus side," I walked behind John B up to the HMS POGUE, "Agatha did some work huh?" JJ looked like he was on a bender, torn up by pure liquor, "Yeah she did," I walked around the boat and pulled off a branch tossing it to the ground, "this your boat? HMS Pogue, I like that." He nodded and JJ walked up speaking just as John jumped up onto the boat.

"What you thinkin?" He smiled down picking another branch up and tossing it, "I'm thinkin that storm surge pushed all the crabs out the marshmaze, all those drum are gonna chase the crab."

"What about the DCS? Wasn't that today?"

"Nah, they're not gettin' on a ferry." I turned, looking between them, "what's DCS?" JJ answered me quickly, "Child services basically."

"Oh shit, I can pay my uncle twenty bucks if you need a fake guardian," he looked at me surprised, "for real? You'd do that?" I gave a small shrug, "why not, besides twenty dollars is twenty dollars, a fake relative from out of town, easy peasy," he nodded thinking to himself, "I might have to take you up on that offer sometime. Might just work."

"It's always valid," he looked back at his friend for a second, "come on, think about it. It's God tellin' us to fish." JJ looked at him like he was high as he brought up fishing again. "What about you Cali? Wanna hang with some of your fellow pogues today?" I looked at him blankly, "I'm up for anything." We both looked at JJ and I smiled, "say yes sunshine, I wanna experience the marsh." I did a little dance as I moved forward touching the side of the boat before pulling a small limb off the side.

"Hah. Look at that, it's like she's been here forever."