Sunshine in the Rain

41. Plumb

I'm laying on my bed and I hear thunder and I start breathing harder. I can't take this anymore. I'm panicking more and I can't breath. My brother might be executed, JJ might not love me, I hear my friends yelling, and there is fucking thunder. What could be a worse combination? I start crying and breathing harder. I hold my knees to my chest and rock back and forth to try and calm myself down but I can't. I close my hands to form tight fists.

Someone knocks on the door. "Hey Ash, you alright?" JJ asks.

"J-JJ." I say. I start sobbing harder and I hear JJ pick the lock and then come rushing in.

"Oh Ash." He says. He sits on the bed next to me. "Hey princess." He says. He puts my knees down and holds my fists in his hands. I start crying more. "Shhhhh. It's okay Ash." He says, rocking me back in forth in his arms. "Focus on your breathing baby." He says. He slowly undoes my fists and he holds my hands. "Je t'aime." He says. He holds my head to his chest and I hold onto him. He wraps his arms around me. "You're okay." JJ says. "I'm here and you're safe." He runs his fingers through my hair. "John B will be okay. Everyone will be fine." JJ says.

I sit there in his arms and listen to his heartbeat. It always seems to calm me down.

"Thanks JJ." I say.

"Of course cupcake." JJ says. "I'd do anything for you." I smile at him and he smiles back. "Did you figure out what Je t'aime means yet?" He asks.

"Nope." I say. We sit there in a comfortable silence for a little bit.

"I kinda have a plan to get John B out of jail." JJ says.

"Wait, really?" I ask. JJ nods. He helps me up.

"No one else is listening to me. Are you with me? Even if it's illegal and dangerous?" JJ asks.

"Obviously." I say. "Dangerous is my thing." JJ smiles.

"Lets do this shit." JJ says. He grabs my hand and we run out of the house and into the rain together. He gets on his dirt bike and I get on the back and wrap my arms around his waist. He starts driving. We go to his house and start preparing our part of the plan. Part one, piss off the cops so badly that they won't see what's coming next.

I put on some of my really small athletic shorts so they are basically booty shorts now and I put on one of John B's large hoodies. Then I grab one of JJ's old hats and I put it on backwards. I pop some bubble gum into my mouth and then JJ and I drive to the police station.

"You ready, princess?" JJ asks. We get off the dirt bike at the police station.

"Hell yeah." I say. We both start walking to the police station and salute to two officers. "Thank you for your service gentlemen." I say. Then JJ and I walk inside to the front desk. JJ starts blasting music on his headphones.

"I'm here to see John B Routledge." JJ says.

"Headphones off." The officer says.

"I can't hear what you're saying man. These things are of full blast!" JJ says.

"Miss, could you please tell your friend here to take off his headphones?" The officer asks me.

"Oh yes, of course." I say. I take off JJ's headphones and we start kissing each other on the lips. "Hey babe, the officer wants you to take your headphones off." I say, pulling away.

"Oh sorry sir." JJ says. "I thought this was a free country and all but I guess you don't like freedom very much now, do ya' cupcake?" JJ says in a little accent to the officer. The officer slams him into the wall. JJ does his really hot smile, the smile he has when he's laughing or having mischievous fun. He looks at me and I can't help but smile.

"Not worth it." Officer Plumb says. She's the female cop. Kinda scary if you ask me. "Hats off, empty your pockets. Both of you." She says.

"Yes ma'am." JJ says. We both empty out our pockets and spit the stuff out of our mouths and take off our hats. We walk to the room that John B is in.

"Five minutes." Plumb says. JJ and I walk in. We sit across from JB. JJ sighs and JB looks at him. They both start laughing.

"I always thought it would be me." JJ says.

"I did too." JB says.

I smile a little and look at JB. He looks at me and smiles. "Hey Ashie." He says. "How's it going? How's your massive cut?"

"Not great." I say. "I miss you." I say. "I haven't really had problems with my calf."

"Trust me, I miss you too." JB says. "God I wish I could hug you right now Ash."

"So do I." I say.

"Welcome to my humble abode." JB says.

"Yeah, when you said you had a new apartment, I had no idea." JJ says.

"Yeah its uh-" JB gets cut off by JJ.

"It's cozy!" JJ says.

"Yeah you could say that." JB says.

"A little aluminum theme." I say.

"Yeah I like to go for the cold, dark, depressing." JB says.

"Alone kinda theme." JJ says. "Look, I would to sit and chit chat, but I'm on the clock."

"We're on the clock." I say. "We're here for one reason only."

"Operation liberation baby." JJ says. "I know, I know." JJ says. "But here me out." JJ says. He starts telling John B the plan.

"Appendicitis?" JB asks. "Do you even know what that is?"

"Yeah." JJ says. "Remember eighth grade? Algebra final?"

"Jesus Christ." JB says.

"It worked though." I say. "I did it in 9th grade for my science midterms." I say. JJ starts telling John B how to act it out and stuff. Then he tells JB about the escape plan.

"Hey!" Plumb says, walking in. "Times up."

I sigh. "See you JB." I say. "I love you."

"I love you too Ashie." JB says. JJ holds my hand as we walk out. We walk past a door with a basketball court and JJ stops and looks in the window. I see his Dad so I decide to let JJ have the moment to himself.

"Dad!!" JJ says. He starts banging on the door. "Dad!!" He yells. Plumb shoves him away. I hold JJ's hand again and give him a small, comforting smile. He gives a very small one back.

JJ and I grab our stuff and start walking out. "I just have one question for you Plumb." I say. "How much are you splitting with Shoupe?" I ask. She shoves me and JJ down the stairs.

"You'll be back here one day." Plumb says to JJ. "It's in your blood."

"Plumb, shut up and go let Shoupe fuck you or something." I say. I flip her off and she starts running towards us. I start laughing and I get on the back of JJ's dirt bike. We ride away together and I can tell something is off with JJ. What Plumb said really hurt him. I can tell.