Ghost of You || JJ Maybank x Reader

till forever falls apart

You and Sarah eventually fell asleep in one of the hammocks together, the warm humid air quickly lulling you to sleep. John B was curled up somewhere nearby, no doubt snoring away like he always did.

Your dad was the first one awake, obviously trying to sneak out before anyone else had a clue, but John B was quick to bust him and shake you and Sarah from your sleep.

"That site's a whole day's walk. We gotta get up there before the moon rises. If we miss the solstice, then all this was for nothing."

Sarah stood up behind you with her backpack ready to go, covered with John B's button-up that he had been wearing. You moved quickly to shrug a new shirt over your sports bra, refusing to live in sweat the way your brother did.

"So listen, Sarah. Y/N.  I'm telling you right now, if you fall behind, I ain't waiting."

You rolled your eyes at his shitty attitude while John B attempted to make the peace. You turned to Sarah and offered her your hand. "We'll be fine," You reassured. She gave you a smile and placed her palm in yours before the two of you walked away from the boys down the dock.

"I'm gonna go tell that son of a bitch he ain't coming," Your dad said as he stormed past you to where Ward was struggling to get to his feet.

As if he was reading everyone's mind, Ward stopped his approach. "Hey, listen, fellas. I'm really sorry, but, uh...I'm not gonna be able to make it up that mountain, not on this leg. I'd be slowing you down, that's all. So, I'm just gonna hang here. Tell you what, I got a flare gun. If I see Singh come through here, I'll send up a flare to let you all know he's coming. Least I could do."

Sarah thanked him softly as he wished you all good luck. You didn't say another word and let Sarah keep her hold on your hand to guide you ahead. In the back of your head, the idea of hiking definitely did not sound appealing, especially in this kind of heat of daylight.

"Come on, kids! Pick it up. I don't got time to waste."

That was one of thirty nasty things your dad had been yelling in the four hours you'd all been hauling ass over the terrain. It was hill after hill and your legs were already itching from all the bugs and vegetation you'd come into contact with. You'd grown tired of it before it even started, but you couldn't turn back now.

Sometimes you'd be pulling Sarah along. Other times John B would help push you over a particularly difficult hill. The three of you were just tag teaming on helping each other, to your father's dismay. You weren't sure how such a large man who filled his system with alcohol more than anything wasn't struggling in the slightest to keep going.

John B tripped on loose soil, stumbling in his step just in time for Sarah to catch him. "Hey, you good?"

Your brother grunted as he stood back up. "Yeah," He was breathless in his reply.

"Come on, let's get a move on!" Your dad yelled back from a good twenty feet ahead.

"Hey, Pops. How about we take a breather, you know?" John B asked as you all stood under the shade of a tree for a moment.

"How bout not? Come on, boy. You're all slowing me down, we're losing light."

You let out a small groan of complaint and forced yourself upright. Your back was killing you, as it always seemed to do ever since Pope totaled Mr. Carrera's truck with all of you inside. You meant what you said, you were doing this for John B, but if your dad didn't shut the hell up, you'd throw him down the cliff yourself.

"I can't take this anymore." John B was quiet as he spoke to you and Sarah before storming to catch up with Big John. "Hey! Hey."

You grabbed Sarah's hand again, both of you leaning on each other as you shuffled your way up the hill. Wiggling your backpack to your front, you managed to grab a water bottle out and cracked it open for the two of you to share as John B tried to talk some sense into your father.