UNTOLD | JJ Maybank

Chapter 27

"What the hell took you so long?", Kiara asked right away, when JJ and Malou finally arrived to save the Twinkie. Well whatever was left of the van. Malou stayed quiet and threw some of the ropes at Pope, while JJ explained what had happened with his dad.

"Seriously? While you had some dad moment, the Twinkie is drowning and John B got bit by gator!", Pope complained and soon enough, an argument broke out between the pogues. Kiara and Pope argued about the next step of their plan, while John B and JJ started to shout at each other again. When Sarah took JJs side, John B, Pope and Kiara immediately got defensive and soon enough, they were all just shouting at each other.

"Oh my god, everyone shut up!", Malou eventually screamed and threw the last tow rope at Pope will full force.

"I'm sick of this shit. All the arguments, the fighting and the shouting. Goddamn, that's exactly why I never wanted any of that. Don't you see, that all of this is breaking us apart? What happened to P4L, to sticking together? All this blaming each other is some kook-ass bullshit. We don't do that. Okay? We're pogues. So, pull yourselves together now for fucks sake.", Malou rambled and felt awkward, when suddenly, everyone went quiet.

"Should I feel spoken to? I'm not sure, if I'm a kook or a pogue.", Sarah suddenly mumbled and Malou looked at her unimpressed.

"Shut up, Sarah, you married my brother, so your kook life is over. And the two of you better fix that unofficial one week marriage, before I will kill both of you. And John B and JJ, stop sending each other death glares. I will break all four of your legs and leave you two in a locked room, if you will ever fight each other again. And you two...", Malou said and pointed back and forth between Kiara and Pope.

"You're both so stressed out and tensed, that my bones and head hurt by just watching you. Just go and smoke some weed or get laid, I don't know, but you guys need to relax, man." Again, there was silence. The pogues looked at each other for a moment, before they all started applauding and laughing.

"I hate you all. Now get your asses here, so we can save the Twinkie and find the cross." Suddenly, the atmosphere felt different. The pogues felt like a team again. Sure, there were still unspoken things that would creep up to their minds, but right now, they had a mission and knowing, that Malou was fully in the game now, did something to them. They finally felt complete again. Together, they made it. They saved the Twinkie and they found the cross. They had made it to get to the church before Rafe and Limbrey and Pope had noticed the cross, that were built within the structure of the old church.

"Shit. Be careful!", Sarah called up to him, after Pope had climbed up the structure and his friends had warned him about a wasp nest close to him. Pope knocked onto the wood to inspect it, when suddenly, he noticed something conspicuous. The wood was hollow, so Pope started to break it, revealing the cross behind it. It was there. They had really found it. For a small moment, joy and happiness ran through their bodies as they cheered and celebrated. But of course, nothing ever goes as planned. In the moment of happiness, Pope got distracted and forgot about the wasps. His quick movements irritated the insects and Pope got stung. He lost his balance and fell of the structure, holding onto the wood with only his hands.

"Hold on, Pope!", Kiara shouted, while the pogues tried to think of a plan quick. They collected some old cushions that lay around and quickly build a pile of it, right underneath Pope.

"Ugh!", Pope exclaimed, when he slipped and fell off the structure. He fell onto the soft cushions, but the relief of his soft fall quickly vanished, when he looked up to see the cross falling down. Pope rolled onto his side, just in time, when the cross hit the pile of cushions.

"Fucking hell.", JJ breathed out and ran his hands through his hair nervously. Malous heart beat hardly against her chest as adrenaline rushed through her veins. It took her a moment to process the events and when she looked into her friends shocked faces, she knew, that they felt the same. Pope eventually got back onto his feet, pulling his friends back to reality.

"Alright, let's get this baby out here.", John B ordered and watched how everyone nodded, before each of them chose a spot of the cross to lift it up. It was heavy. Way heavier than they had expected.

"Are you even lifting?!", JJ complained, when they noticed, that they wouldn't even make it to the door with that thing. Suddenly, someone let the cross fall and it fell onto the ground with a loud bang. Malou could hear JJ complain again, followed by Sarah and him arguing, when she suddenly saw Pope passing out.

"Pope!", Kiara exclaimed and immediately was by his side.

"Can't- breathe.", he stammered and Malou noticed his now swollen eyes and lips.

"He's having an allergic reaction!", Malou shouted in shock and soon, panic broke out. While John B and JJ lifted Pope up, Malou looked down at the cross.

"You really want it to just stay there like that?! They will find it!", Malou said and pointed at the huge, golden cross, that Sarah and Kiara had tried to cover up with the cushions.

"What do you want us to do? Let him die while we get this thing out?!", John B yelled back at his sister and Malou raised her hands questioningly.

"Of course not! Look, you get him to JJs cousin, me and Sarah will stay to make sure, that nobody will get here and steal it.", Malou suggested and flinched a little, when JJ and John B both turned their heads to look at her angrily.

"No!", they both yelled in sync and Malou tilted her head.

"But she's right.", Sarah agreed with her and walked up to her while John B and JJ exchanged a look.

"Ok, fine. I will stay here with Malou, you get Pope to my cousin."

"The hell you won't! I'm staying here with Malou. Sarah, help JJ and Kie with Pope.", John B stepped in and Malou rolled her eyes, but stayed quiet. No need to start another argument while Pope was dying. Sarah and Malou both helped to get Pope inside the truck of Kiaras dad, while Kiara already started the car. JJ and Sarah got inside quickly, before they drove off, leaving the Routledge twins behind.