Serenading Sunshine - JJ Maybank

Page 80

"Dude, where is he?" I watch the road behind us carefully observant, "give him a second, he'll be here." I nod, agreeing as I sit on Phantoms railing the metal against the back of my thighs, "he's coming, he'll be fine."

"JJ!" My eyes widen as I turn at the sound of Sirens barreling in with what looks like the sheriff's car, "hey, yeah. Get back on the boat." I pause looking through the windshield as they panic, "untie it."

"Wait, it's John B," they pause as I stand up, hopping off the boat carefully from the side, JJ following my lead, "no way."

"No f'ing way," I laugh, smiling softly as I watch him get out of the vehicle, slinging his backpack over his shoulders, "you've gotta be kidding me, uh..." JJ motions to John B's ride with a disbelieving look, "Shoupe let me take it for a spin."

"Okay...that's believable, I'll buy that for now." Kiara laughs, hugging him, Pope standing silently at the side of the boat, blood splattered on his shirt, something John B caught sight of before looking between us.

"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for you, and she runs like she was made yesterday." He nods looking over a proud JJ and then me at the first part of his friends sentence, catching the slowly bruising skin on my neck even reaching out to lift my chin after he walked up to us on the pier, "i'm okay," I say softly, grabbing his wrist to pull his hand down as JJ hands him the keys.

"Are you ready to go?" JJ's voice is seemingly clipped all of the sudden before he sighs at John B as he questions us, turning his attention to another matter, "where's Sarah? We got separated in the swamp. She said she'd meet me here." I frown, "we haven't seen her."

"Okay, well, I'm not leaving without her," my brows cinch together and I huff through my nose, shaking my head as JJ spoke, "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, please," I add on and he nods, swallowing with teary eyes as he looks between JJ and I, "yeah, just hang out for a couple of weeks and then go overland, cross the border at Brownsville, you got that?"

"Brownsville. Yeah, yeah. Brownsville." He seemed to be dazed, thinking too much and at the same time almost like he was nostalgic and numb, "all right. Saddle her up,

saltwater cowboy. Let's do this. Yeah."

We watch as he hops up, rounding the boat before turning back to us, teary eyes and red faced, "I'm sorry for basically...throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing."

"Hey, John B, yo... we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right?" I swallow, listening the JJ choke up, the two of them emotional, "yeah."

"At least we did it together, though. Pogue style." I smile, leaning back against JJ as he pulls in Kiara and Pope, John B nodding with a laugh, "Pogue style."

"Get out of here! Please. Now." Kiara smiles calling out as she shooed him, Pope adding onto her words as he finally speaks, smiling at him, "we'll see you in two months,

down in Mexico."

"Hey, wait... wait a second, tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?" I nod, answering, "if you don't find her on your way out we'll let her know," JJ nods with me, pointing at him, "don't forget. Cross the border at Brownsville, okay?"

He nodded, wiping his face with a shuddered breath before he moved back, fully boarding the captain's spot and starting the boat up. "Hey," I called out over the boat's engine, John B looking over at me as he put his hands on the lever, "yeah?"

"Be safe, kay? And don't fuck around on the radio and get caught yeah?" He laughed, nodding as he backed out, "I love you guys!" I smile in response, answering for the lot of us, "we love you too, sugar,!"

Breathing out heavily I sniffled, wiping my teary eyes. We watched him back out into the channel before he sped off leaving us behind, "you okay sunshine?" I whisper, following after the blonde as he walks off the small pier, "sunshine?"

He turns after a minute, slicking back his sweaty hair with his hand, chuckling a wet laugh as his eyes teared up, "what if he doesn't make it," I frown, shaking my head, "he's gonna make it sugar," biting his lip he nods, "it's gon' be real weird with him gone," he laughs, I reply, moving up close to him to hug him tight as I mumbled into his chest, "I know baby, I know..."

"S'gonna be just fine," he sighs nodding along with my words, hugging me back lightly while he kisses the crown of my head.

"You okay?" I look up at him, pulling my head back from his chest, "yeah, I'm okay sunshine..." He looks down at me, just watching silently as he trails his fingers over my bruising throat, "I'm so fuckin' sorry," I smile in response, "don't even worry about it sunshine, i'll heal."

"Are you bruised?" I ask softly, expecting his stomach and side to be blotchy to some degree with the way he was kicked earlier, "no, no, I'm okay." His other hand lifted and he cradled the side of my cheek, still gliding over my bruised neck with his fingers as he huffed, "barely got me."

Rolling my eyes I turned my head to the side, his hand pulling me back to look up at him with a smirk, "if you're fine I'm fine." I rolled my eyes again, scoffing only for him to grin at me as I mocked him, "if you're fine, I'm fine," I try pulling away but he stops me with a chuckle, pulling my jaw up to angle my face so he can lean down and plant his lips on mine.

Grinning against his lips I kissed him back, molding my lips against his as one of his hands circled my waist and pressed into my lower back pulling me closer to him.

"Are those sirens?" I pull back mumbling as I look up into his eyes, his head turning at my question to look at the entry road, "shit," he curses, pulling his hands away from my body to step around me, "hey, guys, I'm sorry to ruin the party, but, uh, we gotta go right now."

Grabbing JJ's hand I move back a step, just as the cops pull in, tires kicking up gravel, "JJ," He curses again, gripping my hand as Shoupe exits the vehicle, "

"Don't move. Hands up! Hands up!" I lift my hands, JJ doing the same as Shoupe snaps at Pope, "Pope, hands."

JJ's hand is still grasping mine as we stand there, stock still with an array of firearms pointed at us. "We're too late, he's gone. God damn it!" I watch the man in all black slam his door shut, glaring with anger in his eyes, JJ squeezing my hand as Shoupe speaks, "Bratcher, have your guys stand down, let me talk to these kids."

"J..." I whisper, looking up at him from the side, his eyes meeting mine, "s'okay sweetheart, s'okay...."

..............

I figured I'd do a birthday post instead of a new years post since most people are busy with new years and the holiday season in general. Sooooooo, happy birthday to me and everyone else born on Jan 3rd.