Paradise Falls ||JJ Maybank||

[6] Scooter Grubbs

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As we climbed back onto the boat, Pope wasted no time in starting the engine and steering us away from the docks. I could tell from the concerned looks exchanged between him and Kiara that they had noticed my unusual demeanor. I found myself lost in thought, staring blankly into the distance while JJ and I sat at the front of the boat.

"You could've given us a heads up," JJ remarked to Pope and Kiara.

"We would have," Kiara began, "but Pope was on the math team."

I couldn't help but let out a laugh at that. "You were on the math team?"

Pope's reply, however, was more somber. "The cops treated it like a crime scene. Did you guys find anything?"

I glanced over at JJ, knowing he must have taken something from the scene.

"Find anything?" JJ said mischievously, holding up his hands which were now filled with cash and a gun. "No, I don't think so... Oh wait, yeah, we did!"

Despite JJ's apparent pride in his findings, the rest of us immediately began scolding him.

"What the hell?"

"Dude, seriously?"

I couldn't help but grab JJ's shirt and pull him down, fully aware of the precarious situation we were in. The last thing we needed was for him to attract more attention by waving around a gun. My heart raced with the memory of hiding from the cops just moments ago.

"Are you insane, JJ?" I hissed. "The cops are already after us, waving a gun around won't help."

Pope pointed at JJ. "Why would you take that from a crime scene?"

"It's better than letting the cops have it!" JJ argued.

Panic began to rise within me as I considered the potential consequences of JJ's actions on Pope's scholarship and our already precarious situation with the authorities.

Meanwhile, I found myself gravitating towards the front of the boat, my legs dangling over the edge as I tried to distance myself from the tense conversation. The cool breeze against my face offered some solace amidst the chaos.

"Ron, you okay?" JJ's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Okay? Are you kidding me?" I snapped back, my frustration evident.

John B wisely chose to remain silent, understanding the gravity of the situation.

"Come on, Ron," JJ sighed, "you've always loved a little danger. Now all of a sudden you don't?"

I shook my head, refusing to engage further. "Of course I love danger. I don't love stealing from a crime scene."

Little did I know, this wouldn't be the last time we found ourselves in a morally questionable situation.

As we sailed away from the docks, I noticed a commotion unfolding on shore. John B maneuvered the boat closer, allowing us to see a cluster of police cars and ambulances.

"What's going on?" I asked, standing alongside Kiara to get a better view.

"Looks like there's some kind of incident," Kiara replied. "John B, let's go check it out."

Without hesitation, John B guided the boat towards the nearest available spot to dock.

Once ashore, we joined the growing crowd, straining to catch a glimpse of what was happening. My heart sank when I spotted a stretcher being wheeled towards an ambulance.

"Who's that?" John B asked, turning to a nearby girl for answers.

"It's Scooter Grubbs. He was out during the storm," she explained, showing us a photo on her phone.