𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 | 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌

[3] Diver Down | Pilot III | Tease

The loud footsteps of John B is what woke me up the next morning. I opened one eye, seeing John B come out from his room. I glanced to my left, seeing a very much asleep JJ. Groggily, I sat up, stretching as I did so.

"Beck, JJ, you guys been outside?"

I yawned, shaking away the sleepiness as I stood up. "Does it look like I've been outside?"

"No, bro, I got polio. I can't walk," JJ mumbled, his face still deep into a pillow, most likely drooling everywheres. I slipped on my sneakers, following John B out into the lawn, assessing the damage from the night before.

I drank more than I usually do last night, playfully showing JJ and John B how to play guitar all night long as we ignored the raging storm outside. If I was being honest, during storms I had the best sleeps. Something about the harsh rain, angry winds, and underlying feeling of 'a tree can squish me during my sleep' makes the perfect recipe for gold medal snooze.

We stepped out, taking in all fallen trees and scattered branches. I cringed as I noticed all the wholes in the mesh surrounding his porch. That would be a bitch to fix, if John B even bothered. I took a seat on the stairs, watching as John B observed the area, muttering to himself as he went along.

"Agatha did some work, huh?" JJ said, chugging a beer as he came outside, stopping at the top of the stairs. I looked at him with disbelief.

"Yeah, she did," John B said from wherever he was.

"You've barely been up for ten minutes and you're already drinking?" I judged, looking back at the blonde boy as he rolled his eyes, crushing his can and chucking it off somewheres in the distance.

"It's a talent, Winslow."

"Sounds more like an addiction to me," I mumbled. JJ didn't respond, instead he sent a burp in my direction, causing me to gag.

I got up and walked towards where John B was taking all the branches out of his boat, HMS POGUE. JJ followed closely behind.

Rain droplets still fell from the trees above as thunder still rolled in the distance. I shivered as the cool, early morning rain hit my bare shoulder. But, I didn't shy away from the feeling because I knew within the next hour it would be blistering hot— like it always is around here.

"What you thinkin?" JJ asked John B as we reached the boat. We both pitched in helping clear the boat as John B jumped up onto the side, and then into the boat.

He looked between the two of us, a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm thinkin' that storm surge pushed all the crabs into the marsh maze. All those drum are gonna chase the crab."

"John B, wasn't DCS suppose to come today?" I questioned, remembering him mentioning something about DCS the other day. JJ nodded as if he was about to say the same thing.

"Nah, I doubt they're gettin' on a ferry," John B said dismissively. "Think about it. It's God tellin' us to fish."

JJ and I shared a look. Although we didn't agree on much, we could find common ground when it came to our friends. Or as JJ likes to put it, his friends and the people I bother. Hesitantly, we helped John B put the boat in the water, clearing the branches and miscellaneous objects as we went.

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I was right about the heat. After placing the boat on the water and getting ready for the day, us three headed out onto the water in search of our friends and out of curiosity as to how bad Agatha hit our island.