JONES → JJ MAYBANK

005. the marsh

Edited June 20, 2023 

𝗠𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗡𝗭𝗜𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗧 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗟𝗟 out sofa in John B's house picking at her acrylic nails as anxiety about the boy started to set in. He'd fallen into the water unconscious a good two hours ago and had yet to wake up or stir in his sleep. 

With help from JJ and Pope, they managed to get John B into his bed. Kiara not leaving his side until he woke, leaving Pope and JJ to stare at Mackenzie in silence. 

She let out a soft yawn, scrunching up her nose well doing so. JJ snapped his head in her direction and softly smiled, "Did you want a ride back to Figure 8?"

"No," She said quickly, "I want to make sure John B is alright if that's okay I don't want to impose." 

Pope nodded, grinning ear to ear. He liked Mackenzie and was starting to see she wasn't who everyone assumed. "You're showing us you're a pouge at heart." 

She hummed softly. It was such a stupid thing that made her happy. She felt welcomed by everyone here and it was something she'd never felt before. 

Sure, with Sara she felt important but never welcome and accepted as herself. It was always makeup and going out for everyone to see their wealth. 

"Are you tired?" JJ asked as the girl let out another nose-scrunching yawn. She nodded, rubbing her eyes with her fist, "You can take the guest bedroom." 

JJ stood up from the couch and gestured out for her to follow him. She trailed behind him walking into the guest room that was all too familiar to her. Mackenzie climbed onto the bed and sat crisscrossed, watching JJ stand in the doorway. 

"I'm sorry I left," She mumbled. JJ tensed, he didn't think she cared let alone remembered their hookup. "People pretend to care about me and then they leave so I left first. I know it was just a drunk hookup, but I'm sorry."

In any other instant, JJ Maybank wouldn't care about the aftermath, let alone comfort them. But for whatever reason he found himself climbing onto the bed across from her. 

He found himself whispering, "I've always had a thing for you. You're honestly not who I expected you to be." 

"Who did you expect me to be?" She whispered back. 

"You're Mackenzie Jones this perfect golden child to Alexander and Melanie Jones. The two most powerful people on the island. You're bound to be stuck up and selfish." He paused, looking up at her to notice she was actively listening. Something he wasn't used to. "I'm still trying to figure you out but you're nothing like that-" 

He stopped talking, noticing Mackenzie had fallen asleep on the bed. Her small body was curled up with the blankets tightly gripped between her small hands. When JJ tried to stand off the bed, she mumbled something and reached out grabbing hold of his bicep. He thought about shoving her hand off and leaving for a split second before deciding it wouldn't hurt to sleep beside her. 

—

The two woke up the next morning, Mackenzie's head rested on JJ's chest like it was a pillow. She carefully sat up not wanting to disturb him and made her way out onto the porch where John B sat. 

He commented on the two being heavy sleepers, and how they had managed to sleep straight through sheriff Peterkin's surprise visit. They talked about their childhoods and realized they'd crossed paths before and had maybe even been friends for one month in grade five.

They continued sharing memories and funny stories as everyone came to the porch one by one. The last to come out with a half-asleep JJ, who liked surprised to see Mackenzie sitting on a chair and smiling at him. 

He wasn't going to lie when he woke up and she wasn't beside him for the second time he thought she'd left. But he was happy to see her bright smile, especially since it was directed at him.

"Look I'm calling it off, alright?" John B announced once everyone had arrived. 

 Kiara was playing a soft beat on her bongos, Pope was reading a book, Mackenzie was curled up in a chair, and JJ was occupied throwing rocks.

"Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help with DCS." John B continued. 

"And you believed her?" JJ questioned. 

Mackenzie instantly noticed another difference between her lifestyle and theirs. Cops were hated here, but in her family, they had every cop on the island over for monthly parties. 

"Yes, I believe her, JJ." John B responded. 

"An actual cop, John B." JJ scowled throwing another stone, "You believed a cop." 

Peterkinds was well known to her family. She wasn't in it for the feeling of keeping people safe, she was easily bought. According to Mr. Jones. 

"Look all I gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple of days and she'll help me out." John B said angrily throwing a branch, "It doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting a gun." 

"You know what I should have done? Should've just let Topper drown your ass." JJ snapped. 

"Topper deserved everything," Mackenzie spoke up nodding in JJ's direction, "but shooting a gun is a little too much." 

"Topper was going to drown me?" John B questioned sarcastically. 

"Sure looked like it," JJ answered. "I mean have you looked in a mirror?" 

"Bro, come on, tell me some more." John B taunted, "Come on."

"They always win, don't they? Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win! God damn it!" JJ yelled tossing a stone so hard it hit the buoy. 

"It's okay," Mackenzie shouted, "Kooks are bullshit lies and deceptions." 

"No, it's not okay! It is not." He shouted, all the built-up anger coming out. "They don't want us to go down into the marsh. That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it." He turned to face John B, "I know you do." 

"No, it's not okay! It is not." He shouted, all the built-up anger coming out. "They don't want us to go down into the marsh. That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it." He turned to face John B, "I know you do." 

"And I understand why you don't want to go. You're the golden boy, you got way too much to risk. And you two. I mean you're already rich as fuck anyway. Why would you girls bother? Especially you Mackenzie." JJ spun around to look at John B, "But us man, we got nothin' to lose! We don't alright."

"I don't want to talk about this," John B shrugged calmly, "I don't want to talk about it." 

"So that's it?" JJ questioned.

"Just get out of my way bro," John B said as he pushed past JJ. 

"John B, listen to me. I have a plan." JJ said, "You got the key to Cameron's big boat, right?"

"No," John B lied. 

"I do," Mackenzie pipped up, sending JJ a wicked grin. 

"You," JJ grinned pointing at the girl, "I like." He turned back to John B, "There's scuba gear inside there. We just borrow that, and then we go down to the wreck this afternoon, and that is what's gonna save you, man. You don't see right kids going into foster care, 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔?"