dog days of summer//pope heyward

five

JJ slams his fist hard on John B's front door. "DCS! I know you're in there!" He waits a moment before jumping in front of the window and slamming on it.

John B looks terrified. "Whoa!"

JJ laughs. "Gotcha, slick." He laughs even harder. "You should have seen your face. Your face was like..."

We get in John B's van heading to talk to Ms. Lana, Scooter's wife.

"I'm just saying, I don't understand why you don't at least try with Kiara. She clearly likes you. She's like," JJ makes his voice more high pitched, "'Oh, John B.'"

"Is that what she does?" John B asks.

"She's sketching about you diving, then she kissed you, bro," JJ points out.

"She kissed me on the cheek. It's not like we were makin' out or something," John B states.

"Low-hanging fruit, bro," JJ says.

"Don't pretend you don't notice. I see it in your eyes. You're like, 'I kinda like that,' and you start blushing," I state.

"I blush?" John B asks.

I nod. "Yeah."

"Really?" John B asks.

"Really," I tell him.

JJ goes to grab the compass off the dashboard and John B tries to grab it from him. JJ swats his hand away. "I was just looking at it."

I lean forward and look at the compass over JJ's shoulder. "I gotta admit, your father's compass in Scooter's boat, that's freaky."

"Yeah. That's why we're going to talk to Ms. Lana, figure this whole thing out," John B states.

"And I'm sure she would just love to talk to us. It's not like her husband just drowned or anything," I remark.

We pull up to the house and hop out of the van. We start to walk towards the front door.

"Know what this house looks like? Whoever lives here smokes too much weed," JJ remarks.

I can hear glass breaking and things being thrown around in the house. I look at John B worried. He holds his hand out for JJ and I to stop.

"Bullshit!" a man shouts.

"Maybe we should come back. It's a little too soon," JJ offers.

"No, no, shut up. Shut up, JJ," John B says as he keeps walking.

"Tell me where it is, or I'll fuck you up. I'll sink you in the fucking.." the man starts.

I hear something crash and Ms. Lana screams. "You're hurting me!"

"I..." I start.

John B turns to me. "Shut up. Come on. Come on."

More things are thrown around. We duck beside the house close to a window. "Where the fuck is it, you bitch?"

Ms. Lana sobs. "I don't know!"

"Is it here in this house?" More crashing and sobbing. "Is it somewhere else?"

"Please! I... I didn't..." Ms. Lana whimpers.

JJ grabs John B and pulls him to the ground. "Still think we should stay?"

I hear more thumping and I close my eyes.

"The compass wasn't in the boat! Where is it, Lana?" the man asks.

"I don't know!" Ms. Lana shouts.

Glass shatters and the whole house shakes.

"Don't listen," John B tells us.