dog days of summer//pope heyward

twenty one

Pope, JJ, and Kie get in the car and we head to the dump. We get the boat in the water and wait for John B. I can still hear sirens and thunder rumbles overhead. We're running out of time.

"Dude, where is he?" Kie asks.

"Give him a second. He'll be here," Pope assures.

"He's coming," JJ insists.

"He'll be fine," I add. Suddenly I hear sirens and see a cop car driving towards us. "JJ!"

"Hey, yeah. Get back on the boat. Untie it," JJ instructs.

"Shit," Kie mutters.

Suddenly John B gets out of the driver's seat of the cop car.

"Wait. No way," JJ remarks.

"No f'ing way," Pope states.

Kie looks confused. "I'm sorry."

I shake my head. "You've gotta be kidding me."

Kie laughs. "Uh..."

John B walks towards us. "Shoupe let me take it for a spin."

"Okay. That's believable. I'll buy that for now." Kie pulls John B into a hug.

"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for you, and she runs like she was made yesterday." JJ throws the key at him.

"You ready to go?" I ask.

"Where's Sarah?" John B asks.

"She's not with you?" Kie questions.

"No, we got separated in the swamp. She said she'd meet me here," John B explains.

"No. No, we haven't seen her man," Pope states.

"Okay, well, I'm not leaving without her," John B insists.

"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, all right?" JJ tells him. John B doesn't look at him. "Hang out for a couple of weeks and then go overland, cross the border at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville. You..." JJ grabs John B and makes him look him in the eyes. "Hey! You got that?"

"Yeah, yeah. Brownsville," John B says.

Thunder cracks overhead.

"All right. Saddle her up, saltwater cowboy. Let's do this," JJ states.

John B gets on the boat. "Yeah." He stops in the middle of the boat. "Hey. Hey. 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?" JJ offers.

Everyone laughs.

"Yeah." John B nods, tears in his eyes.

"At least we did it together, though," I state.

JJ wraps his arms around Kie and I. "Pogue style."

"Pogue style," John B repeats.

"Get out of here! Please," Kie tells him.

Pope points at John B. "Now. We'll see you in two months..."

"Down in Mexico," I finish.

"Love you," JJ states.

John B starts to get a move on. "Hey, wait... wait a second." He fights back tears. "Tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?" John B salutes and we all return it.