fade away youth// rafe cameron

22-WE DON'T HAVE TO STRESS THIS ANYMORE

Rafe, Pope, JJ, and Kie get in the car, and we head to the dock. 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 side 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?" Rafe 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," Rafe 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. "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.