Always | JJ Maybank

III

       As the five of us were hanging out in the middle of the marsh, JJ suddenly stands from where he sat at the front of the boat, "You guys wanna see a party trick?"

       "Oh god, not again," I say, I knew exactly what he was about to do. About once a week he asks to do a party trick but it always fails and he ends up spilling beer everywhere.

       " That's it I'm moving," John B says moving to the back of the boat.

       " You've tried this like six thousand times. It doesn't work man" Pope warns

       " It's going to work, just speed up," JJ says.

       We watch as JJ goes to the front of the boat. He held his open beer in the air. He was attempting to let the wind pour the beer in his mouth for him. And just as we expected, it wasn't working. It ended up going everywhere except where it was supposed to be.

       "Stop, JJ," I said. "It's getting in my hair." Kiara continued.

       "Dude, That's enough." John B scolded, while Pope shook his head in disappointment.

       As I got up to grab the beer from JJ, the boat suddenly stopped, throwing JJ and I off the boat. It also caused Kie to hit her side on the edge of the boat and John B and Pope to temporarily lose their balance.

       "Are you guys Okay?" Kie asked JJ and I. 

       "I think my heels touched the back of my head" JJ answered.

       " I only choked on some water, but other than that I'm good," I responded.

       JJ asked why Pope stopped the boat suddenly and he said something about a sandbar and the channel changing. To be honest, even after living on the outer banks my whole life, I still have no idea what any of that meant. 

       " Hey Princess, you need help getting back up?" JJ asked.

       I nodded, swimming closer and instinctively wrapping my legs around JJ's waist, not realizing how close we were. Suddenly, the rest of the crew were jumping into the water.

      "Guys!" John B yelled, " Come look we found a boat."

       The two of us separated and started to swim toward the boat. And, man, that was a nice boat. I guarantee that it hadn't been down there long but it sure looked like it did. After taking a quick look, I swam back to the surface.

       "That's a Grady-White." JJ said, "A new one of those is like 500 Gs, easy."

       "That's a primo rig." John B mumbled

       "yeah, that's the boat I say when I surfed the surge." John B stated.

       " You surfed the surge?" Kie and I said at the same time.

       JJ did not help saying, "That's my boy, Pogue style." and I glared at him. JJ lifted his hands in confusion like he had no idea what he had done.

       " Do we even know whose boat that is?" Pope asked

       "No, but we're about to find out." John B said

       For the first time in his life JJ was not being the reckless one, " Dude that's too deep." JJ told him.

       "Oh, for the weak and feeble, JJ" John B replied.

       " Well, I'm not resuscitating you. I'm just making that clear up front." JJ warned

       "Neither am I, that's just gross," I added.