𝐽𝑈𝑆𝑇 𝑁𝑂𝑇 𝑌𝐸𝑇 / JJ MAYBANK

𝟻𝟿

The police officers let us out of the car. Tents are set up everywhere, police everywhere. Everything for John b.

"Sit down. Don't move." Shoupe leads us to a bench in the tent. "We got a lot to talk about."

"Mia, can we please-" JJ tries to say but I interrupt him.

"I don't want to talk to you, JJ! Don't you get it?" I yell, crying, and sit down away.

But then all of a sudden, all the people start screaming. "That's the Phantom." I just hear. I get up immediately and run to the front. The lights have come back on and they've spotted John B and Sarah on the water.

"Shit." I mutter.

Immediately several police boats are after them. But then it quiets down again. I see Ward Cameron. He reaches for a radio to talk to John b.

"John b, I know you are there, son. I know you can here me." Says Ward.

"No matter what he says, he's lying!" I yell through my tears. "He's a liar he-" but the cops hold me back.

"-and if you love my daughter." Ward continues. "-like I think you love my daughter, then you will turn that boat around and come back. You are going into a storm that you cannot survive. John b, please, I will make it right. I promise you, come back. Think of her, and turn around."

Silence reigns in the tent for a moment. But then I hear my brother on the radio.

"You killed my father!" He shouts. "-and you framed me for a murder I didn't commit. You took everything from me! You took everything from me. But I'm still here. And I swear to God, Ward, I will come back one day and take what's mine. So, you listen to me, all right? I'm comin' for you."

Everybody here is looking at Ward. "It's true what he said, Ward is a liar, a murderer!" I yell.

"Lady, come on down, okay?" Says a police officer to me.

A few minutes pass. We are still sitting in the tent, the officers have gone out of the tent to see for themselves what is going on with the two of them. But then they come back into the tent. Immediately we stand up.

"Did you find them?" Pope Shoupe asks.

He shakes his head. "No."

"So, they got away?" I look to the others.

"We, uh... we lost them." Says Shoupe then. "I'm sorry."

"You lost them? What do you mean you lost them?" Pope approaches the officer. "-like, they're gone? What are you talking about?"

"They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope." Explains Shoupe.

"So, they're dead?" Kiara asks with tears in her eyes.

"We don't know." He mumbles.

"No, no! You fucking asshole, you-" I scream, tears streaming down my face.

"You drove them right through the storm, man!" Yells JJ. "Are you kidding me? Come here, man! I'm gonna kill you!" He pushes the officer and tries to hit him but is held away by another officer.

"You killed them!" Screams Pope. "He didn't kill anyone, and you know it!"

"We're still looking for him, all right?" Calms Shoupe.

Then Kiara and Pope's parents come into the tent. Everyone hugs, all as a family.

But I don't have a family anymore.

"You guys fucking killed him! I can't take it anymore-" I scream, crying, and collapse on the ground.

Shoupe tries to help me up, but I push him away. "He was all I had left! Everything."

"Mia," JJ says, holding his hand out to me. After all, he doesn't really have a family either. Like his dad is going to show up here. "Come-"

"No, you stay away from me!" I yell in tears and stand up.

JJ looks at me in shock. I don't think he ever thought he'd hear those words from me. His face is also covered with tears.

"Come here, Em." Calls Kiara, crying. And I go to her and her parents, and they take me in their arms. Just like Pope's parents hug JJ.

John b was the only family I had left. And now he's gone. I don't have a family anymore.