Nothing is hidden under the sunlight // JJ

Chapter 22

The dark veil of night had fallen. The only lights that could be seen were light years away. The moon was half not giving much of a light in the dark night.  

JJ was sitting on his surfboard in the middle of the sea gazing at the infinite ocean spreading in front of him. It had to go right... There was only one way to do something for their friends and that was taking Ward down.

If they were alive they would want them to help and if they were dead they would want them to fulfill their desire. Sometimes he blamed himself for everything that had happened. If he had taken the blame for Peterkin's murder like he did with Pope John B would still be here.

For him it wouldn't be different spending time in prison. His friends would visit him and he wouldn't have his father beating him every time he wasn't high. Who knew how much more he was going to stay here.

A year had passed since Peterkin had told him about Wadesboro juvenile detention center. In other words, prison. He could end up there easily. So what's the difference if he went there earlier? At least he would be sent there for a good reason. Saving his friend.

He might be 17, he had a whole life on front of him. And of course he had no lawyer so a sentence in the prison would be inescapable. But he wouldn't mind. If there were some people who would consider family these were the Pogues. And John B was a brother to him. And he could do anything to protect him. And the fact that he just let him go out in the storm was infuriating every second since he learnt about what had happened.

This was one of the things he had never shared with Pope and Kiara. They would've told him not to think like that. And then they would feel bad for him and get emotional.

He lit his lighter observing his initials carved on it.

Everything had to do they way they were planned. Kie would distract the cops and he and Pope would sneak in without being seen. JJ didn't want all of his friends get in trouble for this. He could sneak in alone. He was okay with it.

"Pope, seriously man you don't have to come."

The boy looked at him. "We've discussed it JJ. I'm not leaving you go alone. Deal with it! We've lost John B, we're not losing you too."

Kiara was looking at the boys. JJ exchanged a glance with her, trying to get her on his side. Unfortunately for him he didn't achieved it.

"Just listen to him JJ. We've to stay together!"

"You're not going to lose me guys! Relax!"

He wouldn't mind if he got lost. He wouldn't really care about himself now. It was better being him than any of his friends. Also if Pope got lost how was Kie going to handle it? And if it was Kie the one how was Pope going to handle it? And how was he going to handle it? How could he live knowing that three of his friends were lost because he was too afraid to do something to help them?

""JJ I'm coming with you even if you want this or not. End of conversation."

"Pope think about it! What about your father? He's going to freak out if you're not at home for the night."

"Since when do you care about what my father says? Look you don't have to be scared man. Nothing bad is going to happen."

Maybe that's all he wanted to hear because after that he didn't speak about this thing for the rest of the time.

JJ inhaled deeply. The plan was not something great but it would work out. Of course if John B was there he would've come up with a better one.

He lied on his surfboard. His feet was on the water and his hands were crossed behind his head. He looked at the stars above him. One of them started to flicker.

JJ never believed the saying about shooting stars. How could possibly a shooting star would help you? Would it come and solve your problems? If that was true lots of things would be different.

"Please do your magic and bring mum back!"

"She won't return but at least try to help my dad out. He shouldn't drink so much!"

"Please help me! I can't be with him anymore. He's hitting me all the time. And then he shouts at me!"

The stars are just stars, and if you listen to Pope they could lose their magic name too. For Pope the stars are pieces of crashed planets. Or other planets, deadly for the humans. Nothing magical about it.

JJ took a deep breath. Nothing could have possibly happen. But he wouldn't lose something if he tried one more time. Maybe his time but at the moment he wasn't doing anything important.

"Please..." He rolled his eyes at what he was doing. "Please give us a sign that John B and Sarah are alive. Let them be alive!" He wished almost whispering.

The star flickered for once more and then fell down drawing a line in its falling. For some who believe in something this line can be a passage from earth to heaven. Or a passage to a magic Kingdom. For JJ was just the tail of a shooting star. At least it was now. In the past it was one of the most magical things for him on summer sky.

As the years were passing he had lost his faith in magical things. The most magical thing in his life were his friends. And now he could lose them too if anything went wrong.

For someone who didn't know what love was due to his family he loved his friends too much. But no one else. Not even one of the girls he had slept with. Maybe he wasn't capable of that. Or maybe he hadn't find the one yet.

Or had he?