MERCEDES, jj maybank

36.

RAMPAGE

"Can you stay here tonight, please?" JJ asks.

He and Trinity were in John B's room at the Chateau since he was staying at Tannyhill. They were laying closely together, JJ on top of her with his head in the nook of her neck. Her legs were placed around his waist and she played with his hair and gently traced shapes on his back trying to avoid any bruised places.

"I will don't worry," She assures him.

JJ lifts his head up to look at her, "I am sorry for what I said the other day,"

"Forget about it," Trinity shakes her head.

"No, but--"

"JJ, it's fine,"

He stops and smiles at her, "Good," He slides one of his arms under her back and then grips her waist, pulling her on top of him, switching their places.

"I don't wanna hurt you," She says getting off his chest but JJ stops her and tugs her back down.

"It's fine," He whispers and closes his eyes resting his hands on the back of her head, combing through her hair.

§

In the morning Trinity woke up from footsteps around on the wooden floor, her eyes flickered open and she saw JJ putting on a white wifebeater and then a red baseball cap.

"Morning," She says as she sits up.

JJ spins around to look at her and smiles widely, "Good morning, Mercedes. Get ready because we're sorting everything out with the gold,"

Trinity nods and gets out the bed. From staying at John B's so often a lot of her clothes were here, in John B's room. She slipped on a bright orange top and put on her black shorts and braided her hair in two before following JJ out to the others.

Kiara was sat in a tin hanging from the tree, "It feels good - hey guys,"

"Hey,"

"Morning,"

JJ and Trinity sat on the walls of the hot tub watching Pope and Kie. JJ had gone completely back to normal and was acting as if nothing had happened. He wanted to do his best to forget about it and his friends understood that but Trinity still hated what she saw last night.

"I'm gonna take you down now," Pope says to Kie.

"Okay,"

JJ looks around, "John B pulling a Houdini,"

"Yeah, where is he?" Pope adds. "I got my scholarship interview in the morning, we have to get this done!"

"You're gonna do great, Pope," Trinity says to him with a warm and friendly smile.

"Speak of the devil!" JJ points ahead, "Hey! Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything!" He lies.

"No, he did not!" Pope shouts and corrects him. "I did that!"

"Hey John B?" Kiara says, trying to get his attention but he keeps on walking towards the Chateau. He heads off inside without saying a word.

JJ looks at Trinity, furrowing his eyebrows, "Okay?"

"What was that all about?" Pope goes over to the hot tub followed by Kiara,

"I was gonna ask you the same question."

"He was at that fishing thing with Ward, right?" Trinity speaks up, "Maybe something happened?"

"Well let's go see." Kiara turns around and heads inside. The three of them follow her and find John B rummaging through the house, looking for something.

"Bro, what's going on?" JJ questions, leaving Trin's side to go closer to John B.

"Man? What's up?" Pope asks.

Kiara and Trinity exchanged worried looks. Neither of them has ever seen John B act like this. Things were falling to the floor and breaking as John B was flinging cabinets and drawers open.

"John B? What are you looking for?" Trinity asks him.

John B looks at Trinity for a second then looks like he had an epiphany, he bolts over to the couches and shoves his hands down the back of the cushions, pulling out JJ's gun. The group all get alarmed and start saying stuff to him.

"John B, just no."

"What do you need the gun for?" JJ puts his hands on John B's bicep but he snapped and pushed him onto the sofa.

"John B, chill out!" Kiara shouts at him. "What are you doing?"

John B was still ignoring everyone, "What are you, JJ now?" Pope says to him, standing in his way so John B had no choice but to look at him.

"Stop!" John B hisses, shoving Pope out of the way and into the table on his way out of the house.

Trinity goes over to Pope and helps him up, "Are you okay?" Pope nods and catches his breath.

JJ put his hat back on his head and ran out after John B and was soon followed by the other three.

"John B what the hell are you doing?!" Kiara shouts at him, as he mounts JJ's bike ready to go somewhere.

"What the hell - John B," Trinity and the others race over to him.

"Ward knows about the gold!" He shouts back and then turns to face his friends, "He killed my Dad."

Before anyone could make an attempt to stop him or ask any questions about the situation or how he even found out, John B was long gone. His four friends we left stood in confusion and had no idea what they should do now.