she wasn't okay - JJ MAYBANK // Outer Banks

TEN

Lucy sat in the second row. Her leg was bouncing up and down. She'd swear her heart was beating outside of her chest. A hand laid on her bouncing leg. JJ. JJ sat next to her. His warm blue eyes met hers.

"It's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay." JJ whispered, knowing he might be lying. Lucy saw it in his eyes. She knew he was just comforting her. She couldn't judge him. She'd be lying too, if it was her in his place. Lucy had a clear head, but she was regretting it. Her hands were sweaty and her head was aching. It was not like she had a pill in her jeans-pocket, but Lucy really wanted to try and stay sober, just for the hearing.

"Do you need some water?" Sarah, her brother's girlfriend Lucy only met yesterday, offered Lucy her bottle.

"No, I'm good. Thanks." Lucy said, leaving out a deep breath. Everybody shot their head to the door as it opened. Lucy forgot how to breathe. Her hand searched for JJ's. John B was brought into the room. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit. His hands were cuffed behind his back. Lucy looked into his face. It was beaten up. Why was it beaten up? John B cracked a smile as he saw his sister. Never had he thought he had a sister or anything like another family member. But within the second John B sat down his life he wanted to know crashed down in front of him. The moments he had with friends passed by him. The laughter. The sadness. Drinking. Surfing. Driving up and down the coast. Breaking into new building homes. Even dancing. The moments he had with his father. He never got to say goodbye to him. He never knew it was their last dinner together before he went missing. He never knew it was the time seeing him as he ran out of the house. Sure the fought, but sure as hell did they both had the best time together at The Chateau. Did his father know he had a daughter? If he did, he would have told John B about it. That was for sure. Lucy. His sister. He'd never get to know her.

"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section 14, you are charged with murder in first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty."

But he heard her scream. He never really heard her voice, but in that very second, when he thought about his life, he knew it was her voice. John B's head turned around. Looking for his sister. Looking for the pain he heard in her voice. Looking for a last moment with her. Lucy pushed through the crowd. Ripping herself free from Kiara and Sarah. She was caught again before she could climb over the little gate. John B saw JJ putting both arms around Lucy. Tears running down not only her face. John B looked at JJ, nodding with a little smile. Both of them tearing. Lucy tried to knock JJ over. Tried to get to her brother. Tried to not lose the one important thing in her life she never knew she would have. Before John B was led away, he said one last thing to JJ: "Keep her save."

Lucy sat on the back of JJ's motorcycle. Her arms were tucked around him. Her head laid on his back. Lucy didn't know where they were. They just drove along the coast. Lucy felt her heartbeat against JJ's back. Both them stop crying once the drove off. JJ didn't know what to do. He couldn't calm her while they were still at court. JJ just grabbed her by the hand and took her for a ride. He did know if it would work, but apparently it did. He speeded up once they left Outer Banks. Lucy didn't want to enjoy it, but she did. She felt guilty towards her brother. He was just sent to death penalty and all she did was riding on the back of a bike. But it wouldn't be long and she'd see her brother again. Not in flesh, but she'd see him. So she needed to take everything she could to enjoy the last moments of her life. JJ stopped the bike at some point. Lucy looked up. They were at a cliff. The sun was going down. The ocean was shimmering. Lucy took her helmet off. The wind blew through her hair. She could taste the salt of the ocean on her lips. JJ looked at her over his shoulder, after he had taken his helmet off. He could see her smiling.

"Come." JJ simply said and both got off the bike. They walked to the edge of the cliff and sat down. JJ took Lucy fingers into his. "I'm gonna do something. I promise." A tear fell from Lucy eye.

"J... There is nothing you can do against court." Lucy voice was a whisper.

"If I have to I'll bust him out." Lucy put her head on his shoulder.

"He didn't do it. We have to prove he's innocent."

"I know you are right, but I don't know how, Luce." JJ took her hand. "See it from the judge sight: he's basically a homeless 17 year old, with no parent and a really heavy accusation from Ward Cameron. He has his hands in every business from the island. No one, literally no one, will believe us. Even if we are right, which we are." Lucy swallowed. She didn't know much about the island, but from what she heard from Ward Cameron JJ was right. "What?" JJ questioned.

"You are only half right. He has a parent." Lucy bit her lip. She didn't want to mention her mother. She never wanted to meet her mother again. Her mother was no good... for Lucy, but maybe for John B. "Our mum." Lucy whispered.

"Yeah, right." JJ chuckled. "The woman who left him when he was three." Lucy didn't respond. She knew her mother. But maybe, just maybe, she'd help him. He is still her son. Even if that meant Lucy needed to go back with her, but her brother would be save. "What could she do to proof he is innocent?"

"I don't know. Forget I mentioned her." The sun was about to hit the ocean.

"Your dad always told us, when we were out watching the sunset, every time the sun is going down and you see a little flash when it's hit the water, someone you lost is thinking about you."

Lucy smiled by the thought of what her dad taught kids that weren't his'. She wished she could have known him. "Sounds like my dad was a pretty kind man."

The smile on JJ face exploded. "The best. He was always there, when it got too much at home. He cared for everyone. If he knew he had a daughter he would have come and get you to live with him and John B. Secretly he always wanted one. You should had seen the way he treated Kie. Like she was his own daughter. Sure, he was a little weird and addicted to the treasure hunt, look who was right."

"Where is the gold now? You didn't tell me that."

"Bahamas."

"Bahamas?"

"Yeah, Ward flew it there. John B and Sarah tried to get it back, but how are two teenager supposed to carry 400 million in gold over the ocean with that little boat they came back?"

"We have to proof John B didn't do it!" Lucy said out loud, louder than she wanted. "And I might know how." Lucy smiled. JJ's head shot around to her.

"How?"

"Rafe doesn't know who I am."

"And?"

"I'm gonna get him to tell me what happened and record it." JJ looked at the blonde girl with real confusion on his face. "You wanted to know, where I get my stuff from." JJ nodded.

"Hell no!" JJ yelled whispering. "Rafe? You wanna play bait?" Lucy nodded. "Over my dead body. I'm not leaving you alone with Rafe fucking Cameron. You know what he is capable of!"

"Well if you still want that good stuff you sort of have to."

"Luce, no. We don't need his stuff. I'd stay clean for your sakes to stay away from that kook."

"Nothing will happen to me. He doesn't know who I am. If I have to money to pay he won't harm me. I'll get him drunk."

"Listen here, Rafe Cameron doesn't work like that. He doesn't trust. Even if he is drunk. He'll freak out. Talk to Sarah, if you don't believe me. He uses girls, but never trusts them."

"What if I sleep with him?" Lucy spit the words out like she wrote something down for the food shopping list. JJ nearly fell over the cliff after hearing Lucy's word.

"Are you fucking serious?! I'd never allow you to sleep with him. John B would not only kill him, but you and me too, if he finds out."

"Then he doesn't find out."

"No! Lucy, no! You won't sleep with anyone to bust your brother out if jail!"

"JJ, he is on death penalty! For fucking sakes. If it saves his life."

"No, we'll find another way."

Lucy stood up. "Then tell me a better plan, any plan."

JJ got up as well. "We will, I promise. Let's get back to the other and think about it with them."

NOT EDITED