𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲

XXXI. Cat's Ass.

JAKE WOULD'VE gone home after but he ended up going with Kie and Pope to gather materials for their plan while Sarah and John B went to go be alone and do their couple shit. It's nighttime when they arrive to the Chateau in Pope's dad's old truck.

"So, we gott be done before my scholarship interview in the morning." Pope tells the other two. "Okay, well, we gotta focus." Kie says and Pope nods. "I know. I know. It's gonna be fine." He says as he goes over the plan. "We got John B and JJ inside the well, me and you up top. And Kiara and Sarah will be outside transporting." He says as Jake nods, opening the car door to hop out and wait for Kiara.

"Yeah, we got this." Kie says as she got out, shutting the car door. "Cool." Pope replied as they walk over to the back of the truck. "Uh, I got a winch. That tin can hold over like... 200, 300 pounds." Pope pointed at it and Jake nods, opening up the truck.

"Thanks." Kie said to them suddenly. "Uh, what for?" Jake asked as Pope also looks at Kiara. "Stranding us. You know, making us make up." She says, meaning the thing with Sarah as she looks up at Jake who scrunched up his face, looking at Pope. "What makes you think that was us?" Pope chuckled softly.

A generator whirrs to life and lights up the yard. "What the hell?" Pope says as they look towards the source. "Who the hell is that?" Kie asked and they walk towards the front of the Chateau where JJ is relaxing in a hot tub.

"What did you do, JJ?" Pope asked as Jake looked all around at the stuff. The lights and the floaties with champagne flutes in them. "I got a jet going straight in my butt right now." JJ chuckled and Jake furrows his brows. "Ya'll should get in immediately, you hear me?" He said as he pours champagne into three of the plastic cups. "Salud!" He says before he drinks straight from the bottle.

"How much did this cost?" Pope asked and JJ pulls the bottle away. "Uh... well, with the generator, the petrol, and oh, hey, express delivery..." He chuckles, listing everything before looking at them, "pretty much all of it, yeah." He nodded. "All of it?" Jake asks.

"Yeah, all of it."

"You spent all the money in one day?" Pope asked and JJ nods. "Yeah, burned a hole right through my pocket. But I mean, like, come on, guys, like look at this!" He exclaimed. "Finest in jet-based massage therapy, that's what they told me." He tells them and noticed the look on Kiara's face. "Kie, what? Can't a man have a little luxury in life?" He asked her.

"Come on, Jake, you get it. All this scrimpin' and scrapin'... I mean, like... guys, we-- you only live once, right?" He asked and Jake is taken back by the sad look in his eyes when he took off his sunglasses. "Enough of this emotional shit. Get in the Cat's Ass. Come on." He says. "In the what?" Kie asked him.

"In the Cat's Ass. That's what I named her." He's smiling and Jake sighs. "Oh, hey, yo, I almost forgot." He reached over and pressed a button that lights up a disco ball. "Huh? Yeah, that's right, I know. Disco mode." He says and Jake just looks around, shaking his head softly. "That's right, baby!" JJ exclaims.

"Are you kidding me?" Pope raised his voice, "you could have paid for restitution!" He said and Jake nods, gesturing to him. "Or literally given it to any charity!" Kie also yells. "Or better yet, you could have helped us buy supplies to get the rest of the gold out of the well!"

JJ stood up, "okay, well, you know what? I didn't do that!" He said and Jake noticed the bruises on his body, making him worried right away. "I got a hot tub! For my friends." He says and Jake glanced up at him, furrowing his brows. "I got a hot tub for my friends." He repeated and the realization of where the bruises came from set in making Jake look down.

"You know what? No, you know what? Screw friends. I got a hot tub for my family!" He says and Jake looked back up at him. "JJ, what the hell?" Kie asked him, looking just as worried and sad about JJ's bruises. "I got this for you guys. Guys, look what I did for you! Alright? Look at this!" He gestured around.

"Look at this!" He turns back to them. "JJ..." Jake sighs. "No, you two stop being emotional, it's fine, okay?" He tells him and Kie who both looked upset. "I mean, it's sweet, right?" He continued but Jake just kicked off his vans and walked up, getting into the hot tub. He pulled JJ into his arms. "I just couldn't do it." JJ sobs into his arms, giving in.

Kie climbs in after them, wrapping his arms around them both as she cries, letting out tears as well. "I can't take him anymore!" JJ exclaims as Jake just hugs him tighter, rubbing his back. He glanced at Kie over JJ's head as Pope walked up to the hot tub.

"I was gonna kill him." He cries as Pope hugs the other three. "I just wanna do the right thing." JJ cried even further. "I know. It's okay, man." Jake patted his back gently. They comforted JJ until Kie and Pope went over to the truck. Jake sat on the edge of the hot tub as JJ was sitting down, staring off into the distance with puffy eyes and drinking some more champagne.

"How long has it been happening?" Jake asked as he grabbed one of the plastic champagne flutes. "Since I was a kid..." JJ said and took another swing from his champagne bottle. "Shit, J... I'm sorry. I-I didn't know." He replied and JJ glanced over at him. "You have better things to worry about. Like your girl." He says and Jake shrugs. "Yeah but you're one of my best friends." He says, looking at him.

"It's not a big deal, alright?" He says and Jake shrugs. "I just... I don't know. It's... it's crazy to think people lay their hands on their kids." He said and JJ pats his leg. "Don't worry about it, alright?" He says and Jake sighs.

"I want a beer. This champagne sucks."

A.N.
ward cameron's a lil bitch
but we already knew that so