PARADISE ON EARTH | jj maybank (DISCONTINUED)

2.12

LAURA KNEW HER BROTHER was alive, but the moment she saw him in person, she could actually believe it now. The two immediately made eye contact, tears forming in hers. Laura couldn't believe it.

Her eyes were drawn over to Sarah Cameron who was smiling at her. Laura smiled back, wiping the tears away from one of her eyes.

But the group was drawn back to reality, remembering the people that were after them in that exact moment.

As much as they wished they did, they all knew there was no time to waste. If the five of them lingered much longer, there would be no time past this to see each other. John B looked back at Laura. "Get in! Get in! Get in! Come on!"

Laura was sitting next to Sarah who she immediately hugged as Pope and JJ were left to push the bike to hopefully get it to move faster. The embrace of her friend was so comforting, she never realized how much she needed it until now.

The two separated quickly as the two boys in the back began to yell at John B to pedal faster as the other guy that was after John B and Sarah were right behind them, as well as the one after Pope.

They finally got onto the main road, going even faster. JJ hopped up on the side of the cart of the bike where Laura and Sarah were seated, on the blonde's side. "Come on, Pope!" JJ yelled.

Pope fell and rolled, but before the man could grab him he was right back up. They all yelled indistinctly, and Laura held out her hand to the boy. They couldn't lose him.

But, unlike the Pope they were used to, he caught back up pretty quickly, and Laura grabbed his hand to help him up onto the back of the bike in a similar stance to JJ.

"Pedal, John B!" Laura yelled, pushing the guy off the back.

They all started cheering, for multiple reasons. One being that they had finally gotten the guy off their asses, the other being because they were all together again. Well, not all of them yet.

"I need to call Briar and Kie!" Laura yelled, looking over at Sarah with a huge smile.

She nodded, "Why aren't they here?"

"I'll tell you later." the brunette waved off. She would explain later.

They weren't home just yet and they still had a long way to go. There was still time.

The group of five had finally made it back to the beach, running for their lives to get back on the small boat that they were extremely grateful to have in that moment. It really couldn't have been better timing.

Each person hopped over the railing, landing in the hard sand. As John B and Laura got into the boat, JJ, Pope, and Sarah helped push it back into the water. Laura helped Sarah up as the other two climbed with mostly ease.

JJ grabbed Laura by the waist, yelling into the air with excitement and pure happiness, and then pulled her into a hug. The brunette laughed, hugging him back.

John B immediately began driving the boat out into the water until they could no longer see land. All that the incomplete group of six did was talk about the events that happened while they were separated and just random little things.

"Hey, JJ! Mind taking over?" Yelled John B, causing the blonde boy to immediately run over.

JJ grabbed the wheel of the boat, signalling for the other to go away since he was in control of it now. John B thanked him, then walked over to his twin sister who was currently talking to Sarah.

John B rested a hand on Sarah's shoulder, looking down at the blonde girl. "Can I talk to LB for a minute, Sarah?"

"Yeah. Of course." Sarah nodded her head, before standing up and walking over to the other two boys who were on the other side of the boat. One driving it while the other stood next to him talking his ear off.

Laura gave her twin brother a wide smile, leaning forward slightly in happiness, resting her hands into her lap. The boy ran a hand through his hair, being anxious to be face to face with his sister once again.

"John B. What's up?" Laura asked with concern.

He sat there anxiously, barely being able to look at the girl who was sat across from him. His gaze kept going back and forth from her and the moving waters behind them as they sped through the ocean.

The girl rested a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to reality.

John B hugged her so tightly, reminding her of the hug her father used to give her every day before school when they were younger. This was home.

"I missed you so much, Laura."

"You haven't called me Laura in so long."

"Well I'm the only one allowed still, right?"

"Always." Laura finished, still embracing the hug.

~~

Night crept up on them quickly, all of them losing track of time. The moonlight shone brighter than usual it felt like, making this night even better.

While John B was back to driving the boat, everyone sat around, continuing to catch up on the eventful times that happened while separated.

That was all they could do. Talk about what happened while they weren't together. Because they were all usually attached by the hip. JJ let a few small things slip to Sarah about his and Laura's relationship, making sure he didn't let John B here.

Laura kept moving positions, either seated next to JJ with his arm around her shoulders, or standing next to John B. She was getting tired, but wasn't letting it show, besides the fact that her head was resting on her boyfriend's shoulder.

Sarah and John B kept sharing glances between each other and the couple that was supposedly trying to keep their relationship a secret, but they all knew JJ was too touchy to be able to hide it.

"Yo, does anyone else feel like driving the boat for a little bit?" John B asked, but just received mumbles from everyone else. "And there's my answer. Where the hell are Kie and Briar?"

Laura lifted her head. "You just now realized they weren't here?"

"I realized they weren't here. I was just expecting someone to explain it to me earlier." Her brother replied, his tone having some attitude within it.

Laura scoffed at his attitude. "Anyway, neither of them were allowed to go. And before you cut me off, there also wasn't enough room in the truck for all five of us."

Her brother just nodded. Laura knew he was going to say something along the lines of 'They've snuck out before, they can do it again'.

And the conversation just continued to flow as it always did, and for a moment they all forgot they had been apart for what felt like forever. And then without realizing how long they had stayed up talking, the morning sun shown onto them, and they were back in the Outer Banks.