Bad Karma

three

Leilani Elrod

Episode 1. Pilot

"Yo, JJ, you been outside?" John B's voice woke me up. It was obvious that he was trying to wake up JJ. JB didn't question him laying with me. This was normal after any kind of storm.

JJ groaned beside me, "I have polio, bro. I can't walk."

I heard JB scoff as his footsteps padded away and I could hear the squeak of the backdoor opening. JJ didn't get up, instead he pulled me closer, brushing a few pieces of my hair back before throwing his face back into the pillow. He had zero intentions of getting back up.

But I did.

So I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. JJ was laying shirt-less next to me, one arm under me and the other above me, caging me in.

"JJ." I nudged him.

"Polio." He grumbled.

I smiled lightly, though I felt absolutely terrible. My head hurt, my eyes stung, and my throat burned all at once. A reminder of how horrible it had been the night before.

"We gotta get up, J." I tugged on his arm, sitting up, "Get up."

"Fine." He grumbled, pulling himself off me and offering me a hand, which I took, as he pulled me off the bed. I followed him outside, my eyes grazing over the aftermath of Agatha. Trees and branches littered the yard, along with pieces of trash and debris.

"Agatha did some work, huh?" JJ commented, whistling.

"Yeah, she did." John B agreed.

A rooster crowed loudly, sending a smile to my face.

"I'm gonna go feed my baby." I informed JJ, running into the house to grab some of the feed JB and I had, making a mental note to myself to pick up more the next time I was in town. I grabbed a handful, knowing that Rocky is a chunky boy. Who was I to shame him? My baby deserved to be spoiled.

He squawked louder as I approached, opening the door for him to come out and sit with me, which he did. I crossed my legs and he jumped up to sit on me, eating the feed directly from my hand, allowing me to pet him.

"You and that dumb rooster." JJ scoffed, startling me and Rocky. He jumped off me and scrambled back in the coop.

I crossed my arms and pouted, "Hey! You scared him!" JJ rolled his eyes, "And you love Rocky. Everyone does."

"Mhm. You know what I love more?"

"What?"

"If you would come fishing with us?"

"Hm. Let me think about it." I sat for a moment, acting if I was in thought, though I was going to go no matter what, "Will Kie be there?"

"If I say yes will that make you go?"

"Only if you tell Rocky you love him." I demanded.

"What- no!" I gave him a stern look and raised my eyebrow, "Fine. Rocky, I love you."

I smiled brightly at him and he smiled back at me, "What are we waiting for? Let's get this fish show on the road!"

In an instant, I was up and JJ was chasing after me, both of us nearly tipping the boat as we both jumped onto it. Before either of us could fall, JJ caught me. Saving me from not only falling into the water, but saving all of us from another one of my panic attacks.

"Look at the dolphin!" I leaned over the boat, but not too far, pointing at the dolphin swimming past us. I peeked back up, waving at some of the locals, "Hi, Miss Amy! You guys get through it okay?"