Bad Karma

eighteen

Leilani Elrod

Episode 3. The Forbidden Zone

When we returned to the Chateau, there was a note from Kie and John B telling us they were at the The Haven, which was their signature surf spot. Surfing had always been interesting and I use to be pretty good before the fear of water and stuff, you know, the usual. I could watch them surf for hours, but not after what had just happened, so I opted out on the eye candy.

"I'll stay too, you know, make sure you don't hit your head or anything." JJ said, scratching the back of his neck. My eyes nearly flew out of my head. JJ had never ever turned down surfing. Pope bid us goodbye and was off.

On the way back we had decided that we would tell the gang that there had been a boating accident, resulting in Pope and I flying and hitting our heads. As for the bruise on my neck, we were gonna say that I had hit it on a table before my head hit it. I don't think they were gonna believe it, but it's much better than the alternative of telling the truth, JJ's words. Personally, I think we should tell them. Nothing good ever comes from lying.

JJ sat me up on the counter, grabbing a towel and helping me to clean the blood from my nose. I had never had a nose bleed in my whole life until today, and let me tell you, it's certainly not enjoyable. JJ had his eyebrows turned down and a hard look on his face. He looked angry.

"JJ, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

He sighed and put his arms on either side of me, "I knew I should've made you go with me. I never would have let them touch you, Lee."

I set my hand on his shoulder, "It's not your fault."

"It's not your guys' either. God, I wanna cave their faces in." He sighed.

"JJ, don't beat yourself up over it."

He didn't reply, but he kept his eyes on mine, flicking up and down from my eyes to.. my lips? Did I have something in my teeth?

"JJ-" I couldn't even have time to process him coming closer before his lips were on mine. Now, this wasn't my first kiss. My first kiss was with Benny Daniels in the first grade under the yellow slide and my second kiss was with JJ. The accidental kiss.

Like it was natural, though, my arms lifted and circled around his neck, drawing him closer. Deep breaths-

JJ MAYBANK, MY BEST FRIEND, IS SMOOCHING ON ME AND IT'S NOT AN ACCIDENT AND OH, MY GOD, I LIKED IT.

Our lips moved perfectly together and it was unlike anything I could ever possibly describe. Who knew I had underlying feelings for my best friend? Whack.

We pulled apart slowly, left staring at each other with red faces and mouths opened.

"What.the.frick.was.that?" I said slowly, blinking my eyes slowly every few seconds. It felt like all my bodily movements now had to be done manually, no thought was in my brain. JJ just smirked at me. SMIRKED. Oh, the audacity of this boy. "Was that another accident?"

He finally cracked a real, happy-go-lucky, smile and laughed, "No, Lee, that wasn't accident." His face turned to one of panic, "Unless you wanted it to be."

I shook my head, taking my hands off his neck and pushing his chest, "No, you dork."

"Don't call me a dork, Lee. Really bruisin' my ego."

"So.." I looked down, playing with my hands, "What now?"

I looked back up to him and he took a few deep breaths, "We go back to being friends?"

Friends. Oh.

"Right. Yeah, of course."

Was I that dense? I didn't know that after kissing someone.. like that.. you could just go back to being friends. Well, Kie and John B did that, so I guess this was no different. Man, if this was how John B felt, I felt absolutely terrible for him.

"Guys, we're out back!" Pope called into the house, making JJ and I jump slightly.

"You maybe wanna head out there?" JJ asked. I couldn't look at him as I nodded and he held his hand out for me, which I took. Friends weren't supposed to hold hands, though, were they? They also weren't supposed to lay with each on the hammock and he definitely wasn't supposed to be toying with the bracelets on my wrist.

"You really think it's out there? Like, no bullshit?" Pope asked into the darkness.

John B shrugged, "My father thought it was."

"But do you?"

"After hearing his voice on that tape... I think I do."

"Only one way to find out."

There was no question that the gold was out there somewhere, but the million dollar question was whether we would find it or not and if it wasn't on the boat, then we were back to square one entirely.

"Look, we're gonna find it, you know?" Kie stated, "Even JJ believes."

I grinned, putting my hands on his chest and putting on a girly voice, "Oh, my god? No way."

John B mimicked me, "Oh, my god, JJ, do you really believe?"

"Totally." He took his eyes off me, "Wait. Are we talking about five mil?"

"Five hundred mil."

"Five hundred mil."

Kie smiled over at Pope, "Jynx."

"I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks." JJ cleared his throat quickly after realizing how it sounded, "I mean, I'm gonna dream about gold on the Merchant."

JJ wrapped me in his arms and turned to the side, facing me and getting comfortable, "Goodnight, Bird!"

"Goodnight, bird shit!"

Just friends didn't sleep on the hammock together.