Yours till the end/JJ Maybank story

Chapter 34

We finally arrived at the shed where JJ's dad kept the boat. "There she be. Hey girl. A 1983 Formula 402 SR1. The Phantom. The first boat to make the run to Bermuda in under 16 hours, girls. Forty years old! Forty. And still the fastest thing that Kildare's ever seen" JJ explained. "It's kind of a Junker" Kie said. "You did it now Kie. You insulted the boat" I joked.

"Really? She's right there, Kie. She can hear you. Let's just put it this way. We would not be smokin weed right now if she never existed, okay" JJ said. "Thank you, for the weed money" I said patting the boat causes JJ and Kie to laugh. Then as JJ was hooking up the boat to the car we heard a motorcycle pull up. "Pope. Finally" Kie said and walked towards the door.

"Hey, there. What's goin on. JJ, Steph. How you guys doing" Rafe said walking towards us. JJ pulled me next to him. Then we heard a whistle. Then Barry came out behind Kie's car, JJ pulled me closer. "Well, well" Barry said and pointed a gun at JJ's chest, JJ pushed me behind him. "See, don't think I forgot about me and you on the side of the road. I'm here because I want my motherfuckin money" Barry said and start pushing JJ to the ground and hitting him.

I jumped on Barry, Barry punch me in the face busting my lip then Rafe dragged me away from them. Rafe held me and Kie down. Barry was yelling at JJ Rafe was choking Kie and screaming at me and her. Barry was beating the shit out of JJ. Then Pope came out of nowhere and hit Rafe I  the back with a pipe, Rafe dropped Kie. Barry got distracted giving me and JJ a chance to jump him. We beat the shit out of Barry and he blacked out. Then JJ had to pull Pope off Rafe.

Kie got in the diver seat, Pope got in the passenger seat, and me and JJ got in the back seat. "Baby you okay" JJ said lightly touching me busted lip. "I'm fine babe I have had way worse" I said. "I know but you still didn't deserve it" JJ said pulling me into his lap. "Are you ok" I asked looking up at him. "A few buries and some scratches but other than that I'm fine" JJ said. JJ held me and play with my hair all the way to the dock where we would meet JohnB and Char.

"Dude where are they" Kie said while me and JJ put the food in the boat, the boat was all ready in the water ready to go. "Give them a second. They'll be here" Pope said. A police truck pulls up with the sirens on. "Get on the boat" JJ yelled. JohnB gets out of the driver seat and Char gets out of the passenger seat. "No way" we all said.

"Shoupe let us take it for a spin" JohnB said and we all laughed. "It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for y'all, and she runs like she was made yesterday" JJ said. "Once you get around the point, it's a straight shot across the sound to Dismal Swamp. Once you get there, lay low, hang out for a couple of weeks and then go overland, cross the border at Brownsville" JJ explained.

We all hugged JohnB and Char. "Take care of yourself Char. JohnB you better take care if my sister" I said as tears slipped down my cheeks. "Don't cry sis we'll be back I promise" Char said then she got in the boat with JohnB. "JJ take care of my sister" Char said. "I will always and forever" JJ said. "We love y'all" JohnB and Char said. "We love you too" we said back.

"I'm sorry for basically throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing" JohnB said. "Hey, JohnB, yo we were bound to run off a cliff at some point, right" JJ said. "At least we did it together, though" I said. "Pogue style" we all said. "Get go please" Kie said. "We'll see y'all in two months down in Mexico" Pope said. We pushed the boat way from the dock and watched as they drove away.

Pope was hold Kie as she cried on the dock. And JJ was hold me next to Kie's car. "After this me and you are going on a surf trip" JJ said. "I would really like that" I said. Then the cops show up. "Move. Hands up! Hands up" the cop said. We pull our hands up and stood next to each other. "We're to late. Their gone. Bratcher, have your guys stand down. Let me talk to these kids. All right, where the hell are they. Where the hell are they! JJ? Steph? I see your livin up to y'all names. Pope how about you? This isn't a fucking game! You can do the right thing now! Where did they go" Shoupe yelled.

Me and JJ were put in a cop car and Kie and Pope in another. They took is to there set up and lead us to a tent while the press yelled at us with questions. "Sit down. Don't move. We got a lot to talk about" Shoupe said and walked off. JJ held my hand and rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb, Pope was doing the same thing to Kie.

All the town lights started coming back on and people started yelling it's the Phantom, there they are. Then to make things worse it started to flood. The rain was hitting the tent hard as everyone was yelling trying to catch them. Then some in the tent yelled "There headed south into the storm". Then they tried to us me to talk them in to coming back. " JohnB "I said over the radio. " Steph"he said. "There not going to stop" I said. "I know me and Char love you" he said. "I love you both so much, get out of here go" I yelled then the radio went dead and the cops took me back to JJ.

A few minutes later Shoupe walked over with so other cops and we all stood up. "Did you find them" Pope asked. "No" Shoupe said. "So they got away" Kie asked. "We, uh we lost them. I'm sorry" Shoupe said. "What do you mean you lost them. Like, they're gone" Pope asked. "They took an open boat into a tropical depression, Pope" Shoupe said.

"So they're dead" Kie asked. "We don't know" Shoupe said. "You drove them straight through the storm, man! Are you kidding me? Come here! I'm gonna kill you" JJ yelled. I didn't move I was numb and the cops pull him away from Shoupe. I just lost part of the only family I have. Kie's parents ran over to her and hugged her and Pope's parents ran over to him and hugged him. But me and JJ had no one not even my mom came out.

I walk out of the tent and into the pouring rain and dropped to me knees as an agonizing scream ripped through my throat and I started crying uncontrollable. Then I felt a strong pair of arms wrap around me, it was JJ. I turned into his chest and cried harder and I could tell he was crying to. Then a few minutes later I felt six more pairs of arms around me and JJ. It was Kie and Pope and both of there parents. We stayed like that for a few minutes the Pope and Kie went home with their parents.

JJ picked me up and carried me home to the Chateau.

TWO DAYS LATER
It's been two days since they died. I didn't move off my bed except to use the bathroom and shower other than that I layed there. JJ stayed with me he tried to get me to eat and drink but I wouldn't.

JJ was on the porch with Kie and Pope and I could hear there conversation. "She hasn't talked or ate or drank anything" Kie asked. "No. I'm scared I'm going to lose her to" JJ said and started to cry. I felt bad now I didn't want JJ to cry anymore so I sat up and grabbed the grilled cheese sandwich next to me and ate it. "She gonna be ok JJ" Pope said. When I finished the sandwich I walk out of my room and quietly made it to the porch. Pope and Kie were hold JJ as he cried. They both saw me and let go of JJ.

I walked up behind him and placed my hands on his shoulders he looked up at me quickly. "Steph" He cried. I quickly wrapped my arms around him. "I'm sorry I made you cry Jay, I'm sorry I didn't talk to you, I'm sorry I didn't move or say I love you back. But I do love you more than anything and thank you for not giving up on me" I said and now I was crying.

"You have nothing to be sorry for baby, I'm just happy your talking again. I would never give up on you I love you too, im your's till the end remember" JJ said. "I remember, I'm your's till the end. Can I have another grilled cheese now" I asked smiling. "Yes" JJ said laughing at me and so were Kie and Pope. "It good to have you back" they said and hugged me. Then we went inside and watch JJ cook which was interesting, then we watch a movie together. "I love you JJ" I whispered. "I love you too Steph" JJ whispered then I fell asleep in JJ's arms.