The Cool Kids - JJ Maybank

Warm Skin, Cold Air

I want to pass out on my bed as soon as I climb through the window but my throbbing arm reminds me painfully of the bullet in my elbow. Or maybe it went through. That would actually be helpful. So, instead of passing out, I inspect my arm. It appears the damn thing went through - thankfully - and explains the amount of blood on my shirt. It would’ve been so much more if it had stuck inside my skin.

With hesitation, I disinfect it after digging through the supplies in my bathroom. I bite my tongue, trying to keep quiet for my parents, as the rubbing alcohol seeps into the layer of skin around my wound. After a moment of letting it breathe, allowing it to do it’s job a decent amount, I cover it with some gauze, applying pressure that - unlike the alcohol - turns from painful to comforting as I ease myself into the feeling of it around my bicep. And even though I know I need to do a better job, I can’t focus on it much longer than that. Instead, my attention goes to my brother.

Jake’s murder, Tasha and Big John’s disappearance and now Scooter’s death. They all involve the compass through the merchant. Why would Scooter be out in the storm with it? To deliver it somewhere? Maybe Scooter’s sole purpose was to set John B up with a clue. Maybe Big John is still alive. Maybe Tasha’s with him. The only other person who could know why - and who might help the others and myself figure out what to do next - is Lana.

. the cool kids .

As I bike to Lana’s house, a familiar van pulls up next to me, slowing down as someone inside of it rolls their window down. “Hello, boys,” I sing-song.

“Where’s your car, Princess?” JJ teases.

“Don’t have one,” I reply.

“All that money and John B is the one with a car.”

I glance at him. “I have my license. That doesn’t mean shit to my parents.” Dean will take you wherever you want to go. Bullshit. I want to get away from him. “I’m assuming you’re also headed toward Lana’s?”

“I always tell John B that you are smarter than you look,” JJ says.

“And I’m pretty sure John B’s the one out of you two who thought about this,” I snark back, “because there is nothing going on behind those pretty blue eyes of yours.” I don’t allow myself to wince at the fact that I called his eyes pretty as I keep going.

JJ doesn’t bring it into light either. Instead, he moves to the back and opens the side door when John B comes to a stop. I stop with them, frowning in confusion. “Come on, Princess.” He offers me his hand. I look between the two boys. “Don’t make this weird.” I take the blonde’s hand and let him help me up, taking my bike with me to somehow fit in the back of the van. “Was that so hard?”

“Shut up,” I tell him, “at least until we get to Lana’s place.”

And he does shut up for the rest of the ride to Lana. Even John B looks surprised when they arrive and JJ hasn’t said a single thing. John B gets out first, then JJ does and as I’m reaching to open the door, I’m met with the blonde looking at me, already pulling it open for me.

“Well, Princess, did I do well?” JJ jokes.

I can’t help but smile a little. “Good boy.” I rub the top of his head, making sure my fingers don’t get tangled in his blond mess. He grins and closes the door once I’m out causing me to shake my head a little.

John B catches our attention again: “Do you know what this house looks like?”

JJ nods. “Like whoever lives here smokes too much weed.”

I wince at the smell when it hits me. “Way too much.” Dean might smoke more than I do but I’ve done it plenty and this is overwhelming my senses.

I’m almost worried I might go in there and be talking like I’m high when I see Lana again but then the sound of glass smashing into pieces wakes me back up. JJ glances at John B worriedly. “It’s gotta be those guys,” I mutter, thinking about the men who shot at us only a day before. It seems like so long ago - kidding. My elbow reminds me with every wrong move that it was last night.