A Foot In Both Worlds| JJ Maybank|Topper Thornton

Chapter 20: They Know

Evelyn pulled up to JJ's house putting her car in park.

"Hey, J," she said.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Could I maybe stay for a little bit?" Evelyn asked, "I really don't want to go home and be alone right now."

JJ glanced at his house and then back at Evelyn. She could see the hesitation in his eyes.

"If you don't want me too that's fine," Evelyn said.

"No. No," JJ said seeing the girls confused look, "I mean. I want you to stay. Just--just give me a second."

"O-okay," Evelyn said as JJ got out of the car, practically running toward the front door.

After a few minutes he came back out of the house. Evelyn rolled down her window as JJ walked over.

"I was thinking about going to practice shooting the gun," JJ said, "Wanna come?"

"Yeah sure," Evelyn said.

"Have you ever shot a gun before?" JJ asked setting the teddy bear up as a target.

"My dad took me shooting once," Evelyn said.

"Do you want to try it?" JJ asked, "I just figured someone else besides me needs to know how to work this thing."

"I'll give it a shot," Evelyn said.

"Put these on," JJ said giving her ear earring protection, "Now you want to make sure that you have to legs shoulder width apart."

Evelyn moved her legs standing how JJ had instructed her, "Okay."

"Now this guy should give too much kick but you want to make sure your hands are placed here and here," JJ said showing her the hand placement.

Evelyn nodded her head taking the guy and holding it as instructed, "Like this?"

"Perfect. The safety is right here. You're gonna click that off right before you shoot," JJ said walking behind her, "Now you just want to hold it on your target, closing one eye, and look down the top of the barrel to aim where you're shooting."

Evelyn lifted the gun closing her eye to looked down the barrel.

"Just take a deep breath and shoot whenever you're ready," JJ whispered to her as his hand were on her shoulders.

Evelyn took a deep breath in, exhaling as she clicked off the safety. She took another deep breath and pulled the trigger on the exhale. The bullet flew from the gun hitting the bear in the head.

Evelyn clicked that safety smiling as she lowered the gun. She looked over her shoulder at JJ who was still staring at the bear.

"Wow," JJ said, "I'm impressed."

"A girls gotta know how to protect herself," Evelyn said turning to face him and handing him the gun.

"Well I guess I don't have to worry about you protecting yourself," JJ said.

"Guess not," Evelyn said.

JJ eyes moved from Evelyn's down to her lips. He started to lean in as her breath hitched in her throat. JJ leaned in, his lips inches away from Evelyn's 

"JJ!" Pope yelled making the two pull away from one another, "Whoa. Am I uh- Am I interrupting something?"

Evelyn felt her face heat up as she turned away from the two boys.

"Uh no man," JJ said, "I was-uh- just uh."

"He was teaching me how to shoot the gun," Evelyn said, "You know. Just in case."

"Right," Pope said as his eyes moved back and forth between Evelyn and JJ.

"Did you need something?" JJ asked rubbing the back of his neck.

"They know," Pope said.

"Who knows what?" Evelyn asked.

"Topper and Rafe," Pope said.

"All right, chill, bro," JJ said, "They don't know shit."

"Topper knows I sunk his boat," Pope said.

"How do you know they know?" Evelyn asked.

"Because Rafe and Topper posted outside of Heyward's and mad dogged me," Pope said.

"Will you calm down and get a grip, man," JJ said, "They don't know shit."

"How do you know that JJ?" Evelyn asked.

"They have cameras. They could have seen me," Pope said.

"There was no power, Pope. How could they have seen you?" JJ asked.

"It's Figure Eight. They got generators," Pope said, "They don't give scholarships to kids who vengefully sink boats. It's not a good look on my transcript."

"Enough with the regret, bro!" JJ yelled, "They caved your face in. They hit us, we hit them. It's the law of the jungle."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. She couldn't understand how calm JJ was being about this whole situation. Pope could lose his scholarship, or worse, Topper and Rafe could jump him again.

"Now, if any Kooks come up to you and ask if you had anything to do with it, you walk up to 'em, look 'em right in the eye," JJ said pointing at his eyes, "And..."

"Deny the living shit out of it," Pope said making Evelyn scoff.

"You cannot be serious," Evelyn said.

"That's right," JJ said looking at Pope, "Deny, deny, deny."

"Do you two really think that if Topper and Rafe think you sunk the boat that denying it is going to stop anything?" Evelyn asked, "I mean come on Pope. Rafe literally attacked you for no reason that day."

"What am I supposed to do then?" Pope asked.

"I don't know," Evelyn said, "I tried to stop you from doing it in the first place. I knew we'd some how end up right here having this exact conversation."

"Well for safety reasons we don't go anywhere without protection," JJ said pointing to the gun.

"That gun is not the answer to everything," Evelyn said, "Or need I remind you that we got the gun illegally in the first place."

"What do you suggest we do then?" JJ asked.

"I say we just steer clear of them," Evelyn said, "They can't beat you up if you avoid them."

JJ laughed, taking his hat off and running his hand through his hair, "Oh yeah let's just avoid them. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Well at least my plan will keep everyone out of jail," Evelyn said.

"Chill," Pope said stepping between the two, "Well go with both plans. We'll just avoid them as much as possible but we also won't go unprotected. Just in case."

"Fine," JJ said

"Whatever. But if one of you guys arrested don't count on me to bail you out," Evelyn said.

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