JJ and a Routledge

John B's Rampage.

That night I slept at the Chateau with JJ, I couldn't really sleep though, I was messing with his hair and listening to his breathing. Thinking of a way I could help him. Any way I could help him. Suddenly, JJ speaks, and I realize he was awake. "Hey, Coral?" 

"Hmm?" I continue to twist his hair, and he looks up at me. I can't really see his face, just his figure. 

"Thank you, for just being here. It means a lot." His voice was very soft and his breathing heavy. I pet his hair for aminute before responding. 

"Of course." I smile at him, even though he probably can't see ith. "Would you like to tell me what happened?" I don't want to force him to open up, but I know, growing up, I alwasy wanted to tell someone, because it could lift the weight off my shoulders. Of course I never did. 

"Um... Yeah. I think that would help." JJ goes into the story of how his dad was all proud of him but then wanted to buy something for himself instead of paying for restitution. JJ got mad at him for it so they started fighting. JJ fought back and almost killed him. "Did you ever wanna kill your mom or her boyfriend?" He looks over at me, and I almost freeze. 

"I don't know. There are moments I've thought it like almost did it, but I knew I couldn't actually do it." I sigh. "She was still my mom, and I just remember all our good times. And her boyfriend, I just couldn't." Looking back now, I knew that my mom was just consumed an led in the wrong direction because of the man she was dating. There are times I got a lot closer to killing him then her. 

"Coral, I'm glad I met someone who understands me. Someone who's like me." I smile lightly, and snuggle into the pillow, and him. 

"I am too." It comes our breathy, maybe even shaky. We both fall asleep, of course I wait until he is asleep first, just to make sure he;s alright, and I quickly follow after him. 

The next morning the four of us were in the backyard. Pope and Kiara were testing out the bucket-type thing Pope made to get the gold while JJ and I were wading our feet in the hot tub. "John B pulling a Houdini." JJ calls out to the group. 

"Yeah, where is he?" Pope questions. "I got my scholarship interview tomorrow morning. We gotta get this done!" Just like always, whenever Pope questions where John B is, he appears, he storms out from the marsh? Maybe the dock. 

"Speak of the devil. Hey!" JJ says to him. "Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything." He doesn't even glance JJ's way, let alone stop storming forward. 

"No, he didn't." Pope rolls his eyes. His reaction to that confirms that somethings wrong, didn't even glance or smirk again. The rest of the group quickly catches on and we all run into the house after him. 

"John B?" I question him as he's digging through the clutter in the house, looking for something. His hard face and rough movements were scaring me. He looked like he was about to kill somone, but he looked upset at the same time. 

"You all right, man? What's up?" Pope asks him, after John b didn't respond to me. He continues to search, now ripping through a cabinet. 

"What are you looking for?" Kiara adds.  No response. 

"Bro, what's going on man?" As JJ asks him this, John B digs behind a cushion and pulls out the gun. We all go quiet as he stares at it. "John  B... what do you need the gun for?" JJ steps closer to him. "Talk to us." Suddenly John B throws JJ onto the futon. 

"John B chill!" I call out as he tries to storm out of the house. Pope tries to block his path but John B just shoves him aside. Kiara and I, being the only ones unshaken, run after him. We run outside to see him getting on his motorcycle. "John B, what the hell!"  I throw my hands up in disbelief. The least he could do is tell us what's got him this pressed.