I'm here // JJ Maybank

7

We arrived back at the chateau and made our way onto the dock.
"What do you guys think it is?" Kie asked as johnB started opening the bar.
"Gotta be money, right?" John b said.
"That or a couple of keys with street value to the low-to mid mils!" JJ said patting John B on the back.
"Can we please just open the bag?" Pope snapped making us all look in his direction.
"Wow pope" I said clapping him on his back.
"That's a rare outburst of emotion" John B said.
"You guys are literally killing me with anticipation" he said. I wrapped my arms and squeezed him to get him to relax.
"Just open the bag, we almost died over this" he said bending down.
"Fair." I said squatting down also.
John B opened the bag, and then the bag inside the bag, and then the tin that was in said bag. He dumped out the canister and inside was a compass that looked very familiar. John B stared at it for a while but everyone else turned away. I looked at him knowing that he recognizes it too.
"Oh wow. Yup that's about right" pope says. "Good job everybody we found a compass."
I keep staring at the compass trying to figure out where I know it from.
"Guys what? It's not worth anything." JJ says looking down at me and John B. John B smiles at the compass and I finally realize why I know it.
"This was my fathers. Mel this was his" he says showing it to me. I look at him with wide eyes. Big John always used to show me and John B his things growing up, going on and on about whatever hunt he was involved with at the time.
"Holy shit B" I say hugging him.
—
We all ended up splitting up. Me and JJ went back to mine as we normally do. We were sitting and chatting in my room about the day and just debriefing when I heard a knock at the door.
"One sec." I said getting up and going out to answer. On the other side of my screen door stood Andrew.
"Uh hey" I said walking outside.
"Hey uh, sorry to come over unannounced. I didn't have your number." He said shifting on his heels.
"Yeah uh, lines are still down here. What's up?" He nodded and took a deep breath. I was feeling quite awkward I'm not gonna lie.
"Well I just wanted to say I had a lot of fun at the boneyard and it sucked the way it ended. But uh one of my friends is having a party and I just wanted to see if you wanted to be my plus one?" He said smiling at me. I furrowed my eyebrows confused.
"Uh.. um sure. Why not?" I said. I've never had a guy follow up with me or even treat me the way Andrew does. Normally they just wanna hook up then never speak again. This is all very foreign.
"Oh awesome. Um I'll like leave a note with the detail or something. So yeah. I guess I'll see you later." He said walking towards me. He kissed my cheek and then sheepishly backed away.
"Yeah see you later" I said blushing. I looked down at my shoes as he walked back to his car.
"What was that about?" JJ said leaning on the door frame jump scaring me.
"Oh nothing" I said pushing my way back inside.
"Was that Andrew? Thought nothing was going on there." JJ said following me through the house.
"Yeah nothing is. He just invited me to a party. I probably won't go though" I said sitting back down on my bed. JJ stood in the doorway and tapped the frame.
"Ok. Hey actually I'm gonna go." He said turning around. I stood up and followed him out extremely confused.
"What why? We were in the middle of a conversation." I said trying to stop him.
"Yeah uh. I'll catch you later though." He said and with that he was out the door. I stood in the living room confused.
"JJ leave?" Connor said coming out of his room.
"Yeah. It was super weird." I said still staring at the door.
"Did something happen between you too?" Connor said leaning on the counter.
"No. Someone else just stopped by and invited me to a party and then he left. That's very unlike him." I said turning towards Connor.
"Hmm. Maybe he's jealous." He said. I shook my head and laughed.
"Why would JJ be jealous? As if he isn't as bad as me." Connor just shrugged and went back to him room. I stood there for a couple more seconds trying to wrap my brain around what just happened. Eventually I made my way back to my room and tried to go to sleep. My thoughts were running miles in my head and it took forever but eventually sleep took me over.
—
"Mel wake up" John B shouted over me. I jumped up being completed scared out of my mind. John B and JJ were standing over my bed
"What the fuck do you two want" I said groaning and rubbing my eyes.
"Cmon we are gonna go see miss Lana and ask about the compass" John B said slapping my legs.
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." I said fully sitting up now. I looked over at JJ who wouldn't look at me. I rolled my eyes and looked at John B who was waiting for me to get up.
"Ugh I hate you two" I said pulling the covers off of me and pushing them out of my room. I quickly got changed and then we made our way into the Twinkie.
—
"I'm just saying I don't understand why don't at least try it with kiara. She clearly likes you" JJ has been going on this entire car ride so far about how kie likes John B. Which is what we were debriefing before he stormed out like a kid. I rolled my eyes and sat back listening to the two dumb fucks.
"She's like, oh John B" JJ said moaning. I scoffed at how childish he sounded. Yes I have to say kie has been acting different towards John B but JJ is making it sound like she's throwing herself at him.
"Is that what she does?" John B questions.
"She's sketching about you diving, then she kissed you. Cmon Mel back me up." He said looking back at me. Once we locked eyes and he saw how fed up I looked he immediately turned away.
"She kissed me on the cheek" John an said. "It's not like we were making out."
"Low hanging fruit bro. Mel agrees. I know she does."
"Mel do you agree?" John B asks looking through the rear view at me.
"Leave me out of this." I said unamused.
"Don't pretend you don't notice" JJ says, "I see it in your eyes. You're like 'I kinda like that' and you start blushing and shit" JJ says.
"I blush?" John B asks
"You do. A lot." I speak up.
"See" JJ says pointing back at me. JJ then goes to grab the compass off the dashboard making John B freak out.
"Hey don't-" he says trying to grab it back
"I was just looking at it" JJ defends. " I gotta admit, your fathers compass in scooters boat, that's freaky." He said looking at it.
"Yeah and that's why we are going to talk to ms Lana. Figure this whole thing out."

"I'm sure the recent widow would love nothing more than three teens showing up at her house right now." I said kinda sassy. John B and JJ just look back at me saying nothing.
—
We pull up to Ms Lana's house and start to make our way over.
"Know what this house looks like? Whoever life's here smokes too much weed." JJ comments.
"You would know" I said clapping him on the back. Once we get near the house we can hear glass shattering making his stop in our tracks. I hear a man shouting from inside the house causing my heart rate to increase.
"Maybe we should come back. It's a little too soon" JJ says grabbing my arm while John B shushes him.
"No no shut up, shut up JJ" John B continues to make his way towards the house. Me and JJ follow, JJ never releasing my arm. We all jump when there's another loud crash but John B ushers us to keep going. I look at JJ worried. John B runs to the side of the house and JJ pulls me along. We all crouch under a window and listen to the cries of Ms Lana and the men shouting.
"Still think we should stay?" JJ asks. I know those screams and bangs all to well. The sounds of it lighting awful memories in my head. JJ takes his hand in mine giving it a squeeze. I close my eyes and try to ignore the sounds. Something bangs against the wall we are crouched behind causing paint chips to fall into our hair.
"Is that paint?p" JJ asks
"Yes that's paint." I say. John B reaches up and tries to brush off the paint that landed in my hair. We hear one of the men say that they should leave and John B walks towards the edge of the house to try and look at them. JJ protests and once John B looks over he launches himself back and flush against the wall. We all looked over the wall again and see the men that shot at us in the march get into the same boat. Between the screams of Ms Lana and seeing those men again I am a second away from going into a full fledge panic. We stay flush against the wall until the men drive away and then John B pulls us towards the front door. We enter the house to see it fully pulled apart and a mess. Broken things are everywhere and each drawer is thrown about. I see Ms Lana in the bathroom on the ground sobbing. I rush over to her and touch her shoulder causing her to jump.
"Ms Lana are you okay? It's okay" I said as she looked at me in horror
"Dude she's tweaking." JJ says. I send him a glare and then sympathetically look back at Ms. Lana.
"Do you need a doctor?" John B asks.
"Let's call the sheriffs department." JB suggests.
"No cops. Please" Ms.Lana sobs.
"Mm. That's not good. Cmon dude let's just go." JJ tries to pull me to my feet but I don't let him.
"You shouldn't be here" she cries.
"That's enough for me. Come on." I stand this time when JJ pulls me up, also being sketched out.
"Wait wait" John B crouches next to Ms.Lana
"What do you know about these guys?" He asks.
"They were looking for something." She says. John B reaches into his pocket and pulls out the compass.
"Does it have anything to do with this?" He asks. The second her eyes see the compass her face falls confirming it does.
"Do you know anything about this?" John B asks again. Me and JJ stand back, both ready to get the hell out of there.
"This is my fathers and scooter had it. Why?" John Bs voice comes out a little too harsh scaring her.
"B stop" I say tapping his shoulder.
"Scooter didn't have it okay. Don't tell anyone that you have it."
Me and JJ pull John B up to his feet while Ms.Lana continues to cry saying we had to get out of here. John B keeps pressing about the compass but she is too much of a wreck to deal with this right now. We manage to get John B to leave and we head back to the chateau in complete silence.