not a chance • jj maybank

s e v e n

PAISLY ROUTLEDGE

"Can you get me another order of those fries? Karen said they were too cold." I ask the cook.

I may be 16, but because I'm so close with Kie and her family they allowed me to waitress at The Wreck. The original age is 18.

"Coming right up." The chef smiles at me. I turn around and make my way to my tables, seeing that Kie just sit two guys at one of mine.

"Hey guys, welcome to The Wreck. What can I get started for you on this fine afternoon." I ask before looking up but once I do, I'm disappointed.

"Hey little Routledge, how's that forehead of yours?" Topper asked with a proper smile plastered on his face.

"Leave her alone, Top. I'm sorry about him, he's just not too fond about your brother." Rafe grins, looking me up and down.

"My forehead is fine. Now what can I get for you guys? Or do I need to get a different waitress?" I ask.

"No, we'll order." Rafe smiles.

He's cute even when I'm sober, now that's shocking.

I take their orders ands give them to the chef. Kie stands bored at the bar, talking to her mom.

"Rafe and Topper are here." I inform her.

"If they cause any problems, tell my dad. He'll kick them out without hesitation for you." Kie smiles at me.

After serving a few more tables, it was time to give Rafe and Topper their food. Been dreading this moment for about fifteen minutes.

"One chicken wrap and one lobster." I say as I had each of them their plates. "Anything else I could get you?"

"Yes, actually, your number. I never got it the other night." Rafe reminds me.

"Oh, well, the cell lines are down right now in the cut. It's no use." I shrug.

"I'll get my dad onto that." Rafe says before I left their table.

"Your brother and JJ wanted us to meet them back at your place twenty minutes ago." Kie whispers to me so her parents don't hear.

"Fuck, how do we leave?" I ask her.

"Just follow my lead." She demands me, and I do so. We both drop our aprons off up front at the host stand, and slide out the front.

• • •

"And we were right outside like this." JJ's explaining his run in at Lana's, and acting it out. "And all we hear is just, "Bam! Bam! Bam!" Knocking paint off the wall, G! From the inside."

"All right? And I'm just looking at him, like- Wait, first off, look at this shit." JJ shakes his head over my lap, white particles come from his hair.

"Ew Jay. That's dandruff." I say, brushing my lap off.

"That's paint, Paisly." He stares into my eyes. "At that point, I was just, like... I'm waiting for death."

"Oh, okay, so you saw the guys that shot at us, right?" Pope asked.

"Uh? Burly." JJ responds.

"Are you dumb, JJ?" I ask him and he shrugs.

"I can tell you with full confidence, these boys, these killers... they're square groupers." JJ sighs, sitting down next to me and putting his arm around me.

"They're square groupers, like narco square grouper? Like Pablo Escobar square grouper?" Pope asked.

"Yeah man." JJ responds.