I'm here // JJ Maybank

10

We drive to god knows where and the sun has fully set now. I roll a joint for JJ as he watches me excitedly. I lick it and seal the joint and JJ immediately snatches it out of my hand.
"Thank you sweets" he says smiling at me.
"Mind if I just relax on this one? It's been a long day and a lot of weird stuff has gone down. I'm just gonna lay low. Oh do you want a bit of this?" He asks pope.
"I keep the signal clear" pope says sternly. No shock there.
"I would love one, or a few" I say snatching the joint back and putting it between my lips.
"Of course. Anything for you" he says as he pulls out his lighter.
"Ok pope you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative" he says as he lights the end of the joint for me. I take a deep inhale, letting the herb do it's magic. I take a few more puffs and pass it back to JJ. The foggy feeling fills my brain and I smile in contently.
"Ok look I-I know I was wrong about the lighthouse and wrong about everything else going on. But I was right about one thing. Okay? My dad is trying to tell me something." John B talks but honestly I'm not listening. The windows are slightly cracked giving a beautiful breeze on my face. JJ takes a few hits himself and passes it back to me. We do this back and forth until we arrive at a graveyard.
"JB personally. I'll speak only for myself here. Did not think we would be spending our night at a graveyard. I'm not too fond of this idea." I say following John B blindly through the darkness, as we normally do.
"Your fine Amelia" he says.
"Oop he used my full name. JJ he said Amelia. Am I in trouble?" I say to JJ. He nods aggressively and shines his flashlight that's strapped to his forehead into my eyes. I swat his head away and then push JJ away from me.
"Come on" John B rushes us.
"I'm coming. This place is scary" kie says.
"See I'm not the only one JB" I say sassily. John B just turns around and stares at me.
"John B what are we doing?" Kie asks.
"Shut up" he says.
"He's being a royal bitch" I whisper to JJ who has seamlessly made his way back next to me, bumping shoulders with  every other step.  
"You know how you're trying to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?" John B says to the group.
"Yeah, then you google it." I say.
"Mel sh. So Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it's not a place. It's a person." He says shinning his light on a big ass grave.
"Voi-effing-la" jj says looking up at the tombstone that has redfield written at the top.
"See my great-great grandmother Olivia redfield. That was her maiden name."
"Hi grandma" I say patting the stone.
"Help me with the door cmon." John B says. I step out of the way letting the boys take this one. The three of them struggle to get the door grunt and struggle as they try to push this door open.
"The doors like 700lbs it's not gonna budge" pope says.
"We didn't come this far to get this far."
I notice a small opening at the top of the grave and get an idea. One that I'm not sure I want to do but the weeds giving me a false sense of security. All the boys suddenly jump back as a snake slides out of the opening I was just looking at.
"That's a moccasin all right" jj says "ye old Dr. Cottonmouth. Death in tall grass" he then starts to bark at this big ass snake making me laugh.
"JJ shut up. Shut up!" Kie yells at him.
"You're gonna wake the dead man" pope says getting him to shut up.
"They're afraid of dogs. Everyone knows that" JJ says as if that's the most obvious thing ever.
"Wait hold on" JJ grabs John Bs shoulders and pulls him away from the tombstone.
"If there's one, there's probably dozens."
"Good good." I say slightly rethinking my plan.
"Stop you're scaring me" kie says grabbing my arm and pulling me towards her. JJ continues to bark.
"JJ stop barking at the snakes." I say now pulling him away from the tombstone. Pope starts to break the news to John B that we aren't going to get in. I look at kie and see that she's also looking at the opening. Probably thinking the same thing as me.
"I can get in" I say them regret instantly.
"No no no you think you're gonna fit through the hole?" John B says. His doubt only fueling my desire now.
"You calling me fat?" I say testing him. He immediately shakes his head no.
"That's what I thought."
"No Mel youre not going in there with the snakes." JJ says.
"I didn't ask for your permission now did I." I say becoming aggravated.
"I'll come too" kie says. I smile at her and then the boys because I won.
"Look this is about your dad and honestly I really don't believe in it, but you deserve to know the truth. We both can go, keep each other safe." She says nudging my shoulder.
"I'll fight off all the snakes." I say holding my fists up.
"Ok help us" I say looking at the three boys who are just standing around. They start to move the vines away from the opening and JJ gets into a wall squat position
"I'm gonna boost you. I've seen it in the movies several times. Ready Mel?" He says cupping his hands.
"Remind me what we're looking for?" Kie asks.
"You'll know when you see it." John B says. I shake my head.
"Real helpful." I say. I put my hands on JJs shoulders and step into his hands.
"Okay one two..." jj starts but I just jump up, pulling myself in the rest of the way. I use the other side of the wall to balance myself as I swing my legs to the front and drop my feet. Kie follow in next, me helping her get in smoothly.
"Okay not too bad." I say shinning my flashlight around.
"You guys alive? You got like a - a heartbeat and everything?" John B asks from outside.
"Nope. I'm dead" I say at his stupid question.
"Funny Mel"
"We need more light. It's dark as hell" I say. John B holds his landers into the opening making it way brighter inside. Me and kie continue looking around, we turn around to look on other side and both look at each other not believing what we see.
"Oh my god." I say
"Find anything. Is there gold?" I pick up a fed ex package that has bird written on it. Memories from when big John would call John B bird playback. I stare at it shock for a few seconds. As does kie.
"No fucking way" I mumble. I bring it to the opening and pass it to John B. I hear pope say something about it not being gold, but little does it know that to John B, it's probably equally as valuable. I help kie get out of the tombstone and then follow after her.
"You good?" JJ comes over and asks me as I brush off any cobwebs that stuck to me.
"That was a fun adrenaline rush" I say smiling at him. JJ lights the joint again and takes a hit. Passing it to me which I gladly accept. I have earned it. Kie pope and John B group together going over the whole bird thing. I exhale the smoke and see JJs face become panicked. Now I'm panicked and I don't even know why.
"Code red code red. Square groupers! Square groupers!" He shouts. Fuck this shit how did they find us. We all run behind the tomb and turn our flashlights off. JJ is more concerned with putting out the joint so I reach over and turn his headlight off. I look over the side of the tomb and see a golf cart with two men park.
"Homies got a gun" JJ says.
"Screw this" kie says. She stands up and starts to run, my body naturally following her lead. We run to the gate of the graveyard and hop it. I land not so elegantly on the other side and wait for the others to join. Pope slowly makes his way over, but his pants get caught of the gate. We all right back to help him out. JJ takes the gun out of his waistband and aims it at pope. I push the gun away
"JJ no" I scold "we do not point the gun at our friends." I take the gun out of his hands and place it back in his waistband. He watches as I do so with a smirk and I roll my eyes at him. Kie and John B manage to get pope free, but it costed him his nice shorts. Pope is left in his tighty whiteys and covers himself until he safely makes his way into the Twinkie. We all can't help but to laugh at his current state.  Once we are all in John B quickly drives us away from the scary men.
—
We make it back to the chateau and prepare to open this mystery package. JJ makes himself
A sandwich in the kitchen as I continue to stare at the white envelope, still shocked.
"That bread had mold on it three days ago." Pope says. I snap out of my trance and look at JJ disgustingly.
"I'll just pull the bad parts off. Plus mold is good for you. It's just a natural organism" He says as he continues to prepare his sandwich.
"JJ" kie calls
"Bite?" He says holding his sandwich out to me.
"Please don't eat that" I beg. He shrugs and takes a bite, instantly gagging and spitting it out. We all watch as John B unfolds a map that has coordinates written on it.
"Holy shit" he says.
"Oh X marks the spot." Pope says to the mark on the map.
"Wait there's something else in here." John B says. He shakes the envelope and a tape recorder falls into his hands.
"Whats that?" JJ asks.
"It's a tape recorder, dumbass" kie beats me to it. John B hits play.
"Dead bird" big Johns voice plays. Hearing his voice again sends shivers down my spine.
"Who's bird" JJ asks
"That's what my das used to call me." John b says. The tape recorder continues. Big John explains how he found the merchant and almost confirms that in the state that we are listening to this, he is gone. I don't notice that I'm crying until JJ pulls my head to rest on his shoulder. I wrap my arms around his waist and let him comfort me. I try to hold back my tears as much as possible, knowing that what ever I'm feeling, JB is feeling 10x more.
"I love you bird, even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side." He finished. I look at John B and he gets up and walks away. He grabs onto the door frame and starts to sob. I leave JJs side and go over to John B. Once he sees me he let's go of the frame and grabs onto me. He sobs into my shoulder as I rub his back. Tears silently stream down my face, for John B and for big John.
"He did it B" I say. We stay like this for a while,
I don't pull away until John B does. The others have gone outside and gave John B some space to wrap his head around this new reality. I sit with him until he says he's ready to go out.
We go outside and kie and lightly strumming her ukulele and a fire has been started on the dock. John B takes a seat slightly away from everyone and stares into the distance. I sit
Next to JJ and rest my head on his shoulder, completely exhausted from today.
"How much was it again?" JJ speaks.
"400 mil" pope says.
"Alright let's talk split. Now before we say evenly man I remind you that I am the only one  that can properly defend us from these groupers who were after us." I lift my head and look at him confused. As if that gun has been any help so far.
"Protection? Not cheap okay?"
"You haven't trained." Pope counters.
"YouTube bro. That's at least a 5% bump right there."
"Your stupid" I say and put my head back down.
"any objections?" Me and kie raise our hands.
"Didn't think so"
"What are you gonna do with your 80 mil pope?" Kie asks ignoring JJ
"Pay for college in advance and also textbooks. Those are expensive." He says. A smart, logical use of it.
"What about you kie?" I ask
"Yeah what does a socialist do when she's rich?" Pope asks.
"I wanna make a double album about OBX, the pogues. You know the way catch a fire is about Kingston. Record it at Marley studio. Peter gosh producing." She says.
"Peter Tosh is dead" pope says
"Peter tosh is dead I know. Spirit of Peter tosh will never die." She says raising her beer.
"I know what I'll do." JJ says. I raise my head to look at him, excited to hear what he has to say.
"I'm gonna get a big ass house on figure eight and go full kook."
"You're gonna go full kook?" I laugh.
"Yup. Gonna get a marble statue of myself, and then I'm gonna get a koi pond. Put a bunch of those fish-"
"I'm never visiting." I say. He looks at me offended.
"Ma'am it'll be our house." He says with full confidence. I look at him confused.
"Our? Huh" I say with my eyebrows raised.
"Of course" he says.
"What about you Mel?" Pope ask. I take a sip of my beer and think. What would I do?
"I guess my house is covered. I'll give Connor a good portion, a small thank you for his life sacrifice to me. Then I would just travel. Anywhere and everywhere. Take the best surf trip ever." I say. I look at JJ to see him smiling at me, he gives me a nod and I give one back.
"JB?" I say pulling him into the conversation. We all look over at the sad boy.
"To going full kook" he says. We all stand up and cheers.
"To going full kook!"