JJ and a Routledge

Disaster and Comfort

Once we got off the ferry, I was back in JJ's lap, and he was holding me close. I could feel his breath on my neck and it was making me feel certain ways I shouldn't be feeling. I guess he noticed something was up, "Princess, you all good?" He whispers, by now we made it to Charleston.

"Yeah, yeah I'm alright," I tell him, but he doesn't buy it.

"Nope, what's wrong?" I just shake my head, completely mortified, thankfully Kiara begins to talk.

"Guys, I've read this thing like a thousand times, it makes no sense. I mean, the Limbrey's own like, half of Charleston. What do the Kook kings of Charleston know about a murder on Kildare Island?"

"Yeah," I agree, trying to distract myself. "Why you," I gesture to Pope, "specifically. That's the other creepy thing." Kiara and JJ nod, and then Kie continues.

"'Please come alone.' That's hella sus." Kiara nods.

Pope finally speaks up, "I was thinking the same thing. I think it's because--" Just before he finishes his sentence the truck hisses, steam coming out of it. "Oh come on!" Pope complains, trying to see through the steam fogging everything up.

"What's that?" I ask, suddenly worried. "Pull over," I tell him.

"That's a lot of smoke, even for your dad's truck," Kiara tells him, also trying to squint through the steamy window. That's when JJ starts coughing, thanks to the open windows.

"Pope, I get sensitive lungs, man." JJ wheezes while I roll up the window beside us. "Thanks." He grumbles.

"I'm pulling over," Pope exclaims, even though he was still going at a pretty fast pace, making me scream.

"Pope just slow down!" JJ exclaims while I cling to him for dear fucking life. "What are you doing, dude?!" At this point, my eyes were closed.

"Okay, sure, yeah, right now, dude." Kiara groans. We then slam to a stop, I soon uncling myself from JJ and open my eyes.

"Shit," I complain, this is not good, at all.

"No, no, no, no, no." Pope cries out, then getting out of the truck, JJ and I get out the other side.

"It's gonna blow up, it's gonna blow up," Kiara exclaims while jumping out of the truck as well.

"No, it's not gonna blow up," JJ tells her, as we walk over to them. "You probably unhooked the radiator, Pope." As he says this Pope rushes to the hood of the truck, JJ and I were at the back. "I haven't seen this before, you knocked the entire hubcap off!" JJ exclaims in disbelief, "Woo!" JJ picks up the hubcap off the ground.

"You might want to reschedule your meeting tonight, Pope." I grimace at the broken hubcap.

"Plan B? We could, um... public transportation. We could hitchhike. We could rent bikes." I stand next to Kiara as her list goes on and the boys try to figure out the problem.

We eventually decided to get a tow truck, and we were brought to the nearest car shop, the man was now talking about the truck with the boys, and I wasn't really listening. Kiara and I were in the truck bed, and she was going on and on about how annoying her parents are, it was bringing my mood down. 

"In the middle of nowhere," JJ mutters, walking over to us and leaning against the broken truck. Kiara got up and left us, I think she went over to Pope. "Dude's in heaven right now. 'Gotta know the calibration point before you do anything with the intake valve, JJ, you do the--" He had put on a really funny voice until he noticed my face. "Hey." He taps my leg, making me look up at him. "You all right?" The concern in his eyes gave me butterflies.

"I just listened to Kiara go on and on about how she hates her parents, and how everything would be easier without them, I-" I feel tears fall down my face. "I don't get how she can be so ungrateful that her parents want her to have a bright future. I'll admit, we're not the best group to hang out around and she's acting like we're perfect. I mean, her mom and dad are doing their best, they want what's best for her and she's acting like it's a complete nightmare. I mean, compared to our parents- hers are pretty damn awesome." JJ climbs into the bed with me, bringing me into his chest.

"I know it's hard, but it'll be okay. She's gotta come to the realization that she's saying some out-of-pocket things. You just have to try your best to not care. And, screw your parents, we're you're family, fuck them." JJ kisses my forehead, and I lean into him.

"Thanks, Jay." I smile up at him, he always knows how to lighten my mood.

"No probelem, princess." He smiles down at me, knocking back his flask. 

That night, we found a small field, we parked the now-fixed truck and slept in the cargo bed. JJ and I were near the back, I was laying on his chest for 'more room on the truck bed' but I know he just wanted me near him. JJ had his hat over his face, and his arms around me, with a flask still in hand.