Someone to stay || JJ Maybank

05

"Scooter Grubbs?"

"Um- are we in the right place?"  I hear Kiara ask from next to me.

"I thought the chateau looked bad", JJ whistles.

I open my eyes and sit up to see how bad the motel can be since they're complaining so badly. As soon as I lay my eyes on the house in front of us, I can totally understand why they are being so dramatic about it. It looks horrible, like a haunted house. Last nights damage shows here too, the lawn is full of dirt and branches but that's not the only reason why the house sends chills through my spine. The place actually looks abandoned. The closer we get to the land, the less excited I feel about exploring the motel room.

"This place is a shitshow", John B says.

"Motel or meth lab?" Kie adds.

"You be the jugde", Pope answers.

I stand up next to JJ. "A rich man, huh?" I nudge him lightly on his side.

"This really doesn't look like a place somebody with a Grady-white stays", John B says, looking at the place seriously. Maybe not stay, but I can think of many other things that could happen to anyone in a place like this.

"No", Pope continues. "Looks like a place someone with a Grady-white would get killed."

"Exactly my thoughts", I say.

"Alright, here we go", JJ jumps out of the boat to the ground. "This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue coming in for landing." He says as if he was speaking on a radio.

"We good?" John B asks JJ who's tying the boat to one of the rocks on the shore.

"We good", JJ stands up straight and looks at us still on the boat. "You're coming, princess?" He lifts a brow at me and offers his hand to help me out of the boat.

I look behind me to the others, hesitating for a moment. The room could belong to anyone. But then, I'm not the one to admin that I'm scared.

"Try and stop me", I take his hand and jump to the ground as well.

"All right. Here goes nothing", John B gets up from the drivers seat and heads to us.

"Hey", Pope says.

"Yeah?"

"Don't let them do anything stupid", he says seriously, pointing at me and JJ with an accusing finger. I look up JJ and back to Pope with a smile.

"Oh, we will", JJ promises like it's not a big deal.

"You should already know that, Pope", I smile sweetly to them.

"I'm not making promises", John B shrugs.

"Yeah, I know", Pope gives up and turns away from us. I just smile and turn towards the haunted motel, already ready to go when JJ tugs my sleeve and nods his head towards our friends.

"Um, be careful", Kiara says as she gives the key to John B. "I mean it." She adds seriously.

"Yeah", John B chuckles and jumps out of the boat. "Let's go." He quickly jumps past me and JJ.

I raise my eyebrows at JJ who looks after John B with a thoughtful expression before shrugging and following him towards the horror house. I glance at Kie one more time before going after the two boys.

"Why are all the mattresses out?" John B asks.

"After a hurricane, they ditch them because they're moldy", JJ answers.

"And you know this because..?" I ask as I run past them so I'm walking few steps ahead of them. If he answered something I didn't hear it anymore.

I go up the stairs two at a time, but I'm careful to stay within earshot from the boys. Just in case something happens. I hear them quietly talking behind me, and I slow down my pace as I look at the number on the doors, so I could hear them better.