One Stupid Thing

2:2:47

"So ya'll are telling me this is the firearm Rafe Cameron killed Peterkin with?" Shoupe asks us. He looks down at the gun JJ placed on his desk and then back up at us in disbelief.

"That's exactly what we're telling you, Shoupe," JJ confirms.

"And the exact same firearm that Ward just used to kill Gavin," Pope adds. Shoupe looks back down at the gun and stumbles over his words.

"And where's that corpse again?"

"Didn't you look?" Kiara scoffs.

"I checked the hospital. I went by his house. He was out."

"He was out?" Kie yells. "Listen to yourself! It makes perfect sense."

"No shit, Shoupe. 'Cause he's dead!" JJ shouts at the same times.

The acting sheriff holds up a hand for silence. "Just because he's not in his damn home does not mean he was a victim of a homicide."

"What are you talking about?" Kie raises her voice in frustration.

"Do we have to do everything for you? I mean, how much more can we spell it out, Shoupe?" I spit back.

"You have got to be kidding me," JJ sighs.

"Are you at least going to send it in for ballistics and shit?" Kiara asks him. Beside her, Pope bites his tongue. "Or are you just gonna sit on your ass?"

"He'll sit there and wax that damn mustache. Is that even real?" JJ shouts. Shoupe stands up and slams a fist on his desk. JJ clearly struck a nerve.

"Shut up, JJ!" Pope scolds.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hurt his feelings?"

"Shut up!"

The officer walks around us and opens the door. "Get out. I got work to do and ya'll are smelling up my damn office."

Kiara walks up to him and shakes her head. "Did Ward bribe you? This doesn't make any sense."

"You ain't gonna do shit," JJ mutters, just loud enough for Shoupe to hear. He takes my hand and follows Kie out the door.

"I crawled in a fucking sewer for nothing. I mean seriously, Shoupe. A goddamn sewer," I say, stopping in front of him.

"Shouldn't have left Figure Eight," Shoupe tells me.

I scoff in disbelief. The nerve of this guy. "Actually, leaving that place was the best decision I ever made," I shoot back with a smile. Shoupe is hardly taller than me so, I barely have to look up to stare right into his guilt-filled eyes.

"Stella, c'mon. Let's go," JJ says, softly tugging on my hand.

"This isn't over, Shoupe."

"Out!" he yells. I breath out a laugh and follow JJ. Pope follows slowly behind.

"We brought you the murder weapon," he whispers tensely. "There's no logical reason for you not to send it in."

"Go with your friends," Shoupe dismisses him.

"This is bullshit," Pope mutters and he follows us out of the police station. Without a single word we hop into the Twinkie. JJ takes the wheel and I hop in beside him. Kie and Pope sit in the back.

"Hey, drop me off at home, will ya?" Pope asks.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure, Pope."

"Me too," Kiara pipes up.

"Alrighty."

JJ drops off Kie first, since we were already on that side of the island. She doesn't say anything except 'goodnight' as she exits. Same with Pope. He slams the door behind him and stomps up into his house. Now it's just JJ and I.

"I can't believe we have school tomorrow," I groan. My clothes are sticking to every inch of my skin and I just feel slimy. "I mean, how can we even begin to think about school when so much is going on."

"Screw school. What's the point of going when I already know everything I'm gonna need for the rest of my life. Honestly, if I can just be a Pogue for the rest of my life I will be happy. As long as I'm with you I'll be happy." JJ reaches for my hand and I take it gladly. We rest our elbows on the center console.

"God, you are such a sap," I tease, bumping his shoulder with mine. Soon enough, we arrive to the Chateau and we walk inside hand in hand. "I'm gonna go take a shower," I tell him.

"Okay."

I hurry into the shower and wash away all the filth. The water practically runs brown at my feet and I wrinkle my nose in disgust. Scrubbing my scalp with shampoo is the best feeling in the world and when I get out of the shower, I have never felt more clean. I wrap a towel around me and make my way from the bathroom to JJ's room. As soon as I walk in his eyes are on me, covered only by the bath towel.

"Damn, Stella Cameron. What do you think you're doing?" he smirks up at me from his side of the bed. By the looks of it, he has already changed into his pajamas.

"Who me? I'm just grabbing my clothes. Nothing to see here," I smile, quickly grab my clothes, and hurry back to the bathroom to change. I quickly put on my underwear and pajama shorts and clip on my bra. Just as I am about to put on my t-shirt a voice interrupts me.

"I'm no fashion expert, but I think this one would look better on you." I turn around and JJ is leaning in the doorway, twirling one of his t-shirts in his hand. I could've sworn that I had shut the door behind me, but now that I think about it, I never heard it close. The real question is, how long had he been standing there?

"JJ..." I sigh. He looks back at me, soaking in my half naked appearance while I do the same. In true JJ fashion, he isn't wearing a shirt, but that has never been a problem and it certainly isn't now. He walks up and stares down at me with a devilish smile.

"Feel better?" he asks me.

"Much," I reply. JJ wraps his cold hands around my waist, which makes me shiver, and pulls me towards him. His face nears mine and just as his lips are about to graze mine he stops.

"Oh, do you want to put this on?" he asks tauntingly, waving his shirt in my face.

"Screw the damn t-shirt. C'mere, Maybank." I grab the shirt from him and toss it behind me as I collide my lips with his. He kisses me hungrily, pushing me up against the counter. I gasp as my back hits against the granite, but it doesn't bother me. I ruffle his blonde locks with my fingers, combing through it.

"Up," JJ groans as soon as the kiss breaks for a moment. I use my hands to hoist myself up onto counter but return them back to wrapping around JJ's neck. Goosebumps crawl up my thighs from how cold the material is. JJ pries open my knees, steps between them, and reaches down to lift up my legs and wrap them around his waist. He moves down from my lips to kissing my neck and collarbone.

"JJ," I gasp in surprise. I almost fall back by the sheer pressure of his body force, but I catch myself on my hands and brace myself as he makes sure not to leave any marks.

"Do you... remember when you... helped me after I... scraped my side... on the window ledge? Right here?" JJ asks me between kisses.

"Of course I do," I reply. JJ stops to look me in the eyes, gripping the fabric of my shorts on both sides.

"Turns out, you aren't just good at healing wounds, you're good at healing hearts too," he says, breathing heavily. JJ brings a hand up to my chin and kisses me softer than the previous times. I feel my face flush.

"I guess you could say I have a magic touch," I shrug. JJ wraps his arms around me and helps me off the countertop. Just as I am about to follow him back to his room, I stop and grab JJ's t-shirt off the floor and throw it over my head. "Can't forget this."

"Yeah, I was right. It does look better on you," he laughs. I shake my head and continue after him.

As soon as I hit the mattress I feel the exhaustion come over me. I set the alarm on the clock and curl up in JJ's arms. My back to his front. The curve of his body fits mine like a glove. He brushes my hair off of the back of my neck and lightly kisses me there.

"Goodnight, El," he whispers.

"Goodnight, J."

——
AHHH my babiessss <3