𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank

Chapter 50: Bon Voyage

"Where the hell were you guys?" Pope shouted as the trio climbed out of Kie's truck.

"Paternal complications," Kie answered.

"Luke was at the Chateau," JJ added while pulling the winch out of the bed of the truck.

"Oh, great! While you were having family time with your pops, John B got bit by a gator," Pope yelled over at them. 

Grace glanced down at John B's calf to see his jeans ripped and stained with blood and a massive gash running down his leg. She quickly darted her eyes away and swallowed back the bile that rose in her throat.

"Like, for real?" JJ asked.

"Does it look like we're joking?" Sarah gestured to John B's leg.

"Okay, what the hell happened?" Kie asked incredulously.

"What happened? I got bit by a gator!"

"He got bit by a gator!" 

Pope and John B shouted simultaneously.

"I dunno why I'm being yelled at. I put my ass on the line!" Kie yelled back.

"You're being yelled at because it was 20 minutes-"

Grace threw her head back while taking in a deep breath.

"We got here as fast as we could!" Kie continued defending herself.

The group broke out into a slurry of shouts and yells as JJ ran his hands through his hair and Grace picked at her nail beds.

"Shut up!" JJ raised his voice over the arguing. The group went silent and stared at him. "Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore, all right? Everyone just cut it out for a second."

Grace furrowed her brows in concern as JJ leaned against a tree.

"Look, I just helped my dad leave the island for good. Like, he's not ever coming back. He's straight up like the Spanish. Just, "Bon voyage."

Her friends shot each other funny looks. Grace narrowed her eyes at him while tilting her head in confusion.

"That's not the right language," Sarah muttered under her breath.

"All we got... And I know for a fact all I got is you guys, okay?" he looked over at Grace, "You're it. And I've come to close to losing you," he looked back at the rest of the group, "all of you. I mean, shit!" he gestured to Kie, "like you almost drowned. Pope, you were kidnapped. Sarah, you've been shot. So have you, Gracie. John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator, bro. So, this blaming each other is some Kook-ass bullshit, all right? We don't do that. Okay? We're Pogues," he paused for a second, "Sorry, that was a lot right now. I didn't mean to..."

The group looked around at each other before breaking out in an applause.

"Well done," Pope grinned.

"I gotta be honest. That was the best freaking speech you have ever given. Also, you should think about, like, a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flip-flopped."

JJ held up to middle fingers to John B as he teased him.

"We should bon voyage out of here," Sarah raised a fist in the air excitedly.

"I gotta say, J, I'm inspired. I feel like I could, like, run through a brick wall or something," Grace smirked as she wrapped an arm around his waist.

JJ rolled his eyes while making his way over to the truck, "All right, let's get this damn Twinkie out of here."

Grace and JJ took over driving the truck while the rest of their friends gathered in the no longer sunken van.

"You should totally learn French," Grace grinned.