P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

029

We sat in the Wreck, and I had my guitar in my lap. I strummed my chords as the Pogue's talked.

"Look, he'll come around. He's just... doing a JJ thing," My brother explained, his hand protectively on my shoulder.

"You think he'll go home?" Kie questioned.

I shook my head. "There's about a zero percent chance that JJ will go home," I said, remembering the other night. I looked out of the window, fidgeting with my guitar strings and his ring.

I sung a small melody to myself while playing my guitar, and didn't realize everyone watching me. I did a small bow, as they clapped quietly.

"Damn. If we go Full Kook, you are definitely going to be a famous singer," Kie explained, with a smile. "Maybe you can serenade JJ to make him feel better."

I softly chuckled.

Pope sighed. He began pacing back and forth. "Okay. It's too dangerous to own this thing off piecemeal. So, our best bet is to go down there and get the rest of it. Bring it all up at once. Put it in— in a safe or a vault or something. I don't know. Just... until we can find someone who won't rip us off. I can go figure it out tonight, get I done and we can be out there as early as tomorrow morning."

"All right. Let's do it," I agreed.

"John B, what about the thing with my dad?" Sarah asked him.

"Hm?" I asked. "What thing?"

"I have to go fishing with Ward. Boys' Trip," he explained.

"You can't get 400 million cause you're gonna go kill fish?" Kie asked him. "Look, I have to go."

"Blow it off."

I shut my eyes. "Guys, he has to. Ward saved us. If it weren't for him, we'd be in foster care on the mainland. He has to," I explained, putting my hands on the table.

"Thanks, Dyl. Plus, it'll be better to do at night. Right?"

I nodded. "Fine," Pope said.

"At least J will probably have washed up by then. Hopefully," I added, looking out into the ocean. I looked at my watch.

"I gotta go. Work. Can you guys pick me up around 7?" I asked Kie and Pope.

Kie nodded. "Yeah."

"Thanks," I said, clicking my tongue. I put my guitar back in its' case and began walking away.

-|-

3RD POV

JJ went to his house with the money, in hopes that it would help for his restitution. An old country song was playing on his dad's radio, whom he found on the porch fixing a motor.

He opened the door, struggling to fully open it because of the beer cooler in front of it. Once he opened it, he turned to his dad.

He stood there, awkwardly. "I-I've been staying at Dylan's," he said, once he got the courage to speak.

"I didn't ask you where you were stayin'," Luke said. "I don't care if you hook up with your little crush there."

He paused, taking a breath. "Dad, Dylan's my girl. We're dating."

Luke scoffed. "I don't care." He stood up, putting down the screwdriver he was working with. "I knew you'd get hungry."

"That's not why I came back, Dad," JJ explained, standing still.

"Mm-hm," his dad said, sitting back down.