P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

045

...

We all laid back in our car seats, waiting for Gavin to come out of his house with his car. I laid on top of JJ, as his hand held my waist.

We watched and listened as Gavin left in his car.

"He didn't see us, he didn't see us!" JJ whispered, as I sat up from on top of him.

"Hit it!" I muttered, watching as Kie turned on her car. Pope pulled at his seat belt, trying to unlock its' lock. "Are you seriously bucking up now?"

"Yes, I am!"

"You don't really need it right now, Pope-Dope," I threatened, holding my face in between the front two car seats.

We began following close behind Gavin. Pope put in the AirPods. I held my ear close to his, and I was able to hear what was being said.

"Call Ward Cameron."

"He's calling Ward," I said, sitting back in my seat and plugging my left ear, the one the earbud wasn't in.

It began cutting out, and I couldn't hear much.

"Closer—closer," Pope instructed Kie.

"What are you talking about, 'renegotiate', Gavin," I heard Ward say.

"I need to be paid more, alright?"

"He's talking about negotiating something," Pope exclaimed for Kie and Jayj.

"Renegotiating," I added.

"You need to stop and think very carefully about what you're about to say here, okay, because I have treated you VERY WELL. And I can't figure out why I should give one more penny—" I heard Ward say clearly.

"I've got something that could put you away for life, okay?" Gavin said.

"What're you talking about?"

"I've got the gun, Ward, that your son used. I have it. I know you told me to toss it. I know how you work. I kept it."

"Gavin's got the gun Peterkin was murdered with. That Rafe used. He's got it!" I explained.

"Somebody called me, okay? People...people are onto me. Somebody knows what's going on."

"I think he's trying to use it as extortion, as leverage," Pope said, very focused.

"Nobody is onto you. There's nobody that knows anything. Somebody is just screwing around with you. You gotta calm down."

I heard Gavin sigh. "I want triple... and I want the plane."

"Oh, shit," I muttered.

"I can't do that."

"I don't care, Ward. You have to figure it out. I've got the gun."

"He's pulling over," Kie said, and I looked up at the windshield. "Do I pull around? Behind him? What do I do?"

"Just-just go around!" JJ instructed, making a circle with his fingers. We drove past and made a left turn.

"I want the money now. You need to meet me tonight."

"We're gonna lose him!" Kie complained.

"Just go!"

"I'm going! I'm going!"

"I can't hear anything. Shit," Pope exclaimed, as we took another left, into a construction area. "I'm losing the signal. I can't hear him."

"Oh, fuck," I complained, tilting my head. "What the hell is this?" JJ added.

"Road work ahead, my ass!" I said.

"Just stop and turn around now," my boyfriend muttered. "Pull in here and back up!"

Kie pulled forward, and shifted the gear into reverse. As we did, a large John Deere tractor pulled in behind us, locking us in side the same street.

"Are you kidding!?" I shouted. JJ opened the car door, standing up from inside the car, and waving his arms out. "Hey! We were about to back up!"

Pope got out of the car, beginning to run the direction we came. "You literally had to do that now? Wait, Pope!" JJ shouted, as Pope began the 200 meter dash.

"We gotta know where they're meeting!" He shouted back.

JJ opened the back door for me, like a gentleman, and held out his hands for me to take. I grabbed them, and he pulled me out of the car.

"C'mon, baby! Kie, me and Dyl are going after him!" JJ shouted, beginning to run the path Pope went on.

"I'm coming!" Kie answered, getting out of her car.

"Hey! You can't leave that car there!"

I shrugged. "Sorry!" I paused. "But I don't really give two shits! Your fault, bucky-ol-pal!"  JJ tugged me along, holding onto my wrist tightly.

"C'mon, babe! I thought you were a softball player!" JJ teased me, slightly laughing.

"Fall Ball doesn't start for another week! Cut me some slack!" I answered, running in a kook's backyard.

"Don't you do track, too?"

"Springtime!"

"Dylan Routledge, my Princess, you are an overachiever!"

"JJ Maybank, my idiot, I know! And I don't care."

"Pope!" Kie shouted. I saw him jumping a fence.

"Right there!" I pointed with the other arm. "It's okay, Blake. Just another hurdle— just like track!" I answered, before jumping on top of the wooden fence, and crawling the rest of the way over.

JJ caught me by my waist, and we continued in our sprint. We looked at some kook's in the pool, along with one of my softball friend's.

"Sean? Ah, this is where you live, you Kook!" JJ taunted, as we ran across the concrete deck.

"Hey, Bets!" I waved, following right after my boyfriend and catching up to Pope.

We met him at the plant hedges, and looked at the three of us, completely bewildered. A deer in headlights, for example.

"What the fuck does that mean?" I asked.

"He—he's meeting Ward right now. We gotta go!" Pope answered.

I looked at everyone else, before turning around and sprinting back towards the street Kie's car was on.

"C'mon, people!"