P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

051

After the class, we all practically ran towards the library, since it had working computers and nerd-things.

"What is this, a game of tag?" JJ scoffed, following me and Pope.

"Am I gonna have to beat you with your protractor? What's going on?" JJ added, being shushed by the librarian.

"Seriously, Pipe-Cleaner, you are driving me nuts!" I whispered, pressing my hands on the computer table and leaning against them. Kie sat down in the chair, and JJ stood beside me.

"Okay, so that guy was from the scholarship committee..." Pope explained. "Take a look at this. Read it," he passed us his envelope, which JJ grabbed like a raccoon and rabies.

He tore it open, looking at it intensely.

"Out loud," Kie asked him.

He chuckled, nervously. "I can't read cursive."

I snatched it away from him, "I can."

"Dear Mr. Heyward, I am reaching out because I have material evidence that can exonerate John B. Routledge. It is of vital importance that you come and meet with me in person at my offices at 27 King Street, Charleston at 8:00 p.m. sharp tonight. Please come alone, for Miss. Dylan B. Routledge's sake. That poor girl has suffered enough and helping clear her brother's name is the best I can do.

Regards, C. Limbrey." I paused.

"Ok, what the frick?" I shrugged. "For my sake? Whatdoesthisperzonmean 'for my sake'? Like am I in danger?"

"Dylan, calm it down. They probably just mean that they think you're depressed because of John B's fate," Pope explained to me, pacing around.

"Depressed, my ass," I muttered.

"But, Charleston?" JJ repeated.

"It's like an eight-hour drive plus the ferry. How will we get there tonight?" Pope asked, and I shrugged.

"We'd have to leave right now," JJ decided.

"Me and Dyl have a free period," Kie said to him, typing on the computer.

"'Material evidence'? What does that even mean, 'material evidence'?" JJ scoffed, looking at the letter in my hand.

"It means she can free Bird," I added, crossing my arms.

"Oh, shit, then we're going to Charleston," he finally agreed.

Kie sighed. "I gotta tell my mom. Look, if we get it this time, we are not giving it to Shoupe," she explained, as I nodded my head.

"Yeah, no duh."

Pope typed into the computer, "limbrey" hoping something would come out of it. He pressed search and the first thing that came up was Herman Limbrey. He looked at the letter, then back up at the computer.

"What?" Kie asked him, as he looked confused and determined.

"I'm not sure but I think whoever this Limbrey person is, they might be related to the captain of the Royal Merchant," he explained to us, clicking on the biography of this Herman dude.

"Holy shit," I murmured, looking at it and reading it.

~|~

After school, we went to Kie's house, in hope's we could convince her parents to let her go come Charleston with us.

We could hear distant bickering as Pope, JJ and I sat in the front seat of Heyward's truck, which could fit up to 4 people. After the Twinkie was taken from me, (and since my brother drove it in front of a plane) and was put into the cop's custody. I had put in my adidas cap and changed out of my school clothes into something more comfortable.

We could see Kie and her parents walk across their porch deck, as I bounced my leg up and down in anticipation. Her mom was yelling at her and Kie had her usual scowl on.

"They're taking it really well," JJ admitted, sarcastically. His arm hung out of the window as the other rested around my shoulders.

"Mm-hmm," me and Pope muttered.

"How's you get this rig? I know your old man didn't let you have it," JJ asked Pope, since it was, in fact, Heyward's truck.

"I undid the intake valves on the carburetor. Made it start pinging."

"And now you're just gonna take it to your cousin Jeff's house. Just gonna get it fixed," I shrugged my shoulders, crossing my arms.

"Crack overnight," we all said at the exact same time.

"I think I'm rubbing off on you, Pope. Lying to your old man, stealing his truck-" JJ began.

"There's no way you stole your father's truck," I said, looking at him.

"I stole his boat," he answered, which I did eventually nod to.

"True."

Pope and JJ looked at each other, regarding J's last statement JJ made. He held his hands up. "Alright, that's a sore subject. My bad."

"I'd say we have about 18 hours before he absolutely loses his shit," Pope adds with a small laugh. "So as long as we get it back before then, I think we're good."

I could feel JJ rub his thumb on the back of my neck, affectionately. I looked at him, with a smile. He flicked the brim of my hat up, teasing me.

"Boarding school?!" I heard Kie shout, so I figured it was a good time to get out of the car to let Kie in. I pushed JJ out and I followed, looking at Mike and Anna.

"It could broaden your horizons, baby, get you out of OBX!" Anna explained to her daughter.

"I'm not going to boarding school!" Kie answered, walking towards the truck. "They're not my people."

"Look at your life right now! Look at your life!" Mike yelled, as Kie began to get into the truck.

JJ raised his hand, waving. "It's good to see y'all, Mr. and Mrs. Carrera."

Pope peeked out of the truck. "Hi, uh, ma'am, sir, I... I promise to have her back at a reasonable hour and safe," he said.

"What are you doing?" Kie quietly asked.

"Kiara, listen to me," Anna added. "You wanna go, then you can go. But if you don't come back at a proper time, then don't come back at all!"

"She's bluffing," J muttered, looking at me without turning his head and then looking back at Anna and Mike. Kie got inside of the truck, as JJ corralled me inside too.

"Y'all have a good day," he said to the Carrera's.

He shut the door behind him.

Kie sighed. "This shit would be so much easier without parents."

I looked at JJ, and we both nodded, giving each other a high-five, though it wasn't a really funny moment.