Someone to stay || JJ Maybank

26

"What would you do, if they never found us out?"

I went to the dock few minutes before JJ just to make sure there was no uncomfortable questions at all. We already had the drama between Kie and Sarah, I don't think I need to get John B mad at us too. And it was lucky we came separately, because few minutes after I arrived to the boat, JJ and Pope climbed in together. Pope was probably getting JJ while John B be woke me up. Gladly JJ is the professional liar of the island so everything should be fine.

"So, how mad do you think Kie will be? On a scale from 1 to 10", John B sits next to me to the bow as Pope drives us to the marsh.

"At you? Like twelve maybe", I shrug. "At me, about a 100."

"Come on, Kie would never hate you. It wasn't even your idea", JJ says. He's sitting next to Pope behind the steering wheel, constantly talking with each other but I can't hear what they're saying. Now their talk seemed to come to an end since he moved closer to me and John B to join our conversation.

"Yeah, I'll take the blame", John B adds.

"But I helped. Quite a lot since I was the one who asked Kie to come", I remind them as I look down. I wasn't that worried about Kie, she'd hate me for two hours tops, but this was still stressing me out. I had felt horrible about the plan, little less after JJ told me Kie knew about his crush on me, but I still did it. In my defence, I did because of John B, but I don't think she cares.

"If the plan worked, there will be nothing to worry about", John B just shrugs, a confident grin growing to his lips. Clearly he has no idea how deep their hatred towards each other was, or then I've read Kie's thoughts complitely wrong.

"Yeah, I doubt that", I just mumble rolling my eyes at John B's stupid confidence, making JJ chuckle.

"Let him dream, Kate", he smiles at John B who is now glaring at JJ from under his brows.

"You two will see", he points at me and JJ, eyes squinted.

"Nope", JJ wraps his arm around my shoulders, just like so many times before, and shakes his head. "I don't think we will."

Normally in this situation I would add some smart-ass comment but now I get so distracted by the arm that still rests on my shoulders I can't even open my mouth. I don't know why it feels so different now, but if it's because of what we talked about last night, I want to forget it. I don't want this to make me awkward and uncomfortable around JJ.

Thankfully Pope starts to slow down, meaning Sarah and Kie are close. It saves me from any further thinking of JJ since his arms leaves my shoulders the moment he sees the girls on the boat and makes a horn with his hand around his mouth so his shouts would be heard by them.

"You forgot your keys or something?" He shouts.

I look over my shoulder to see the boat where Kie and Sarah are, sitting at the edge and probably thinking ways to murder us. Slow and painfully.

"You need a tow?" Pope shouts too, joining JJ jokes. I just turn back around so I'm not facing Kie when we reach them. I'm genuinely scared. Because what if the plan did work out and Kie and Sarah became best friends over night. They found their old bond and Kie will forget about me, like she forgot about us last autumn. I know it's unlikely, but there's always a possibility.

"You gotta admit, it's kinda funny", John B smiles when we slow down to stop next to the other boat. I risk a glance over my shoulder and sigh in relief when their angry stares aren't for me but to the boys. Then I turn fully around, still sitting on the bow but towards them.