everything about you •• jj maybank

thirty three

Pulling up to John B's, I was almost sure I had the wrong house by the new, boujee decor that sat in the yard. A brand new, shiny, hot tub sat in the middle of the yard. String lights were hung up all around throughout the branches of the trees, lighting up the green leaves and adding a comforting appearance to the Chateau.

If I didn't know any better, I would have thought this was a preview to "going full kook." I wanted to believe this was from the money they got from the gold. But Toppers words were stuck in the back of my mind, clouding my judgment.

Did my friends really rob a drug dealer?

I looked around the yard, searching for any sign of JJ, Kiara, or Pope. There was no way someone was dumb enough to have left the hot tub running all night.

"Kiara?" I called out, wiping the sweat that was running down the side of my face.

The summer heat in the Outer Banks was no joke, and my hangover wasn't exactly helping. I took a deep breath, throwing my head back in a huff.

"Hello! Is anyone here?"

I trudged through the grass to get to the tub, and found the control center. My hands hugged my hips as I stood in front of it, looking for the Off button. I clicked a few different settings, groaning in frustration when the jets came on.

"What the fuck," I grumbled roughly, clicking several more times until the jets settled, the LED lights turned off, and the control center read "OFF" in big letters.

I turned around, my hands still on my hips, and looked around the yard, hoping someone heard my calls. I only heard the sound of cicadas buzzing in the trees. My feet carried me into the house, a gust of hot air hitting me as soon as I opened the front door.

I didn't usually mind no air conditioning in John B's house. It was something I learned to get used to being over here so often. Life was different on the cut, and AC was considered a luxury, not a necessity to most people. Having no generators on the Cut, it wasn't a priority to get cold air in the house. But today, I craved some cool, refreshing air like a hard drug.

Shutting the door, I looked to my right to see Kiara was sound asleep on the pull out couch, her hair falling every which way around her head. Her hands were folded underneath her cheeks, and she stirred peacefully against her pillow. Turning to the other couch, Pope was snoring, laying flat on his back. His hat was covering his face, and his hands were folded together on his chest. His legs were crossed over each other, and I shook my head, snorting lightly at the sight.

I scanned the room, my eyes catching the door cracked open in the hallway. I could see the familiar blonde locks through the crack, and I walked myself toward the door. I knocked once, opening the door slightly and peaking my head in.  He didn't budge, still sleeping like a baby on the mattress. I pushed the door behind me and sat next to him on the bed, carefully reaching out to tap his shoulder.

"JJ," I whispered, searching him for any sign of cognizance.

His mouth was wide open, drool escaping down his chin and onto the pillow. His breath was loud in the quiet room, and I could see his cheek bones glistening with sweat.

I scooted my body closer and opened my hand, resting it on his bicep and shaking him softly. He adjusted beneath my touch, cooing lightly in his slip. I let a small chuckle escape, finding it cute how innocent and calm he looked while sleeping.

"J-"

A gasp echoed across the room from him, causing me to jump backwards. He shot up in an instant, his hand tightly grabbing my wrist as he breathed violently in front of me. His wide eyed gaze quickly turned into confusion when he settled onto my features, his grip loosening and his brows furrowing.