Sunshine State Of Mind ☼ JJ Maybank

Chapter Six: Lunch With My Mother

Happy (Late) Mother's Day

"When your mother asks, 'Do you want a piece of advice?' It's a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway."

-Erma Bombeck

When the Pogues and I reached the shore, we were surprised to find the leftover remains of a crime scene happening at the docks. A crime scene that had been contaminated...by us. It was Scooter Grubbs, a guy the pogues knew from around the island. Dead. My heart started palpitating in my chest, thumping against my ribcage. The only other dead person I had ever seen before was at my grandfather's open casket. Even then I didn't want to stare down at the cold and unforgiving hollow shell. I shielded my eyes as I watched them show the body to his wife, not wanting to see it, terrible and pale and calm, but not exactly being able to look away. And a girl from The Cut, Lilah, was showing us pictures she got of him before they wheeled him off. We sat with her, as the Pogues knew her more than I did, and the cops finished up around the waters. But I could still see him out of the corner of my eye as his wife cried ugly tears into his still face. I used JJ's back to block it out, and stepped closer to him. I had an urge to grab his hand, like from when we were at the motel, but as soon as I thought it I knew it was a dumb idea, and the feeling passed as soon as Scooter Grubbs was out of view. Panic subsided. "What kind of boat did he have?" JJ asked, and I was pulled out of the thoughts of death.

"Somehow that dirtbag copped a brand-new Grady White." The pogues and I looked at each other. That was the boat we had found earlier. And it belonged to a dead guy. One recently dead guy. Which meant- "Everyone is out looking for it." Lilah continued. I peeked over to JJ's back pocket, where I'm sure he had stashed the cash, and then in the waistband of his shorts where I was sure he still had the gun. I shivered again, thinking of the cold steel in his hands, an image I didn't want to get used to. If we got rid of it now, we would be obstructing justice. I didn't know how JJ felt about jail time but I knew Pope would be the most adverse, his scholarship was everything to him. What about Kie? Or John B? And I certainly didn't need to get into any more trouble either, especially not with my parents basically dragging me away from all that I had left in New York. Not with Cameron. I did not need to be placing myself in more trouble with another gun.

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We stopped by my house before taking another trek towards The Cut and getting our shit together at The Chateau. We decided it would be best to confer with my parents of my whereabouts before they pressed charges and the pogues were all in handcuffs before I could dispute the fact. My hands were still clammy from the nerves I'd experienced with seeing Scooter, and I could see Pope eyeing me from the other side of the Twinkie. JJ and Kie were arguing about something to do with the environment. If I had felt better I could've felt myself wanting to jump in with Kie and berate JJ's use of plastics, but I still didn't feel calm enough to get back to usual banter. Pope nudged my knee and looked up at me with soft eyes, "You okay?"

I shook my head as John B took a left turn towards my street. I wanted to be as calm as John B was at this moment, driving with steady hands and adding comments back and forth to JJ and Kiara's quiet argument. Or even Pope, who I could tell was also busting out with nerves, but seemed to be holding it together. I nudged him back, "Can you come in with me?" And as I asked the question I saw his pupils dilate, as if opening up to the idea, and I smiled at him in spite of myself.

He scratched at his face, a nervous tick, and nodded, now with a small smile on his face, "Of course." He responded, not questioning what I needed his protection from in my own home.

Really, I knew my parents were going to be pissed with my absence even with Lou, hopefully, covering for me. But the good thing was, they were always polite enough not to show it around company. My mom's biggest adversary was her love of people, which means keeping happy guests. Her home was her sanctuary. Pope would be perfect, as I could tell my mom was given the impression by Lou that I was already with him back when my phone was working. It made sense that that's where I had sneaked off to, to Pope and his friends. And another thing, I regretfully informed myself, was that my mom would be thrilled if I had a crush on Pope, whatever impression he gave off the other day (when stopped by my house for the Weed Heist) seemed to be a good one. My mom loved spontaneity, and a random boy showing up at your house just meant fate...right? In the days I had spent without the Pogues, my mom was constantly looking over my shoulder to see if I was texting "anyone in particular". But since my evasion of Cameron, I had stayed statically still in life with friends and crushes. It was a complicated misdemeanor, and I had lost most people except Dale. If I introduced all the Pogues to them now, my mom and dad would dissipate their anger at me for disappearing during a hurricane (and losing Lou's bike) and just be glad I had made friends. But Pope would be enough.