Junie - JJ Maybank

14

"Kie, is your mom here?" I ask Kiara.

All of us are hanging out at The Wreck, although John B isn't here because he is at his hawks nest date with Sarah Cameron.

"Yeah, she's in the back. Why?"

I nod for JJ to let me out of our booth so he slides out of it, "I want to talk to her about getting a job."

Kiara gasps then nod, "go ahead and go back there."

I nod and head into the kitchen then quickly find Kiara's mom at one of the counters cutting veggies.

"Hey, Anna," I tell her.

She looks at me and a grin comes onto her face, "hi, Emmy! How's it going?"

"It's good... could I talk to you?" I ask her.

She nods then taps the woman next to her's shoulder, "Stef, can you finish these?"

The woman nods then Anna leads me back to her office. She closes the door behind us and speaks up, "what is it, Emery?"

I let out a breath then start, "I was wondering if there was any way I could get a job? I just feel bad that John B is the only one bringing in money and I want to help as much as I can-"

Anna cuts me off, "of course, Emery."

I sigh then grin, "are you sure? I totally get if you can't."

She nods her head, "we would love to hire you."

I smile, "thank you," I tell her and she pulls me into a hug.

When we pull away, she tells me to go back to my friends, so I do.

JJ lets me get past him, then he slips his arm around my waist. We all continue to eat the basket of fries that is sitting in front of us.

A little while later, Kiara's phone buzzes on the table. She looks at it and a disgusted look comes onto her face. She holds the phone up for us to see and it shows that Sarah is calling her.

"Why is she calling you?" I ask her.

Kiara gags then hangs up the phone and shrugs, "I have no idea." She says then puts it back down.

A second later, the phone buzzes again.

Kiara groans then mumbles to herself, "leave me alone, kook."

"Is it Sarah again?" Pope asks her.

Kiara nods, "yeah... I don't know what she wants."

I sit up and look at JJ and he looks at me with the same look of realization.

We both get up out of the booth and rush out of The Wreck then we run as fast as we can to the hawks nest.

I hear Pope and Kiara shouting behind us asking where we are going and what's going on, but I can't form any words.

We all run through some trees until we find the opening that the hawks nest is in. It only takes me a second to find Sarah kneeling over John B who is laying on the ground.

I rush to them and kneel down on the other side of John B, "what happened?" I ask Sarah as I cup John B's cheeks.

His eyes are closed... why are his eyes closed?

I watch as Sarah tries to say something but she can't say any actual words, "Sarah, what the fuck happened!" I shout.

She stutters out words through tears, "T-Topper came here and he, he pushed John B off the hawks nest."

"Oh my god!" I shout, looking up at the nest to see that there is wood that has broken, proving that John B did, in fact, fall off of it.

I look back at John B and tell continuously tell him that it's gonna be okay and he is gonna be okay. I hear JJ yell at Pope to go call 911 but I am too focused on John B to say anything to anyone else.

I finally look up after Sarah kisses John B on the lips. I look at Kiara and I see a mix of confused, mad, and sad looks on her face.

"It's gonna be okay."

When the ambulance gets here, they put John B on a stretcher and roll him into the ambulance.

I follow them to it, JJ by my side, but the paramedics stop us.

"Only one person can ride along." One of them tells us.

I look at JJ and he nods to it, "you go, we'll meet you there," he tells me.

I nod and get into the ambulance. I take the keys to the Twinkie out of John B's pocket and throw them to JJ.

"He's gonna be okay," he tells me and I don't get a chance to reply before one of the paramedics closes the door.

I am sitting in the waiting room when JJ, Pope, Kiara, and Sarah run to me.

"Where's John B?" Pope asks.

"Is he okay?" Kiara asks.

"What is happening to John B?" Sarah asks.

JJ steps in front of me and pulls me into his arms. I break down into tears for the first time since we got to the hawks nest.

When we pull away, I try to tell him what happened, but I can't form any words.

JJ pulls me into his arms again, then when we pull away and he has a soft, reassuring look on his face.

"Can you tell me what happened?" He asks softly.

I nod, "they took him into surgery... he fractured his wrist and he has a concussion." I break into tears again and JJ sits me down.

JJ sits next to me and puts his arm on my thigh. I cuddle into his arm and continue to cry quietly.

"Junie... the doctor is here."

I blink my eyes open and when I realize John B's doctor is standing in front of me, I quickly jump up.

"You're Mr. Routledge's sister?" The doctor asks.

I nod, "yeah... is he okay?"

The doctor nods, "yes, the surgery went well and he is awake and set up in a room."

I let out a sigh of relief and thank the doctor then JJ speaks up.

"Can we see him?" He asks.

The doctor looks at all of us the speaks, "you can go in one at a time." He tells us.

Everyone looks at me and Pope is the only one to talk, "you go, Ems."

I nod and follow the doctor back to John B's room. When I see him in the bed, his arm in a cast and he has a wrap around his head, I feel yet another tear slide down my cheek.

"Hey, Emmy." He says with a groggy voice.

The single tear turns to a billion in the matter of seconds and I sit down on the hospital bed next to him.

"Hey... it's okay, I'm fine." He tells me.

I shake my head, "you're not fine, John B. You fell off the hawks nest. You know how far that is?"

He nods, "it's not your fault."

I sigh, "I should've gone with you."

He shakes his head, "there was no way we could have known that Topper would be there, Emery."

I continue to cry and John B grabs my hand, giving me a reassuring squeeze.

"I just don't know what I would've done if you would have died without me getting to say goodbye."