Junie - JJ Maybank

34

One week later...

"Has anyone seen JJ?" I ask everyone.

Me, John B, Sarah, Kiara, and Pope are all sitting by the water but JJ is nowhere to be seen.

Everyone shakes their heads but John B shrugs, "he told me he was gonna go scavenging."

Sarah scoffs, "why would you let him go by himself?" She asks as she smacks his arm.

He gives her an annoyed and confused look as he answers, "calm down. We all know that JJ wouldn't get lost."

We all agree then a few minutes later I see JJ walking a little ways away.

I excuse myself from the group and make my way over to him.

"Hi," I tell him and rub his back a little bit.

He looks up at me from his squated position, "hey, Junie," he tells me with a smile, "how're you doing?"

I nod, "I'm good. Where've you been?"

He pulls his backpack off of his back and starts opening it, "I wanted to find some stuff."

He pulls out a big piece of white scrap fabric and some charcoal.
"What is that?" I ask him.

He shrugs, "it's gonna be our flag."
I raise my eyebrows and nod, "okay."

"D'you wanna help?" He asks me.
I nod, "sure," I tell him as I sit down next to him.

He hands me a piece of charcoal then we start on the flag.

An hour or so later, me and JJ are finished with the flag and we hide it behind us as we walk over to the Pogues.

When we get there, they give us confused looks.

"Where have you two been?" Sarah asks with wiggly eyebrows.

I shake my head at her as JJ speaks, "we have something to show all of you."

They all get quiet and JJ puts on a fake British accent, "we have worked very hard to create this for all of you... drum roll please!"

Everyone starts slapping their legs, then me and JJ jump apart and hold up the flag for them to see.

All of their faces are filled with surprise and confusion.

"What is that?" Pope asks us.

JJ shrugs, "it's the flag."

They all let out oh's then their confused faces turn to smiles.

"I didn't know you were serious about the chicken thing." Sarah tells JJ.

He gives her a serious face, "of course I was... we should celebrate." He tells everyone as he pulls his backpack off again and starts digging through it.

After a few seconds, he pulls out a little baggie that has a lighter and a bunch of joints inside of it.

"Where did you get those?" I ask him, my voice filled with confusion.
He shrugs, "they've been in my bag the whole time."

I scoff as I snatch the bag out of his hand, "why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I forgot."

I take out one of the joints then hand the baggie back to JJ. I stick it between my lips and JJ takes out the lighter and lights the joint.
I take a long puff from it then JJ takes it from my lips and sticks it between his.

Two weeks later...

"JJ, truth or dare?" Kiara asks him.
We are all sitting around the unlit fire, playing a game of truth or dare.