Junie - JJ Maybank

35

"There's a plane! Guys, there's a plane!"

I stretch in my spot as Pope shouts about something but I can hardly think because I am so tired.

"Wake up! There's a plane!" Pope shouts from a ways away.

Oh my god...

I jump up in my spot and everyone is already awake and running around.

When I get out of the sleeping quarters, I see Pope running towards our emergency fire. I look in the sky to see that there is, in fact, a plane.

Everyone starts shouting and waving their arms in the air to get the planes attention. When I see JJ, he is staring at the ground with a somewhat sad look on his face.

He looks at me and I give him a sympathetic smile and step over to him. I grab his hand and squeeze it three times.

I watch as the plane flies past poguelandia.

It didn't see us...

I let out a heavy sigh and turn around to walk back to bed.

"It's coming back!" John B shouts from behind me.

I turn around to see the plane turning around.

"They're going to the pond!" John B shouts as he starts running.

I quickly go to the sleeping quarters and grab a few things. JJ is next to me, shoving stuff in his backpack then coming with me.

Everyone is running towards the pond and I follow them but stop where JJ and I had hung up the poguelandia flag. I quickly take it off the stick and run to the pond right as the plane is landing.

I stop next to JJ and grab his hand then squeeze it.

"We could stay," I tell him.

He looks at me with a confused face, "are you serious?"

I hesitate for a second before nodding, "yes."

"Well, what do we got here?"

I look at the plane to see a tall man with long curly hair and sun glasses on stepping out of it.

"Just some castaways," John B tells him.

The man laughs, "well, I'll cross that off the grocery list."

We all look at each other with confusion as the man continues, "so what's the story? You guys sank a boat?"

John B hesitates, "um... blew one up," he points to JJ, "his dad's."

The man holds his arms out, "well, have no fear. Jimmy is here... I got you."

Pope nods to the boat, "where you headed?"

Jimmy shrugs, "Barbados."

My eyes go wide and John B looks back at me with the same look of surprise on his face.

I look at JJ and I don't know what to say.

We could stay here and be together or we could go with this Jimmy guy to Barbados and find my dad...

JJ squeezes my hand, "there's no way we are staying."

I nod then the two of us walk to the rest of the Pogues.

"You have room for six more?" John B asks him.

He shrugs, "we could make it work."

We all start piling into the boat.
When I am on the top step, I stop and look at the island behind me.

I am gonna miss this place...