TIDES OF FATE - JJ Maybank

XXI. Nothingness

:･ﾟ✧:･.☽˚｡･ﾟ✧:･.:

Lillian's pov

JJ's grip on the steering wheel never loosened as he drove to Barry's house. Even after I placed a hand on his thigh to calm him down, his knuckles remained white from how hard he was holding on. He was angry and tired of being pushed around— by the Kooks, his father-and Barry was the last straw. He wasn't going to let this go without justice being served.

We pulled onto a dirt driveway and stopped in front of a run down house that looked more like a trailer than anything. It was unkept and there were random objects littered around the property. It was quiet, the only sounds in the air being that of the ocean. No one was home.

"Welcome to Crackhead Wasteland," Sarah said, voicing what everyone was thinking.

Pope shifted nervously in his seat. "I don't know about this, man."

"Dude, why are we at Barry's?" John B asked from the back seat.

The van came to a stop and JJ put it in park. "This'll only take a second," he said as he got out of the driver's seat.

I sighed. "Jayj," I called out through the open window. "Where you going?"

JJ didn't turn back as he walked up to the front door. "Yo soy justicia!"

"Did you get anything from that?"

Pope turned to us, mainly focusing on John B and me.

"You know somebody should probably-"

The both of us cut him off with a nod. "Yup, we've got it," we assured in unison.

John B and I got out of the Twinkie and followed JJ into the house. I was still bitter about all of the unfortunate events that happened earlier in the day, but pushed my feelings aside for the sake of everyone around me. I knew it wasn't good to bottle up my feelings, but I didn't want to lash out at my friends and dealing with JJ's impulsive decisions took precedence over my issues any day.

I understood where JJ was coming from. He had all of this built up anger from being pushed around and it was only a matter of time that he did something reckless like this. When JJ was hit, he hit back harder. That's how he worked.

Did I think Barry deserved a little grief for what he did? Yes.

Did I think JJ was being excessive? Definitely.

John B pushed the door open and leaned against the frame with his arms crossed over his chest. I stood behind him and copied his stance on the other side of the doorframe.

"Yeah, so what's your plan, slick?" John B spoke, taking the reins.

JJ continued to rummage through the house. "Well, as thou hath stealth from us, we shall stealeth from ye."

"That kind of got lost in translation."

"An eye for an eye, John B," JJ stated as he moved massed the door and into the kitchen.

"Yeah, that's great, JJ. But what happens after you rob a drug dealer, huh?" John B moved further into the house, but I stayed where I was. "He knows who we are!"

JJ scoffed. "I'm not scared of this guy." When the kitchen was searched, he walked into the bedroom.

"JJ, don't-"

When JJ was in the bedroom, John B turned to me. "So, are you gonna help anytime soon or...?"

I raised an eyebrow at him and opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by JJ's voice ringing through the air. "There we go," the boy said from inside the bedroom. From the outside we could hear shuffling.