Dying Summer | JJ Maybank

(7)

Val woke up to a pain in his neck and face. He squinted as he sat up from the old couch. Swinging his feet and planting them on the floor, on top of a fallen blanket. He walks towards the kitchen and finds John B and JJ talking lightly while holding coffee cups.

"Morning sunshine." JJ says, only getting a slap from John in return. "What?"

John B ignores him, "How are you feeling Val?"

"Just peachy," Val says in a raspy voice. John B leaves the kitchen and comes back with a pair of bottoms and a tank top, and throws it at Val,

"You might want to change." Val thanks him and walks back into the living room, changing into John B's trunks and what looks to be JJ's tank top, and walks back into the kitchen zeroing in on the coffee in JJ's hands, and takes it from the blond.

"Yep, sure. You want coffee? Here, have mine." JJ says sarcastically as he watches the man finish his cup.

He exhales as he puts the empty cup back in JJ's hand. "Thank you J. WHOoh! I needed that." He claps his hands, "What's on the agenda today?"

JJ and John B exchange a glance. "We need to wake up Kie and Pope and be on our way. Yesterday the compass led us to a hidden package from this guy's father. Leading us to a voice tape and a map. Where the Royal Merchant wreck is." JJ explains.

"Wait, the compass was linked to the royal merchant? How the fuck did you figure that out? I know that Big John was obsessed with that place but, I didn't know he found the damn thing."

Val needs another coffee.

"Well my dad did find it, and we are gonna be filthy rich!" John B pumps his hands in the air as he backs out of the kitchen to the bedroom where Pope is.

JJ knocks Val on the shoulder, "Go wake up Kie and I'll make you another coffee."

"Perfect."

He walks through the living room towards where the girl is sleeping. He looks quickly at the couch, and notices the heap of blankets on the floor next to the couch, under where Val slept. He shakes it off and keeps walking through the door and towards the futon where Kiara is sleeping. "Kiara..." she stirs, "Kiara.."

"What's up V?" she smashes her face into the pillow.

"We gotta go get the gold." She immediately peaks up.

"I'm up." He smiles and walks back out of the room towards the kitchen. He sees JJ still there and a piping hot cup of coffee in his hands.

"Oh you're perfect." He says taking the coffee out of the blond's hands.

"I know you're talkin' to the cup of joe but I'm gonna take that as a compliment to me."

"Ya whatever." He brings the coffee to his lips and gulps down the hot liquid, as JJ backs up and sits on the counter next to the stove.

"V, I don't know how you are real, I swear." JJ says.

He sets his half empty liquid down and looks at him, "Does it hurt?"

"When I fell from heaven or–"

"No when you speak."

"You little–" He gets up and runs after Val who books it into the hallway yelling. He turns the corner and stops short when he almost crashes into Pope,

"It's too early, for your shit JJ." Pope looks over Val at the blond. Val laughs at the blame.

"Hold on, how is that my fault? That's–"

"Guys we have gold to find, let's get moving!" John B corrals them out of the house, pushing Val, who's complaining about his leftover coffee, and JJ who's complaining about letting the coffee he made go to waste.