everything about you •• jj maybank

forty four

Kiara, JJ, Pope and I took safety nearby in what appeared to be some sort of junkyard. An open storage container filled with old chairs, garbage, broken down furniture, you name it. Silence had taken over, an uncomfortable tension filling the air, and the worry and anxiety was radiating off of us.

Nobody had said a word, but we were all thinking the same thing.

John B was in some deep shit.

What started as a treasure hunt, with one goal; which was to avenge John B's missing father, had turned into something much deeper. Theft, murder, and secrecy were involved now, and the stakes were at an all time high.

My fingertips were buzzing at my sides, my chest still heaving up and down in an anxious mess.

The sound of a plane flying above our heads was enough to bring us all out of our distressed daze, and we collectively went running. Unfortunately, our suspicions were confirmed as Ward Cameron's big plane flew over our heads.

My posture slumped immediately, an uncomfortable burn settling in my chest.

"There goes the gold," JJ cursed under his breath.

I opened my mouth to protest, to cry, to gasp, scream, but nothing came out. Defeat took over, against my own will. As much as I wanted to be enthusiastic, and try to keep our spirits up, I knew I couldn't. It would be a boldfaced lie.

The gold was gone. It was over.

I anxiously pulled my hand through my very knotted hair, tugging on the ends in attempt yo relieve any sort of tension.

"O-okay," I began to stammer, "Maybe John B is flying the plane. Yeah! John B got on the plane, and he's taking the gold for himself, somewhere safe."

I tried to convince myself of something better than what we were all thinking. It didn't make sense, but God I wanted it to.

My eyes fell on Kiara's her drooping features not letting up.

"I think there might be some concocting going on, don't you think?" She responded harshly, her voice half gone.

JJ was visibly distressed, his cheeks burning red and his bottom lip curled tightly between his teeth. I caught a glimpse of his eyes, their intensity wavering for a moment when they caught mine. He only sighed and shook his head, kicking a rock across the ground.

My shoulders went up in a shrug, "Just trying to be positive."

A loud and aggressive scoff sounded around us, which I wasn't surprised to hear. But when I turned to the voice, to see Pope staring at me with anger in his eyes, I was shocked.

"Where has your positivity gotten us, today, Josie?"

Pope's tone was jarring and dark, something I had never earned from his before.

I knew I wasn't the only one who was surprised by his reaction, because when I turned my head, JJ and Kie had the same dumbfounded look on their faces.

"Where is this coming from?"

I didn't miss the way his chest rose and fell dramatically, his hands clenching and unclenching.

"You trying to be positive is quite possibly the most unhelpful thing right now," he laughed pathetically, making my posture falter, "I mean seriously, Josie. You really think John B somehow successfully got Ward Cameron out of the plane and somehow managed to safely fly it off the tarmac, with all that fuckin' gold on it? Use your head, Josie."