Nothing Lasts Forever - JJ Maybank

EP 7: The Junkyard

The next day, I was with JJ and his friends again. This time going to a junkyard to get something. What we were getting? I wasn't exactly sure.

"What are we getting?" I quietly ask JJ.

"There's some underwater camera shit we need for our next... mission." JJ responds.

"How do you even know it's there?" I ask.

"My dad used to work at the junkyard," JJ explained. "Before he was fired for coming into work drunk off his ass every day.." He added, trailing off.

"Okay, JJ." Kiara said dismisivally.

I don't say a thing though, I just look out the window of the car. Was this illegal? Well, yes. I really shouldn't be doing this but I decided to take my chances.

JJ finished rolling the blunt he was rolling and was about to light it before Pope took it from his mouth and tossed it to the side, causing JJ to give him a look. John B pulled up on the side of the road where there was a vehicle and I watched Kiara get out of the car before looking back at Pope and JJ.

"You know what your problem is?" JJ asked Pope.

"You." Pope responded, making me laugh.

JJ couldn't help the smile that formed as he glanced at me before looking back at Pope, "No! It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense." He says. From what I knew of Pope, that did somewhat seem true.

"I'm not too tense." Pope countered. "Am I too tense?" Pope asked me, the both of them now looking at me.

"Uh... I don't know." I respond, put on the spot.

"You're too tense." JJ answers for me.

We ended up running off to hide behind something by the entrance of the junkyard. We were all waiting and watching Kiara's interaction with the worker.

"How's it going with Kiara?" JJ asked, looking over at John B.

"It's not awkward, weird, or anything." John B responded. Honestly, I didn't know what they were talking about, obviously, but I didn't really need to.

"Honestly, I did not think you were gonna actually listen to me." JJ tells his friend after snorting a little.

"What?" John B glances over at him.

"I was 100 percent sure that she was into you, bro. Pope would agree." JJ tells him.

"Ehh..." Pope responds.

"So, like, Kie, she, like, definitely gave you the Heisman?" JJ asked. Whatever that meant.

"Oh, no question. Yup." John B responded, nodding a little.

"Gotcha." JJ simply said.

"Maybe she's just into somebody else." Pope says making us all look over at him.

Before anyone could say anything, we see the guy turning his back and JJ is ushering us to go, his hand grabbing onto me and pulling me along with him. I run with him through the gate, the others following after. This was so fucking stupid.

He lets go of my hand as he goes to put the code into a lock that he had written on a sticky note. I look around anxiously, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. It didn't seem to be working though as he tried to open it but it wouldn't budge.

"Do you have the right numbers?" Pope asked him.

"All right, so I might have the wrong numbers." JJ steps away from the lock.

"Ah, damn it!" Pope complains. All of us were now stressed.

Suddenly, a dog comes running up barking and I tense up. John B goes running meanwhile I stand there with JJ.

"Hey. No, stay there! Good boy." JJ says, trying to calm the barking dog down. JJ grabs my hand before running off with me but Pope just stands there. "Pope, run!" He calls for Pope who just stands there.

We watch as Pope grabs some metal rod and starts to swing it in the air, "Back off! Back off!" He says.

JJ grabs a towel thing from his pocket and holds it up, "I got a toy, boy!" The dog's attention is now on us and the dog starts to run at us now. "Wait, no, I was just kidding. Shit!" JJ says as he pulls me along with him once again and we start running. "Okay, sit!" He yells at the dog but obviously, that wasn't going to do anything.

He ushers me up onto a boat and we bend down, the dog down on the ground barking at us. I could hear footsteps and immediately, I think that we were fucked.

"JJ." I whine, stressed with the situation.

He looks at me, "It's alright. It's gonna be alright." He tries his best to console me but it's not exactly working.

"Whoever's up there better come on out! I mean it! Don't make me go up there and get your ass!" The man yells from the ground.

"Wait, Bobby! Don't shoot." JJ says as he gently puts his hand on my arm and guides me to stand up. "It's me, JJ. Luke's kid. This is.. my girlfriend." He says on the spot. I glance over at him for a moment before looking back at the man, my heart still nearly beating out of my chest.

"What are you doin'?" The man asked.

"I swear, okay. I didn't want to, okay?" JJ says. "My dad made me." He then told the man and I bite my lip nervously.

"Don't you lie." The man scolds him.

"He told me that Captain Leo kept his cutting torch. You know, after he got fired. He said if I didn't get it for him, he was gonna... he was gonna hit me again." JJ says and my heart drops as I glance over at him. My eyes trace his body but something in this feels too real, not just like an act. I look back at the man. "I'm sorry." JJ tells the man.

"Come on down, guys." The man says with a sigh.

JJ guides me to the ladder and I start to climb down, my hands shaking as I go to the ground and JJ comes down after me.

"I'll just come up with somethin'. Tell him I couldn't find it." JJ tells the man.

"All right." The man says.

"Sorry." JJ says before his hand comes up to the small of my back and he guides me to start walking. I don't say a thing as I just walk with him.

"I'm sorry about getting you into that mess." JJ breaks the silence as he looks at me.

"It's.. It's fine." I simply respond as I glance over at him.

"Bet you've been getting in a lot of trouble since meeting me." JJ says. He wasn't exactly wrong.

"I guess so." I say. "You're ruining me." I smile, trying to ease the tension in the air.

"You haven't even seen the beginning yet." JJ responds with a smirk as we continue to walk together.