"Look, we've gotta beach her, guys. This thing is sinking," Cleo shouted urgently while steering towards land.
After narrowly avoiding the cops, they hadn't come out entirely unscathed. Thanks to Rick, no one was shot, but the boat was a different story.
A large bullet hole was punctured in the tubing, and air was rapidly flowing from it. The bow was quickly sinking into the ocean.
"Cops will be here any minute. We've gotta fix this thing fast!" added John B.
"Fix it with what?"
No one knew the answer to Pope's question, but they all knew they didn't really have a choice; the boat was their only way out.
"Really, rude boy? Look what you did," Cleo complained as she examined the hole.
"They would've hit us with a couple more if I didn't fire."
Grace, who was hard at work helping to yank the pontoon to shore, piped up, "No, he would've hit us with more if he wasn't thrown into the channel."
JJ didn't have a rebuttal for that. It was true. He shot first, and if Rick hadn't sent the cop sprawling into the water, they would've likely been sprayed with way more than one bullet.
"She's done. Not coming back," Cleo reported while marching onto the beach.
"Great." Sarcasm laced Kie's tone.
"How are we gonna get out of here?" asked Pope, desperate to find another solution.
After ensuring the totaled boat wasn't going to float away, Grace traipsed to shore and plopped down on a piece of driftwood.
"Shooting at a cop, huh?" John B taunted, searching for something to argue about other than their lack of escape route.
"There we go, all right." JJ swung his arms back and forth as if readying himself for a fight before strolling almost casually towards John B. "I fired a flare over their head to slow them down, which is exactly what it did."
Expecting an impending argument, Grace sighed heavily as she watched Kie wander towards the boat. They knew it was a lost cause, but it was worth a second, desperate look. Based on the girl's expression, the second look was fruitless.
"You realize we're all in danger now. All of us. All of us are screwed." As he spoke, John B stood toe to toe with his best friend, fire in his eyes.
"Can this wait? We're trying to figure out how to get out of here," Kiara chimed in, stress perpetuating her annoyance.
"I didn't ask any of you guys to come help me, all right?" JJ stared around at each member of the group. They all looked equally as frustrated.
"'Cause you don't have to, JJ. You know that!" Grace cut in. She was getting tired with JJ's inability to accept help from his friends. He was always ready and willing to do whatever any of the Pogues needed, but the second they'd do the same for him, he would lash out.
"I didn't want any of you to come follow me!" His voice raised to a shout.
"Follow you?" John B repeated, half angrily, half disbelievingly. He was in a similar boat to Grace. He was tired of JJ's self-pitying. Of course he loved JJ just like Grace did, but that didn't prevent frustration from bubbling up. He couldn't believe that after everything they'd been through together, JJ still felt unable to rely on anyone but himself.
"Yeah, follow me!" JJ repeated.
"You think we had any other choice, JJ?!" John B practically screamed in his face. "What about Pope, huh? He just threw away his whole life for you!"
YOU ARE READING
𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 - JJ Maybank
FanfictionGrace Cameron was a Pogue. Always has been. Sure her dad and half-siblings were the Kookiest a Kook could get but her mom had grown up on the Cut so she did too. Her friend group vowed to have a good time all the time but when a boat goes down in th...
