RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

TEN

SCUBA

"Look I'm calling it off. Alright?" John B announced to the five.

Kie was playing the bongos, Pope was reading and JJ was randomly throwing stones with River's arms wrapped around his shoulders as she sat on the table.

"Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help with with DCS." John B spoke as everyone turned to give him their full attention.

"And you believed her?" JJ questioned curiously. He didn't trust cops, they always had an ulterior motive.

"Yes I believe her, JJ." John B responded snappily.

River took the boys hat from his head and placed it on hers. Her fingers combing through his hair in order to sooth him, but it didn't seem to be working.

"An actual cop, John B. You believed a cop." JJ threw another stone.

"Look all I gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple of days and she'll help me out. It doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting a gun." John B said angrily throwing down the branch that he held in his hand.

"You know what I should have done? Should've just let Topper drown your ass." JJ snapped.

River felt him tense from beneath her. He knew that he didn't mean what he said, truthfully he can't imagine John B not being in his life. He was his best friend. His family.

"JJ, you don't mean that." River whispered into his ear.

"Topper was gonna drown me?" John B questioned sarcastically.

John B didn't believe that Topper had the guts to actually drown him, sure, maybe he just wanted to scare him a little but he wasn't gonna kill him.

"Sure looked like it." JJ answered, his hands wrapped around River's thighs before standing up. He hauled her further up his back.

"Funny."

"I mean, have you even looked in a mirror?" JJ questioned, River tapped his shoulders and he gently placed her down.

She didn't want to be caught in the middle of it if they started to fight. She knew they wouldn't actually hurt one another but they were both hot headed and impulsive.

"Bro come on, tell me some more. Come on." John B antagonised, making River roll her eyes at the boys.

"They always win, don't they. Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win. God damn it!" JJ said hitting the buoy.

River grabbed his hands and forced her to look at him. She slowly inhaled and watched as JJ mimicked her. She offered him a small smile before wrapping her arms around his torso and listening to his raving heart.

"Look it's okay!" Kie shouted noticing JJ's anger.

"No it's not okay. It is not." JJ snapped back, his anger showing. He clutched the back of River's head once she felt her jump.

He had so much built up anger from last night. From the way the Kooks treat the Pogues to the way River's mom treats River.

"They don't want us to go down into the marsh. That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it." JJ pointed towards John B. "I know you do."

JJ turned to face Pope, be sucked in a deep breath. He watched as River pulled out of the hug and just linked their hands together.

"And I understand why you don't want to go. You're the golden boy, you got way too much to risk." JJ then turned to Kie. "And you, I mean you're already rich as fuck anyway. Why would you bother?" JJ looked between John B and River. "But us three man, we got nothin' to lose! We really don't alright?" JJ shouted.