Adore You ☼ JJ Maybank

27

[ WE'VE HIT ROCK BOTTOM ]

"what now? we just go up to the front door and ask, 'hey, have you seen john b?'" jj asked as they pulled the boat next to the cameron's dock.

"look, he lives at tannyhill now. it's plausible." kei says, "we can play dumb."

"play dumb?" maya said.

"it's pretty late..." pope says.

"look, i've never seen john b like that." kei says, "we should honestly be going to the cops."

"the cops—yeah, and saw what, kei? we're worried about our friend because he's on a rampage 'cause cameron killed big john?" jj said as pope took out binoculars to spy on the mansion. "they're not gonna believe us!"

"hey, i see ward." pope said as he looked through the binoculars toward the cameron's house.

"let me see."

"doesn't look dead to me." pope says. "let's go home."

"wait." jj said.

"what?" kei said.

"uh... obviously, mr. cameron is fine, and even if john b was here, he isn't now."

"okay..." jj scoffed.

"plus i have the biggest, most important moment of my life in six hours." pope said.

"yeah, well, our friend is in trouble." kei said.

"i'm in trouble." pope says, "guys, i haven't been home in three days. my dad's probably put all my shit on the street by now."

"okay, so that's it?" kei asked. "in a time of need you're just gonna bail? you're just gonna walk away?"

"yo, guys, can we not do this right now?" jj sighed, taking off his hat and running his hands through his hair. he sat down next to maya, them watching the fight between pope and kei unfold.

"i have a scholarship interview in the morning. i can't—"

"well, what about john b?"

pope scoffed, "why is it always about john b?"

"god..." maya muttered. "if there's a time to take me out, please be now."

"it's not always about john b. you're so stupid." kei said. "it would be any of you in this situation."

"oh, bullshit."

"guys—"

"this is about friendship." kei cut off jj.

"bring it down." maya said.

"this is about pogues for life." kei cried.

"what about forensic pathology, huh?" pope said.

"forensic pathology?" kei laughed.

"it's my life! everything i've worked for."

"that's your—that's your priority?"

"stop with the moral high ground bullshit!" pope said.

"pope, come on." jj said.

"no."

"excuse me?" kei said.

"no, no. she has no room to talk." pope said before turning back to kei. "where were you when big john went missing? you weren't there. you weren't there for john b. you weren't there for any of us. what about when maya's dad died, her mom killed herself and her sister went off the deep end?"

"pope, please, don't—"

"where were you then?" pope ignored maya, "you weren't there for john b or her. remember your kook year?"

"dude." jj said.

"yeah, you forgot about us. now you feel guilty."

"give me break!" kei pushed pope and begin to hit him, poe trying to stop her.

"hey! yo, yo, cut it out, alright?" jj said, pulling kei off of pope. "if i'm the one mediating, we've hit rock bottom. bow, now. go! pope, i'll drop you off."