BABYDOLL // JJ Outer Banks

ten

"look, i'm calling it off, okay?" john b told everyone as they were all gathered by the hammock outside the chateau. "peterkin told me that if i stay out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS."

jj scoffed, "and you believed her?"

"yes, i believed her, jj," john b rolled his eyes, as if it was obvious.

"an actual cop, john b, you believed a cop," jj stated incredulously.

"jj's right, jb," hannah agreed.

"of course you'd agree with jj," john b snapped. "you're like his pathetic little puppy."

hannah flinched at his choice of words before feeling her anger begin to bubble. "first of all, i agree with jj so much because he's the only person who knows what it's like to have everything ripped away from you and have life kick you in the ass. peterkin talked to us too, y'know? and guess what she said? huh? come on john b, guess?" she asked, her voice gradually getting louder.

"han, calm down," kie tried to soothe the girl, but was simply brushed aside.

"she told us that she'd tell our dads, jb. you know what my dad would do if he found out that i got into a fight with a kook? hell, even if the cops told him i didn't do anything wrong or fight back, i know for a fact that i'd be looking ten-thousand times worse than i do right now."

john b flinched at the girl's honesty, but it wasn't surprising. hannah was someone who wore her heart on her sleeve and hated when others told her what she should or shouldn't be doing.

"don't tell jj and i that we should believe peterkin when she hasn't given us any reason to."

the crew was silent for a few moments before john b spoke up again. "i hear what you're saying, but please! all i gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple of days and she'll help me out," jj went to comment, but john b cut him off, "and it doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting the gun."

jj jumped up. "what was i supposed to do, huh? let topper beat the living shit out of hannah? huh? and for what? she saved topper from drowning your ass."

"yeah, because topper would've drowned me?" john b quipped.

"sure looked like it," jj replied.

john b stalked over to jj. "tell me some more, come on," he taunted.

"they always win, don't they, man?" jj asked. "kooks versus pogues: they always, always win," jj yelled, punching the ball hanging from the tree branch. "goddamn!"

"hey, it's okay!" kie said, trying to de-escalate the situation.

jj snapped. "no, it's not okay! it's not! they don't want us down in the marsh. that means there's something valuable down there, and you know it." john b ignored him. "i know you do. and i understand why you don't want to go," he says, turning to face pope. "you're the golden boy. you got way too much to risk. and you," he looked at kie, "well, you're already rich as fuck anyway, why would you bother."

hannah watched kie's face fall slightly at jj's words, choosing to lean over and give her friend a reassuring hug.

"but us, man, you, hannah, and me? we got nothing to lose!"

hannah nodded. "we really don't."

"jj," john b warned.

"and i know it didn't use to be that way for you," jj continued.

"jj, i don't wanna talk about this. i don't want to talk about it." john b got up, storming away.

jj followed him. "john b, listen to me. i have a plan. you got the keys to cameron's big boat, right?"

"no." john b shook his head.

"there's scuba gear inside, man. we borrow that, we go down to the wreck this afternoon, and that is what's gonna save you, man." john b shook his head again, trying to convince himself to not fall into jj's trap. "you don't see rich kids going to foster care, do you?" and john b was in.

...

"i really hope jb's right about this," hannah said as she continued preparing her brownie batter in kie's kitchen.

kie nodded. "i still feel like it's wrong though, like, whatever we find down there rightfully belongs to lana grubbs."

hannah hummed in agreement while casually pulling a plastic baggie from her pocket and sprinkling some of its green contents into the batter. she paused, tilting her head to the side as she contemplated her options, before shrugging and pouring the rest of her stash of weed into the bowl.

kie shook her head at her friend. "sometimes i think you're a bigger pothead than jj."

"what?" hannah gasped dramatically, "i am totally a bigger pothead than jj!" she said as she filled the pan with the brownie batter and put it into the oven. "did you know i was the one who taught him to roll his first blunt?"

"i'm not surprised. where is jj anyway?"

"probably asleep at john b's or macking some stupid touron," hannah replied.

kie cocked a brow in questioning. "han, are you jealous?"

hannah felt her face turn a deep shade of crimson and cursed. "no, i just think tourons are annoying little shit-heads."

"so?" kie asked, "you hookup with tourons all the time."

hannah groaned, realizing her mistake. "because i steal their shit, kie," hannah hoisted herself onto the countertop. "jj actually thinks they're hot."

"and you don't?"

"lemme tell you a secret," hannah said. "guys who flex their money are usually compensating for something," gesturing to her pelvic region, causing kie to burst out laughing.

"regardless," kie chuckled, "you clearly don't like when jj hooks up with girls."

"well, you've been awfully protective of jb lately? hm? 'be careful, john b,' hm? what's that about?" hannah tried to steer the conversation away from her and jj.

"this isn't about me and john b," kie blushed. "this is about you and jj. you like him," kie stated.

"okay, and what if i do? he's my best friend."

kie smiled softly, "you can't be best friends with someone you're in love with."