Wild Ride (JJ Fanfic)

Chapter Three

We were out on open water soon enough. I was stretched out, my tank top already in a heap on the floor. I was trying to catch as much sun as I could.

"You know you'll burn if you don't put some sunscreen on," Kie insisted as she did the same on the other side.

"Thanks, mom," I told her. "But I'll be fine."

"Okay, but don't come whining to any of us later when you can't move," Kie said, putting the sunblock away.

I rolled my eyes, but I slyly reached for the bottle and put some on. The last time she reminded me and I didn't listen, I got so burned up that I could hardly move for a week. Then came the peeling skin, and let's just say it wasn't my best look.

As we started passing around the beer bottles, JJ got to his feet.

"Hey, hey! Wanna see a party trick?" he asked all of us, heading to the front of the boat. "Pope can you pick up some speed?"

Pope did as he was asked and as the boat started going faster.

"Not this again, it never works!" I said, watching on excitedly. He tried this so many times before and it never went quite right. The last time he tried I ended up being on the receiving end of the beer and it went all over me.

"I'm moving," John B and I said at the same time as we went for cover at the back of the boat, although we didn't jeopardize our view. We didn't want to miss it if this was the one time it worked.

"I got this. It's gonna work," JJ said confidently.

JJ then stood at the front, holding the beer a few inches from his face, trying to let the wind direct the beer into his mouth. But, instead, it went flying everywhere.

"Okay stop, you're getting it in my hair," Kie complained.

"Enough," John B said as some were splattering all the way in the back on us.

"All right stop, you're done," I said too, all of us chiming in to get him to put the beer down so no-one else got drenched in it.

But, as we were cruising along, the boat suddenly hit something, coming to a halt. JJ went flying from the front of the boat, flipping into the water.

"Shit!" I yelled as I was sprung from my own seat, crashing onto John B as both of us went hurtling to the floor. I bumped my head on the way down, I was lodged underneath John B as he crashed on top of me. We both made eye contact for a split second before he went scrambling to his feet. 

"You okay?" John B asked, helping me up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, getting to my feet as quickly as I could, trying to see what Pope had hit. I wanted to avoid whatever that moment was. 

JJ was still flailing in the water, the dramatics turned all the way up.

"JJ you okay?" I shouted although I knew it would take a lot more than that to shake him.

"I think my heels touched the back of my head," JJ moaned, as he was now floating on his back. 

"Kie?" I asked, hoping she was alright. If anyone's parents would kill us for getting someone hurt, it would be hers. 

"Yeah, I'm all good," she muttered, as all of us let out another groan. 

"Pope what the hell did you do?" JJ asked from the water. 

"Sandbar. The channel changed." 

"No shit!" JJ exclaimed, making his way back to the boat. 

"Ugh, this is probably going to mess this whole place up," John B said, sitting on the edge of the boat.

"I saved the beer though," JJ said cheekily.

"Oh congrats," I muttered, rubbing my temples as I was trying to nurse the headache that was sure to come from bumping my head. 

"Guys... I think there's a boat down there..." Pope said, staring out ahead into the water.

"What?" I asked, walking to where he was standing. 

He pointed his finger to where he was looking, and I had to squint my eyes, but I saw exactly what he saw... a boat. 

"There's definitely a boat down there," I added. 

"Well let's go," Kie said, always one for action, she took her t-shirt off in a hurry, leaving herself only in her bikini, jumping straight into the water. John B wasn't far behind as he took his own shirt off, diving in. 

"You think there's a dead body down there?" Pope asked cautiously. 

"Yeah, what if Pope is right... What if there's something... lurking?" I questioned. I was not feeling great about whatever was waiting for us.

"Pope get your ass in here," John B shouted, as Pope was next into the water. Leaving me stranded all alone on the boat. 

"Ciara, don't be such a scaredy-cat," JJ teased from the water. 

I could feel my cheeks flare up at the challenge, arms crossing defiantly. 

"I'm not scared," I countered weekly, before tearing my own t-shirt off, Kie let out a whistle, before I took a running jump into the water. 

"There's our girl," JJ said as I popped my head out of the water. I took this oppurtunity to splash him with water and stick my tongue out. 

Then, we all went under water, trying our best to see what was down there. All of us flocking towards the boat, each wanting a closer look. 

We all reach it, grabbing a hold of the roof, to look at as much as we could. But, suddenly my lungs were bursting, and I couldn't hold my breathe another moment. I pushed myself off the roof and shot myself towards the surface, everyone else follwoing suit. 

"Did you guys see that?" JJ shouted excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah I did," we all said in unison. Smiles were plastered onto all of our faces. 

"I mean what the hell?" I said, unable to contain the giddiness I felt. 

"That's a Grady White! A new one of those is like 500 G's easy," JJ explained as we all swam back towards the boat, now looking more modest than ever. 

"That's the boat I saw when I surfed the surge," John B said, suddenly more serious. "Maybe it hit the jetty or something." 

"You surfed the surge?" Kie asked, her face looking anything but supportive. 

"You sure it's the same one?" I asked, matching his seriousness. My mind on another topic. That would mean the boat had only been there a day. Where was its owner? 

"Yeah," John B answered, seemingly both of us. 

"That's my boy Pogue style," JJ said.

"Wait, wait. Do we know whose boat that is?" Pope asked, finally someone on the same page as me. 

"I don't know. But we're about to find out," John B said as he began rummaging in one of the compartments. 

"Dude it's too deep," JJ told him. 

"Not to mention, what if there actually is a dead body," I said, elbowing JJ. 

"You worry too much," John B said, as he pulled out an anchor. 

"Well I'm not resuscitating you, I'm just making that clear up front," JJ said, not helping matters. 

"That's fine," John B said, picking the anchor up in his arms as he made his way to the front of the boat. 

"John B," Kie said, looking more worried by the second. 

"What?" 

"Diver down fool," Pope said, saluting him.

"Diver Down," John B responded, saluting back. 

"Yeah, he is," JJ said, before shoving John B into the water. 

"You are not helpful," I said, smacking his arm, before looking over the edge, where John B disappeared. 

"He's a big boy, he'll be fine," JJ replied easily. 

Then we waited.