Outer Banks ~ JJ Maybank

<7>

We got back to the house about an hour later after running out of the cemetery with our newly found item in hand and Pope losing his pants in the process. "Thanks for the pants John B." He said walking into the living room in a pair of John B's sweat pants. "No problem man." "That bread had mold on it two days ago." He said passing JJ. "I'll just pick off the bad parts. Besides, mold is good for you. It's a natural organism." I sat down at the table next to John B and stared down at the package with "For Bird and Flower" on it. Those were our Dad's nicknames for us when we were kids. "Bird and flower. Now we know what it means." Pope said standing behind us. "Yep." "So, are you gonna open it?" JJ asked. "Do you want to?" John B said, pushing it over to me. "I guess." I said, carefully opening it. Inside the package, there was a map of the coast and a tape recorder. "Press play." I said, handing it to John B. He pressed play. "Hey John B and Gabbie. It your dad. If you are listening to this it means that..." The words faded away and all I heard was him, his voice, my dad. I closed my eyes and felt my heart shatter into a thousand pieces. I guess I had never really realized that he was truly and honestly gone until that moment. It felt like somebody had just pulled a rug out from under neath me and I fell into a hole it had been covering. I heard the tape recorder click and dad's voice was gone. I heard John B get up and walk away, then I heard him sobbing. Kie walked over to him and hugged him. And then I felt myself burst. Tears ran down my cheeks like rain on a windshield. I felt someone put their arm around me and rub my shoulder. "It's okay." JJ said, putting my head on his shoulder. Pope sat down next to me and squeezed my hand.

Later that night we all sat on the dock. "What are you gonna do with your cut Pope?" "Pay for college up front. Get textbooks, those are pretty expensive." "Kie?" I said. "I want to record a double album. About the island, this." She said dreamily. "JJ, enlighten us on what on Earth you are gonna do with a shit ton of money." "Buy a big ass house on Figure 8. Go full Kook." "John B?" "Full Kook." "What about you Gabbie? What are you gonna do with a shit ton of money?" "I don't know. Keep it in savings and just stay here I guess." "Seriously?" "No! I'm going full Kook baby!" I said raising up my beer to the sky. "To going full Kook." John B said doing the same. "To going full Kook." Everyone else said.

"Hey, how ya doing kiddo?" John B said, walking into my room after everyone left. "I'm okay. And if you call me kiddo again, I'll kick you." "Okay." He said laughing and sitting down by me. "How are you?" "I'm okay." He said. "Are you sure Bird?" "Yes Flower." "Kie was pretty quick to help you in your time of emotional distress. You guys are macking or anything are you?" "No. No we aren't. Well, we did once." "John B!" "We were on the run from the police and emotions were high." "Okay. Because I feel like if you and Kie were for real macking, we would have an issue." "And that is issue is?" "You would be a total hypocrite. 'No Pogue on Pogue macking.' 'Best friends are off limits.'" "Please, Kie is not your best friend." "The point is, if you were and her were a thing, you would have no more solid ground for your stupid rule that is 'protecting me'." "It is." "Protecting me from what. If I were to get with Pope or JJ I would know what I would be getting into." "You would never get together with Pope and your know that." "So the rule is only there because you are trying to protect me from JJ. The person who has been looking out for me the most and has been there for me more than you have recently." "I've been working." "John B, you haven't been to work in a month. You are too busy going on some wild goose chase for some old ship." "Flower-" "NO, if you wanna put bullshit rules into place, I'm gonna fuss at you for it." "Flower." "What." "I don't want to do this tonight. Besides, there's no way you and JJ could ever get together in any way, shape, or form." "Ouch!" "I'm saying you are too good for him." "Oh. Thanks." "Whatever. Good night Flower." "Night, Bird."

The next day, we all piled into the van and went to some fancy hotel on Figure 8. I never bother learning the names of places on the island that aren't in The Cut. I hate going to Figure 8 and I hate the people there. I honestly try to avoid it as best as I can. All I know is JJ works there. He snuck us in through the back and once we were out of the kitchens, we snuck into the media center. "Oh my god, WiFi!" I said joyfully watching the computer screen light up. Pope pulled up a website and him and John B put in the coordinates. "Oh, it's only 900 feet deep." "We need a drone to get that far down though." I said, getting up and pacing. "Wait, I think they have one at the impound yard." JJ said. "My dad said something about it before they fired him. Apparently showing up to work under the influence ins't a smart idea." "OK, but how are we gonna get in?" Kie asked. "I have an idea." I said.

John B, JJ, and I all waited as Pope and Kie began distracting the security guard. "So, I'll undo the lock and you'll get the drone. Gabs, you're look out." "Fine." We watched as the gate opened and we quickly ran in. JJ showed us to the back and tried the numbers he had written down on a piece of paper. "IS it possible the numbers you have are wrong." I said, checking around the side of the building. "No." He tried again, "So, it is possible the numbers I have aren't right." John B and I rolled our eyes. I looked around the other corner and quickly ran back to John B and JJ. "We have canine company." "What?" Suddenly, a security dog turned the corner and saw us. It began to bark really loudly at us and we all started to panic. I opened JJ's backpack and pulled out a balled up shirt, "Look boy. I have a toy." I said, waving it in front to the dog and walking away. The dog speed up and began to chase me. "JJ, come with me. I have a plan. John B, get that thing open!" I said as I ran away.

JJ and I ran past and saw the gate slowly closing. "Shit." We said. We ran to the nearest boat and hid on the side of it. "Okay, here's the plan, you have to kiss me and when the guard comes, make up some story about how I'm like knocked up or something and we don't want anyone to know because we aren't supposed to be together." "That's elaborate." "I am asking you to make out with me I don't know why you are opposed to this plan." "True." He said putting his hands on the sides of my face and putting his lips on mine.