Outer Banks ~ JJ Maybank

<9>

I was shocked and I felt my heart begin pounding against my chest. "Hold on. Hold on." I said pushing him off of me. "Is this for real?" "Um, yeah pretty fucking real." He said pushing his hair out of his face. "This sin't some joke. You are for real?" "Yes. You are starting to scare me." "I'm not trying to scare you I'm just trying to process this." "Shit. I'm sorry. Fuck. I just thought that since everything that happened last night and ya know, the past like almost 10 years that I just-" "Sh." I said putting my finger over his mouth. "Stop talking." I said leaning over and running my fingers through his hair. "Just stop talking." We leaned in and right as we were about to kiss, we saw Pope walk by, looking confused. "We are finishing this later." I said climbing out of the bush and dusting myself off before running up to Pope.

"They fucking did what!" I exclaimed as we rode home on Pope's dad's boat. "It's fine guys, just forget about it." "No. No way. Pope, move, I'm driving, we need to make a detour." JJ said pushing Pope away from the wheel and grabbing control of the boat. "How much you want to bet that what he has planned is illegal?" Pope said as we walked out onto the deck of the boat. "Very high."

"No fucking way." I said in disbelief. "Come on Gabbie. Aren't you sick and tired of those fucking Kooks getting everything they want?" "Yes. But should be destroy a boat that costs 30k? Fuck no." "Too late." JJ said as I heard a splash and turned around to see Pope swimming over to Topper's boat. "Okay, this is straight up bullshit. He wants to keep felonies down on his college thing and he's out here sinking a fucking boat." "Yeah, but the idiot who owns that boat tried to drown your brother and his best friend was an asshole to you." "And then you pulled a gun on him." "And I would do it again." "Shut up." "You know, if you weren't complain so much, we could have finished what we started by now." "We can do that later." I said. Pope swam back up to our boat and proudly showed us the plug. "Alright, let's chuck that shit and get out of here before we get caught." 

The next day, we were all up bright and early ready to find the Royal Merchant. By we, I mean John B. "Alright Kie, now." Kie started to lower down the drone. I was the last one to show up so I was told to just sit around and help if need be. "This is the life." I said sitting on the edge of the dashboard of the boat. "I can imagine." JJ said turning the wheel after John B had yelled something at him. "Who's idea was it to come out today? This weather is shit." "Yeah. It was your brother's. Apparently, the Royal Merchant can't wait." "Do you think we are gonna find it?" "Maybe. At this point, I don't know what's real and what's not." "Was yesterday real?" "Oh, we are gonna talk about that now." "Yep." I said watchmaking him turn the wheel some more. "400 feet!" Kie called. "You're doing great!" I yelled.  "You really want to talk about me trying to make out with you while your brother is standing like 5 feet away?" "Are you just making up excuses because you don't want to talk about your feelings?" "What? No. That's stupid. I'm just saying that John B has made it very clear that he does not want you to be macking on me." "So?" "Hold on." He said turning the wheel again as the wind speed began to pick up. "Look, can we finish talking about this back at your house?" "Holy shit." I heard John B exclaim. "What is it?" I said running out to see what it was. "It's the Royal Merchant." He said as the drone drove past the front of the boat.

We looked closely as Pope guided the drone all over the wreckage. "Where is it?" John B said. "It's not there." Pope said. "Look again." "John B, we have to go back. The weather is getting too rough." I said putting my hand on his shoulder. "I'll help you bring it back up Kie." I said walking over to her and beginning to pull up the drone. John B walked to the other side of the boat and sat down with his head between his knees. Once the drone was out of the water, we were on our way home, rushing to beat the storm. I walked over to John B and sat down next to him. "Are you okay Bird?" "Yeah. I just want to get home." "JJ's getting us there as fast as he can." "Okay." He said as I got up and walked over to Kie and started talking to her. 

John B and I got of the boat first. "See y'all later." I said, waving. "Bye!" They all called after us. "Okay, you know what I'm thinking." "Not at all." "I think we all meet up tomorrow and try again." "Bird, we looked all over for it." "We can look again. I know it's there. We just need to look better and harder." "Bird." "Hell, it cleared up. We could try again today." "Bird." "We can catch them at Hayward's." "John B!" I snapped. He looked over at me, slightly startled at my sudden out burst. "John B, don't you think this is a sign." "A sign for what" "That you are just making up a bunch of shit to help you cope with the fact that Dad is dead." "Oh my god." "It's an honest to God assumption John. He is gone, and for some reason you can't wrap your head around that but you have to. I can't keep living with you like this. It's time to let it go. Dad is gone, and all the shit about the Royal Merchant is just a made up story." "You don't understand." "I don't understand! I don't understand! He was my dad too John B. Not just yours okay? You need to get over it okay John B? I have been acting like the only real adult in the house for a long time and I can't take it anymore. This is just like when mom left and you would sit by the door and wait for her to come back. She didn't and you got over it. Now dad's gone and you need to get over that too because I am sick and tired of living like this." "Then why don't you leave!" "Because you are my brother and I am not about to abandon you like mom did!" 

John B's face froze in shock. I look a deep breath.  "Look, emotions are high right now. And I think we both just need to go inside and calm down for a minute. We can talk later. Maybe after some food." "Good idea." He said walking over to me and giving me a hug. "I'm sorry I'm a shit brother." "Don't say that. You aren't a shit brother all the time." We both laughed a little and walked back inside. When we walked in we saw the lady from DCS and a police officer. "Fuck."