5. Housekeeping

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☼☀︎☼☀︎☼☀︎☼☀︎☼

"Well that went well." Pope says as they all head out the door.

The group of five moves outside, where the sun beats down on everything, turning the air hot and humid. Luckily for the group, they still remained covered by a wooden roof.

"So, what's the plan?" JJ asks as he leans his arm on John B's shoulder, looking between said-boy and Pope, while his gaze also flickers to Kie and Lei, who lean against one of the beams supporting the wooden roof.

All eyes go towards John B as he holds up the motel key and waves it around slightly. "I think I know how we're gonna find the guy who owns this boat."

Lei doesn't need to be told twice, a devilish smile already gracing her lips at what John B is hinting at. She doesn't have to look to her left to know that Kie shares the same rebellious smile.

Pope, always the voice of reason, is quick to object. "No, no. We don't know who's room that is. It could belong to anyone."

JJ plucks the key from John B's hand and tosses it over Pope's shoulder to Lei, who pushes herself off the support beam to catch the key. She turns to Kie with a smirk while JJ says "I'm in."

"Come on." Kie smiles, catching the attention of Pope who turns to look at both girls with a displeasing look. "I'll be lookout."

Both girls turn to walk back to the HMS Pogue alongside JJ, and Lei turns around to laugh when she hears John B yell to Pope, "And hey, at least you'll only be an accomplice."

Lei looks over at JJ, who's already staring at her with a smile, before turning back around and hearing John B call out "Come on, Bubba."

The group arrives at the boat, shortly followed by John B and a begrudging Pope.

"Let's get this party started." Lei quips as she boards the boat after Kiara. She tosses said girl the keys before taking a seat at the front of the boat.

John B hops to the drivers spot, Kie sits across from her, and the remaining two boys stand in front of the wheel on either side of it. They all watch as John B slowly brings them to the motel, and the area surrounding them begins to look worse and worse.

As they approach the motel Lei can't help but grimace at the place. Even for a motel situated on the Cut, this place looked horrible.

The sign was knocked down, boats were stranded on land, garbage surrounded the edge of the water where the poorly kept grass met with the polluted water of the marsh, and there was abandoned objects strewn outside all the doors. Some trees remained upright but some seemed to have lost the battle against Agatha and become uprooted, either landing on the ground or against the motel. Parts of the motels roof were missing and covered lazily by large tarps and it looked as though parts of the surrounding fence had been whisked away in the storm as well. Or, perhaps, they were just never there at all.

Rising Tide // JJ MaybankWhere stories live. Discover now