𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

twenty-one: Map.

THE van comes to a complete stop, John B putting it in park. "Alright." He says and they open door in the back of the van. "Hit it, boys! We're going. Recon mission." JJ shouts out and John B stops them. "Yo, uh... so, uh, I think I'm gonna do this one by myself..." He says, nodding before he finally looked to Kie for her reaction.

"Tonight." He finished just as Kie looks away with a discreet eye roll. "Really?" JJ says and John B glanced over to the blonde sitting with Kai. "What?" He says and JJ shrugs. "Nothing." He says as he takes off his cap. "I just don't wanna spook Sarah with the peanut gallery." John B says and Kai looked over at Kie right away.

"I just don't know why we're involving her at all."

"Kie, we're not involving her, okay?" John B says as he looks at Kie who gives him a look. "It's—it's just, uh, like a-a business meeting..." Kie and JJ share a look as soon as John B said that, both boys smirking before looking over at their best friend. "Look, once we het what we need, we cut her loose, alright?" John B says as he looks at Kie.

"Plus, we need the map."

"Promise me nothing's happening between the two of you." Kie says and John B looks away. Kai holds back a laugh and raised his brow a bit. "Nothing is happening, Kie." John B says with an exaggerated look towards the girl. "I'm being serious." Kie says with a firm voice at him. "Okay!" John B says, glancing away before looking back at her. "This isn't about you, and this isn't about us. This is about her." Kie continued to warn him.

"Dude, she's gonna get inside your head. Just promise me nothing's happening between you guys." She said as John B looks at her. "I promise." The boy swore to her and then it was silence. "That was really believable..." JJ nods as Kai gave a thumbs up. "Totally." He says, smirking.

"A hundred percent believable." Pope joined in on their teasing as John B and Kie look at them. "Anyways, um... I'm gonna take care of business." John B says and Kai snorts. "Take care of it good, JB." He says with a nod as JJ laughed, bumping into him gently and nodding.

"We'll just sit here..." Pope says and John B nods. "Yeah," he says. "In the hot-ass car." Pope says and John B nods once again. "Yeah." As he is getting out of the van. "While it's lightning." Pope added once more just as John B got out.

They were parked at the parking lot of Kildare Hawk's nest, a state park open to the public. "Hey, let's hop out..." JJ whispers, nodding to the side and Kai went first, getting out. Outside, JJ kept looking at the van before looking at Kai, "I-I missed you..." He stepped close to him.

"We see each other almost everyday." Kai said with a chuckle and JJ steps closer again. "Yeah, but... not in the way... we did that night. Before I got arrested." He says and Kai nodded softly. "Yeah..." He said and JJ leans in slowly. Kai began leaning in as well, reaching up with his hands up to the side of JJ's face before their lips connected.

JJ kissed back as his arms wrap around Kai's waist. Kai pulled back a bit and frowned, his thumb gently touching the busted lip that the blond had. "Was it... your dad again?" Kai asked, hesitantly as he glanced up to look at JJ in the eyes.

JJ looked down, "yeah..." He said, sounding ashamed of it and Kai rubs along the boy's cheekbone now. "Sorry..." Kai mumbled and JJ shakes his head. "Not your fault..." He says before he leaned in again, pecking Kai on the lips gently. JJ put his head to Kai's shoulder and Kai wrapped his arms around JJ's neck.

Kai and JJ stood for a while like that, rocking side to side a bit as JJ relaxed like that, hugging Kai when Kai heard a scream, "help!" It sounded like Sarah. "Do you hear that?" Kai whispered to JJ who nods a bit. "The thunder..." He said and Kai sighs. "No. It sounded like... Sarah. Hey! Kie, Pope! Did you guys hear her? Sarah?" He said as he ran off. Pope, JJ and Kie are quick to follow.

Then they saw it. John B laying on the ground with Sarah right over him. "Sarah, what happened?!" Kai said as he and the boys stop there, "I don't know what to do. He needs help. Topper shoved him." Sarah was in tears. "Where the hell is he?!" JJ said as he looked all around.

"Oh, please, please, please get help. I don't care who. Just call someone." Sarah said, despite her not sounding very clear, JJ looks at Pope, "go, go!" He told the boy who then ran off. "Pope, hurry!" Kie shouted to him as he was running off towards the van. Kie looks back at Sarah who was still leaning over their friend, tears in her eyes.

Sarah looks down. "John B, stay with me." The girl sobbed before leaning down and pressing a kiss to John B's lips which made Kai uncomfortable. It does seem kind of weird to watch your unconscious best friend get kissed by some girl. "Please don't leave me." Sarah sobbed out.

Clearly, they're emotionally involved, but still. It was still a little weird that she kissed him while he's unconscious. "John B?" Sarah says, her chin on top of John B's head. "Pope! Come on!" JJ shouted, his hand grabbing Kai's. Kai just steps closer to JJ, grabbing onto the blond's hand in both of his own as he put his forehead to JJ's shoulder.

At one point the ambulance came, taking John B to the hospital as JJ took the responsibility of driving the van and Sarah had been quick to get into the ambulance so they couldn't go with John B, they're all in the van, on their way to the hospital together, worried for their friend. Kai still couldn't believe that John B fell from the Hawk's Nest.

authors note john b is the main character but i wish he wasn't for some reason