When Wrong becomes Right

Chapter 21

Barry started to shout stuff at us as we climbed into the van but I wasn't really listening.

"Your nose okay?" Sarah asked me. I held my wrist up to the blood. "Yeah, it's fine," I said. "Happens all the time."

"Welcome to crackhead wasteland," Sarah said as we pulled up to Barry's place.

"I don't know about this man," Pope said, and I secretly agreed with him.

"Dude why are we at Barry's?" I asked, already slightly pissed off.

"This will only take a second," JJ said, getting out of the car.

"Where are you going?" John B asked him.

"yo soy justicia."

"Did you glean anything from that?" Pope asked.

"You know somebody should-"

"Yeah." John B said, getting out of the car. "Hey JB," I said, grabbing his attention.

I whistled, taking my hand and diving it down, a secret code we developed a few years back.

"Yeah, I gotcha." He replied, before walking off.

JJ's going down. He does this every now and again. Not often, but it does happen. He just all of a sudden goes into a downwards emotional spiral. I can usually pick out when it's gonna happen, before the others really even notice it.

"What was that?" Sarah asked me. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it. Just let me handle him... I guess." I said, leaning back into my seat. I picked the hat off my head for a moment and ran my fingers through my hair before putting it back.

"Okay," She said, nodding.

We all got out of the car, and I started pacing around.

"Okay, so we're looking at about five grand each for reparations for putting us through that bullshit," JJ said, walking out of the house with a duffle bag.

"So that's what we're doing now? We're robbing drug dealers? Barry's gonna find out, he's going to come after us." I said to him, my arms crossed.

"How'd you like having a gun pulled on ya?" JJ asked me.

"Relax," I said, taking a step closer to him. "He had it right there on you." He said to me, as we stood mere inches from each other.

"Look we have to go get the gold. Give me that shit." I said, trying to take the duffle from him before he put his hand right on my collarbone and pushed me back into the car.

"You feel like a tough guy? Huh? What are you gonna do when he comes after us?" I asked him, trying to ignore the slight pain in my back. "Punch him in the throat."

"What if he goes after Lily?" I asked. "What the hell are we gonna do if he goes after Lily!" I yelled. "I can't have another sibling's death at my hands JJ. I can't do that shit, you hear me? She's my responsibility, not my parents and if she gets hurt, that's on me." I said, pushing him off of me. "I'm not putting it back. He doesn't even know Lily." He said, getting in the car. I walked a few feet away, and put my hands on my head, holding myself together.

I can usually calm JJ down at least a little bit, but I guess he's just gonna spiral and not even I can help him. I heard a bit of shouting from behind me, but I ignored it, taking a deep breath.

"You okay Layne?" I heard John B shout after a minute of silence. "Yeah, I'm good," I replied, going back and getting in the car, not even questioning JJ's whereabouts. 

He's too deep.

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Look he'll come around he's just... he's just doing a JJ thing." John B said, trying to reassure me.

"You think he went home?" I asked.

"There's about a zero percent chance JJ went home," Pope replied.

"You okay?" John B asked Sarah. "Yeah." She replied.

"I'll be right back," I said, getting up and going into the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror and collected myself. He'll be okay. Right? 

He's JJ he can fight anything.

Right?

Little did I know, he was flying out of the mosquito net of his front porch with his "dad", bruises already covering his torso.

After a few minutes, I walked back out, going back to the table. 

"Okay so John B's going fishing tomorrow, so we're gonna go tomorrow night, and JJ will probably be back by then," Pope said. "Alright," I said, sitting down at the table, rubbing my face with my hands.

"Are you okay?" Kie asked me. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine," I said. "Mm, I don't think so." John B said.

"I'm just stressed out about JJ. I mean I usually can calm him down at least a little bit, slow down the spiral, but today he just... was in too deep." I said.

"Layne, be honest," Kie said.

I looked up at her. 

"Do you like JJ?" I hesitated.

"No... why?" I asked. 

"Because you got that glow when you're around him." She said. "And you're overthinking about him," Sarah added.

"Well even if I did, nothing could happen between us. Right? Pogue law." I said.

Everyone sat quietly, knowing I was lying.

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I spent the day at home stressing. Stressing about JJ, about my dad being a coke addict, about not being a good sister for Lily, and so much. I paced around my room, looking at old pictures, or things that reminded me of good times.

I was wearing the bathing suit too. You know, the one me and JJ bought. 

Around night time, Kie and Pope pulled up to my house, so I threw on some shorts and walked out the door.