fade away youth// rafe cameron

3-WHAT'S THE POINT OF GOING OUT

We take the boat to the motel the key belongs to. All of the mattresses are on the ground out front. Its sign is barely hanging on. I don't think Agatha is responsible for all the damage though.

JJ whistles. "I thought the Château looked bad."

"This place is a shitshow," I state.

"Motel or meth lab?" Kie jokes.

"You be the judge," Pope adds.

"Doesn't look like a place somebody with a Grady-White would stay," John B states.

"No. Looks like a place someone with a Grady-White would get killed," Pope counters.

"All right. Here we go," John B says as we pull towards the shore.

"This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue comin' in for landing." JJ jumps off the bow. "Whoo!" He ties the boat up.

"We good?" John B asks.

"Yeah, we good," JJ replies.

"All right. Here goes nothin'," I say.

Pope stops me. "Hey."

I turn to face him. "Yeah?"

Pope points at JJ. "Don't let him do anything stupid."

"Oh, we will," JJ assures.

"I'm not making promises," I state.

"Yeah, I know," Pope says.

"Uh, be careful." Kie hands John B the motel key. "I mean it."

John B chuckles. "Yeah."

John B jumps off the boat and hits JJ on the shoulder. "Let's go."

We start towards the motel.

"Why are all these mattresses out?" John B asks.

"After a hurricane, they ditch 'em 'cause they're moldy," I explain.

We walk up the steps to the second floor looking for room 29.

JJ puts his hands on John B's shoulders. "Just be so careful, John."

John B pushes JJ off of him. "God, you're so weird."

"What the heck was that about?" I ask.

"I don't know. Maybe she wants us to be careful," John B offers.

"Since she heard you're being threatened with exile, she's just been, like," JJ starts massaging John B's shoulders, "'Oh! Be so careful, John B.'"

John B swats him away. "Get off."

"'Oh, give me that John D already.' When are you gonna swoop on that, man?" JJ asks.

"Bro, you know the rule. No Pogue-on-Pogue macking," John B states. "You're the one that was always hitting on her."

"She's a super-hot, rich, hippie chick slumming with us. Why? I can't figure it out either, but who cares? I know that door's locked because I've tried it. Have you?" JJ asks.

"You need help," John B states. "Not a little help, you need a lot of help. It's like every girl who just has a heartbeat, you're like... 'Uhh!'"

"I have to agree with JB on this one," I confess. I put my hand on JJ's shoulder. "You just gotta chill."

"What? It's not a big deal," JJ states.

I give him a look and he smiles sheepishly. I stop in front of a door.

"Is that us?" I ask.

"Twenty-nine. This is it," John B states.

"Okay." JJ knocks on the door. He makes his voice high pitched, "Housekeeping."