fade away youth// rafe cameron

12-WE WERE GETAWAY GREEN

I jump out of bed when I hear a dirt bike. I see JJ in my driveway, and I breathe a sigh of relief. Part of me thought JJ's dad was just gonna let him rot in jail.

I walk out the front door towards JJ. He watches me intently. He has new cuts on his face that weren't there when he got arrested.

"What happened?" I grab his chin. "Did Shoupe do that?"

"No." JJ shakes his head. "No. This..." he points to his face, "My dad did."

"JJ..." I start.

JJ cuts me off, "I owe 30 grand in restitution."

I look at him concerned. "Okay. I can give you the money."

JJ shakes his head. "I'm not taking money from you, Addie."

"I'm your best friend JJ, just let me help you," I argue.

"I'll take care of it, Addie," JJ assures me. I look at JJ sympathetically. "Now we gotta go."

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"Just get on the bike I'll explain at John B's," JJ tells me.

I give him a look. "Can I change out of my pajamas first?"

JJ chuckles. "What? You got someone to impress?"

I roll my eyes. "Give me five minutes."

When we get to John B's house we wait around for a while. Then I realize that there is a car out front of John B's house that we don't recognize. JJ and I hide waiting for him to come home.

I can tell something is bothering JJ. "What else is bothering you?"

"Nothing," JJ states.

I give him a look. "I know when something is bothering you, JJ. What is it?"

JJ takes a deep breath. "I was sick of my dad beating on me. So... So I pointed the gun at him."

I look at him shocked. "What?"

"He was asleep on the couch, and I pointed the gun at him. I almost shot my dad," JJ says fighting back tears.

"Hey. Hey. It's okay." I grab JJ's hand. "You're okay. It's gonna be okay." I rub my thumb on the back of JJ's hand. "No matter what your dad does you always have me and the rest of the crew."

JJ smiles slightly. JJ sees John B. He grabs him by the head and covers his mouth. John B fights back and throws JJ on the ground.

"It's me, JJ. Stop, stop, stop, stop," JJ tells him.

John B hits him in the chest. "What are you doing, Bro?"

JJ covers his mouth. "Shut up." He pulls him down beside the truck.

I point to the car watching us. "See that? They're watching us, okay?"

"Who?" John B asks.

"I don't know," JJ tells him.

"Let's go. Sneak around to the dock," I tell John B.

We walk through the marsh. The water gets higher as we go.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. You got the keys to the Pogue?" John B asks.

JJ nods. "Yeah."

We hold our bags on our heads as the water is almost head high. Any higher and I'll have to start swimming. We get to the Pogue and pull ourselves in. JJ and John B untie the boat as we lay on the floor, keeping out of sight. John B starts the engine and we're off.

We park the boat by a little clearing on the marsh. I sit next to JJ on a rock as John B sits across from us.

"First, I almost get strangled to death by Kooks, and now I'm on the hook for 30 grand," JJ says. "We should just dip."