𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕣 𝕀𝕥 𝕋𝕒𝕜𝕖𝕤¹|JJ MAYBANK

1.36 Bye Bye Gold

"You sure he got everything?" Kiara asked John B as everyone except Pope sat on the docks. Esperanza laying in between JJ's lap as he braided her hair.

"Every bar. The whole enchilada." John B told that group.

"That greedy son of a bitch" Esperanza snapped aggravatedly slamming her hand into the dock.

"Look, it's not like I expected a happy ending or some shit." John B said pulling off his cast and throwing it across the dock hitting Esperanza's leg. "Sorry Es." He murmured.

"Well we deserve one." Esperanza said to him.

"John B." Kiara said looking up at him.

"What, Kie? It's a hairline fracture. Who cares?" John B said looking back at her.

"You should care. Your arms gonna be messed up for life JB" Esperanza told him.

"It's fine mom. See?" John B mocked wiggling his fingers at her.

"Why are you mad at me?" Esperanza asked him sitting up from JJ.

"I'm not- I'm not mad at you." John B breathed out.

"why does it feel like your mad at me then?" She asked him softly. Seeing Pope running from around the corner. Standing up before turning to Kiara, JJ, and John B,"oh hey look there's a squirrel over there doing push ups. I'm a cheerleader so I got to go cheer him on." she said walking off.

"Es, I-" Pope went to apologize as Esperanza slammed her shoulder into his. John B looking at Kiara and JJ as they raised their eyebrows at him silently saying 'You missed a lot.'

"I ran all the way here." Pope breathed out.

"there's not a squirrel doing push ups is there?" John B asks the group.

"Yeah she just hates Pope right now." JJ informed him,"You all right? How was the interview, Pope?"

"Don't ask. JB Look, I'm sorry, dude. About everything." Pope panted.

"It's fine." John B sighed.

"But... but we don't have a lot of time, and... and I have information that is tactically relevant. So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's big plane." Pope explained from the group as Esperanza listened into the conversation from the side,"Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer landing strip to take off."

"So, I'm there sitting in my interview, thinking to myself, 'Hm. Why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off? What could be so heavy to weigh it down?'" He added.

"gold." Esperanza said from behind him as Pope turned to look at her with a smile on his face.

"That's right." he smiled as she let out a soft chuckle looking at JJ and avoiding looking at Pope, Pope turned away to hide his dissapointment,"Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight, and we have to go."

"Guys, we can't give up now." She smiled at the group.

"So what's the plan little wolf?" JJ asked her with a smile on his face as he stood up.

"Steal that shit back." She said softly as she smiled. "Guns-a-blazin'"

"What's the plan? Broad strokes. I don't think we got that far." Kie asked as they sat by the fence on the other side of the airport runway.

"They're loading up the gold." John B said looking into the binoculars,"There's Ward."

"this feels very-" She started to say as John B interrupted her.

"It's Sarah." John B said.

"Sarah's with him?!" Esperanza asked as she snatched the binoculars away from him,"Wait. They're fighting. He's hurting her."

"Holy shit." JJ breathed out,"Wait, so she... What? I had no..." JJ said as John B started the engine to the van.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Esperanza asked walking towards him.

"John B. Where are you going?" Kie asked as John B drove forward smashing through the gate ignoring the calls from his friends.

"Don't be a hero, dude! John B!" JJ called as they chased after him for a little bit.

"John B! Wait!" Esperanza called out as he began to race the plane. She saw him pull to a stop infront of it. The plane not stopping. She turned around and hid her eyes in JJ's chest as wrapped his arms around her tightly. Looking back as she heard the plane come to a stop only a foot away from John B. The group shared looks as sirens started to approach them.

"Guys, I can't get arrested. I'm on probation." JJ said to the group.

"Look, we're no good if we're all in jail." Kie said to the group suggesting they ran.

"Come on." Esperanza said grabbing JJ's hand as she ran.

"There goes the gold." Esperanza said as she laid in JJ's arm. She stared up at the sky.

"Shit!" Pope yelled as he began to throw things,"Fuck!"

"Pope." Kie said softly.

"Hey! Those are my things!" Esperanza yelled at him.

"God damn it! Shit! Fuck! Shit! Damn it!" he yelled before sitting down as he began to hyperventilate.

"Pope." Kie said with pleading eyes.

"Yeah, dude. I was wondering when this was gonna happen. Here you go, chief." JJ said handing him a blunt,"A little weed never hurt no one."

"JJ." kiara said scoldingly.

"Relax Kie." JJ told her as Pope contemplated taking the blunt.

"You know he doesn't smoke." Kie said. Pope looking at her twice before taking the blunt.

"Well, maybe not until today." JJ said as he and the other two were shocked in his movement.

"Pope. Yeah, what is that gonna help?" Kie asked him.

"I lost my scholarship. Walked out in the middle of the interview." Pope said to her after taking a puff. "Every... It's gone. It's not gonna happen."

"You did that for us?" Kie asked him softly.

"No, not for us." Pope snapped,"For nothing."

"I'm here for you, Pope." JJ said patting his shoulder, "Welcome to my world, okay?"

"JJ..." Kie looked at him.

"What, Kie? He's right." JJ breathed out looking back at her, "It doesn't matter anymore."

"You don't have to do that." Esperanza said to Pope assuring him.

"What do you care?" Pope asked her as John B walked into Esperanza's garage.

"Dude! Dude, you good?" JJ said standing up as everyone rushed to him.

"Oh, my God! John B!" Kie said relaxed Esperanza and JJ looking down at his bloody hands.

"Is this yours?" JJ asked him grabbing his hand.

"Whose blood is that?" Esperanza asked hesitantly. Sirens approaching as John B forced everyone to crouch.

"Hey, you okay, man?" JJ asked. The group waiting for the cop car to pass before standing up.

"John B, are you okay?" Esperanza asked him.

"Shit." Pope said obviously a little bit high.