Alone Together • JJ Maybank

Eighteen.

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The gravel crunched under my shoes as I ran as fast as I could through the gate that had been left slightly open. The sound of barking grew louder, directing me where I knew I needed to get to. I had no idea what my plan was going to be, I just knew I needed to help somehow.

"Hey, hey. What the f-" I heard the mans shouts further back, but I had gained a fair distance on him already.

Skidding round the corner of a rusty old boat, I ran straight into a body with a thud. "Abby, what are you doing here?" I looked up to see JJ towering above me.

"You gotta get out of here." I exhaled, catching my breath.

"Yeah, no shit. Come on." He grabbed my hand, turning to run through rows of boats. Looking back over my shoulder, the barking dog came running round the corner, maybe only two boat widths away, but the man was no where around. "Up here. Go. Go!" JJ said as he guided me to a ladder, pushing me firmly into a boat. "Get down."

Crouched beside each other, I looked at JJ with panicked eyes as the dog continued to bark from beside the boat. JJ held one finger up to his lips, his other hand resting on my knee with a small squeeze when I heard the sound of shoes on gravel.

"What's that, huh, Tebow? What you got?" The voice of the man said as the footsteps stopped below us. "Whoever's up there better come out now!" His angry voice shouted.

JJ grabbed both my wrists gently. "Follow my lead, ok?" His face was so close to mine I could feel his breath as he whispered to me. I nodded, feeling oddly calm given the fact the man was still shouting and there was no other way out for us.

"Wait, Bobby!" JJ shouted back, releasing my wrists and holding his hands high above his head. "Don't shoot." He began to slowly stand, gesturing for me to do the same. "It's me, JJ." He carried on as we both rose to stand. "Luke's kid."

Bobby face contorted in confusion as he looked from JJ to me, and back to JJ. "What are you doing?"

"I swear, okay? I didn't want to. My dad made me." I looked at JJ when I heard his voice crack. "He told me Captain Leo kept his cutting torch. You know, after he got fired." I glanced back at Bobby, who seemed to be calming slightly, processing JJ's shaky words. "He said if I didn't get it for him, he was gonna... he was gonna hit me again." I instinctively reached for JJ's hand again, grabbing his arm for comfort, half following along with his plan, but somehow feeling the tension in his words and knowing there was some truth in them.

Bobby shook his head in compassion as JJ spoke. "I had to, my friends were just helping me. I'm sorry." JJ's head dropped as he let out a small sob, squeezing my hand tighter.

Bobby sighed, telling us to come down from the boat. "I'll just come up with something. Tell him I couldn't find it." JJ carried on muttering as we stepped down to the ground.