Chasing Sunshine | JJ Maybank

43 // The Bell Tower

"Guys, guys, hold up."

They all slowly came to a stop in front of me as I jogged the last little bit to catch up before doubling over and wheezing, my bag feeling like a ton of bricks on my shoulders after straight up sprinting for the past few minutes. I would have felt sheepish that everyone else were merely breathing a little heavier if my lungs didn't feel like they were on fire. "We gotta find somewhere to post up, I can't go much further."

"Let's duck in here," Kie suggested, wiping a little sweat from her forehead and pointing around the corner. The open-sided shelter looked like it was just a dump site of junk for whoever lived in the backyard we were currently trespassing on. But it was in the shade, well-concealed, and most importantly, the closet available place to hide out in. I hadn't heard or seen any other emergency vehicles pass by during our escape which I tried to think of as a good sign but my mind was still anxiously dreaming up every torturous scenario that could be befalling John B right now.

We must have waited there for a good ten or so minutes, and eventually my respiratory rate returned to normal. No one was speaking, not even JJ, which under different circumstances I would find refreshing but right now it left me more unnerved than before. However, the rather distinct sound of a plane engine overhead had us all looking up at once and rushing outside to turn our eyes skyward. There was no mistaking it; the Cameron's airplane we had just seen on the tarmac was whirring overhead and our heads turned slowly, following it as it flew over our heads and disappeared into the distance.

"There goes the gold," JJ said out loud, not that any of us really needed the confirmation, and he turned to send the toe of his boot through a plastic deck chair. "Shit!"

My heart sank in utter defeat, watching the plane until I couldn't make it out through the clouds anymore. The hope that had blossomed after Pope ran up to us this afternoon had now been squashed completely and the reality of it all hurt like a bitch. I didn't really get the chance to dwell on it much however, because the sound of Pope's guttural cry had us whirling around with shocked expressions.

"Fuck!" he yelled into the air, picking up some random object and chucking it deeper in the depths of the piled garbage. The three of us froze, unsure of how to handle the rather uncharacteristic outburst. Kie tried to call out his name but something inside had already snapped. He found a metal baseball bat from amid the chaos and swung it above it head into a mini refrigerator. "God damn it!"

He went on a rampage, sending the business end of the bat into anything he pleased and shouting curses at no one with each meaningful blow. Cardboard boxes went flying, the glass of a microwave door shattered, and shelves rained down from their wall mounts and crashed to the floor. Kie was just watching him while JJ and I exchanged stunned expressions and he shrugged with a grimace, unsure of what I wanted him to do about it. Pope dropped the bat after severely denting a tin trash can, then proceeded to Hulk-throw it over his head and I winced at the crash it made as it hit the ground.

He whipped around while looking at the floor to see where the bat had landed but I lunged forward and snatched it from the floor so he couldn't grab it again. We stared at each other for a minute and I raised one eyebrow to dare him to make a move for it, and when he didn't, I nodded my head towards the wicker porch bench next to us. Sit down.

Breathing heavily, he did as instructed, plopping down onto the seat with his face contorted in pain. A few tears sat in the corners of his eyes and I recognized the last band of composure snap completely to leave just a mess of utter brokeness behind. His deep brown eyes that usually twinkled with a warm compassion unique to Pope, were full of regret and disappointment and they met mine with a wordless understanding. I had felt myself shatter like this, on multiple occasions, but never did I think I would live to see the day Pope Heyward could say the same.