"Since when does JJ come up with good ideas?"
"That was insane!"
____________________________________
"He saved John B's life, Kels. Shouldn't you be happy?" Kiara asks, sitting on her bed next to me "I would be, if it didn't involve the gun. If be perfectly happy if he did anything else but use the gun." I sighed, I hate gun with a passion, everything about them. I also hate fireworks, it reminds me of gun shots. And police just remind me how I lost both my parents is a matter of seconds.
"At least he's alive." Kiara mumbled, did she not understand how I felt? Yeah, I get she also has a thing for JJ, like I do, I guess that explains why she's sticking up for them. "Look, you know I absolutely hate guns, Kie. You were the first person I told about the night, so sorry if I don't want to be near a gun ever again." I replied. We just spent the rest of that night, barely talking to each other, backs facing each other. I just wanted tonight to be over.
••• •••• •••
"Look, I'm callin' it off. Alright?" John B says "Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS."
"And you believed her?" JJ said in disbelief "Yes, I believe her, JJ." "an actual cop, John B. You believed a cop." JJ threw a stone towards the water "All I gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple days, and she'll help me out." JB explained "It doesn't help that your ass was the one that shot the gun." I raised my eyebrows, agreeing with John B's statement.
"You know what I should've done? Just let Topper drown your ass." JJ said, throwing more stones "Topper was gonna drown me." JB questioned "Yes." I mumbled "Sure looked like it." JJ added "I mean, have you looked in the mirror?" JJ referred to John B's black eye "Tell me some more. Come on." John B commented
"They always win, don't they, man?" JJ started "Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win." he scoffed "Look, it's okay." Kiara said, interrupting JJ "No, it's not okay!" he yelled back "It is not! They don't want us to go down into the marsh. That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it." JJ pointed to John B
"I know you do. I understand why you don't want to go, you're the golden boy." JJ pointed to Pope "And you," JJ turned to Kiara "you're already rich as fuck anyway. Why would you bother?" JJ turned to me and John B "But us, we got nothing to lose." "JJ," I sighed "And I know it didn't use to be that way for you, JB." "I don't want to talk about this." John B deflected "So that's it?" JJ asked "Just get out of my way bro." John B pushed JJ
"John B, listen to me. I have a plan." JJ said "Oh this is gonna be a great plan." I mumbled "You got the key to Cameron's big boat, right?" JJ pointed out "There's scuba gear in there, we just borrow that , then go down to the
wreck this afternoon and that is what's gonna save you, man." JJ explained.
"John B, don't." I sighed "Oh, so you finally say something?" JJ laughs, walking up to me "The princess has something to say?" "I wasn't talking to you." I push JJ away and walk to John B "Since when does JJ come up with good ideas?" I whisper "It'll be okay." John B says right before he walks out the Chateau door.
••• •••• •••
"Tell me when he's back up." I say, leaning against the boat. John B got empty tanks so only one of us could dive, apparently John B can dive all of a sudden.
Kiara stands up and gives John B a kiss on the cheek, right before he's about to dive into the marsh. I could see on both JJ's and Pope's facial expressions, they were jealous.
"Diver down?" John B asks "Diver down." Kiara states. John B jumps into the water and I close my eyes and drift off to sleep.
———————————————————————
"JJ, stop." I groan, JJ has been trying to get me to forgive him for weeks now, it was starting to get old. "Then forgive me." He pleads, I was sat on John B's pull out couch and JJ kneeled in front of me "Please princess?" He grabs my hands and forms circles on the tops of them with his thumbs. I roll my eyes "Fine, i forgive you. But if there is ever a situation where there's a gun, you better not be the one holding it." I laugh, it felt nice forgiving him, considering that's the longest i've ever been mad at anyone.
"Kelsey!" Kiara yells, I quickly sit up. Apparently we are still on the boat and it was just a dream "What?" I ask, rubbing my eyes "Stand up and act natural, the cops are coming." she grabs my arm and pulls me up, i'm now sitting in the driving seat of the boat.
The police boat stops right next to us, sirens go off and everything.
"Evening, Officers." Pope greets "Evening." The male officer says, handing a rope to Pope who hands it to JJ to tie off "What are you kids doin'?" The male officer asks us "You know the marsh is closed?" "Nope." Pope says, he's the worst liar out of all of us, i don't know why he's talking.
"I didn't know," JJ says "why is it closed?" "Conductin' a search out here, boat went down." The officer answered "See anything?" "No boats, that we've seen." Pope says. I'm terrified to even move a muscle, let alone have a whole conversation with this guy. I don't trust him.
"Where's your friend you're always hanging out with? He here?" The officer asks "Working." Kiara smiles, a pretty good excuse actually. "Imma check your little boat out." The officer says, stepping onto the boat.
The officer walks right past me making me flinch, JJ gently grabs my hand reassuring me that it'll be okay. I give him a quick smile and look back to the officer who is looking around the boat.
"Be careful right there, you don't want to slip." Pope says, referring to the officer that is walking to the front of the boat, staring into the water. "Alright," The officer says, stepping away from the front of the boat "beautiful day, innit?" "Sure is." JJ answers, still holding onto my hand "You let us know if you see anything on your way out." The officer says, uniting his boat from ours "and make sure your little friend is okay, notice she flinched every time i go near her." he laughs "Will do, sir." JJ waves, as the officers drive away.
"He's definitely out of air." I claimed, but right on que John B pops up from the water "How'd it go down there?" JJ asked "Did you find anything?" "Did i find anything?" John B restated, pulling a big black bag up from the water "There we go, that's my boy!" JJ laughs, pulling up the big bag "You okay?" Kiara questions "Yeah, i ran outta air." John B said, we already knew that. "Scared the shit out of me." Kiara crossed her arms "The cops were up here but, uh, we handled them." Pope added
"Hey, guys? Guys, bogey, two o'clock."!Kiara pointed out "What?" JJ said confused, facing his attention to the two middle aged men, driving a boat right to us "Do you recognize that boat?" Pope asks "Never seen it." Kie answers "What are they doing here? The marsh is closed." "I don't know. Let's not stick around and find out." JJ says "JJ get the bowline." John B instructs "JJ, hurry up." Kiara says, the guys getting closer "Guys, don't wait for me. Go." JJ yells, JB takes the wheel and starts going towards the marsh, the two men in the boat follow behind, speeding up.
"Guys, they're following us." I panic "This can't be good." Pope says "Shit." JJ mumbles under his breath "Dude, you gotta go faster." JJ yells to John B "I'm going." John B murmured, speeding up.
Suddenly a bullet gets shot and flies right by my head, we all ducked down.
"Holy shit!" JJ yells, making his way towards me "You alright?" He asks, I nod my head in response. The man keeps shooting at the boat "Oh my god, we're gonna die!" Pope yells, not making this situation any better. I remembered the fishing net in the compartment at the front of the boat "Shit! Pope move." I say, walking towards the front of the boat, trying to figure out the net "Get down, Kelsey!" John B yells at me. I head for the back of the boat, and throw the net into the marsh. Another gunshot goes off and JJ pulls me down beside him. Luckily, I hear their boat get caught in the net and slow down.
"That was insane!" Kiara laughs, giving me a hug.
••• •••• •••
We park the boat at the dock and Pope, John B, and Kiara all walk ahead of JJ and I.
"J, are you okay?" I ask "You could have died, Kelsey." He yelled, first time speaking to me ever since I threw the net "Well, I didn't." "But you could have!" He softened is voice "I did it to protect you guys." I whisper
"I don't know what i'd do without you, Kelsey." He sighed, There's a soft spot of JJ many people don't know about. Everybody see's him as a pogue, with a bad boy persona. Well, except for me.
I pull JJ in for a hug, still stood on the dock. "You'll never loose me, JJ." I say, into his chest "I'll be the last thing you'll ever loose."
