tides | jj maybank x oc

ep. 8 ~ diver down

~~~
Pope didn't really understand why Luna was upset about him remembering that she could dive. After all, she had said it; loud and clear. To all the pogues. Pope was just the only one who'd really committed the fact to memory.

Whilst Luna did find it sweet that he'd remembered when no one else had - not that she was bitter towards the others for not remembering the small fact she'd exposed in amongst their hunt for the hotel room - she found it rather unhelpful at this moment. Of course it made the most sense for her to dive (since she was the only one who knew how) but she couldn't help the fact that she just didn't really want to.

Or, more accurately, she was scared to.

~~~

Trying to disregard the small tremors that have taken over my hands is hard, especially whilst trying to strap an oxygen tank to my back. With everyone clamouring around to give me advice and directions that I simply do not need.

"Okay, Pops, I get it! I know, we want to avoid the bends okay. Chill." I half snap in Pope's direction, interrupting him mid explanation.

"Bends as in, bend over and..." JJ starts, throwing me an uncomfortably suggestive look and starting to bend over, sticking his ass out, himself.

"The bends kill you." Deadpans Pope, making JJ's head swivel around to look at him - mildly horrified.

"Right..." trails the blonde boy, straightening up and looking at the floor embarrassed.

Kiera and Pope look thoroughly disappointed in him, whilst I'm struggling to suppress a laugh. John B's just staring out at the marsh land around us aimlessly. I feel a pang of guilt for going along with a plan that could potentially be detrimental to John B's living status, especially when he's still so clearly cut up over it.

"Let me do some calculations real quick." Says Pope out of the blue, standing up and whipping out a pen and paper from god knows where.

I nod in silent agreement, chewing nervously on the inside of my lip. This tank does not have much air.

Everyone tunes into Pope's little maths lesson as he mutters out the calculations over the steering wheel and JJ finally notices my struggle with tightening the straps of the tank and beckons me over so he can do it. Pope quickly comes the conclusion that I'll need to do my safety stop at ten feet, for two minutes, to prevent the nitrogen getting into my blood and, you know, killing me.

"Ten feet, two minutes. Got it." I nod in confirmation.

A second later there's a splash from behind and I spin round, slightly unbalanced from the oxygen tank on my back, to find Kie missing.

"What was that all about?" Asks Pope as John B just makes a generally gobsmacked sort of noise.

"I don't know, but I liked it. A lot." Mumbles JJ, still watching the spot where Kiara had gone under.

"What was what about?" I ask, looking round the three boys furrowed brows and open mouths. No one offers an explanation.

It takes me a second but then I cough out a laugh, "she took her shirt off didn't she?"

They all clear their throats and mumble various agreements, shuffling around as though they'd be caught with their hand inside the cookie jar.

"Alright so, when you're down there, you look for the cargo hold right? You stick this thing" he holds up a little green key, "inside, twist and pull, okay?" JJ finishes explain to me, still holding the key up and miming the twist and pull motion a couple times over.