Down

Chapter 25

John B said" It's something about the dude's face, you know? Like the whole, no hard feelings, bro. You know what I'm saying?"
JJ said" No hard feelings. It's kinda hard not to have hard feelings about that."
" It's just that... that look. That Kook look, you know?"
" It was clear provucation."
" Provocation."
" Provocation, and, uh, I mean, you had to do what you had to do. No choice about it."
" Thank you. No choice. We gotta figure out a plan to get to South America, like, yesterday. I mean, they've got my dad."
" You have any food real quick, though?" JJ grabbed my hand as we walked John B into the house,
" So I was thinking passports. We don't have those. Therefore, we can't fly commercial. We need other ideas."
" Okay, well, don't you got the money that you took from Portis?"
" I gave that to my dad." John B sniffed a thing, then gagged,
" So then what about a boat? If we got a boat, maybe we could get down there 'cause the HMS... Yeah, you know about the HMS." He started looking in the fridge," Oh, Limbrey! Limbrey has a boat! What if we took that one down?"
" Yeah. She took that back. And the HMS is gonna make it down to the Port of Spain, so out on the boats." He bit the thing John B sniffed,
" So what you're saying is, we don't got any money, and we also don't have a boat that can make it to to South America. Great."
" Unbelievable."
" Actually, I might know a guy. I'm onto something!"
" Uh-oh."
" You don't start with, uh-oh, dude." John B got down," You're so negative."
" Get down! Shoupe is out front right now!"
Shoupe yelled" Alright, John B!"
" Shit!" They crawled on the ground, I followed them,
" Yoo-hoo! Anybody home? John B!"
JJ whispered" Go under there! Under there!" They crawled under the table, I tilted my head," Skye, hide." I opened a cabinet and crawled into it, leaving it open a little.
" John B, I know you're in there!"
John B whispered" Shut up! Shut up!" Shoupe knocked on the door,
JJ whispered" If he sees you, that's game over."
" I know, okay, JJ?"
" Don't get that."
Shoupe said" I know you can hear me in there. You need to come out and talk to me. It'll be a whole lot worse if you don't. Okey doke, have it your way! You know where you can find me." We heard him drove away,
John B whispered" Alright, let's peel." I got out of the cabinet, John B pushed JJ up," Come on. Go."
JJ said" Alright. I got a plan, alright? I think it might work. It's a little sketchy. Might not like it, but I think it will work."
" No, no, no, no. Wait, wait, wait. What plan?"
" If I tell you now when the plan is half baked, you'll get all negative."
" Look, I'd settle for a quarter baked plan." JJ made a funny noise,
" Come on!"
" Don't you dare make that noise at me." I made the funny noise," Ah, not you too, Munchie." He lifted me over his shoulder, I laughed, smiling at him.

JJ pulled up and stopped,
John B said" Oh, perfect. Rockfish. Yup, the place you go to bash beer bottles on people's heads. Love that for us."
JJ said" There's a guy here, that's always here, moves a lot of weight. My dad worked for him. Come on now." He got out,
" No, no, wait, wait. Please don't say Barracuda Mike."
" Okay, I won't."
" Skye, for my little sanity, please stay in the twinkie. We'll be right back." I gave him a thumbs up, he got out, I started playing with Turtle.

They came back, JJ got in,
He said" John B, it's gonna be a piece of cake. You're driving."

We pulled over, I went to climb out, JJ stopped me,
I said" You promised!"
JJ said" I did, I did. And I'll come back and get you before we leave, 'cause we gotta find Pope and Cleo anyways."
" Pinky'd!"
" I know! I just don't exactly want you around the people and stuff we're going around." I stared at him," Don't stare at me like that."
John B said" Look, Bubba pinky'd, he's not going anywhere without you." I stared at him too," Geez! Nope, nope. That's a feral puppy look, you're on your own, dude."
" She scares me, man."
" Mmhm." John B nodded, I giggled, they both smiled,
" We'll be back to get ya, okay?"
I said" Fine. You're both dummies."
" Thank you for that, great, okay. Stay inside the Twinkie."
" I know. Go!" He put his hands up, I giggled," Go!" They got out, and started walking away, I gulped and sat down in the floor.