When it all goes down

How many chances

That night JJ and I slept on the pull out at John Bs. Pope slept on the sofa in the sun room and Kie went to John Bs room. I held JJ most of the night, he refused to let go of me. He was so drained he finally fell asleep, hard. I laid awake, rubbing my hand down his back and through his hair, trying to comfort him. I knew it wasn't easy for him to break down and make himself vulnerable. He kept whispering how sorry he was for what he said.
"I do love you. I do need you." He kept repeating. I must have finally dozed off, next thing I know I opened my eyes and the sun was up. JJ wasn't in bed anymore. I heard voices outside. I stretched and pulled myself out of bed. I looked at the bed where not long ago I thought I had ruined everything with JJ. I smiled to myself, realizing it only got better.
I walked out the screen door and saw JJ sitting with his feet in the hot tub as Kie and Pope tested out the pulley.
"Hey look who finally decided to join us." Pope yelled over to me. "Good morning sunshine, or should I say afternoon?"
"Why didn't y'all wake me up?" I walked over to JJ and wrapped my arms around his waist, planting a kiss on his back.
"You looked so peaceful, I told them not too." He said putting a hand on my arms.
"How's it feeling?" I yelled up to Kie, who Pope had pulled into the air, on the rigged pulley system.
"Feels good."
"John B is pulling a Houdini." JJ said bringing a arm back to wrap around me.
"Yeah where is he? I have my interview I need to get ready for." Pope said pulling Kie back down to the ground.
"I'm sure you'll do great." Kie smiled down at him.
"Wonder how daddy bonding is going?" JJ squeezed me causing me to laugh.
"He's so whipped." Pope said helping Kie out the bucket.
"Hey, hey. We were just talking about you." I shouted as I saw John B walking up. He was taking long strides and didn't look at any of us. It was like he didn't know we were there.
"Dude. I set up the winch and everything. We are ready to go." Jj said as he stormed by.
"No he didn't." Pope yelled after him
"John B. Hey! What's wrong?" He didn't look at me, just stormed into the house. I looked up at JJ. "What the hell was that about?"
"I was gonna ask you the same question." He pulled his legs out of the hot tub and jumped off the edge going into the house. I followed, Kie and Pope close behind.
"You all right man? What's up? You good?" JJ was following him around as he went through tearing the house apart, like he was looking for something.
"What are you doing?" Pope asked louder. He walked right past us.
"What the hell are you looking for?" I asked, no answer.
Just then John B walked to the pull out and dug underneath the mattress. He pulled out the gun.
"what the hell do you need that for?" Kie screamed out
"What are you doing?" JJ stepped in front of him. John B pushed him down on the bed, walking away.
"John B what the fuck." I said helping JJ up. He walked back towards the door. Pope stepped in front of him.
"What are you JJ now?" John B threw him out the way onto the table.
"Shit. Are you ok?" Kie asked him. I ran past them and out the door.
"T! Shit." JJ ran behind me.
"John B what the hell are you doing?" I screamed at him as he climbed on JJs bike and started it up.
"Ward knows about the gold. He killed my dad." He yelled at us and then sped off.
"John B!" Kie screamed at the top of her lungs as he got further away.
"Shit." Was all Pope could say
"What the fuck." I turned to them. "JJ get the keys, let's go!"

We parked the boat at the end of the Cameron's boat dock, staring at the house. Silence.
"I don't think he is here." I said pulling the binoculars down from my eyes, handing them to Pope.
"Honestly with how he was acting we should go to the cops." Kie suggested
"Are you serious?" JJ turned to her. "Cops?"
"And what would we tell them Kie?" Pope asked
"The truth."
"Like they would believe that Ward Cameron killed Big John? And that our friend has gone crazy." I said. "They would haul us all in, and then the plan would be over."
"She is right." JJ agreed.
Pope placed the binoculars back to his eyes and stared for almost a minute.
"Hey I see Ward. Doesn't look dead to me. Let's go."
"Wait what?" Kie snatched the binoculars from him and looked herself.
"Obviously he is alive and it doesn't look like John B is even here. I have the biggest interview of my life in the morning, Kie."
"Yeah and our friend is in big trouble. Your just going to bail?" Kie was on the war path.
"I'm in trouble too. You know how much trouble I am in with my dad right now? I'm surprised he hasn't put my stuff on the street!" Pope was starting to get louder.
"In a time of need your just going to bail? Walk away?"
"Kie, hey. Lighten up a bit." I said trying to ease the situation.
"No T! He needs to hear this." She snapped
"Hey can we not do this right now?" JJ begged.
"I can't. Ok." Pope started up the boat.
"What about John B!" Kie was close to tears.
"Why is it always about John B huh?"
JJ sat down and took his hat off holding it between his hands. I sat next to him pulling my knees to my chest and resting my forehead on my knees. We knew this was serious. Pope tried telling her how important his education and getting into college was to him, but Kie wouldn't listen.
"You weren't there when Big John went missing. We were! Me, T, and JJ. So don't act all guilty now." JJ and I shot up at that. We knew he had hit a nerve. Kie started pushing Pope and he pushed back. I ran in between them, JJ pulling Pope back.
"Hey! Hey!" I screamed looking between them. "That's enough! If me and JJ are mediating then we have hit rock bottom!"
"Pope, bow. Now." JJ directed Pope to the front of the boat. "We will drop you off."
Pope did as JJ asked. Kie sat down at the back of the boat, refusing to look in Popes direction. JJ and I stared at each other in disbelief, that we were falling apart so suddenly. I ran a hand through my hair and held it. JJ shook his held slightly and turned around starting the boat and driving off.

The next day we sat on the dock. John B filled us in that Ward Cameron, beat us back to the gold. He went in and took it all. That was it, it was over. JJ sat on the ledge of the dock, Kie and I sat at the bottom, our feet hanging over the edge. John B was laying down. The disappointment was strong. Everything was falling apart. We hadn't heard from Pope. I sat and wondered how his interview went. He was my best friend. I wanted his dreams to come true. Especially now that ours were crushed, he was the only one left with a chance.

"You sure he got it all?" JJ asked hopeful
"The whole enchilada."
JJs face fell. I got up and walked to him. He pulled me in between his legs and I wrapped my arms around him, laying my head on his chest.
"We almost had it. 400 mil baby." He whispered to me
" yeah." I took a deep breath. "But hey, It was fun huh?" I looked up to meet his eyes.
"Ha, you could say that." He bent down to kiss me
"John B don't do that." Kie was hollering
I turned my head to see him ripping off his cast.
"It's a hairline fracture who cares."
"I do. It's gonna mess up your arm for life!"
"It's fine!" He huffed
"GUYS! GUYS!"
We all turned towards the beginning of the dock. Pope was running faster than we have ever seen him run before.
"Is he being chased? What the hell?" I asked shielding my eyes and watching him approach us
He stopped and was panting hard. Leaning down grabbing his knees trying to catch his breath.
"You good?" John B asked standing up and walking towards him.
"Sorr- sorry." He was panting hard trying to get the words out. " I ran-.. all.. the way.... here." He coughed out
"Well... how was the interview?" I asked confused
"Don't...asks."
"Awesome." JJ replied.
"I'm.. sorry." He looked to Kie. " about everything." He took a deep breath. "But look I don't have a lot of time. I've got information. Before my interview my dad told me he was going down to the private air strip to cut palms on the runway for Cameron's big plane. They said it was too heavy." He made air quotes. " they needed a longer air strip. So I'm in the interview and all I can think is why would his plane be too heavy? What would weigh it down?" He stopped talking and looked at all of us waiting for us to answer.
"Gold." John B finally shot out
"Bingo."
We all looked around at each other. There was no way that once again, we had a chance. We were back in the G game baby!
"Guys, this is our chance!" Kie stood up walking over to Pope.
"We can't give up now." I looked up at JJ. He jumped off the ledge and we walked towards the group. He slammed a hand on John Bs  shoulder,
"What's the plan,big man?"
John B wrapped his arms around me and JJs shoulders,

"We are gonna steal that shit back."