SERENDIPITY // JJ MAYBANK

11

JJ angry ran his fingers through his hair as he paced around his room before resting his hands on his ears in attempts to block out his fathers music as he yelled at him. JJ taking the fall for Pope sinking Toppers boat was the right thing to do in his eyes. JJ saw hope in his friend, not wanting to ruin his life.

"How you gonna get that money back?" Luke yelled from the kitchen. "By sitting around doing nothing? I'm gonna tell you right now, you are a worthless piece of shit! Your mama knew."

"Shut up!" JJ screamed, punching his door. "Shut up!" JJ pulled the sheets off his bed in anger, his tears stinging the cut on his cheek from his father beating him up.

After a while, his drunk father went quiet, and JJ knew he was passed out, lifting his head to look at the door. He wanted to go back to the chateau, but he didn't want to see y/n after his outburst he had on her yesterday. He didn't know what made him do it, but he grabbed his bag and walked out of his room, gun in his hand.

He held it to his fathers head, hand shaking. He tried to will himself to put a bullet in his fathers brain, tears streaming down his face as he clenched his jaw. He lowered the gun, putting it back in his bag and running out of the house. JJ got on his bike and rode to the chateau, not caring about who he saw anymore.

"First, I almost get strangled to death by Kooks, and now I'm on the hook for 30 grand. We should just dip." JJ ranted to John B. No one else was home, just John B as the girls got ready for Midsummers.

"Okay, where do you wanna go? Hm?" John B shrugged sarcastically. 

"Yucatan." JJ responded as his friend scoffed at him. "I'm dead serious right now. Surf all day, and then we can just live off lobsters we catch with our bare hands."

"You just wanna leave because you got your ass beat?" John B chuckled. "Think about it. They're willing to kill for the gold, then it's gotta be out there." Referring to the guys who chased them and broke into John B's house.

"Have you lost your mind? One hundred years, people have been trying to find this Royal Merchant, and no one succeeded and you think you are gonna be the one that actually finds it? When will you get it in your thick skull if you keep going down this road, you're gonna end up just like your dad." JJ snapped, his jaw clenched as he yelled at his friend, earing a shove to the chest.

"I can't give up on the hunt, man. I don't care who's out there, who's gonna try to kill us. Do you understand that?" John B spoke, trying to calm himself down. "Look, I've got a plan. You coming or what? Four hundred million, JJ. How much do you owe in restitution?" JJ found himself on the beach with John B, close to the Midsummers party. 

"Do I really have to do this man?" JJ huffed, buttoning up his dress shirt as John B pulled out a floral bowtie from his bag. "Floral?" JJ rolled his eyes as his friend helped him put it on. "So what's the plan?"

"I need you to give this to Sarah." John be spoke, handing JJ a folded up piece of paper. 

"Ooh! Can I read it?" JJ smirked, observing the paper. "Who's Vlad?" 

"No you can't read it." John B muttered, rolling his eyes as JJ shoved the note in his pocket. 

"Hold up. Are you mackin' Sarah Cameron?" JJ grinned. "You're macking Sarah Cameron!"

"I'm doin' it for everybody, all right?" John B sighed as JJ raised an eyebrow at him. "I went to chapel hill with her and she told me something about your crush, and she told me that you were an idiot for not picking up on the fact that y/n likes you."

"That's a lie." JJ muttered, fixing his outfit and looking at the ground. 

"Are you forgetting that Sarah is her sister right?" John B chuckled, shaking his head at JJ. "Look, after you give the note to Sarah, go to her." John B ordered, JJ letting out a huff before nodding and sneaking into the party dressed as a waiter.