SERENDIPITY // JJ MAYBANK

24

The four friends peered over an old wooden gate as the rain pelted down on them, waiting on Ward and Gavin to show up, Pope pulling out an old camera. "Nice camera.Where'd you dig up that relic?" JJ questioned Pope. "Why don't you just use your phone?" 

"Well, first of all,I like my antique electronics. Second of all, this is a telephoto, it allows meto get a close image from far away." Pope justified, y/n muttering a 'dork.' while shaking her head and blinking fast to stop the rain from getting into her eyes. "Yo, get down!" JJ ordered as he saw Ward run into the building, Gavin following after. "No, no, no, no. I'm losing him!" Pope complained, JJ moving away from the fence and looking around.

"Hey. I found something. Come here." JJ whistled, flicking his head to motion for them to follow him as they climbed on a ladder. "Gotta go up top!" JJ whispered, pointing to the second ladder that lead to the top of the building, all of them climbing up it and running to the edge of the building, peering over to see what was happening, Ward and Gavin speaking.

"Ward just handed Gavin something.I think it's a duffel bag." Pope spoke with a slight squint. "Gavin doesn't look happy about something.It looks like he's yelling at Ward." 

"Woah, woah, woah." JJ breathed, watching as Ward and Gavin started to fight, their hands on each other. "They're really going at it." Y/n added, using her wet sleeve to wipe at her chin, the rain dripping down her face beginning to annoy her.

"Ward's kicking the shit out of Gavin." Pope explained, the rain getting heavier as he tried to keep the camera still. "Holy shit. Ward's got a gun."

"I bet that's the murder weapon." Kie sighed, her fists clenching together as she bit on her lip. Suddenly, a gun shot filled the air, the pogues letting out a gasp, JJ pulling y/n down with him to hide as Pope ducked lower. " Tell me you just got that." JJ rasped out, turning his head slightly to look at Pope, squeezing onto y/n's hand tighter as she panted in fear. 

"Enough to put this asshole away for life!" Pope exclaimed, continuing to record Ward, another gun shot filling the quiet street before the gun fell off the edge of the construction site. "This is freaking crazy."

"I think we should go right now. Pope, you have enough, right?" JJ asked Pope who nodded in response. "Hold on. There he goes.I think he's looking for the gun." Pope observed as Ward tried to get his arm down the storm drain to reach the gun that fell in, Kie standing up.

"What is wrong with you?" Kie yelled, her hands cupping around her cheeks to make her voice louder. "Murderer!" She yelled again, JJ grabbing her and covering her mouth with his palm. "Are you fucking crazy?!" Y/n whisper-yelled at her as Kie's muffled voice rang out from against JJ's palm. "I don't care if he hears me.He's a murderer." Kie tried to justify as y/n huffed at her.

"Yeah, and he's gonna murder us, Kie." JJ growled, shaking his head at her. "Guys, I think he sees us!" Pope exclaimed. "Come on. We gotta go. He's coming!" Pope shouted as everyone scrambled to get off the building, making down the first ladder fine, Kie stepping on JJ's hand on the second one causing JJ to jump off, kicking Pope down with him.

"No, no, no, no." Pope cried out, picking up his now broken camera. "You're kidding me. You fumbled it?" JJ scolded, his jaw clenched. 

"You kicked me in the face!"

"She stepped on my hand!" The boys argued, y/n letting out a huff. "Shut up! It doesn't matter! Let's go before we get killed, yeah?" Y/n shouted before jumping over a fence, everyone following her as they ran to Kie's car, jumping in as they panted, all looking at each other.

"Could someone fill me inon what the frick just happened?" JJ yelled, taking off his wet hat before putting it back on his head. "Holy crap. I can't breathe.Wait, wait. What were they fighting over?" JJ panted, leaning forward and resting his head on the seat in front of him.

"Uh, it was- it was a gun,the one Rafe used. He must have kept it!" Pope stuttered, examining his now broken camera as Kie pulled out her phone. "Of course! Of course! The murder weapon!" JJ stressed as the phone dialing filled the car. "Who- who are you calling?" Y/n breathed, trying to brush the water off her skin.

"Who do you think?" Kie cried out, JJ letting out a groan as Pope guessed the cops. "Who else am I supposed to call?" Kie added, looking around at her friends. 

"Why would you call the police?That's Ward! It's Ward!" JJ yelled at her from the back seat as the cops picked up the phone, Kie yelling at JJ to shut up. "Hello? Hi, somebody's been shot at the Grand Street construction site! You guys need to hurry because he's dying.I don't know if he's already dead or not!"

"Kie, drive! We're sitting ducks and we are screwed if Ward sees us!" Y/n called out from next to JJ as fear washed across everyone's faces, Kie turning on the car, driving away from the scene and around a few blocks before they somehow ended up back at the construction site, speaking to Shoupe. "Look, it was right here, and this iswhere that maniac claimed his next victim." Kie explained to Shoupe, her arms crossed to provide warmth.

"Uh huh. His next victim? Right, how long ago did you say this happened?" Shoupe rolled his eyes, tapping his pen on the notepad he held in his hand, JJ kneeling down and examining the area Gavin was shot, looking for any trace of blood. "Like, forty five minutes ago, Shoupe." JJ guessed, standing back up.

"So, Ward Cameronjust popped one off and shot him execution style? And then cleaned it all up in forty five minutes?" Shoupe questioned, the group of friends eyeing him as they nodded. 

"We filmed the entire thing." Kie spoke up, getting Shoupe's attention. "But we can't show it to youbecause I stepped on JJ's hand, and then he kicked Pope, and thenPope dropped the camera, and it's a piece of shit and it broke." 

"So the dog ate your homework?" Shoupe chuckled, putting his notepad and book away. "Look, I don't knowwhat you kids expect me to do with this. You drag me out herein the middle of the night for a whole lot of nothing." Shoupe scolded, JJ taking his hat off his damp hair, jaw clenching.

Shoupe shook his head at the kids, turning his heel and walking away from the teenagers as they called after him and followed the officer. "All right, there's nothing up there. False alarm. Let's all go home." Shoupe called out as the pogues tried to stop him from leaving. 

"Can you just do your job for like 20 minutes?" Y/n called out, JJ's head snapping towards her to look at her, Shoupe cutting her off from speaking again. "I know you thinkyour friend was innocent, but you weren't there. The only actual witnesseswho are above ground say the exact opposite. Go home." Shoupe spoke, getting into his car as Kie kept calling after him.

JJ stepped closer to y/n, his hand going around her waist as Pope began to walk off, everyone following him. Y/n rolled her eyes as JJ and Kie began to argue, y/n yelling for them to shut up, Pope suggesting that they could still get the gun in the drain before he walked off with Kie.

Y/n sighed, pulling on the opening of JJ's sweater slightly as she also began to walk off, her hand moving down to intertwine their fingers, JJ giving her a small smile as he followed her and got back into Kie's car before she drove the two to the chateau, everyone silent.

Wen JJ and y/n closed the door to the small house, JJ pushed her up against it, attacking her lips with his as she let out a giggle before JJ moved to her neck, sucking softly at her jawline. "JJ..." Y/n breathed out as he hummed against her neck in response. "JJ!" Y/n spoke more sternly this time, running her fingers through his hair to pull his head back softly. "I'm all covered in rain and dirt, we can shower first and then you can fuck me."