PAPER RINGS | jj maybank

018. mrs crain's got nothing on us

For extra effect, Kie wiggled her hands mockingly in front of JJ, scaring the blond slightly.

"What is she some kind of vampire-werewolf?" Athena asked, making Kie chuckle from beside her.

"No, it's not funny, cause it's all true." JJ scolded. "I swear to god, guys, this is all real. I knew Hollis." JJ let out a small scream as a statue caught him off guard, making Athena laugh as he immediately grabbed her hand.

"Wait, you knew Hollis Crain?" Pope asked dumbfounded as JJ nodded.

"She was my babysitter, man. She told me all about it. Told me the truth about her mother and what happened in this house. So as a kid, she heard all the stories that her mother killed her father and she was a murderer and all. Hollis didn't believe it. Until that night."

"What night?" John B asked.

Athena didn't believe any of the stories about Mrs Crain, but if there was one thing about JJ it was that he was a very good story teller. Just from the few words he had uttered, a shiver had ran down her spine, an uneasy pit in her stomach.

"It all came back to her. When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs so she goes downstairs to see her mum washing her hands in a sink full of blood. Her mother just says that she cut her finger." JJ told the story. "The next morning, she says her father and her split up. But then, Hollis noticed something. Her mother going into the parlour constantly, in and out and in and out with plastic bags. Weeks pass, and Hollis decides to use the outhouse. And as she's using it, she looks down, and there, in the outhouse, is her father's head, looking straight back at her."

"God, you are so full of shit." John B muttered, shoving past his best friend.

"Did she call the police?" Pope asked making the blond shake his head.

"Wait! Dude! You sure you wanna do this?" JJ suddenly exclaimed, not answering Pope's question verbally as he caught up with John B. The brunet had a rather determined look on his face as he continued their journey towards the house, not getting far when JJ stopped him. "She's an axe murderer. You got a cast on."

"I don't give a shit if she's an axe murderer, okay? I got nothing to lose, right?" John B replied, turning around and continuing to walk.

"Let's go." Athena coaxed. She grabbed JJ's hand, walking in the same direction as John B.

"Hey, come on." John B called over his shoulder. "So here's the plan. We need to look for the wheat near the water like it said in Denmark's letter."

"Okay, like, what kind of water? Like, pond water?" Pope asked. JJ chuckled to himself.

"Bong water?" JJ asked in his usual jokey manner, however none of the pogues found it funny. Athena squeezed his hand, laughing softly to make him feel better after noticing the way his face drop at the lack of reaction from his joke.

"It just said look for water, okay?" John B deadpanned.

"That's the shittiest secret message ever." Kiara complained. She grabbed Athena's hand, pulling her to walk in front of everyone else. Athena's hand fell from JJ's, the boy frowning slightly as he watched her search with Kie.

"You wanna complain a little more, Kie? Nobody said it was gonna be easy." John B scolded.

Athena smiled a little, singing under her breath. "Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard."

"I'm going back to the start." Kie sung quietly along, the two sharing a laugh before noticing the looks the boys were sending them from behind. "What, the scientist is such a good song?"