SERENDIPITY // JJ MAYBANK

36

Y/n was jolted awake by Pope swatting her with a bunch of beer cans taped together from their little party they had the night before. She lifted her head from where it laid with her forehead against JJ's, letting out a whimper at the bright, early sun that shone into her eyes.

"We have a geometry test in 30 minutes." Pope whispered to y/n who blinked at him and cursed before watching Pope move to JJ, slapping JJ's cheeks for him to wake up. "Get up, JJ! Is he alive?" Pope huffed, looking at y/n as JJ snuggled closer to her.

"JJ!" Y/n whined, pushing him off her slightly as he groaned, cursing under his breath as he opened his eyes before he rolled them when he saw Pope with his backpack. When they all finally got up, JJ fought with Pope for a pop tart that was on the table, Pope dragging him away and into the van as Kie told them she'd meet up with them at lunch.

As Pope drove the twinkie, John B laid on the floor and stared at his phone while JJ tried to sleep against the window, his breath fogging up the glass as his face morphed to the flat surface. As soon as Pope hit the breaks to park the car, JJ flew forward, his face hitting the seat in front of him as he let out a groan.

"Shit, JJ." Y/n laughed, standing up and helping him get out of the van before he grabbed her hand and put on his sunglasses on with the other, blocking the light from making his hangover worse. 

Once they had made their way into the class, the all sat down in their allocated seats, scribbling as the teacher made her way around the room, handing out papers, JJ looking at y/n when he saw the test sheet before he glared at Pope.

"Glad you could join us. Just in timefor your first quiz." The teacher smiled at John B who returned a fake one back. "It's good to be back." John B muttered as she walked past him, John B's eyes immediately narrowing at Pope. "A test?" John B mouthed at Pope.

"I told you we had a test." Pope whispered, putting his hands up in defense. "No, you didn't." JJ shook his head before looking back at y/n who shrugged in response. 

After they had done the test, JJ once again struggling and peering over at y/n's paper when no one was watching, lunch had finally come around and they sat in the courtyard, y/n pulling out a sandwich from her bag as John B passed around a note he had received in class, a girl asking him to go to the bonfire with him.

"Bonfire? Oh, we're definitely going." JJ grinned, nudging his nose against y/n's forehead as Pope put his hand up in protest. "No-" Pope began but was cut off by Mr. Sunn calling out to the group.

"Mr. Heyward, Mr. Routledge, Mr. Maybank, just the men I wanted to see." Mr Sunn called out, JJ rolling his eyes as they looked at each other, y/n pushing JJ off him. "Better save me some of that." JJ huffed, pointing at one half of the sandwich that was placed on the bench, y/n giving JJ a nod before the three boys walked off, y/n letting out a breath as she turn to Kie.

"Have you heard from Sarah?" Kie asked y/n who ran her tongue over her teeth as she shook her head. "No, I hope JB is smart enough to not fall for this girls tricks." Y/n sighed, holding up the note before slapping it back down on the bench as Kie nodded. "Also, you and Pope? Anything change?" Y/n smirked at Kie who chewed on her lip.

"I don't know. I still like him, I just don't know if I love him. It's not like you and JJ, y'all have loved each other since y'all have known each other." Kie muttered, but smiled jokingly as y/n let out a gasp.

"No way." Y/n pouted as she batted her eyes at Kie who let out a cackle before she turned her head watching the boys rush back to them. "We gotta get back to the chateau." John B breathed, y/n and Kie scrambling to collect their items before they ran to the twinkie, John B speeding off to the chateau.

"Okay, so what is going on?" Y/n cleared her throat as they arrived at the chateau, leaning against the wall as JJ laid on the couch, fiddling with his lighter as Pope pulled out a stack of papers that were a copy from Denmark Tanny's diary. 

"August 15th, set sailfrom Port-au-Prince on calm seas came upon the Spanish ship, San Joseon fire. The entire deck was aflame and we could hear the screamsof men trapped below. The Spanish captain caredabout only one thing, his valuable cargo,the Cross of Santo Domingo and countless bars of gold." Pope read from the paper, Kie narrowing her brows at y/n. "Captain Limbrey ordered usto pull bayonets and not to letany of the Spanish crew on board. He robbed them and left them to die." Pope finished and y/n crossed her arms.

"So it didn't go down off Bermuda, and it was a Limbrey stealing shit again?" Y/n questioned, Pope giving a short nod as he sat down. "This diary proves that both the gold and the Cross of Santo Domingowere on the Royal Merchant." Pope added.

"Why didn't we find itin the well then?" JJ spoke up, everyone turning their heads to look at him. "I mean, if Denmark was ableto get this, like, bedazzled cross off of the Merchant to shore,why didn't he just hide it with the gold?" JJ continued, sitting up and shoving his lighter in his pocket.

"The path to the tomb beginsin the island room." Pope whispered, looking at the key again. "So what is the connection?" Kie huffed, throwing her head back as silence filled the room.

"You know what helps me figure shit out? Smoking beers and drinking weed. The ideas just pour out of me. If we just sit hereand try to figure this out, we're gonna get nowhere." JJ grinned, standing up and slowly making his way towards y/n. "But if we get creativeand go to this bonfire tonight, maybe we'll get somewhere." JJ smirked, putting his hand on the wall right beside y/n's head as he stared down at her, his other hand at her hip.

Y/n let out another breath of air as she looked up at him, her teeth grazing at her bottom lip as his hand moved behind her and went into the back pocket of her jeans, pulling her closer to him as she gave him a small nod, JJ letting out a cheer before letting her go and moving back to Pope.

"Pope, look,think about how much you could think if you just gave your brain a rest." JJ grinned, Pope eyeing his friends before muttering out a "fine."