𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 | jj maybank

XXXIX. Push One of Epi!

He sighed and lifted his shirt.

"Okay," Kie said, bringing the attention back to her, "what the hell happened?"

John B flinched as Stella prodded his wound. "I got bit by a gator!" He snapped, triggering Sarah and Pope to jump in with, "He got bit by a gator!"

"I don't know why I'm being yelled at!" Kie shouted in response. "I put my ass on the line!"

"You're being yelled at because it was twenty minutes—"

"We got here as fast as we could!"

"Hours! You were gone for hours!"

The group continued to shout in frustration, and Stella would be lying if it didn't make her head hurt. A lack of sleep didn't mix well with loud noises.

Seeing her discomfort and feeling his own, JJ ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Guys," he called out. When they ignored him, he rolled his eyes and tried again. "Shut up!"

His voice cut through the air and the others silenced as it echoed.

"Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore, alright? Everyone just cut it out for a second." JJ shook his head with a humourless laugh and leaned against a nearby tree. "Look, I just helped my dad leave this island for good. Like, he's not ever coming back. He's straight up like the Spanish. Just, 'Bon voyage.'"

"That's not the right language," Sarah whispered, glancing around.

"All we got... And I know for a fact all I got is you guys, okay? You're it." His eyes lingered on Stella before looking to his other friends. "And I've come too close to losing you, all of you. I mean, shit, like Kie almost drowned—same with Stel. Sarah, you've been shot—same with Stel again." She gave him a sheepish smile. "Pope, you were kidnapped. And John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator, bro. So, this blaming each other is some Kook-ass bullshit, alright? We don't do that. We're Pogues."

He paused, waiting for someone to add on to his point, but when nobody did, he rubbed his hands together. "Sorry, that was a lot right now. I didn't mean to..."

A round of applause rippled through the group as small grins tugged at their lips. They could all agree that JJ's passion was the most admirable thing about him, but that didn't mean they wouldn't tease him for it.

"Well-done," Pope praised, causing the blond to roll his eyes and flip everyone off. "I gotta be honest. That was the best freaking speech you have ever given. Also, you should think about, like, a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flip-flopped."

"Yeah, alright. Laugh it up."

John B snickered and rolled his shirt down. "My heart's about to burst out of my chest."

"That was touching, J." Stella gave a look of approval, although it could've doubled as borderline amusement. Her hand came over her heart as she started wading back to the shoreline. "I'm touched."

"Oh, yeah?" He smirked, raising a brow. "Where?"

A prolonged groan slipped past the lips of everyone around them. The teens were well-accustomed to JJ's shameless indiscretions, both before and after he started dating Stella. They just thought after making things official all those weeks ago that he'd learn the meaning of subtly. He didn't. He actually got worse.

"Gross."

"Seriously, dude?"

"Yeah, if you two are done making me want to vomit, can we go before my van turns into a submarine?"