Alluring - JJ Maybank Fanfic

The Cross: Lemonade

Willows POV

"How long does it take to go two miles and back?" Pope asks, I chuckle at his rolled up pants and sleeves while he trudges around in the marsh stressing out. "I feel like they're taking a minute. Should I go look for them? Should I go find them and bring them back?" 

Him stressing is making me stress, I pinch my forearm while looking out at the water as it slowly rises, getting closer and closer to the inside of the van. I sneak a peak at Emmy to make sure she's asleep before slipping outside.

"I don't... I don't... I don't know." John B talks while biting his bandana around his neck, gross, he hasn't washed that thing in weeks, "Just give me a sec."

"Damn it! Every time!" Pope exclaims angrily. I look up at Sarah while she sits on the roof of the Twinkie, sharing a look, "Why do we got to send JJ and Kiara, the slowest people on earth? Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! This is always happening to us."

"Pope, shut the hell up for a minute." I yell, "Chill man, stop dogging on JJ and Kie for like five fucking seconds."

He stops in his tracks and narrows his eyes at me, "Did you just yell at me?"

"Yeah I did, you're always mad at JJ, you always talk down on him, when all he does is try to please everyone."

"That's not true," Pope raises his voice, "I don't talk down on him."

"Yes you do!" I exclaim, "You get mad and you say shit to make him feel bad, and then he beats himself up about it for weeks."

"Well he does stupid shit." He seethes while towering over me, "And you let him get away with it every single time. I mean he puts his hands on you, you're cool with it, he yells at you, you don't mind, he does something dangerous, you forgive him like its nothing."

"I don't let him get away with it," I stumble to the side but quickly recover, "I don't control him, but I understand why he does the things he does so I'm patient with him. And I wasn't okay with the shit he did in the past, but we worked through it."

"What happens when he hits you?" Pope angrily asks, "You going to stick around then?"

"Don't say that, Pope, he won't hit me. He's not like his dad." I shove him backwards after he scoffs. 

He gasps when he stands up, wiping water from his face, before crossing the distance between us, slamming his hands into my chest sending me flying into the water. 

"Willow, get up." 

I feel something clamp onto my leg, dragging me backwards, "Ah! Help--" My head dunks under the water, my hands fumble around, grasping for anything in reach while pain radiates through my entire leg. 

"Fight."

My body thrashes around, getting my head above water, "HELP--" I'm dragged back down, fear rushes through me when I realize what has me. A fucking mama gator. I fight as hard as I can, "Ah!" my body rolls when the gator spins in the water, dragging me with it, gasping for air every time we surface.

I can hear my friends screaming my name, and Emmy crying in the distance.

Sarah gets to me first, a knife in hand, slashing at the gator while I frantically punch at it, finally my leg slips out of its mouth, giving me enough time to pull away. John B and Pope splash their way over and grab my arms, pulling me towards the Twinkie.

"Holy shit." I breathe out, coughing up water after they all get me up on top of the van. John B passes Emmy's car seat up to Pope when he sits next to me, I lean into his side while looking at Emmy, "Mama's here, sweet girl. I'm still here."