The Cool Kids - JJ Maybank

There's A Hot Tub, Now

"He said it looked something like this," Kiara says, holding up a map drawn by John B. "That's 50 feet and they're using a 100 feet rope. So, I guess this little wagon with go," Sarah chokes in a laugh, making the rest of us hold back our own, "straight to the gold room."

"Who drew this?" Sarah questions, almost dying of laughter.

"Who do you think?" Taylor asks, looking at John B. Kiara nudges the blonde which sends her into a blushing mess.

Luckily, JJ takes the attention. "Kie, this better work." He drops the gold bars John B had managed to grab at her feet. "We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it." He glances at me. I quickly look away.

"It's gonna work," Kiara states, holding a torch.

And, soon enough, they're discussing who is getting the role of trying to pawn it off until it lands on the blond boy who marches his way into the store first before the rest of us follow. He somehow, with some skills of an amazing liar, gets them the address to a different location that will get them the money the woman promises them.

"I'd like to say that this could get us killed," Taylor states.

JJ runs a hand through his hair. "I get where you're coming from but this is our best option." He glances at me again. I offer him a smile this time, wondering why it's so hard to avoid looking at him or why I even want to ignore him.

But then the cops pull us over. Something feels rotten in my stomach as JJ struggles to hide everything. Sarah whimpers. I look at the front of the van, my heart stopping for a moment when I hear the gun click in John B's face.

I step back into JJ who puts his hands on my arms from behind, keeping me from running into him, as memories flood me. John B is in the same position Jake had been. The gun in his face; the masked man holding it there. If it comes down to saving myself or him, I realize with a start, I'll do whatever I can to make sure he survives. It's all I'm thinking about when the rest of us are shoved out of the van, joining John B and Sarah on the side of the road.

"It's a setup, guys," Kiara says.

"That old bat shanked us," JJ mutters. He punches the ground in silent anger.

I glance at John B. He meets my gaze for a moment as he rises slowly. "You stay there," I whisper. "Don't die doing something stupid."

"We're this close, Ghost," he whispers back.

As he makes his way toward the masked man, I get to my feet slowly. JJ tries to grab me but I move away. "If you're doing this... we're doing this."

He gets inside the fake police car, taking the keys, while I get behind it. The man comes out of the van holding our gold, getting in where John B's waiting to take him out. As soon as the brunette has the gun, I'm at the man's side, pulling him off of John B and out of the car. JJ pulls me away from the man, taking the blow to the side that had been meant for me. Kiara takes a good hit too before I manage to trip him with John B's shove. Sarah takes the moment and slams the car door into the man's head as Pope yells that he has the gold.

The man takes a few more hits - all from the pent up anger each of them have - until he's unmasked. "I know this piece of shit!" JJ yells. "He's a basehead."

"Probably knows my brother," Sarah says.

"He sells coke to my dad," JJ states tensly, grabbing the gun. Before the man can say something, the blonde slams the butt of his own weapon against his nose. And before they leave, JJ makes sure to find out where the man lives. "We've got one more stop."

"I'm going to remember this shit!" The man yells. "You can't hide from me! I know exactly who ya'll are! I know exactly what happened to Jake Turner and I'm gonna make sure the same happens to you, Gwen!"