WIPEOUT ━ John B. Routledge

chapter two

"Hm, someone's having a little trouble." A familiar voice yelled. Gabbie hadn't even noticed the sound of the boat pulling up to the docs.

"Hey JJ, you wanna be a gentleman for once and help me get this branch?" Gabbie asked after turning around. She waved at John B, who drove the boat, and Pope who sat at the edge.

"Good morning to you too, Gabs." JJ teased with a smirk but stepped off the boat to help. After helping her move the branch away JJ paused to greet Biscuit, who he was very fond of, then returned to the boat.

"Bye, mom! I'll be back to help later." She yelled before sitting down on the boat floor with her back to the edge, taking off her top as she did so. She felt a little guilty, but she'd already helped clean most stuff up. She told the dogs to go back to the house as John B steered the boat over to Kiara's.

"Oh, top o' the mornin' to ya." JJ greeted as Kiara walked up to the boat, a cooler in hand.

"Good morning, boys."

"Morning, Kie." Gabbie said back.

"Whatcha got? You got some juice boxes?" John B asked from the console.

"You know, just some yogurts and carrot sticks." Kie answered as JJ assisted her onto the boat.

"How about my kind of juice box?"

"Ooh yes, I could use some of that right now." Gabbie added.

Kiara set the cooler down. Her, JJ, and Gabbie immediately taking beers from it. Later Pope drove the boat as John B leaned against the bar, clinking his bottle with the others. The friends laughed and cracked jokes as the North Carolina sunshine shown down on them.

JJ moved to the front of the boat, "Hey Pope, can you go a little faster?"

"JJ, we've tried this like six thousand times."

"No, Gabs, it's gonna work!" JJ leaned his beer bottle back, the wind blowing the liquid into his mouth.

"Oh my god, you're getting beer in my hair!" Kie exclaimed as she shrunk away from the falling beer. Gabbie leaned farther away as well, not wanting to deal with the stickiness and the smell of the strong liquid on her clothes.

"Alright, stop!" Pope yelled before the motor suddenly rattled and the boat came to an abrupt stop. JJ was flung into the water as the rest of the group was thrown around the boat. Gabbie rubbed her forehead as she felt a splitting pain in her head after hitting it on the boat, but it was gone just as fast as it had came.

"Goddamn, JJ. You okay?" Gabbie asked as she scrambled to stand up.

"I think my heels touched the back of my head." He groaned in pain, "Pope what did you do?"

"Sandbar. The channel changed." Pope answered.

"No shit. Hey I saved the beer though!"

"Congrats, JJ." Gabbie teased as she moved to stand at the edge of the boat, reaching her hand out to help JJ up. Looking into the water, she was now more focused on something else than the blonde boy.

"Hey... guys? I think there's a boat down there." Gabriela said as she peered into the marsh.

"Shut up." JB grumbled.