RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

43

"What are you JJ now?" Pope questioned as John B pushed him out of the way.

River made her way to JJ and smiled at him. "You okay?" She questioned, he nodded in response.

"Shi- are you okay?" Kie questioned Pope as he fell into the table. "John B what the hell are you doing?"

"Come on baby girl." JJ said as he placed his hat back on his head and the four ran out after John B.

"John B, what the hell?" Kie shouted as he got onto JJ's bike.

"Ward knows about the gold." John B shouted before turning to look at his friends. "He killed my dad."

"John B, lets-" Before River could even make her way over to the boy he drove off. They attempted to run after him but there was no use.

~

"What now? We just go up to the front door and ask, hey have you seen John B?" JJ questioned as they were outside of Tannyhill.

"Look, he lives at Tannyhill now. It's plausible. We could play dumb." Kie suggested. They had spent the past few hours searching all over the cut for John B.

"Play dumb?" JJ scoffed, he wrapped his arms around River and rested his head on her shoulder.

"It's pretty late." Pope interrupted.

"Look I've never seen John B like that. We should honestly be going to the cops." Kie said as she looked between her friends.

"And say what? Hey Shoupe, Peterkin. Our best friend is running around with a gun, trying to kill Ward Cameron for killing his dad." River rambled, JJ began to trace random patterns on her exposed thighs, in attempts to sooth her.

"Hey I see Ward." Pope says as he looks through the binoculars into Tannyhill.

"Let me see." Kie said as Pope handed her the binoculars.

"Doesn't look dead to me. Let's go home." Pope said as he goes to start the HMS Pogue.

"What?" Kie questioned with furrowed brows.

"Uh, obviously Mr Cameron is fine, and even if John B was here, he isn't now, okay?" What Pope was saying did make sense. "Plus, I have the biggest, most important moment of my life in six hours."

"Yeah well our friend is in trouble." Kie said making River scoff.

She didn't stick up for JJ when he was in trouble and needed help, but she did for John B.

"I'm in trouble." Pope shrugged. "Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dads probably put all my shit on the street by now."

"Okay, so that's it? In a time of need. You're just gonna bail? You're just gonna walk away?" Kie questioned angrily.

"No. Pope you deserve to go to this interview. You deserve to get this scholarship. Ignore Kie, we can find John B." River smiled supportively at Pope, she knew how much this meant to him.

"Ignore me?" Kie turned to face River what raised brows. River pulled away from JJ.

"That's what I said." River nodded confidently. Her and Kie never fought.

"Wh-"

"Okay, guys can we not do this right now?" JJ questioned as he placed his hands on River's shoulders.

"Look, you can defend John B whenever you want. You can justify his reasons for having a gun and fuck, you can say that Pope is a shitty friend right now if he leaves." River took a deep breathe before continuing,

"But, you blamed JJ for pulling a gun on Topper for trying to help John B, you got mad at him when he was trying to pay back his restitution. Not all of us have money Kie. Not all of our parents love us. Not all of our parents can afford to send us to a fancy school or college." River snapped angrily.

"Okay, guys can we not do this right now?" JJ said as he looked at River. He didn't want anything to happen to her.

"Hey, I have a scholarship interview in the morning-" Pope tried to defend himself. He smiled towards River as a thank you.

"Okay, well what about John B?" Kie snapped.

"Screw JB! Why is John B your main priority Kie? Why is it always about John B?" River crosses her arms and raised her brows. JJ placed his head in his hands.

"It's not always about John B. You're so stupid. It would be any of you in this situation."

River laughed out loud at Kie's statement. "Fucking bullshit-"

"This is about friendship." Kie cut River off.

River rolled her eyes. "Friendship? You want to talk to me about frie-"

"Guys, bring it down." JJ said calmly.

"This is about Pogues for life." Kie looked over to JJ.

"What about forensic pathology huh?" Pope questioned, River smiled at the boy.

"Forensic pathology?" Kie asked in disbelief.

"It's my life. Everything I've worked for." Pope shouted back. River was proud of him for standing his ground. He knew what he wanted.

"That's your priority?" Kie shouted in his face.

"Oh stop with the fucking moral high ground bill shit." River snapped.

"Baby girl come on." JJ motioned over to him, hoping she'd get out of the way.

"Excuse me?" Kie scoffed.

"I have a few questions for you Kiara." River said, using her full name to piss her off. "Why is JB allowed to run around and use a gun but JJ isn't? Where were you when Big John went missing?" River turned and looked at Pope. "She wasn't there. Remember Pope?" Pope nodded. "You weren't there for JB, you weren't there for me. Or any of us."

"Remember your Kook year?" Pope backed River up. He knew the only reason River was doing this was to help him.

"Dude." JJ looked up.

"Yeah. You forgot about us." Pope spat.

"And now you just feel fucking guilty." River shook her head.

"Give me a break." Kie said pushing River back. River didn't think twice before punching her in the jaw. Kie stumbled back slightly and clutched her jaw in disbelief.

"Hey!" JJ said as he jumped up and ran towards the girls. "Stop!" JJ wrapped his arms around River and pulled her behind him. "Cut it out alright? If I'm the one mediating, we've hit rock bottom." JJ turned and faced River. "Bow now."

River sarcastically saluted before going to sit at the bow.

"Pope, I'll drop you off." JJ said as,

he started the engine for the boat.