𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 | jj maybank

V. Stolen Guns and Body Bags

Pope pursed his lips, figuring that his request was worth a shot. "Yeah, I know."

They were about to leave again, but this time, they were stopped by Kie. "Uh, be careful," she said, mainly to John B. "I mean it."

There was an unusual tone of seriousness in her voice as she gave the boy a pointed stare and JJ and Stella shared a look full of suspicion.

John B chuckled, brushing her words off as nothing but a friendly warning, and backed away. "Yeah." He turned and patted JJ's shoulder. "Let's go."

The trio walked towards the motel, bouncing ideas off each other about what they were about to face.

"Why are all these mattresses out?" John B asked as Stella almost tripped over one. She would've fallen if JJ hadn't already had a hold on her.

After giving a quick 'thanks', she led the boys up the stairs where the rooms were located. "After a hurricane, they ditch them because they get moldy," she explained.

JJ nodded in support, his eyes roaming around until landing on the girl waiting for them in the boat below. With a smirk, he wrapped his arms around John B and gave him a little shake. "Just be so careful, John," he moaned teasingly.

Stella glanced back at them and laughed as John B shoved him off. "Yeah," she drawled, a sly smile spreading across her lips, "what was that all about?"

John B shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she wants us to be careful."

"She didn't tell me to be careful," Stella pointed out, recalling how Kie didn't even glance her way. She turned so she was walking backwards and facing them, then turned to JJ, tilting her head. "Did she tell you?"

JJ shook his head and scratched his temple. "I don't think she did, Stel," he mused with a smirk before turning to John B and placing his hands on his shoulders again. "Since she heard you're being threatened with exile, she's just been, like, 'Oh! Be so careful, John B!'"

John B smacked his arms away. "Get off."

JJ didn't listen and moved to touch John B again. "'Oh, give me that John D already!' When are you gonna swoop on that, man?"

Stella let out a loud laugh. "John D." As she spun on her heel, she shook her head in amusement. "That was good."

JJ smiled, his heart stopping for a moment as he relished in the way he was the reason for her laugh.

John B rolled his eyes then gestured to the boat. "Bro, you know the rule. No Pogue-on-Pogue macking."

JJ waited for Stella to walk a little further away so she didn't hear the rest of their conversation. When he thought she was out of earshot, he turned to John B. "Weren't you the one telling me not to follow the rule?"

Stella, who was definitely not out of hearing range, slowed down so she could hear the boys better.

Why would John B tell JJ not to follow the rule?

"That's different," John B stated with the shake of his head.

"Dude, how is that any different? We're all Pogues."

Stella's eyebrow raised and the feeling of jealousy started to brew in her chest. She had seen JJ with other girls before, flirting up a storm at any party while she did the same, but she knew that they didn't mean much to the boy. There were no serious feelings tied to any of the Tourons he met. But if John B was encouraging him to break the one rule their group had since their early teen years, then that meant JJ's feelings were very, very real. Someone in the group was holding his heart in their hands and there was a possibility that it wasn't her.