✓ 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑, 𝘫. 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬 ¹

43

chapter forty three
"we punch him...in the throat"

———

"WELCOME TO CRACKHEAD WASTELAND."

LYNN nervously nibbled on her lower pink lip as JJ was slowly drawing the old van to a hault. Lynn and Kie exchanged looks, nervous ones, because JJ was acting more erratic than usual—which was already a hell of a lot. She had tried calming the blonde boy down the entire time they were driving to Barry's rugged trailer, but it didn't seem to do much.

JJ was angry, he was angry he and his friends could just be pushed around like a couple of kids, he was angry that Barry had the balls to collide his gun with Eve, and he was angry about being angry.

"I don't know about this, man," Pope stated worriedly, and he glanced over to Lynn, practically begging her to get JJ to relax.

"Dude, why are we at Barry's?" John B asked, but he didn't sound as panicked as the rest of the crew, and more annoyed if anything.

"This'll only take a second," JJ explained, popping open the rusty door of the van, while hopping out.

"Where you goin'?"

Lynn peered out the window of the van, and rolled her blue eyes as she saw JJ making his way towards the crumbled trailer.

"Yo soy justicia!"

"Did you glean anything from that?" Pope questioned the crew, and Lynn squeezed in between Kie and Pope as they swung open the van door to get a better look at JJ, who was now entering the small home.

"You know somebody should probably—"

"—Already on it," Lynn interrupted Kie, and she squeezed between her best friends as she hopped out of the van. She quickly jogged towards the trailer, and behind her she heard another car door open, but didn't have the time to glance back before she closed the door.

"J, what are you doing?" Lynn asked, and her eyes fell to the floor of what looked like the kitchen; where several pots and pans were now scattered on the ground. "Honey?"

"I know he's got a stash around here somewhere," JJ answered, but it was more under his breath, and he walked clean past Lynn who tried stepping in front of him.

"What's up with you? You seem more on edge than usual," Lynn continued, and she gripped ahold of her boys hand, and he harshly glared over his shoulder at her. "J, talk to—"

"—Can't you just help me find the stash, Eve? So maybe we can start paying off our stupid restitutions?" JJ growled, and he ripped his hand straight from Lynn's grasp while heading towards a living room. She was almost shocked from his sudden meanness towards the girl, and she started to question what she had done to piss him off so much.

Lynn heard someone swing open the door, and was almost scared it would be Barry walking straight in on them destroying his place, but it was fortunately John B. He glanced over to her, and she only shook her head, signaling she couldn't get the boy to stop.

"Yeah, so what's your plan, slick?"

"Well, as thou hath stealeth from us, we shall stealeth from ye," JJ responded, and Lynn would've let out a laugh at his terrible accent if it wasn't such bad timing.