~~~
"do you have to go?" Belle mumbled watching JJ put his shirt on.
"John B's dragging me over to Miss Lana's to ask about the compass." JJ yawned still half asleep ruffling his hair.
"are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked sitting up running her fingers through her hair.
"no, i told him it wasn't but he didn't listen." he slipped his boots back on sitting on the bed facing Belle.
"now you know how it feels when we tell you not to do something and you don't listen." she said, JJ playfully rolled his eyes pushing her face away gently.
"just be careful when you get to Miss Lana's." she laughs grabbing his hand.
"always am. have fun at work." he teased knowing today was the day Kooks come into 'The Wreck'.
"don't remind me." she groaned throwing herself back on the bed.
"want me to pick you up from work?" he smiled playing with her ring.
"Kie's picking me up in a bit then we're heading to JB's after." she told him as he nodded.
"all right, i gotta go. i'll see you later, angel." JJ leaned down kissing Belle's forehead softly.
"bye." she smiled, JJ smiled and left the house.
Belle checked the time seeing it was almost time for her shift. she rolled out of bed heading to bathroom to get ready for the day. Belle liked spending time with JJ, she noticed he's been around her more often than usual but she didn't complain she liked having him around. but being around him more made her crush on him only become stronger.
her thoughts were interrupted when Kie honked her car, Belle finished getting ready and grabbed her keys, wallet and phone. though there was no power in the cut she still had her phone incase she had found service and called Zale. making sure the house was locked Belle ran over to Kie's car hopping inside.
"morning." Kie smiled at the brunette.
"morning." Belle smiled, she heard more voices turning her head seeing John B and JJ heading towards the twinkie.
"he spend the night again?" Kiara asked driving off to the wreck.
"yeah, since summer began." she turned around fixing her cardigan.
"ever since school ended he's been around you twenty four seven and all touchy touchy." Kie laughed rolling down the windows handing Belle the aux chord.
"it's JJ, he's always around and touchy touchy." Belle connected her phone putting her and Kie's beach ride playlist.
"yeah but never like this. only with you." the brunette told her friend, Belle sat quietly looking out the window thinking about what Kiara had said.
~~~
"Belle, can you take care of table 4?" Mr. Carrera asked holding a bunch of plates.
"yeah, sure, Mr. C." Belle responded grabbing her notepad looking over at the table.
"fuck." she mumbled seeing Rafe, Topper, Kelce and a few other Kooks.
"Kie, you wanna cover table 4 for me?" Belle asked smiling sweetly at her friend.
"nope. that's all on you." Kie laughed running off to the kitchen.
"i hate you!" she called out only to hear Kiara laugh, "i love you too!" Kie yelled.
Belle laughed walking over to the table giving the Kooks a small smile, "hey guys. what can i get you?"
"if you weren't hanging with Pogues then i'd say you." Rafe smirked up at the girl, Belle rolled her eyes crossing her arms.
"let's make this easier for the both of us, Rafe. you tell me what you idiots wanna eat, i'll bring it out, you pay and i never see you again? deal? perfect!" Belle suggested uncrossing her arms getting ready to write their orders.
Rafe glared at the girl as the Kooks ordered their food, Belle gave the paper to the chef and mimicked poking her eyes out to her co worker, Sienna who laughed. the doors to the restaurant slammed opened only for JJ to be running up to Belle hugging her tightly picking her up.
"JJ!" she laughed wrapping her arms around him tightly.
"John B's now. he's outside in the twinkie, we gotta go, Kie's already in there." he quickly said out of breath clutching onto the girl.
what the hell happened at Miss Lana's? Belle thought.
"go, Belle, i'll handle your table." Sienna told her friend, Belle looked over as JJ let go.
"are you sure?" Belle asked, Sienna nodded grabbing the notepad from her.
"i promise i'll cover your next shift." Belle smiled at her taking off her apron.
"it's cool!" Sienna smiled, JJ grabbed Belle's hand rushing her out of the restaurant and ran straight towards the van.
"JJ, what the hell is going on?" Belle stopped grabbing his hands turning him around to face her.
"we're in deep shit, babe. i'll explain everything when we get back to John B's but we gotta go now." he looked at her catching his breath.
"okay, okay. just look at me and relax it's okay, you're safe and that's what matters right?" she held his face gently rubbing her thumb against his cheek which calmed him down.
JJ nodded wrapping his arms around her in a hug again. he always felt calm around her and he couldn't exactly figure out why yet. Belle hugged him back confused thinking about Kie's words from earlier. Rafe watched the two from the window shaking his head at them, JJ caught a glimpse at Rafe glaring at him pulling Belle closer to him in the hug.
~~~
"and we were right outside like this. and all we hear is just, "bam! bam! bam!" knocking paint off the wall, G! from the inside. all right? and i'm just looking at him, like- wait, first off, look at this shit. look at it." JJ panicked walking over to Pope, Kiara and Belle ruffling his hair as paint fell off.
"ew." Belle pushed him away slightly.
"that's dandruff, disgusting." Kie muttered in disgust.
"okay, thank you." Pope pushed JJ's head away.
"look at all that. all right? that's paint. at that point, i was just, like.. i'm waiting de death." JJ finished leaning back against the wall.
"oh, okay, so you saw the guys that shot at us, right?" Pope asked.
"yeah."
"did you get a good description of them? what did they look like?"
"anything."
"anything we can bring to a police report?"
"burly." JJ looked back at his friends.
"burly?" both Pope and Belle asked, Pope sounding more like an annoyed tone and Belle confused never hearing the word before.
"yeah. you know like-"
"that's not very helpful." Kie cut off JJ.
"okay, well, no, like the type of guy at my dad's garage. i mean, you guys know he made cargo hides for drug smugglers." JJ explained to his friends who all agreed.
"we know." Belle looked up at him nodding.
"yeah. yes. no, we know." Kie says.
"i can tell you with full confidence, these boys, these killers.. they're square groupers." JJ pulled out his juul taking a hit to try and relax himself.
"they're square groupers, like narco square grouper? like Pablo Escobar square grouper?" Pope repeated still trying to understand the blonde.
"yeah, man."
"you guys, not everything is a kingpin movie." Kiara told the boys, Belle turned to JJ who had a blank stare at Kiara which made her chuckle.
"what does this square grouper look like? specifically?" Pope continued to ask.
"you weren't there, bro." JJ argued with Pope which went into to more arguing.
"cause apparently, you don't know what to look for!" Pope screamed, Belle covered her ear moving away from the boy.
"dude! i wasn't taking little mental Polaroids the entire time, man. i was under duress, okay?" JJ screamed at Pope.
"under duress? that's a word?" Belle muttered to Kie who just rolled her eyes not listening to the two boys anymore.
"but i can tell you.. i can tell you by the way that Ms. Lana was screaming.. that these guys are serious, serious, hombres, man." JJ panted, Belle and Kiara looked at each other never seeing JJ act like this before.
Belle knew it was a scary situation if JJ was the one panicking, she stepped over to him, when he saw she made her way over to him he quickly wrapped his arm around her waist wanting her to be close to him.