M O T E L
"I thought the chateau looked bad" JJ whistles at the sight of the motel that we are approaching.
"This place is a shitshow" John b adds.
"Motel or meth lab?" asks Kie wryly.
„I don't wanna know" I mumble.
I look up at the motel we are driving towards. It is really not a pretty sight. Everything is dirty and run down. I am not quite comfortable either way with the whole situation.
"You be the judge" John b answers."Doesn't look like a place somebody with a Grady-White stays".
"No looks like a place someone with a Grady-White would get killed" Pope looks critically at the motel.
"All right here we go" says JJ as he then speaks into his hand as if he has a radio. "This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue comin' in for landing" I couldn't help but laugh at the blonde boy.
He jumps off the boat as he lets out a loud "whoo!".
"We good?" asks John b.
"Yeah, we good" replies JJ as he attaches the boat.
"All right. Here goes nothin'" John b gets off the boat but is interrupted by Pope.
"Hey" he looks at John b. "Don't let him do anything stupid" he points at JJ.
"Oh, we will." JJ replies confidently.
"I'm not making promises" expands john b.
"Yeah I know" sighs Pope.
"Mia, why don't you come with us?" asks JJ expectantly.
"Why should I?" I shrug.
"You could take care of me" JJ raises his eyebrows.
"Hm" I give him a questioning look.
"Plus, I don't trust those two to protect you. So you have no choice." JJ adds.
"God, you act like I'm still a little girl." I sigh and jump off the boat.
"Well-" he chuckles. "-you are." He looks up and down at me referring to my height and I slap him on his shoulder.
"Uh, be careful" Kiara looks to John b and gives him the keys. "I mean it"
"Yeah" chuckles John b. "Let's go" John b jumps off the boat and taps JJ on de shoulder
"Why are all these mattresses out here?" asks John b
"After a hurricane they ditch'em cause they're moldy"
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"Just be so careful John b" JJ grabs John b by the face and touches him on the body, imitating kiara.
"God you're so weird" John b pushes JJ away.
"What the heck was that about?"
"I don't know maybe she wants us to be careful" he turns around to JJ.
"Since she heard you're being threatened with exile, she's just been like" he starts massaging John bs shoulders. "Oh! Be so careful John b"
"Get off" John b slaps JJ's hands away.
"Oh, just give me that John D already" JJ moans. "Like when are you gonna swoop on that, man?"
"Bro you know the rule. No pogue-on-pogue macking" John b says as the two hear me from behind.
"yeah that rule is stupid" I say and my brother gives me a look. "What?" I shrug.
"Besides JJ you're the one always hitting on her" John b looks back to JJ.
"Dude, of course I'm hitting on her. She's a super-hot, rich, hippie chick slumming with us" says JJ convincingly, but as he then looks back at me, he seems like he regrets what he just said.
The words hurt me a little. I'm just the kind of person who thinks too much. Someone who is quickly hurt. And JJ and I are not a couple or anything. But he had promised me to be better than he was then. And somehow I always think there's something special between me and him. Which, apparently, is not the case. Which is also good, cause I have a boyfriend, but I don't know, my feelings are playin' with me sometimes.
"I know that door's locked cause I've tried it." JJ continues. "Have you?"
"You need help" John b determines. "Not like a little bit of help, you need a lot of help. It's like every girl who just has a heartbeat, you're like "Uhhh!"" moans John b.
"I mean what, it's not a big deal" JJ says as I storm through them. „also, not every girl. Haven't hooked up with your sister yet" he corrects himself.
Right, what did he just say? I mean that's a lie, but although..
"yeah and you won't! I see the looks you give her." mumbles John b. "She has a huge crush on you, so leave it" he whispers, but I heard it.
"I don't have a crush on JJ." I say
JJ winks at me."Sure you don't"
"This is it" says John b, standing in front of a door.
"Housekeeping" says JJ in a high pitched voice as he knocks on the door. I can't help but laugh.
"Should we try it?" asks John b.
"Yeah dude go ahead" I say.
"No power. No security cameras. No one's gonna know" says JJ as he unlocks the door.
We come in and... don't see anything special at first.
"Check the bag, JJ. See if there's a name on there somewhere" says John b and searches a bag himself.
"No name on the jacket. It's a nice jacket though" says JJ.
"Definitely over 50, he's got New Balances" mumbles John b.
"Yo dude come here" JJ looks at a map on the table. "Maybe this is where they were fishing"
"Let me see" says John b leaning over the table. "Nah that's off the continental shelf. That's a big swell, nobody fishes there" he keeps looking around
"Okay" mumbles JJ.
"Coffee?" Says John b in a mock British accent.
"Yeah. Standard. Tissues for when you get lonely" JJ continues the accent while I look around the bathroom.
JJ joins me."Ooh" he lights up on a small bag.
"Did you find anything?" Asks John b.
I look at my brother. "Don't get your hopes up"
"A really awesome Dopp Kit you won't let me steal" JJ continues.
"Yeah cause we're not stealing shit"
"I saw that" I look up to JJ, pointing at his pants pocket where he just put something. He holds his finger in front of my mouth and lets out a soft "shhhh".
JJ always tries to provoke me. And he knows exactly how. Plus, he loves to do that.
He knows I'm more of a shy girl, so I don't really say much when someone flirts with me or anything, I just get into a loss for words and blush. And JJ loves to do that to me. Which I kind of hate him for, but I don't want him to stop doing it either somehow.
"Idiot" I'm about to walk away when JJ pulls me back by my hand.
"Wait" JJ pulls my hair back with his hand and looks at my neck. "What the fuck is that?" He asks when he sees the marks on my neck.
"I don't know what you mean." I lie, turning my head away.
"Look at me, Emilia, no shit!" he turns my head so I'm looking directly at him. "I'm waiting for you to tell me who that was.".
"Nobody" I mumble and look down. I know he is serious, just because he said "Emilia" instead of "Mia".
„Was it him? Of course it was, like who else?" JJ looks down with an aggressive smile forming on his lips.
„I don't-„
"So now you're going to pretend there's nothing on your neck?" JJ shouts in a whisper.
„Yeah because there isn't!" I say back.
"It's not funny! Be sure, we will talk about it later." JJ says as I let out a groan in response.
It is always the same. JJ is the dominant type. The typical bad boy who wants to protect me. But showing his feelings, he doesn't do that.
Meanwhile, John b tries to crack the safe code. "One, one, one, two"
"Punching shit at random. That will....definitely work" says JJ.
"Wait a second, wait a second, wait a second.... here" John b takes the piece of paper with the number from the table and goes back to the safe. Stupid that he didn't think about it before.
While JJ is saying stupid and senseless things, my brother opens the safe. "Uh.. Jj? Emmi?"
"Huh?" JJ mumbles back.
"You're gonna want to see this" John b says confidently, holding up a wad of money.
As soon as I saw that there was a gun in the safe, I knew what was coming. I try to take it before he does, but it's too late.
"Dude, dude, dude!" Says JJ as he takes the gun out.
"You grabbed the gun" says john b
"No shit, sherlock" I reply.
"Put the gun back JJ!"
"this is a SIG Sauer" he holds up the gun. "This is a fucking speedy gatt, man.... Just Bam! Bam!" JJ pretends to shoot as he points his flashlight at the gun. "Bam! Bam!"
"With your luck, you're about to shoot someone by accident" I say, dodging JJ's 'shots'.
"Hey think about it, we're not stealing anything!" Repeats John b.
"Guys there was a noise at the window" I say suspiciously, when I hear something from the window.
But the boys pay no attention to me.
"Just take a pic of me. Right here" JJ holds up the gun and poses. "You want me to take a picture of you?" John b raises his eyebrows.
"Guys" I say, still referring to the noise.
"You wanna make our own incriminating evidence? Is that what you're talking about?" JJ stands still, confused.
"GUYS!" I repeat.
"Wait what was that?" Asks JJ. John b quickly peeks under the shutter and then runs to the window next to the door. "Cops" says John b as there is a knock on the door. The two boys run away as fast as they can.
"I love being ignored" I say and open the window. I look over at JJ who is helping himself to the safe.
"JJ!" I call out, signaling him to come over. We climb out the window and stand against the wall next to it. John b goes to the right and JJ of course goes to the left, to me. So he stands in front of me, body to body.
simply the position I am in at the moment, body to body with JJ, his warm breath on my skin, makes me crazy. And that's probably why he did it.
We look over at Pope who is making weird movements with his hands while JJ laughs in response.
"Oh my god we're going to die" I say as I hit JJ on the back of his head referring to his laughing. "I'm scared shitless"
"Just chill, babe, I'm right here" whispers JJ.
"Yeah, JJ, that's kinda like the reason" I whisper back. Which is on the one hand true and on the other hand it isn't.
We all take a quick look through the window. "Everybody's gotta dip their beak" says Deputy Shoupe holding up a wad of cash.
"No wa-" JJ holds his hand up to my mouth before I can finish.
"What the f-" JJ silently forms with his lips. "Do you believe tha-" at that moment JJ drops the gun and it falls down with a loud noise.
And at this moment, I feel like my heart is falling to the floor.
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"Well, that was fun" says the blond boy as we sit back on the boat. "Could've warned us a little sooner" JJ chuckles.
"We would have, except Pope was on the math team" says Kiara.
"You were on the math team?" john b looks confused at pope
"The cops took everything like it was a crime scene" says Pope as JJ sits up straight. "Did you guys find anything?"
"Did we find anything... No, I don't think so" JJ pulls the money and the gun out of his pockets and holds it up next to him. "Oh yeah, we did" he smiles.
I just roll my eyes at him, knowing that he brings us in a lot of trouble.
"What the hell?" Pope stands up in disbelief.
"Dude what?" says Kiara.
"Dude, chill, come on." JJ also stands up.
"why would you take that from a crime scene?" Pope looks over to JJ, upset.
"It's better than the cops having it." defends JJ.
John b laughs at them both. "You serious?" Kiara turns to John b and his laugh disappears within a second.
"I'm gonna lose my merit scholarship" Pope shakes his head.
"Hey, hey, hey. Sh, sh, sh, sh" JJ holds the gun in front of Pope's mouth. "At least you have us, right?"
"I'm living the nightmare" Pope looks over at me. "Em? Even you didn't stop him?" He sits down upset.
"Sorry, Pope, you know JJ. The guy's a dick" I say, looking up at JJ who sits down next to me with a smirk.
"Yeah, but you like that dick, don't you?" whispers JJ to me.