I stared up at the blonde teenager as he worked at pulling the vent from the wall of the container. I could feel one of John B's hands rooted at my waist and the other on my left shoulder. There was a light conversation but I drowned it out, simply watching as JJ worked on the way out.
"Okay, we raid the armory, get weapons, roll back here, and plot the next move. The armory is on the third deck, aft, near the laundry room. Let's roll" JJ lets out, turning at the end of his explanation to pull the vent from the wall.
I caught, in the corner of my eye, Pope taking a small step forward before voicing his own opinion. "Hold up, I don't think we should all go out there. It's too risky" JJ was fast to ask why.
I felt John B squeeze my shoulder and I turned my head to look up at the brunette boy. He didn't hold eye contact long before looking over to JJ. "Okay, I gotta be honest, I think you should stay here," John B told JJ and he scoffed.
"What?"
"Well, I" He began, placing emphasis on the I. "I have, uh" He stumbled over his words and looked down at me. Our eyes met and I got a feeling in my gut.
"you have my girl Sarah to go after" I finished for him and I watched as he let his head nod once. I placed my own hand on top of his on my shoulder to assure him it was okay.
"and Pope has" He coughed before beginning but Pope too cut the boy off and finished the sentence.
"the cross" Pope let out.
"Also, if you go out there, there's a one hundred percent probability that you're going to do something stupid" John B added, looking back to JJ.
"Okay, first of all, I think the correct terminology is ballsy. That is it" JJ argued. I watched as Pope stepped forward again and grabbed onto JJ's shirt.
"Okay, get down here" He uttered as he tugged at the boy. "no, get off! I'm a field player" JJ pulled himself away from Pope but still jumped down from the crates.
"If we go out there and we get in a bind, we need somebody to look out for us. That's what we need" John B told JJ.
"I get it, I get it. I'll be on the B team" I rolled my eyes at the boy. "I never said B team" John B defended.
"I'm sorry, are you calling us B team?" Kiara motioned between both herself and me. "didn't mean to offend you" JJ mockingly put his hands in the air.
"Did the B team not just find our way out, or am I totally tripping?" Kiara scoffed. "no I'm pretty sure B team did" I added, both of us glaring at JJ.
"look just hold back, hold down the fort," Pope told the boy and JJ pursed his lips. "great, looking forward to it. Mm-hmm"
"we'll babysit," Kiara said unenthusiastically. JJ began to move away from the four of us but slowed to say something else.
"you guys have fun. It's your funeral, your game. I'll be in here, on the bench" He turned back around and continued to walk.
I looked back to John B and I suddenly felt a bit anxious for him to leave the false comfort the container was currently giving me. Kiara placed a hand on both John B and Pope's shoulders and looked between the two of them.
"Hey, don't get shot. That's all I got" Kiara pulled away after giving her words of encouragement. "Don't get shot. Well, that's disheartening and scary" John B let out, watching as the girl stepped back.
"yeah, I don't got anything else either" I added, sending a quick forced smile to both boys.
John B squeezed my hand again and I gave him a genuine smile. "I love you," He told me, leaning in and meeting me for a kiss.
"I know" I muttered as we pulled away and he playfully scoffed at me.
I watched as the boys began climbing onto the crates and John B pulled the vent away from the wall. The sick feeling rose again in my stomach and I stepped forward, reaching out for John B's hand.
He turned to me with a raised brow and I felt my heartbeat increase. "I love you too," I told him and he chuckled.
"I know" He playfully smirked at me before he moved back to the vent.
I tried to keep the thoughts of not seeing him again from flooding my brain. I tried to calm the nerves going wild inside of me as I watched the boy I was in love with jump out of the container, followed by one of our best friends.
Kiara waited a moment before moving forward and placing the vent back over the opening in the wall, hopefully covering any evidence we were there.
She sighed as she got down from the crates and walked over to me. "it's going to be okay, right?" I asked, looking up and into Kiara's brown eyes. I watched as the girl bit the inside of her lip as she seemed to rack her brain for a suitable answer to the question. Neither of us was sure of any outcome.
"well, we might as well get comfy in here" I let out as I turned a minute after, beginning to walk over to where JJ was. I sent the boy a quick look and he moved over, his sign for me to come sit next to him, so I did.
"Did either of you happen to have a deck of cards with you, or something to do?" Kiara asked as she walked towards us.
"no, why would we have cards Kie?" JJ asked her, and she shook her head. "I dunno, you're the one that brought the pocket knife" She retorted.
"Swiss army knife" He corrected her. I sighed but at least we were back to their bickering selves and they weren't sitting in absolute silence.
"It's a pocket knife dumbass" She shot back, flicking him by his ear. He tried to dodge her but her hand followed and he scoffed.
"Okay do I need to sit between the two of you" I laughed, looking between my two friends. "you wouldn't need to if Kiara wasn't being the way she is" He shrugged and I rolled my eyes.
"If you weren't being an idiot I wouldn't have to be this way" She mocked his shrug and I bit back my laugh, simply standing and sitting down between the two of them.
"Jesus, this is going to be boring"