Edited June 20, 2023
𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍 𝐁 had managed to convince Kiara to rejoin the group. Mackenzie was happy to have the girl tag along, as she was riding in the van for the first time and was acting. Although the group had started to call Mackenzie one of them, she was still struggling with feelings of self-doubt and hatred.
"You mind if I just relax on this one?" JJ questioned from the back of the van, another blunt in between his fingers. "It's been a long day and a lot of crazy stuff's gone down."
"I think I might stay also," Mackenzie agreed softly, she shifted her weight so she was able to slump down and rest her head on the blonde's shoulder. The rest of the group shared the same odd facial expression but decided to keep their mouth shut.
JJ looked down at the brunette girl as she closed her eyes and watched as her nose scrunched up, something he was starting to notice she would do during stressful periods. The boy placed a hand on her head, playing with her hair without thinking. She didn't seem to mind, so he continued to softly play with her brown locks of hair.
"I'm just gonna lay low." He whispered to his friends as they continued to watch the pair with confusion. John B shot JJ a personal look through the rearview mirror, which JJ ignored, he knew that John B was jealous. "Oh, did you want a hit of this?" JJ raised his eyebrows, offering the blunt to Pope.
"I keep the signal clear," Pope said, politely declining the hit.
"Dude, okay. Do you understand that your problem is, that you don't get creative?" JJ explained to you the boy, taking another hit of his blunt.
"Look I-I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, and pretty much wrong about everything else going on." John B cut JJ off, talking about his situation now. "But I was right about one thing. Okay, my Dad is trying to tell me something."
The group left the two alone in the van as they headed to go investigate on their own. A few minutes passed by before JJ decided to break the awkward silence.
"Do you want to talk about last night?"
Mackenzie opened her eyes but kept her head resting on the blonde's shoulder. "I remember, it was nothing special." She said, not intending for it to come out the way it had.
JJ, very clearly taking it the wrong way stiffed up, his voice was dull as he responded, "Okay good. Just making sure you didn't think it meant anything."
Mackenzie felt her heartbreak, "Not at all," she mumbled as she sat up from leaning against JJ.
Thankfully the other had arrived back and invited the two to come along after finding something. They all grabbed lights before they left the van, being that it was pitch black out. JJ grabbed a headlight and John B grabbed a lantern, while Pope, Kie, and Mackenzie all grabbed normal flashlights.
"Hey, come on!" John B yelled to Mackenzie and JJ, who were still getting out of the van.
"We're coming." She responded softly, trying to keep her composure and not give off that JJ had hurt her feelings. The girl flicked on her flashlight, holding it in front of her. The pair joined the rest of the group as they walked through the graveyard.
"This place is scary." Kie pointed out. "John B, what are we doing?" Kiara asked.
"Shut up, shut up. Ok, so you know how you're trying to remember a song and you can't remember who sings it?" John B asked them metaphorically. "So, Redfield. This whole time, I thought it was a place, right?" John B held a lantern up in front of them as they walked. "But it's not a place." John B finally stopped at a tomb, all their eyes glued to it. "It's a person."
Mackenzie looked up at the tomb that read 'Redfield' at the top. "Redfield."
"Voi-effing-là," JJ murmured, nodding his head at the tomb.
"See my great-great-grandmother. Olivia Redfield." John B scoffed, a small smile on his face. "That was her maiden name."
The group of friends looked at each other, all thinking that John B's concoctions were completely ridiculous.
"Alright, help me with the door. Come on." The boy gestured for his friends to come to him, which they did.
"One.. two... three!" They all grunted as they attempted to push open the rock-solid door covering the inside.
"Are you pushing?" Pope questioned the group.
"Yeah, I'm pushing." John B argued back.
"Come on, these doors like 700 pounds, man. It's not gonna budge." Pope backed away from the door, shrugging.
"No. We didn't come this far to get this far. We got this." JJ tried at the door again with no luck.
Out of nowhere, a hiss came from one of the cracks in the tomb, making them all jump back.
Mackenzie jumped backwards letting out a loud yelp as she went right into JJ's chest. Out of instinct, he grabbed onto the girl's waist. He felt his heart thumping in his chest as her hazel eyes locked with his. It was only for a few seconds before his heart broke as she tore out of his grip and walked over to stand by John B.
"Snake," JJ announced.
"Woah, Woah, Woah!" Pope jumped a mile as he caught sight of the animal.
"That's a moccasin, all right." JJ nodded at the name, a smile playing on his lips. "Ye old Dr. Cottonmouth."
"As the snake moved around on the ground, JJ began barking at it, trying to threaten it.
"JJ shut up. Shut up!" Kiara yelled at the boy.
"You're gonna wake the freaking dead, man." Pope looked at him, wide-eyed.
"They're afraid of dogs, everyone knows that man." JJ tried explaining to them, motioning to the snake.
The group started to walk back up to the tomb, trying to again figure out how to crack it open.
"Wait, wait. Hold on." JJ stopped them before they got too far.
A string of, 'what's' came from the group's mouths as JJ walked in front of them. "If there's one, there's probably dozens."
"Great." Mackenzie sighed, itching towards the body beside her to hide behind it. John B noticed her discomfort and extended a hand out for her to grab, which she gratefully took. JJ couldn't help but shoot John B an angry look.
"Can you stop, you're scaring me." Kie groaned, rolling her eyes at the boy as he started barking again.
"Stop barking at the snakes." John B ordered the boy, "You're freaking Kenzie out."
"I'm just making sure the snakes don't go near Kenzie," JJ said, emphasizing the nickname he had given the girl the other night.
Mackenzie narrowed her eyes at the boy who was very clearly showing jealousy. He had been the one to completely brush off the moment that had happened last night, as he had practically turned her down.
"She's fine," John B scowled, he tightened his grip on the girl's hand and pulled her closer to him, "I've got you Kenzie."
"Look, John." Pope started. "Shut up!" He yelled to JJ behind him. "John, look we're not gonna get in it. It's not budging. We should probably go."
As Kiara shined her flashlight on the tomb, the girls looked at each other when they saw a way in for the two of them.
"I can get through." Mackenzie sighed, she felt John B pull her closer to him. Although she had feelings for JJ and was confused about John B's sudden shift of interest, it felt good to have him give her attention and be affectionate.
"What?" JJ furrowed his eyebrows. "No, no, no. I don't care if you fit through that, you're terrified of snakes and it's dangerous."
"I'll be fine," Mackenzie told him. She turned to look up at John B, "Look this is about your dad. And honestly, I don't believe in it but you deserve to know the truth."
John B let go of her hand and nodded.
"I'm gonna give you a boost, alright." JJ got into position, putting his hand so that she could place a foot onto it and get themselves up to the hole. "I've seen it in the movies several times. Ready?" The blonde adjusted his headlight as she walked toward him.
"Remind us of what we're looking for," Mackenzie commented, her eyes on John B.
"You'll know when you see it." John B clenched his jaw.
"Okay," She whispered getting reading for JJ to boost her into the tomb.
"Ready, Kenzie?" JJ raised his eyebrows at her, a smirk on his face as Pope and John B took notice of the nickname he gave her.
"Yes." She replied.
"Okay, on 3. 1, 2-" JJ started.
Mackenzie jumped before he got to 3, not wanting to drag out what she waS about to do.
"Okay or before 3." JJ raised his eyebrows.
"Flashlight!" The girl called out, looking around the dark tomb as Pope stuck a flashlight threw the hole. "Woah." She whispered, her eyes taking in her surroundings.
"You alive? You got, like, a heartbeat and everything." John B peeked through the hole, mostly unable to see anything.
"For now." Mackenzie swallowed hard as she walked through the tomb. "It's tight in here and I can't see much," she said, prompting John B to shove his lantern in with them.
"Yeah, yeah here." He said, eager to know what was inside.
As she searched the place her eyes caught something in the back of the tomb.
"Did you find something? Are you okay?" JJ asked starting to grow impatient with waiting.
"Oh, my god." Mackenzie yelped. She reached her arm in a hole in the wall, pulling a FedEx envelope that had, 'For Bird' written on it. When Mackenzie got back over to the hole in the tomb, she held the note up.
"That is not gold." Said, Pope.
"Yeah well, at least it's something." The girl put the flashlight in her mouth so she could use both hands to get out.
As she was about to jump out of the tomb, JJ gripped her waist, picked her up and placed her down on the ground slowly. His heart once again fluttered as the familiar feeling of his hands on her skin brought comfort.
"Thanks." She smiled up at him after she removed the flashlight from her mouth, dusting the cobwebs from the seemingly ancient tomb off of her bandana.
"Holy shit. This is from my dad." John B studied the package, a grin slipping onto his lips.
His friends smiled at him, feeling happiness for the boy
. As JJ played with his lighter and eventually lit a cigarette, the boy noticed something. "Code red. Code red. Square groupers! Square groupers!" JJ immediately warned them, putting the cigarette out.
The group of friends started booking it, running behind the side of the tomb.
"Turn your light off, man!" Pope patted John B's shoulder as the person or people in the golf cart parked.
"John B, you're light!" Kie seethed, shaking her head.
"I see something." A man called out, sending the teens into a panic.
"Do you think it's them?" Kiara's breath got heavy as the men got closer.
"Homie's got a gun." JJ peeked around the corner.
"Nah screw this." Mackenzie jumped up from her spot, her legs ferociously carrying her toward the fence, not caring if she was seen.
Her friends copied her actions, following behind the brunette as she threw her body into the metal fence that was one of the exits of the graveyard. The men behind them shouted, obviously catching sight of the teens and racing toward them. The girl climbed it as fast as she could, hooking her arms over the metal bars so she could reach the top.
Laughs and screams escaped the teen's mouths as they scaled the fence. Mackenzie jumped to the ground after she got to the top, landing with a loud crunch. She let out a yelp and fell to the ground at the same time that Pope's shorts got caught in the fence.
"I got you," Kiara told the boy, climbing back up the fence to help him out of the pickle he got himself trapped into.
JJ, of course, pulled out the gun, pointing it in every direction. "Pope, don't move, okay?"
"You're gonna rip me." Pope shook his head to Kiara, who was attempting to get the boy free. "Wait! You're gonna rip me." The boy repeated, not wanting to have his favourite pair of grey cargo shorts ripped by a metal fence at a cemetery.
"You're fine, come on!" Kiara slapped the boy's shoulder, pushing him enough so that John B could reach him, grab the back of his shirt, and pull him off of the fence. Which, did end with Pope's shorts ripping.
"Pope, come on!" John B yelled again as he placed the boy on the ground.
"Nice! Come on, dude." JJ looked at the boy, whose boxers were now out in the open since his shorts just got ripped off of his body.
"It's a little Tootsie Roll!" JJ sneered.
The teens laughed and whooped as they reached the van, the adrenaline pumping through their veins faster by the second. Mackenzie was trying so hard not to give off that she was in agonizing pain.
"Get in! Stupid!" Kie laughed as the teens threw themselves into the van.
Pope quickly covered himself, a look of embarrassment spread across his cheeks. Their laughs quickly began to die down as JJ's eyes landed on Mackenzie's 𝐒𝐖𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓.