MONKEY
O N E Y E A R S A G O
John B jumped onto the couch next to River, his arm slung around the back of her seat. He had a childish grin on his face. The blonde looked at him with a raised brow, wondering what he wanted.
"What?" River giggled and the boy smirked at her in response, a plan forming in his head.
He usually came up with stupid ideas like this. And usually, River was the fool who went along with them. Truthfully, there wasn't anything River wouldn't do for JJ.
"You're pretty amazing, you know that right?" John B said, turning his full body to face her.
"Uh JB-"
Her heart began racing, it felt like he was going to confess his undying love for her, and she wasn't sure how to tell him that she thought of a brother and not a boyfriend, if that was the case.
"Don't worry R.C, I'm not gonna confess my love for you." John B reassured the girl as he saw the panicked expression on her face. "But you are pretty amazing."
River let a light blush creep up onto her face. Her blue eyes always seemed to sprakle whenever she was complimented. It made John B happy to see her happy, she deserved to be happy.
"Thank you, but why?" She didn't always believe the compliments she got. Part of the trauma living with her mom brought her.
"Because you're able to distract anyone." He paused. "Today, you distracted both Kie and JJ when Pope and I snuck off." He chuckled.
Pope and he had the idea to play some stupid prank on them and without River, it wouldn't have worked. It wasn't like it was hard to distract JJ, all she had to do was flirt with him for a little bit, but Kie was harder.
"Yeah that's cause I adapt my personality to fit everyone else's." River smiled.
It was kind of sad really, she often got caught up in acting and forgot who she really was. Sometimes she questioned things, she wondered if she even would like half of the things she'd like if she wasn't pretending to please others.
"I know you do, R.C, but we could also use it to our advantage." John B was always a planner. "If we ever need you to be a distraction I'm gonna say-" John B looked around for some sort inspiration and his eyes landed on the monkey teddy that River got him when he was younger, "Flying monkeys."
River let out a small chuckle but nodded.
~
John B turned to face the officer, but instead was met with a gun being pointed in his face. This guy was definitely not an officer.
"Why don't I go just ahead and see them hands in the air right now?" Barry shouted angrily.
Everyone was in a state of shock, no one knew what to do or whether they should listen to the man. "All y'all's hands up in the air now." He shouted, River jumped slightly but obeyed the man, putting her hands up in surrender. "You out of the car. Let's go."
River's heart was pounding. She didn't know what she was going to do.
John B slowly got out of the car. "Out if the car. Let's go. Hurry!" Barry then pointed to the van. "Let them out. What are you waitin on? What you waiting on? Let them out!" He shouted again.
John B slowly opened the door, his eyes flickered between Sarah and River. JJ seemed just as nervous as he was about the girls. Neither of them knew what to do.
"All of y'all. Go on. Go on? Let's get out the car! Let's go!"
Sarah and River were out first. "There you go, pretty girls." JJ clenched his jaw, he could kill the guy for even looking at River. "Here we go. Get out the car let's go."
John B stood in front of both Sarah and River protectively while JJ, Pope and Kie got out of van. He decided right then and there if anything happened to them, he would kill Barry.
"We're broke—" JJ attempted to tell the guy.
"Shut the hell up." The man shouted, pointing his gun at JJ.
"JJ!" River whimpered, going to run forward, but John B grabbed her and pulled her behind him.
He knew that JJ was hot headed and impulsive, so nobody knew what he was going to do next, whether that was comply and follow the rules or completely ignore them. He also knew that it panicked River more so than the others because she was the complete opposite.
"Alright. Alright. Just relax." JJ shouted back, he was too angry to stay calm.
"Shut the hell up. Shut up. I'll blow your damn head off." Barry shouted. JJ made his way next to River and nodded to say that he was okay. "Lay down in the ditch. On your Goddamn knees. Down." Everyone slowly lowered to the ground. "Put your face in the ground!" He then slapped JJ's head. "Stay here just like that. Don't let me see you look up. Alright. That's all y'all gotta do."
Barry then went to search the van for the gold. JJ wanted to so badly hold River's hand and check if she was okay. He wanted to protect her. He would do anything to protect her.
"It's a set up guys." Kie said, her voice cracking slightly.
"That old bat shanked us. Fuck! God damn it!" JJ hit the ground next to him angrily.
"Flying monkeys." John B shouted, everyone looked at him confused, including River for a split second, but then she realised exactly what he meant. She gave him a small nod. This was the second time he had used their code word.
River began to increase her breathing. Everyone noticed, including Barry. His attention was focused on her for a split second, before returning to look for the gold.
"I-I can't- breathe-" She stammered out, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Angel, it's okay." JJ reached out for her, River saw John B slowly standing up but the others were too preoccupied by her to notice.
Everyone was trying to tell River that they'd be okay. The whole group felt protective over River and always had. She felt guilty for making them panic about her, but she knew that John B needed her help.
"I can-t-he-help." Her hands began shaking and everyone crowded around her. They all thought it's as real.
"Is she breathing?" Nobody answered Barry, who was feeling slightly guilty. "I asked a fucking question. Is she fucking breathing?"
"Barely." JJ snapped back, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her under him.
Hoping that him just being close to her right now would kind of calm her. River let out a small smile at the physical contact, but she had to keep up her act. She couldn't allow herself to relax under his grip, she needed to keep pretending to be panicked for John B's sake.
"Alright now y'all stay like that. Unless you want your brains blown out, all over this road. Don't move your Goddamn heads okay?" Barry shouted, he had found the gold but not noticed that John B had gone.
John B had managed to stay hidden in the car and take they keys, so he couldn't drive off. He pulled Barry back so he hit his head and took the gun.
"Guys. I got the gun." John B shouted as he got out of the car.
JJ ran up and slammed the car door on Barry. River took the gun from John B. She didn't exactly know what to do with the gun, it's not like she knew how to shoot.
"I got the gold." Pope shouted as JJ punched Barry once again. Sarah pulled the door open and slammed it on his head, making him almost fall unconscious.
John B pulled the balaclava off of Barry's face, while JJ shouted, "I know this piece of shit." He looked over to River who wiped her tears and looked fine. He was so confused, not understanding what just happened. "He's a basehead."
"Probably knows my brother." Sarah mumbled as she ran her hand through her hair.
"He's sells coke to my dad." JJ seethed. His breathing was quick and rapid.
"Hey listen I could hurt a single on of y'all-" Before Barry could finish, JJ took the gun off River and slammed it into Barry's stomach.
River's eyes widened, JJ wasn't a killer. That wasn't who he was. She wanted to grab his hand and pull him away from Barry, but she knew that he was unpredictable when he was angry.
"Dude chill man, come on." Pope said as JJ went into Barry's pocket and pulled out his wallet. "Come on let's get outta here."
JJ took the ID and threw the wallet back onto the floor. "We got one last stop. Let's go see where this son of a bitch lives." JJ said pushing past everyone.
"I'm gonna remember this shit." Barry shouted as River ran after JJ, hoping that she would be able to calm him down.
"What are you doing?" She questioned, tugging on his arm, turning him around so that he'd look at her.
"Me? What am I doing? What are you doing?" JJ ran his hand over his face. "Fuck Ri-I thought you-"
His eyes darkened as he shouted at her. He was so worried about her. He was so scared that something was going to happen to her.
"It was fake, it was all fake. To control him. So that JB could-"
"You can't control a man with a gun River." JJ's snapped angrily.
He felt so angry that he wasn't apart of the plan, and that she had pit herself at risk to help John B. He didn't know how to explain his emotions to the girl.
"I can control you can't I?" She questioned raising her brow, with a smirk, her tongue ran over her bottom lip as she offered him a small wink.
River got into the back of the van second after she finished speaking. JJ wouldn't deny that the way she said it was hot. She seemed so confident and nervous at the same time.
John B threw the keys into the woods and then they set off to the trailer park, where Barry lived.