Hurricane Agatha
JJ, Kie, and Pope sat in a circle at the beach laughing at a story Kie was telling about one of he father's employees at The Wreck. JJ kept looking at John B worried as he sat a few feet away facing away from them. She knew he was worried about DCS coming out tomorrow and to be honest she was worried too.
John B stood up and walked over to the refreshment tents that people set up to get money off of tourists. He caught a glimpse of a TV that showed Tropical Storm Agatha becoming Hurricane Agatha as the storm increased and John B felt relief. DCS wouldn't be able to come.
He called up and told them they'd have to reschedule, trying not to sound too happy about it on the phone.
When he got back to the group to tell them the good news, JJ was gone already.
He looked questioningly at Kie and Pope.
"She said she had to go home for some reason." Kie shrugged and if only she knew why that sentence made John B tense up, but she didn't say anything. "I gotta head home too before the storm." With that she headed out.
John B had a lot of pent up energy and had a sudden idea of how to use it. "Let's get our boards man. The waves are looking great!"
Pope eyed him for a minute like he was questioning if this was a good idea or not, but agreed none the less.
They loaded into the Twinkie and retrieved their boards from their respective houses. Pope had to sneak in quietly as not to alert his parents to what he was up to. No way they'd let him out of the house. When they returned to to the beach it was now pouring rain from dark grey skies, and nobody else was crazy enough to still be there.
"It's a double overhead out there man!" John B said excitedly to Pope.
"Double overhead?" He said, starting to second guess going out there. "Those aren't surf-able waves bro." Thunder rumbled.
John B laughs, feeling wreckless. "Says who?" He slaps Pope's chest and speeds up his pace towards the water. "Whoo!"
His feet hit the water and he paddles out. He looks and sees that Pope remained on the beach looking worried. He thinks he might be on the phone with someone, but shrugs. He keeps paddling and starts surfing the waves. He falls several times as the waves crash down on him. He sits up on the board and looks out thinking maybe it's time to head in when he sees it. A Grady white but then it's gone and he can't find it again so he turns back to the beach and heads back.
Pope just shakes his head at him, but he can see the awe on his face too. John B knows he was stupid, but he feels better now and so he doesn't regret it. He drops Pope off at his house, then heads back fo the chateau.
The house is quiet when he gets there. He feels a pang of worry when he remembers JJ went home, but tries not to think about it. He grabs a towel from the bathroom to dry his hair and strips out of his swim trunks.
After his hair is mostly dry, he walks into his room, lights still off and grabs some boxers from his dresser. He just pulled them on when he noticed a lump on his bed and blonde hair splayed out on his pillow.
He feels relief wash through him now that he knows his friend is safe. He walks over and lays next to her. She must've felt him and woke cuz she shot up and backed into the corner, fear radiating from her face. He cringed at himself for startling her, but he moves slowly towards her with his hands visible in front of him. "You're okay. It's just me JJ. John B. Your okay."
He could see her face in the light of the moon shining through the window and there didn't seem to be any bruises but when his eyes scanned down he saw it. Her neck was black and blue as if someone strangled her and he felt his eyes glaze over with tears and fear tore at his heart that one day Luke would actually kill her.
He saw the moment it registered on her face that it was just him and a strangled sob left her. He tried to move closer but she got angry and pushed him away.
He looked at her hurt and confused.
"How could you be so wreckless John B! Surfing the surge?! Really?! You could've-" and another sob escapes her lips as she couldn't finish the sentence. She bit her lip trying to hold onto her anger and stop crying. Her throat hurt and her voice sounded raw.
So that's who Pope was on the phone with. He felt a little irritated at that, but then John B felt guilty. He hadn't really thought of how his actions could hurt someone else, but he thinks he knows how she is feeling because it's how he feels every time she goes home. It's what he feels when she throws herself into fights she can't win. It's what he feels when she doesn't bring him in on a half-baked plan and does it on her own. It's what he feels when she goes off with random guys at parties.
"You want to lecture me on being wreckless?" He asks, eyebrow raised. And she looks like she wants to argue but she knows he's right and swallows her words.
"I can't lose you John B" she whispers instead, still teary eyed.
"Never," he replied softly. He gently pulled her away from the corner. She let him and they laid down again, John B being careful as he didn't know to what extent she was hurt. Other than her neck she felt ok. She laid on her back with her face turned towards John B who laid on his side facing her. His finger gently touched her neck and she saw fear and worry in his eyes. He touched his forehead to hers and then he whispered, "I can't lose you either, JJ."
JJ felt her heart beat fast as his words warmed her and she whispered back to him the same words he did. "Never."
The air felt charged with electricity and their faces were so close JJ could feel his breath on her lips.
BOOM
Thunder rumbled and JJ startled. The moment ended. John B pulled JJ to his chest and she buried her face, his scent and heartbeat lulling her to sleep. John B took longer, but soon he was asleep too.
John B woke first and got up to take a shower, but noticed the power was out. No cell service either. He decided to wake up JJ
He reentered the room and nudged her.
"Heyy JJ, wake up" he said, hoping not to startle her like the night before. The bruises on her neck had darkened and John B bit back the anger that never fails to find its way into his heart when he sees the damage Luke Maybank leaves on his best friend.
"I have polio bro, I can't walk" she groans into her pillow. He shakes his head, then leaves the room to see the damage outside.
He exits the front door and immediately he sees a tree has been uprooted. Mud and foliage is everywhere. The chicken coop managed to hang in there but a few shillings are missing from the roof.
He groans and mumbles to himself at the mess Hurricane Agatha has wrought.
JJ makes her way outside finally. "Agatha did some work huh?" She whistled.
"Yeah she did," John B replied, going over to start pulling foliage out of the HMS Pogue.
JJ walks closer. "What ya thinkin?" She asked.
"I'm thinking that storm surge pushed all the crabs out on the marsh maze. All those drum are gonna chase the crab." He says optimistically.
"What about the DCS? Wasn't that today?" JJ remembered.
"Nah they're not getting on a ferry," John B says happily. "Come on, think about it. It's god telling us to fish!" He waves a hand with a stray branch towards the ocean. JJ smiles wide and they push the HMS Pogue out onto the water.
They decide to go pick up Kie and Pope first.
They make snarky comments and wave hello to other people checking on their boats on their way to pick up Pope.
"Sure hope Guffy's boat didn't sink. He doesn't have insurance," JJ commented.
"Yeah," John B agreed and spotted one of his old teachers on one of the docks. "Hi Miss Amy! You guys get through it?"
"Still here!" She called back.
"Her husband totally looked at me," JJ said cockily after they'd passed.
"I saw it," John B said. Not wanting to linger on it, he added, "Dude look at this place."
Trash was everywhere. Kie wouldn't be happy.
JJ whistled. "Agatha what'd you do?"
"She is a crazy lady," John B agreed.
"We'll be cleaning this all summer" JJ complained.
"That's what I'm afraid of" John B sagged.
Just then Pope came into view and John B maneuvered the boat towards the dock Pope was currently spraying down.
"Well look who we have here," he said loud enough Pope could hear. He then cupped one hand to his mouth like he was speaking into a radio. He minics a static sound, "We have a safety meeting. Attendance mandatory." Another mimicked static.
"I can't. My pops got me on lockdown." Pope explains, disappointed.
"Come on man" JJ says then copies John B's fake radio and static "Your dad's a pussy. Over. "
"Oh I heard that you little bastard" Mr. Heyward's voice was heard as he walked over, broom in hand, and a stern look on his face.
"We need your son!" John B announces, trying to smooth over JJ's badly timed insult.
"Yeah and island rules. Day after a hurricane's a free day." JJ said smartly with her arms spread out as if to say everyone knows that.
"Who the hell made that up?" Mr. Hayward said exasperated.
"Uh.. Pentagon I think. We have security clearance. I have a card" JJ says confident, hand by her pocket.
"I'll do it tomorrow" Pope intervenes.
"You think I'm stupid?" Mr. Hayward says pointedly.
"I promise I'll do it tomorrow," Pope tries again.
"No no Hell no. You're doin it right now." Mr. Heyward demands.
Pope looks torn so John B whispers loudly "get in the boat." Like Mr. Heyward can't hear.
"Make a run for it," JJ egged him on.
Pope puts down the hose and moves to get in the boat.
"Boy if you get in that boat-" Mr. Heyward starts but Pope is already in the boat. "Bring your ass back here!"
John B is already maneuvering away.
"I promise I'll do it tomorrow, dad" Pope says again. John B and JJ are cheering.
"You get back you're gonna clean shrimp, you gonna clean fish-" Mr. Heyward yells.
"Love you pops" Pope waves.
"You'll clean your dirty ass room!" Mr. Heyward continues.
"We'll bring him back in one piece I promise" John B calls back.
"And I don't like your friends!" Mr. Heyward finishes, giving up when the HMS Pogue is just about out of hearing range.
Soon they are pulling up to another dock where Kie is already waiting with a cooler.
"Oh top of the morning to ya!" JJ greets her.
"Good morning" she says back. John B and Pope both give their greetings as well.
"What ya got? You got some juice boxes?" Pope asked in some awful impersonation of an unknown accent.
"You know, just some yogurt and carrot sticks." She replies.
"What about my kind of juice boxes?"JJ asks, hopeful.
"Yeah," Kie smiles as she climbs in the boat and opens the cooler. JJ smiles and both her and Kie grab a beer out.
"Salud" Kie cheers.
"Skoal" JJ cheers back and their bottles clinked before they took a long swig from their beers.
John B presses the gas and they continue on to the marsh maze, excited for what the day might bring.
