Chapter 7: Changes
Part I - New Year, Same Problems
The snow covered the community like a blanket as every member of Houlton grabbed snow shovels out of their homes and began to shovel the snow out of their driveways, roads, and sidewalks. Some were shoveling outside the walls as well.
"Y'all know it's New Year's Day right?" Asks Marcus as he's shoveling snow.
"How do you know?" Replies Byron. "You kept track or something?"
"Nah, from that smart girl. Shit, what's her name? With the glasses? One of Lynn's sisters."
"Her name is Lisa bro," JuJu answers.
"Yeah, that. Anyway, it's 2017. Let's hope for a better year, yeah?"
"I guess."
"Oh, that reminds me," Byron butts in. "You guys know that Richard left here last night? He just got up and left."
"Woah, real shit?" Marcus says. "That's good then."
JuJu stays silent before speaking again.
"Yeah. Lynn told me earlier today. She was confused too. I'm just glad we won't see that pendejo again. Fuck him."
"True that."
They continued to shovel the snow in complete silence, nothing but the crunch of the snow moving and everyone's shoes making contact with the ground.
"J, isn't your birthday next month?" Says Marcus. "The big fifteen am I right?"
JuJu turns his head quickly.
"What? Y-yeah. How do you remember that?"
"I remember you talking about it with CiCi back when we met. It just stayed with me I guess."
"Damn, well I don't care about my birthday at this point. There's no point in celebrating it anymore, but that's just me."
Marcus nods and looks down, wishing he hadn't brought it up.
Suddenly, two shots were fired in the distance outside the town's walls. It grabs the attention of everyone as some run to their homes and the trio grabs their weapons, preparing for what might come next.
They all hustle to the front of the walls, meeting up with the Louds.
"Y'all heard that right?" exclaims JuJu as he cocks back his rifle.
"Yeah," replies Luan. "Sounded like it came from that way."
Lori grabs a revolver from her jacket and walks toward the sound of the gunshots.
"Luan, get 'em inside Houlton! Now!" She yells as she points at Rita, Lynn Sr., and Leni. "Luna, come with me!"
Luan nods and brings her family members inside the walls.
JuJu and his friends look at each other and run into the woods to help Lori and Luna cover more ground.
They walk around the woods looking for where the gunshots came from. They keep a certain distance from each other as they roam the area. They see nothing but fog and fallen branches.
"I can't see shit," Marcus whispers.
"Hold up," JuJu says as he quietly runs to a large rock. "Watch my back real quick."
"The hell are you doing?"
"I'm tryna get a better look of everything. Just shh."
He climbs the rock and gets on top of it, seeing more clearly over the fog until a shot is fired in his direction, hitting a tree next to him. JuJu stumbles and falls to the ground with the snow breaking his fall.
"JuJu!" Byron yells. "You good?"
"I'm good," JuJu grunts. "Don't worry about me, it's the Rogues, they're back. They're closing in on Lori."
Marcus and Byron follow JuJu to Lori's location. They hide behind a fallen tree and see what's happening up the hill.
"Fuck, there's too many of them," JuJu whispers. "We can't help her."
They had to sit there and watch as Lori got blindfolded and her hands tied behind her back as she was led to a truck.
"Shit!" JuJu yells as the sound of the truck fades away.
The three decide to walk back to Houlton in defeat.
When they arrive, they're met by the others.
"I'm not going to sit!" yells Luna
"Hey! We need to go find them," JuJu says.
"No, you can't go!" says David. "It could be it is a trap! They're waiting for us on the other side!"
JuJu and his friends then find out that Leni, Luan, Rita, and Lynn Sr. are missing as well. Lynn and Lincoln then run toward everyone else.
"They can't be dead!" she yells. "They weren't shooting to kill! Otherwise, Lincoln and I would've been corpses on the ground! They're still alive and we gotta save 'em now!"
David then tells everyone that they'll have to hold on for now. It'll be too risky for everyone to go out there blind to what the Rogues have out there.
JuJu sees Lynn walk away in anger as he stops himself to talk to her.
"I think it's best to let her chill for a little bit," Marcus says as he walks behind him and puts his hand on JuJu's shoulder.
Later that day, Lynn is laying on her bed, tossing a baseball in the air over and over again until her door opens.
"Get out, I don't wanna ta-. Oh, hey JuJu."
"Hey LJ, am I here at a bad time?"
"Nah you're fine. Can't be mad at you. What's up?"
"Nothin' really, I just came to check up on you. How you doin'?"
"Decent I guess, My shoulder is feeling a lot better but I'm still pissed that we can't go save Lori and the others. Hope they're okay. David sucks as a leader right now."
"I know, but he's kinda right though. It's like a death trap to go out there without a plan, ya know? What if that's what they want us to do?"
Lynn sighs. "I don't know, I just don't want to lose more of my family. They mean too much to me and sitting here doin' nothing isn't helping. I wanna go out there and save them."
"I feel you, we just gotta be patient."
"Fine, I won't do anything until we have a plan."
"Aight. There's something else I came to talk to you about."
"What's that?"
JuJu sits there for a little while, getting lost in her blue eyes, thinking of saying how he feels about her but struggling to let it out.
"You know what? Nevermind. It's not important right now."
"Come on, JuJu. You gotta tell me now."
"Nah, it's stupid."
"Bro, so you're gonna make me curious for a while then?"
"It's not even that serious of a thing. It ain't important, trust me."
"Okay, whatever you say, weirdo. I'll get it out of you someday."
"I bet you will. I'll see you later alright?"
"Okay, see ya."
JuJu exits her room and closes the door to her room and goes down the stairs to the front door. When he leaves the house, he sits on the steps of the front porch and talks to himself.
"Dumbass, you had it right there!" He says as he hits himself on the head. "Pendejo, pendejo, pendejo! I gotta stop bein' a pussy!"
He stands up and walks toward his home, still beating himself up for missing the opportunity. When he arrives, he's met by Marcus.
"So," he says as he crosses his arms. "Did you tell her?"
"I fucked up bro. I had the opportunity there in front of me but I choked up and told her it was nothing. I hate myself. I'm the most confident dude in the world but when it comes to talking to a female I like, the confidence is gone. Why am I like this?"
"It's probably 'cause you never had friends that were girls."
"What? I had friends that were girls, I just didn't have a crush on them. This is different. Lynn is my first crush."
"So throughout middle school or during your freshman year, you liked no one? I find that hard to believe honestly."
"I'm for real, Other than crushing on a celebrity, I didn't like anyone. Just focused on sports. I've said this before."
"You did, just not the part where you didn't crush on anyone."
"Whatever. All I know is that I messed up. Where's Byron anyway?"
"He had some responsibilities to take care of."
"Damn, well I guess I'm gonna go take a nap and probably work out again after, what you gonna do?"
"Gonna go hunting later. Gonna try and find me a boar, some bacon sounds hittin' right now."
"Good luck with that. Don't get yourself killed."
"You know me, lil bro, I'm the best at this."
"Aight, whatever you say."
The following day, JuJu is woken up by Byron busting through the door.
"Yo JuJu, we got some new people here, Marcus says he knows one of 'em."
"Huh?" He replies as he rubs his eyes and yawns. "Alright, I'll be there in a minute."
JuJu gets out of bed and puts a hoodie on, followed by his sneakers, and walks with Byron downstairs.
"Aye, JuJu!" This is my cousin-"
"E-Emmanuel?" JuJu says as he cuts off Marcus.
"No fuckin' way," says Emmanuel.
"Wait, y'all know each other?" says Marcus
"More than that. I don't like this fuckboy."
"I could say the same homie."
"Wait, how?"
"We both from San Diego, M."
"Bruh."
"Yeah, your cuz ain't a good ball player by the way."
"Oh, you got jokes now huh? Anyway, I see you all doing well for y'all selves. Check that out."
"Yup, we doin' just fine."
"And that's what I've heard. Yet, I still know now dudes who got bigger balls than you do."
"You out here looking at dudes' nuts? It's good to have confirmation that you roll that way."
"This funny fuck. Why do you keep hangin' around with this clown, M? Shake this fool man."
"Man, y'all both from the same set, why can't y'all just get along?"
"You know what dawg? M's right, let's put this beef aside for a bit. It's good to see you again, missed you boy, and you definitely got hit up on the side."
"Hit up?" Emmanuel says as he shoves JuJu.
"Hey! Hey!" Marcus yells. Don't be doin' that shit."
"Get your boy, M. Bro got no type of respect."
"Respect? Man, I got respect for reality homie," JuJu answers back. "Plus, you can't say a damn thing about respect. If you still holdin' a grudge on stuff from back then, you need to grow up, This a different world we in now and I don't have time for these games."
"Alright, keep thinking that! We'll see who's a man!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The two start to walk toward each other as Marcus and Byron split them up.
"Alright!" yells Marcus. Both of y'all need to relax! Cut the beef and let's be normal people. You both acting childish!"
"Whatever," JuJu grunts. "It's too early for this shit." He throws Byron's hand off him and walks out the door.
He takes a deep breath when he's outside, showing the hot air coming out of his mouth into the cold air. He puts his hands in the pockets of his hoodie and takes a walk down the sidewalk to clear his head. He then hears footsteps come from behind him.
"Hey, JuJu," says Lynn.
He turns his head and nods at her.
"Listen, I heard the whole argument."
He stops and looks at Lynn with a shocked expression on his face.
"What? How?"
"I wanted to come to your house to chill for a bit but before I knocked I heard arguing through the door."
"Damn it."
"Yeah, seems like you had a rival huh?"
"It's like an old wound that re-opened. We've hated each other since we were little. We usually let our game do the talking."
"I've been there before, but what was really the reason for you both hating each other?"
JuJu takes a deep breath and looks at Lynn.
"It's a long story. But basically, we used to play basketball together when we were kids. We were both on the same team, but we never got along. We were always competing, trying to one-up each other. And then one day, things just escalated. We got into a fight, and since then, we ended up on different teams and schools."
Lynn nods, listening intently. "And you've been enemies ever since?"
"Pretty much," JuJu replies with a shrug. "We've had a few run-ins over the years. At the park for pickup games, football games in high school, but we've mostly stayed out of each other's way."
"But now he's back," Lynn says.
"Yeah," JuJu sighs. "And I don't know what to do about it. I don't want to start anything with him again, but I also don't want to back down. It's complicated."
Lynn puts a hand on his shoulder. "I get it. But you know what? You don't have to prove anything to him. You don't have to compete with him anymore. You've both matured now. Maybe it's time to let go of the past and try to move forward."
JuJu looks at her, considering her words. "Maybe you're right. It's just hard, you know?"
"I know," Lynn says with a smile. "But I believe in you. And if you need someone to talk to, I'm here."
"Thanks, Lynn," JuJu says, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. "That means a lot to me."
"Always bro, you're one of my best friends. I care about you. You got this. C'mon, let's go back to your place and you settle things with him."
"Alright, let's do it."
The two walk back to the house as JuJu takes a deep breath before entering. He enters the house and sees Marcus, Byron, and Emmanuel sitting at the kitchen table.
"You ready to talk now?" asks Marcus."
"Yeah," he replies. "Emmanuel, look bro. Every time we see each other, it's always drama. Why?"
"Don't blame me, You know how some people are, gaslighting and shit."
"Nah, you know how you are You always gotta be the tough guy, always gotta prove something."
"Prove what? I'm just bein' myself."
"And that's the problem, You still stuck in the same mindset ever since we were on that little league team and fought. You really gotta grow up bro, like deadass. I don't want to keep fighting about some childish shit. Our sports careers don't matter anymore. National rankings, college offers, none of that. The goal now in this world is to survive and prosper."
"I don't need you telling me how to live my life, JuJu. You don't know shit about me."
"You're right. I don't. But you're still out here holding a grudge from years ago while I'm out here trying to build something for myself and everyone in my group. I killed people to make life better for others. Do you know how it feels to kill someone when you don't want to?"
"You tryin' to say you're better than me?"
"Nah, you putting words in my mouth. Just listen. It's time to leave this beef in the past and move on cause this is getting ridiculous."
Emmanuel stays silent as JuJu waits for an answer. Finally, after some time, He speaks.
"JuJu, I was tired of being in your shadow, always one-upping me, that's why we fought, I got tired of it and the fact you never rubbed it in my face made me more mad for some reason. Every year, you were ranked higher than me nationally in baseball, basketball, football, track, and so on. I was just blinded by it. I gotta face the fact that you are better than me and I'm sorry."
"It's fine, it was the past, we're matured now and we need to stick together if you are willing to stay."
"You for real?"
"Yeah, like I said, I'm building something for myself and everyone. You're part of this too. Welcome to Houlton."
He puts his hand out for a handshake.
"We got a truce?"
"Yeah, JuJu. Truce." Emmanuel replies as he shakes his former rival's hand.
Lynn puts her hands on JuJu's shoulder and gives him a proud nod.
"Okay, we gotta ask you some questions first. It's a trust thing."
"Aight hit me with them."
"How many Roamers have you killed?"
"Roamers?"
"Zombies. That's just what we call them."
"Oh, like three to five I guess."
"How many people have you killed?"
There's a sudden pause before Emmanuel answers JuJu's question.
"Only one," replies Emmanuel.
"Why?"
"It was on accident. I fought with someone and they tried to take my gun. We fought over it until my finger accidentally pressed the trigger and it shot him in the head."
JuJu looks at Lynn and then his friends.
"He told me about it. It's true," Marcus says. "I can tell when he's lyin'."
"Aight then."
"Who's your girl?" Emmanuel asks.
"Oh, uh," he replies as he clears his throat and starts to let out a nervous laugh. "She's not my girl. This is my friend, Lynn. LJ, this is Emmanuel."
Lynn extends her hand to Emmanuel with a friendly smile. "Sup bro, nice to meet you."
Emmanuel shakes Lynn's hand, returning the smile. "Back at you. Looks like J here found someone nice for him."
JuJu looks at Emmanuel, slightly embarrassed. "What? Bro, chill."
Emmanuel chuckles. "Relax, bro. It's just that you two look like y'all been really close. That's cool."
Lynn nods. "Yeah, JuJu's been a great friend to me. We've been through some tough times together, and he's always been there for me."
Marcus, who has been observing the interaction, speaks up. "Well, looks like we're all on the same page now. Truce, right?"
Everyone nods in agreement, and the tension that had filled the room begins to disappear. It's replaced with a sense of relief and a newfound understanding.
Byron breaks the silence. "So, are we gonna celebrate this truce with some food? I'm starving."
"Already on it, I got that boar I told you about, J." Replies Marcus. "Who wants some bacon?"
"Real shit?" JuJu says.
Marcus nods and tells them to follow him to the backyard of the house to see a boar being prepped to cook on a fire.
"Wow," Lynn says. "I haven't had bacon in so long, it's gonna be unhealthy but it's too good not to pass it up."
"You said it LJ,"
In the days that follow, JuJu, Emmanuel, and the rest of the group gradually form a bond. They discover ways to solve each others' problems, support each other's endeavors, and work together to make their community a better place. The old rivalry between JuJu and Emmanuel is replaced by mutual respect and a shared vision for the future. During that time, JuJu and Lynn's friendship continues to grow deeper as well. They confide in each other, support one another's decisions, and find comfort in their shared experiences. Their connection becomes a source of strength and motivation, allowing them to face the challenges of life with renewed determination.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel finds his place within Houlton. He channels his competitive spirit with JuJu into positive outlets, pushing himself and others to excel while also embracing collaboration.
The truce between JuJu and Emmanuel becomes a symbol of growth, forgiveness, and the power of unity. Their journey serves as a reminder that sometimes, letting go of past grudges and finding common ground can lead to incredible transformations.
In the end, JuJu, Emmanuel, Lynn, Marcus, Byron, and the rest of their tight-knit group discover that they are stronger together. They navigate the challenges of life side by side, supporting and uplifting each other along the way. And in the process, they create a future filled with hope, friendship, and endless possibilities to prosper in this broken world.