Tense silence fell over the room after Anna left. John B stood, shoving his hands in his pockets, and lurking towards the window.
Outside, his friend was chopping wood. He wasn't quite swinging properly, he was erratic as the axe came down.
His cheekbones were visible, bags under his eyes more prominent. No lopsided grin was present as he worked, coming down hard and fast to split the wood. He swallowed thickly.
Sarah placed a cup of coffee in front of Mike, who remained wordless.
"You could say thank you, you know." John B spoke, voice eerily calm.
"'Scuse me?" Mike asked, partly shocked.
The brunette turned, leaning against the counter.
"To my girlfriend that just gave you a drink, and invited you into our home, even when you've been rude to us our entire life for no reason." He shrugged.
"John B..." Pope warned.
"Nah, Pope. This man has done nothing but put us down every step of the way, simply because of where we're from. Why is it that you think you can treat us like shit because you live a new life on Figure Eight?" John B asked.
Mike narrowed his eyes. "Kiara never graduated high school on time. Her attendance was wrecked. Couldn't stay at Kook Academy because she missed her Pogues too much."
"Kiara left the Kook Academy because she was being tortured by bullies, Mr Carrera." Pope interjected. "Not because she missed us. She dropped us for the year, at your discretion, got bullied for her interests and made no friends."
"Kie chose to do what she wanted, sir. We never pushed her to do shit."
"That Maybank-"
"Don't talk shit about him." Sarah warned, piping up for the first time. "All JJ has ever done is love Kiara, he almost died for her in the middle of the ocean, he-"
"Broke her out of a facility trying to help her? Stole my money?" Mike asked.
Sarah glared at him. "He's troubled. Wouldn't you be if the one person meant to guide and love you, did nothing but beat you bloody for sixteen years and then abandon you?"
Mike swallowed. "It's about charachter."
"It's a yes or no answer, not about charachter. If you were beaten with no help aside from your friends, by your only guardian, and then abandoned, and told by every person on this island how worthless you are, every single day of your life, multiple times a day, how would you turn out?" Sarah stood over him now, leaning on her fists on the table. "'Cause my brother tried to kill me. My father tried to kill me. JJ helped me. JJ helped me even though I didn't deserve it."
"He sunk a boat." Mike defended himself.
"No, I sunk the boat." Pope admitted. "JJ took the fall because I'd loose my scholarship. Shows more charachter than anyone I know."
The four glared at the man, who didn't falter. "His father is a piece of trash, who raised a piece of trash."
"I think the only piece of trash here, Mr Carrera, is you." Cleo told him. "If I'm not mistaken, you were from this side of the island as well. Married into the Kook lifestyle. You wanna talk shit, go ahead. But make sure you own your own shit, before you shit on everyone else, you hear? Our boy is troubled. Doesn't make him trash."
"I want to know where my daughter is." Mike told them. "Anna came to check in, but I came to find my kid."
"And we want you to get out of our house." John B told him. "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out."
"John B!" Sarah scolded, but the teasing glint in her eyes and her tone said otherwise.
"No. He shits on us, got Kie kidnapped, and has done nothing but treat us poorly since the minute he met us." He spoke, walking towards the man. "Get out of my house, and stay off my damn property until you find some damn respect."
Mike swallowed, stood slowly, and left.
He looked down at the card Anna had given him.
Anna Carrera, LICSW
Jennifer Cardenas LICSW
Dr Aditi Shah, PsyPhD
A crisis hotline, a suicide hotline. General counseling. He swallowed, watching her walk away. He saw Mike shoot a piercing glare, and he looked down at the card again. Pursing his lips, he shoved the card in his pocket, and continued swinging his axe. Their Silverado pulled out of the gravel driveway, kicking up rocks and dust as it sped off.
"That guy's an asshole." Cleo spoke, making him jump.
"What the fuck?" He turned, before dropping the weapon. "Never sneak up on a guy with an axe."
"Rude Boy, you're the last person on this Earth I'm afraid of hurting me." She laughed, before her face got serious. "We are worried about you JJ."
He swallowed, sighing. "Why's that?"
"Because you don't know how special you are." She told him. "You don't know how much you mean to us."
"Is this some kinda pep talk?"
"No. Just someone telling you that you belong here. With us." She emphasized. "Above ground."
He didn't look at her, keeping his eyes on the horizon. "Did Anna talk to you guys?"
"Doesn't matter what Anna, said, JJ. You were in bed for nine days." She elbowed him, looking at the same point as him. "I don't like this shift in you. I worry. You and me? We come from the same place. I know where your head is at. I know you-"
"I think it's sweet you're concerned." He told Cleo, who's face twisted. "But I'm good, C."
Cleo nodded. "I'm here to listen to you." She told him, and stopped pressing.
Nice Harem Pants.
That had been G's first word to her.
At first, she thought he was making fun of her, as his clothing read Cali Chic, but he was anything but.
Guiseppe, or G, as he preffered, was her first and only friend that she had made in Los Angeles. A place where she was interested in discovering herself, she found it comforting that it only took her ten days to make a friend.
Standing at about her height, with painted black fingernails, sleeve tattoos, a curly mullet, and a twirly mustache, she found his appearance to put her off at first. He didn't seem like someone she would get along with. But obliged to get coffee anyway.
She was glad she did.
The girls here were all too clique-based. No in-betweens. Luckily for her, the gay communitybin LA was picky as well.
And thus, the start of a beautiful friendship begun.
They bonded over that first.
But now, as they walked to class, and she tightened her grip around the straps of her backpack, chewing at her lip, G turned to look at her.
"K, where do you keep going?" He finally asked her.
She was pulled feom her thoughts, like he popped her balloon, suddenly feeling gravity again, but the fish-bowl effect of her dissociation was still there.
"Huh?" Was her dumb response.
"You're like, a million miles away." He elaborated, kicking a rock with his platform converse. "What's going through your gorgeous head?"
Gary's face flashed across her mind. This fixes girls like you.
"Just, homesick, is all." She breezed, forcing a smile onto her lips. "I miss my friends."
"Good thing we have cellphones." He grinned. "And, good thing you have me."
"Yeah. It is good, isn't it?" She agreed.
"See, you're like, not here." He told her. "But, considering we've only been cool for five minutes, I'll allow it."
She curled a brow at him. "Is that so?" She teased, but the squeezing in her chest lessened.
"We all got our demons." He told her, more serious. "When you're ready to talk about them, you will."
She smiled lightly. "Thanks, G."
"Anytime, Toots. Can we please head inside, the swamp ass this place is giving me is unreal."
6 Months Later
The mid-June sun was brutal this morning, beating down on him as he went for his early morning run.
Run to the coffee shop, get baked goods, run back home, try not to drop said baked goods, then do whatever it was he decided to do on his day off.
His Sunday routine had fallen into place nicely.
He had taken stock in what Anna had told him, calling that stupid crisis line, and getting an appointment with Jessica, a counselor.
Running was a good outlet for him.
Better than laying around like a dog, he supposed.
"Hey, Maybank." The girl behind the counter grinned at him.
Waist length red hair with wild curls, tanned olive skin, and blue-green eyes. She reminded him of Kiara in the worst way. But what could he say? He had a type.
"Hey, Jo, how was your week?" He asked, flashing her his best attempt at a smile. She flushed, nodding.
"It wasn't bad, you know? Just working at my other job." She picked her nails. "It's the on season, gotta keep these Kooks happy." She whispered the last part. "The usual? Apple Fritter, French Cruller, Blueberry Doughnut, and a surprise?"
"Yep." He nodded. "I love your surprises, Doll."
"You flatter me, blondie."
Johanna Indira Cardinale, Barry's youngest sister, hailed from about the same life as he did. Johanna was no angel either. And he liked that. It was endearing to know that someone as nice as her had the same, if not worse reputation.
He was hooked on the thrill.
Because of who she was? Maybe. Because of what she symbolised? Perhaps. He was unsure.
He briefly remembered that Pope was back for the summer. "Oh, and a bacon egg and cheese on a biscuit. Pope came back, and right now, he's Mr no sugar for breakfast."
"Boy's got some brains. Rocket scientist?"
"Coroner." JJ corrected, handing her his debit card, and handing her a twenty as a tip. "They grow up so fast."
They said their goodbyes.
"Same time next week?" He asked.
She flushed red, before handing him a crumpled piece of paper. "What about... What about later tonight?" She asked him. "That's my number."
A smile tugged at his lips, and that thrill feeling kicked in. "You know, Red, I'd like that." He told her. He jotted his address down on a napkin. "We're gonna have a little bonfire. Come on down and I'll smoke you up." He winked.
"See you later." She was quiet now. He nodded, before jogging off again.
When he entered back into their house, slick from sweat, John B grinned.
"Still flirting with coffee girl?"
"I'll have you know, Coffee Girl is coming over later for the bonfire." He grinned.
John B clasped his shoulder. "Nice."
It didn't feel as nice as he'd hoped, but it was nice regardless that he was about to get some action. Or at least, hoped he would.
"Who is it, anyway?"
"Johanna." He nodded. "Red head hispanic girl up the street."
"Barry's sister?" Sarah asked incredously. "You think it's a good idea to bump uglies with Barry's sister?"
JJ shrugged, feigning innocence.
"I don't know what that means."
"He tried to kill us." John B elaborated.
"Multiple times." Pope added, munching on his sandwich, eyes lighting up. "You didn't lie, J, this shit is delicious."
"Who is Barry?" Cleo asked.
"Drug dealer." The four spoke in unison.
"Jo is a sweetheart." He waved them off. "She just has a bad rep, because, well, you know."
"Because she does drugs?" Pope and John B asked.
"No. Because she's Barry's sister." JJ groaned.
Sunday was the day they were closed, because this time around they could afford to do so. Sarah stretched, flopping onto the couch with her French Crueller. "Still think this is a bad idea, but I trust you, J."
"Hey, I have to go to Barracuda Mike's today... He owe's me some cash so I can finally be done with him... Any takers?" He asked.
"I'll go." Sarah offered.
"Not a chance." JJ told her.
She made a noise of indignation. "And why not?"
"Because, no." JJ insisted. "Mike doesn't need to know who you are or that you're related to me at all, I figured if JB didn't offer, I'd drag him."
"Why do you need company, again?"
"Moral support?" He asked, grinning sheepishly. "A getaway driver, in the least."
John B rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Okay. Fine. Getaway driver it is."
"Sweet. Imma go shower." He told them.
John B looked on in worry. JJ seemed to be there on the outside, but he'd known JJ since they were four. He knew his friend better than he knew himself.
He'd gotten thinner, evidence of that was of his forgotten surprise pastry left forgotten on the table. His late nights with no sleep. The occasional morning beer. JJ was slipping.
The difference, now, though, was that it wasn't so noticeable to the naked eye. He was going to counseling, he was getting regular excersize. He was volunteering down at the local soup kitchen.
It took JJ thirteen minutes to shower. "Lets go." He affirmed.
Sarah glared at them. "Please be safe."
"Not the first time we've been to Barracuda Mike's." John B grumbled, grabbing the keys to the HMS.
"Activate Goblin Mode." JJ shouted, leaping out the door.
"No! No Goblin mode!" John B shouted after him.
On the boat, JJ looked over a piece of paper that had an amount scrawled on it. It took them fifteen minutes to reach the dock at Barracuda Mike's house.
"Y'know," JJ started, breaking the fifteen minutes of silence. "This might be the dumbest place to run an operation out of."
John B snorted.
A dog came barrelling around the corner, jumping onto the boat and going belly-up.
"Some guard dog." John B laughed.
"Hi pretty lady." JJ cooed.
"Omega!" Barracuda boomed, making the dog cower. JJ jumped, when the dog wiggled her way under him.
"Jeez, Mike." He curled a brow. "What did you do to her?"
"Damn dog doesn't listen." He grumbled. "You want her? She can't do anything right."
JJ stroked the dog's ears. Omega, who looked to be a Shepherd of some sort, looked up at him with wide eyes. Her tail remained tucked between her legs as she tried to climb into JJ's lap.
"Hello?" Barracuda Mike asked. "I have your shit, J."
"You serious about the dog?" He asked Mike, who laughed.
"What?" John B asked.
"What do you mean, what? She's obviously not cut out to be a guard dog, John B." The blonde spoke, matter-of-factly. "You guys are leaving soon anyway."
"Yeah, Maybank. You are two of a kind. Take her of my hands for me, won't even charge you." Mike told him.
"What's the catch here?" John B interjected.
"No catch. After this, JJ and I have no more ties." Mike shrugged. "Saves me from having to kill the dog. Can't be takin' care of her. Dead animals bring unwanted attention 'round here." Mike waved a hand.
"Right." John B nodded.
Mike handed JJ a stack of cash. "That's from your last job."
"And we're done now?" JJ asked, counting the stack of cash. "No more back and forth?"
Mike nodded.
"And Luke?" John B asked.
JJ tensed, shoving the money in his pocket.
"What about him?" Mike asked, curling a brow.
"Make sure if he comes back, he doesn't show his face around his old property." John B elaborated. "We don't want any trouble."
"You're like your Daddy, Routledge. Balls bigger than church bells." Mike laughed. "Guess it paid of for you though."
"Let's go, Bree." JJ spoke, abruptly.
"You don't want a glass of sweet tea?" Mike teased, making them roll their eyes.
"Bye Mike." JJ replied.
"Take care of yourself, kid." Was the response.
John B narrowed his eyes. "Why's that?"
"Don't want you turnin' out like your Daddy. Word on the street is, Maybank's working to change his rep." Mike shrugged. "I think a fresh start is worth it. You get into this life, you don't get out. Remember that."
The four simply looked at each other.
"Enjoy the rat dog." He finalized, before turning on his heel, and sauntering off.
"Of course we'd leave here with a dog." John B broke the silence on the way back.
JJ responded with raspberries.