Dreamer | Outer Banks

22 - Deny, Deny, Deny

As JJ's house came into view, that's when I broke down. I have never been one to shed tears in front of someone but I couldn't help it, it was inevitable that Cheryl and the deputy were now looking for me and I would soon have nowhere to go.

I heard gunshots as I started to circle around the back of the house where JJ would usually hang out when home.

Even through my tears I could now see JJ practicing his aim on a stuffed bear and didn't seem to notice me yet.

"JJ?" I questioned, knowing he probably couldn't hear me over the gun and him wearing a pair of headphones.

I made my way closer to him until he noticed someone was making his way towards him and suddenly pointed his gun in my direction.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's just me...it's just me." I said holding my hands up in surrender as JJ quickly noticed it was me and shoved the gun into his waistband.

"Damn it Kenz, I thought you were-" JJ started but his face suddenly changed when he saw the condition I was so desperate to try and hide from him.

"What the hell happened, are you hurt?" He placed his hands on my checks and began searching for any indication that I may be injured.

"No JJ." I muttered, pulling JJ's hands off my face and holding them in mine. "I'm fine, I promise."

"No you're not Kenz, what happened?" JJ asked, more concerned than I have ever seen him in a long time, not since I had broken my arm when I was twelve.

"When John B and I got home CPS was there to take us to a temporary foster home and-" I explained, trying to remember to take deep breaths but only came out as sobs.

"Hey, hey, you're okay, I got you." JJ brought me in for a long hug, while I continued to sob into his chest until he spoke up. "How did you get out of there?"

"I might've jumped out a window." I mumbled into his chest. JJ ended our embrace and I heard him let out a short laugh. "You jumped out of a window?"

"Um, maybe?" I said, letting out a quiet laugh of myself. JJ smiled and wiped off the remaining tears that were left on my face. "I hate to ruin this moment but what exactly is your plan? Because I'm not ready to lose you just yet."

"Well, I was a little too busy trying to figure out how to get out of there so I didn't quite get to that yet." I admitted while fixing the strap on my backpack.

"Says the one who always has a plan." JJ mocked me.

I scoffed and playfully shoved him. "What, so the only thing I'm good at is making plans?"

"Hey! You're also good at being a pain in my ass but that's what I like about you." I gasped and tried to hit him but JJ instead picked me up by the waist surprising me.

"You're gonna have to put me down sometime." I mocked JJ back but he only shrugged his shoulders and laughed. "Well I guess we'll be here for a while then."

JJ and I sat there, not either of us moving. I caught sight of JJ staring right at me before our eyes locked. It made me think back to the boneyard when we kissed, it was almost as if JJ was looking at me the same way he did that night.

"JJ! JJ! JJ!" Pope's yelling brought us out of our trance as JJ suddenly dropped me before sighing and turning to face Pope. "What the hell do you want, Pope."

"They know." He said as he made his way towards us.

"What?" JJ asked, not understanding what Pope meant, neither did I for that matter.

"They know." Pope repeated slower this time.

"All right, chill, bro. All right? They don't know shit." JJ reassured him, adjusting the headphones on his neck.

"I'm lost, what are we talking about?" I questioned the two. Sometimes it was like they spoke their own language that only they understood.

"Topper knows I sank his boat." Pope said while starting to pace around the yard.

"How do you know they know?" JJ asked, sitting down on a tree stump.

"Because Rafe and Topper posted outside of Heyward's and mad dogged me." Pope explained still pacing around the backyard.

"Will you calm down and get a grip, man? They don't know shit." JJ tried reassuring him again but it didn't seem to help.

"They have cameras. They could've seen me." Pope shouted back.

"There was no power. How could they have seen you?" JJ questioned, clearly irritated.

"It's Figure Eight. They have generators." I pointed out to JJ.

"They don't give scholarships to kids who vengefully sink boats. It's not a good look on my transcript." Pope began to rant to himself until JJ spoke up.

"Enough with the regret, bro!" JJ shouted, standing up from the stump. "They caved your face in. They hit us, we hit them. It's the law of the jungle."

JJ walked over to Pope and placed his hands on Pope's shoulders. "Now, if any Kooks come up to you and ask if you had anything to do with it, you walk up to 'em, look 'em right in the eye, and..."

"Deny the living shit out of it." Pope answered quickly and JJ nodded.

"That's right. Deny, deny, deny. But just for safety, we don't go anywhere without protection."

"Yeah, no. You've already pulled that gun on someone once, you don't need to do it a second time." I said pointing to the gun.

JJ sighed and wrapped his arm around me. "Well as long as those Kooks don't bother us at the movies, we won't have a reason to pull out the gun."

"We're going where now?" I questioned, but JJ only smiled and went back to target practice leaving me with Pope who shrugged.