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"Are you sure you're okay Li. You fell pretty hard?" JJ asks setting a tarp into the small boat and I nod, full heartedly. "Jay I'm fine, I just got the wind knocked out of me. Don't worry about it. See." I spin in a circle, letting him examine every inch of my body. "Completely and utterly okay. so just breathe."
"Okay. But if you feel off at any point tonight-" he starts and I interrupt him, already knowing what he's going to say. "I'll let you know. I promise. Now where the hell is John b, he should be here by now."
"Give him a second. he'll be here." JJ makes eye contact with me and I can tell he's just as hopeful as anyone here is. He has to come. He has to. "He's coming. He'll be fine."
Sirens wail in the distance and all of us whip our heads towards the noise, seeing a cop car drive into the vicinity. "Uh JJ!" Kie shouts in a panicked manor and he nods, gesturing towards the phantom. "Hey- yeah. Get back on the boat. Untie it!"
I scramble towards the rope, trying to unknot it but when I glance up, my eyes meet John B's instead. "No fucking way." JJ exclaims from behind me, his face reflecting my own.
"I'm sorry. uh..." Kie says in disbelief, admiring exactly what we four were thinking inside our heads. "Your dad let me take it for a spin, Li."
"mm-hm. that's totally believable and not an utter piece of shit." I shake my head, knowing well that he definitely didn't borrow my father's vehicle. "hey I'll buy that for now." Kie laughs, pulling John B into the tightest hug she can muster.
"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the phantom for you, and she runs like she was made yesterday." he jingles the keys in his hand, grinning as he tossing them to his best friend and he catches them with ease . "You ready to go?"
"Hey where's Sarah?" he asks, and a look of confusion crosses all of our faces. "She's not with you?" I say back, scanning the area behind him, not seeing my best friend is sight. She's supposed to be with him.
"No, no we got separated in the swamp. She said she was gonna meet me here." next to me, Pope's lips press together as he shakes his head. "No, we haven't seen her man."
"Okay, well I'm not leaving without her." his voice is desperate and I can tell he cares about her just as much as I do. "John B, look at me. I know You feel bad for leaving, but there's no time, man. You got plenty of gas, plenty of food. Once you get around that point, it's a straight shot across the sound to dismal swamp, okay?"
"Once you get there, lay low, all right? Hang out for a couple of weeks and then go overland, cross the boarder at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville. " he hits him hard on the shoulder, getting his attention back, "You-- hey! you got that?"
"Yeah, yeah. Brownsville." he says in a hushes tone and I can tell he's trying not to cry. "All right. Saddle her up, saltwater cowboy. Let's do this, yeah?" John B climbs onto the boat before turning around to look at us, tears in his eyes.
