“I'm just saying, I don't understand why you don't at least try with Kiara. She clearly likes you, she's like, “oh, John B.” I laughed at JJ, my hair flying in the wind as we drove in John B’s van, the windows rolled down, “Is that what she does?”

“She's sketching about you diving, then she kissed you,” I nodded when JJ looked over at me, John B not exactly agreeing as he sat behind in the back relaxing, “she kissed me on the cheek. It's not like we were makin' out.”

“Low-hanging fruit, bro. Don't pretend you don't notice I see it in your eyes. You're like, ‘I kinda like that,’ and you start blushing.” I giggled sitting up in the passenger seat to look back at John B as he sat eating his mango, “I blush?” I nodded to him and spoke up replying to his question, “yeah. Kinda peachy coloring…”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

"It's really weird though how after we find out scooter dead we find out those two men were out "looking for him to end up chasing us" 

“Yeah. That's why we're going to talk to Ms. Lana, figure this whole thing out. Hopefully being a close friend of my dads she'll be willing to talk ”

“I'm sure she would just love to talk to us. It's not like her husband just drowned or anything.” I poked JJ’s arm at the comment as we pulled in passing the reiki sign on the drive, “we’re here boys, yip yip, let’s not freak the poor woman out yeah.”

“Know what this house looks like?” We parked and jumped out of the van to walk up to the colorful house, “Whoever lives here smokes too much weed.” I snorted, “I like it, nice and, pink.” JJ groaned but his face fell, my head turning to the house when a commotion from inside was heard, “Bullshit!”

“Maybe we should come back.” I grabbed JJ by the shoulder as we all paused, “It's a little too soon.” JJ was clearly sweating pistols, “No, no, shut up. Shut up, JJ.”

“Tell me where it is, or I'll fuck you up. I'll sink you in the fucking…”
I heard glass breaking inside and something clashed loudly making me flinch and stay behind the boys as we moved closer to the house, “You're hurting me!” JJ stuttered trying to speak but John B shushed him, “Shut up. Come on.”

“Come on.” The men inside are shouting and throwing shit, “Still think we should stay?” We crouched up underneath a window as glass continued to shatter near us.

“Where the fuck is she, you bitch?”

“I don't know!”

“Is she somewhere else?”

“Please! I... I didn't…”

“You…” There was a crash and I flinched as a scream tore through the house, “Shut up.”

“We saw her in a boat with other people who are they!"

“I don't know!”

Glass is smashing and my ears begin to ring as John B turns to look over at us, my mouth covered by my hand, “Don't listen.” I couldn’t think about how badly Ms. Lana was being hurt, “they're hurting her…” JJ wrapped his arm around me pulling me closer when I whispered to them.

Something was banging against the wall now, “Is that paint?” I opened my eyes to see flecks of white popping off from somewhere onto our heads, JJ shaking it out into his hand as more popped off, coating us in little flecks of white and blue, “yes, it's paint.”

I breathe in hard at the sound of Ms. Lana wailing, “we should just go. He's got smuggler…” John B tells JJ to shut up but he keeps whispering in his panic, “...smuggler written all over him.”

“Let's get the hell outta here, man.”

“Shut up. Shut up.” All I can hear is Ms. Lana crying inside as the boys peek around the house, “Dude, those were the guys that shot at us.”

“That's. Go back.” An engine started, a boat. “Shit.” A few seconds passed as did the boat, standing up from our crouching we followed John B around and into the house.

“Ms. Lana? Ms. Lana?”

“Hey. Hey! Hey, are you okay?” we were in the house now just finding the woman, “It's okay.” she had cuts on her face and was clutching her arm, “Dude, she's tweaking.” I stepped back as John B talked to her, “Do you need a doctor?” She was crying, almost delirious as John B kept trying to talk to her, “let's call the sheriff's department.”

“No cops, please.” I paused at her words and so did the boys, JJ speaking up with a shake of his head, “Mm. That's not good.” JJ wanted to leave just as bad as I did, “come on, dude. Let's just go.”

“You shouldn't be here,” my jaw twitched as she spoke in pain looking at me.“That's enough for me. Come on,” Ignoring her whimpers and JJ, I looked around her house to see literally everything destroyed and overturned…

“Wait, wait. What do you know about these guys?” John B was frantic as he crouched next to her, not touching as she winced holding her arm, “they were looking for her right?” John B points to me 

"you need to leave now. They can't know you were here"

 JJ pulled him back as she yelled out, “we gotta go. Let's go.”