THE man's place wasn't much better than where they'd just been.

The attacker—or Barry, as his ID read—lived in somewhat of a trailer park-like place, despite having a house, though it was the size of a trailer now that Eden really saw it.   The place was rundown, and was more unkept than the Chateau, random items tossed around the front porch and yard.  

Speaking of the yard—it wasn't tidy either.  Branches and tossed bushes which had been ruined by Agatha were thrown around his yard, which too held overgrown grass showing that Barry was not a neat person by a long shot.

Eden had never thought of where a drug dealer might live, but this fit the picture pretty well.  

"Welcome to Crackhead Wasteland." Sarah remarked as they pulled into Barry's through a dirt driveway.  She was clearly disgusted by the sight—today probably held the most run-down places the Kook had ever seen.

Pope shifted in his seat with an unsure expression, "I don't know about this, man."

"Dude, why are we at Barry's?" John B. sighed as the Twinkie came to a stop.  Personally, he thought his friend was going a little far—sure, he'd held them at gunpoint and had tried to steal their gold, but this was just a waste of time.   They could be planning on how to get the rest of the gold, but instead, they were sitting in a drug dealers driveway.

JJ opened the drivers door and hopped out, "This'll only take a second."

"Where are you going?"

The Maybank continued walking towards the house, not bothering to turn around as he called, "Yo soy justicia."

Pope's eyes narrowed, "Did you glean anything from that?"

"I am....justice?" Eden did her best to translate her friend, shrugging.  Her and JJ had taken Spanish in freshman year for some reason that she can't really remember now, and she still remembered some words. 

Kiara trailed off glumly, "You know someone should probably...."

"We got it." the Bexley sighed, patting the Routledge boy on the shoulder.  The two always ended up being the ones to supervise JJ, didn't they? Just two tired parents and their chaotic child. "Let's go, JB."  The Routledge exited the passenger seat and the two walked towards the house.

Now, Eden understood why JJ was so pissed off.  Not only did the blonde boy have slight anger issues in general, but he had so much anger built up from his father, and the restitution he owed, that Barry attacking them was the final straw.  When JJ got upset, he got reckless, and when he got reckless, he did stupid shit.  That's just how JJ Maybank worked—when you went low, he went lower; when you hit hard, he hit harder.

And the Bexley was just as pissed that they'd almost lost their gold, but she didn't think she'd go as far as JJ was.  Beating Barry up was one thing, but breaking into his house? He was a drug dealer—God knows what would happen to them if JJ took anything.

John B. pushed open the door to the house, staring at JJ with a slightly annoyed look on his face, "Yeah, what's your plan, slick?" 

"Well, as thou hath stealeth from us, we shall stealeth from ye." the blonde boy replied, picking up couch cushions to look underneath them.

"Yeah, that kind of got lost in translation—"

JJ stated, "An eye for an eye, John B."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's great JJ." the Routledge boy crosses towards his best friend, halting him in his tracks to try and explain himself, "But what happens after you rob a drug dealer, huh? He knows who we are!"

The Maybank scoffed and walked away, "I'm not scared of this guy."

"Yeah, but we kinda are, J." Eden replied truthfully.  She knew the Pogues had power, but she had been scared of Barry when he had shoved her on the ground, before they had the upper hand.  If he'd been rough then, she didn't want to think of his attitude when he attacked them for stealing his shit.

JJ passed right by the two teens and headed into another room, John B. calling after him, "JJ, don't—"

Eden sighed, "He's Tweedle Dumb for a reason, yeah? This kid never fucking listens." The Bexley had learned over the years that once JJ was going, he didn't stop until he was done.  There was no stopping the blonde from stealing something from Barry's house now that he was searching.

"There we go."

At the exclaim, John B. asked, "What are you doing?"

"Getting even." JJ called back.  A few minutes later, he returned to his two friends with a bag thrown over his shoulder, "Alright, took care of business."

John B. crossed over to the blonde, placing his hands on the boy's shoulder and getting in his face, "Hey, look at me, look at me.  If you keep going down this road, you're going to end up just like your dad, do—"

Eden frowned at the comment.  That was sorta low—JJ's dad was an abusive, alcoholic, piece of shit who could care less about anything other than money.  A man who JJ was going to be nothing like, even if he continued to be reckless.  The Maybank vowed upon that when he was younger.

JJ seemed to take in as a low blow too, because he tightly grabbed hold of John B.'s collar, forcing the brunette to meet his cold glare. "You watch your mouth, man."

"Boys, stop." Eden reprimanded, sending a disapproving look their way. 

While slightly loosening his hold on John B. at the Bexley's stare—no one wanted an upset Eden—JJ continued to speak to his friend in a tense tone, "Aren't you tired of being messed with?"

"That's not the point, JJ." John B. sighed.  

"'Cause I am."

The blonde boy brushed past his two friends, and Eden let out a sigh before chasing him to the front of the house, grabbing his wrist before he could return to the Pogues.  JJ had a reason to be upset, but there were other ways to let out his anger at Barry than stealing his money, a drug dealers cherished item—he was only painting a bigger target on their backs.

"JJ, I understand that you're angry and upset about earlier, but this is just reckless." the Bexley, met his gaze as he turned around to face her. "Barry is going to know that his money is gone, and guess who he's going to go after first? Us.  He knows it's us, and I don't think he'll hesitate before pulling the trigger—"

"I'm really not in the mood for an Eden lecture right now." the Maybank tore his hand from the Bexley's hold, exiting the house without another word.

"Um, okay." the brunette pursed her lips for moment before following the blonde boy out the door, John B. doing the same.

JJ pulled the cash he'd stolen out of the bag, "Alright, so we're looking at five grand each for reparations for putting us through that bullshit.  Sorry 'bout that, y'all."

"So that's what we're doing now? We're robbing drug dealers?" Kiara asked in slight disbelief.

"This Barry guy's gonna find out." Sarah continued, "And he's gonna come after us."

Eden looked at JJ, "My point, exactly."

Pope nodded, "This is not the time to start wilin' out."

Feeling slightly ganged up upon by his friends, JJ spoke up. "How'd you like having a gun pulled on you?" At the comment, John B. stepped up to try and calm the blonde down, but he continued on, pointing a finger at the brunette's face, "He had it right here on you, bro."

"Look. We've gotta go get the gold, okay? Just give me that shit, we're putting it back—" John B. reached down to pick up the duffel bag full of money, but was stopped as JJ shoved him up against the Twinkie with a cold glare.

Eden sighed, but stayed on the ready to intervene in case things went too far. Mediator.

"Do you feel like a tough guy? Huh?" John B. edged on the blonde, lowering his voice to continue, "What are you gonna do when he comes for us?"

Through gritted teeth, JJ answered, "We punch him in the throat."

"Yeah, good fuckin' idea, JJ."

"I'm not putting it back." the Maybank finalized his decision, taking the duffel bag and entering the Twinkie to continue on with their day.  No one entered the vehicle after him, causing the boy to look out with an expectant stare, "You guys getting in or what?" He continued to watch as everyone stood still, siding with John B., causing the boy to exit the Twinkie again. "What?"

John B. started, "We're sick of your shit."

Personally, Eden wouldn't call herself sick of JJ's shit.  She understood how the Maybank worked and knew that this was how he was going to let out his anger whether or not they told him no.  She just needed him to know the consequences of his actions, to know that he wouldn't just be putting himself in danger, but everyone else.

"Oh, my shit?" JJ scoffed.

"Yeah." the Routledge nodded, "Yeah. Your shit."

"Yes." Kie agreed, "Your pulling guns on people shit."

Pope chimed in, "You acting like a fricking maniac—"

"Okay, Pope, I took the fall for you, man!" JJ stared at the Heyward with frustration in his eyes. Eden frowned because the blonde had a point—he had taken the blame for Pope, only for the Heyward to repay him in not money, but disagreeing. "Know how much money I owe because of you?"

"I'm gonna pay you back, and I didn't even ask you to do that!"

"I just did!" JJ exclaimed angrily, "Pay it back. Right here, right now, by myself." He looked at all of his friends, who stood silently. "You know what? That's exactly what I'm gonna do.  Go off by myself."

"JJ!"

John B. put a hand on Pope's shoulder, "Hey, wait, man."

"Just let him go." Kie muttered, watching as the Maybank retreated.

Eden watched with a frown, "I think you guys went a little far.  I mean, everything that JJ has pulled has been for us.  It's reckless as fuck, but he's reckless for us."

 When he pulled a gun on Topper, it was for John B. When he helped Pope sink Topper's boat, it was for the Pogues, for Rafe hurting Eden.  When he took the blame for the boat, it was for Pope.  Stealing this cash was for the Pogues.

 All of JJ's so-called 'shit' had been done for them, for his friends—for his family and they were just ignoring it.

The Pogues—minus JJ, who still hadn't returned—were now at The Wreck.

After a tense car-ride, the five teens sat around a table in a small pool of silence, all wondering about JJ's whereabouts.  Eden hoped he knew what he was doing with the money, and was spending it on something useful—or hopefully using it towards his restitution.

"Look, he'll come around, alright? It's.....He's doing a JJ thing." John B. tried to reassure his friends that the blonde boy would eventually venture back to his homeland within the Pogues and get over his anger.  He'd known JJ for many years—longer than anyone else—and knew that he could handle being on his own. 

Eden shook her head, "I mean, he has a reason to be upset at us. I wouldn't be surprised if this went on for a few days or more.  JJ practically raised himself, a few days alone won't harm him."

"You think he'll go home?" Kiara asked at the mention of JJ raising himself, frown on her face.

Pope answered, "There's about a zero percent chance that JJ goes home."

"In most cases, yes. But I wouldn't say zero right now." Eden contradicted, explaining herself, "That has to be enough money for his restitution, right? Going home to tell his dad the news might not be completely off the table."

The group stayed quiet at the Bexley's words, thinking of the possibility of JJ going back home. 

Luke Maybank was not father of the year by a long-shot—there was a reason JJ stayed at the Chateau every night, that he practically lived there with John B.  The blonde didn't speak about his dad often, but the Pogues knew the situation wasn't pretty.  Luke was an alcoholic asshole, who basically forced JJ to raise himself.  He didn't like going to his house often because of it.

Eden just hoped he came back to them unscathed.

"You okay?" John B. spoke up, meeting his girlfriends gaze.

Sarah nodded. "Yeah. Are you?"

"I mean, I'm in one piece, so...."

Eden plastered a fake smile, tired of the couple's moment they were sharing, "I'm doing great, John B.  Thank you so much for asking."

The Routledge deadpanned in her direction, "I hate you, you know that?"

"Love you too." 

Pope turned the conversation serious again, "Okay. It's too dangerous to pawn this thing off piecemeal.  So our best bet is to go down there and get the rest of it.  Bring it all up at once.  Put it in—in a safe or a vault or something.  I-I don't know.  Just until we can find someone who won't rip us off."

Eden nodded in agreement, "Agreed. How soon do you think we can go back and get it?"

"I can figure it out tonight, get it all done, and we can be out there as early as tomorrow morning."

John B. nodded, "Let's do it."

"Easy."

Eden hummed, "Let's do it."

Sarah looked over at John B., asking, "What about that thing with my dad?"

The Routledge's face fell, "Shit."

Pope leaned forward, "What thing?"

"I have to go fishing with Ward." John B. admitted.

Incredulously, Kiara stated, "You can't get four hundred mil' 'cause you're gonna go kill fish?" 

It sound like a pathetic reason to ditch the Pogues when stated out loud, and John B. knew it. "Look, I have to go."

"Blow it off." Pope shrugged, "It's four hundred million in gold!"

"Make something up!" the Carrera suggested.

"Look, I-I have to, okay?"

Eden was un-amused, "You're always so set on getting this gold, on saving your dad's legacy and then you brush it off for a fishing trip.  Didn't we send JJ away because he was focused on something other than the gold? You aren't practicing what you preach, John."

"Eden, he...he saved me, alright? If it weren't for Ward, I'd be in foster care." the Routledge stated, "I have to go. Plus, it'll be better to do it at night." He looked between all his friends, "Right?"

Everyone shared a look of disapproving agreement, and Pope spoke up, tensely. "Fine. Fine, go fishing."

Kiara added, "And at least JJ will have probably washed up by then."

"Maybe." the Bexley muttered, hoping the blonde reappeared sooner than later.

Eden was now in the back seat of Heyward's truck.

After their conversation at The Wreck, the group of five split up. Sarah and John B. went their own way while Kie, Pope and Eden went in another.  The trio had walked around on the beach, making up their master plan to get the gold.

Eden had tried texting and calling JJ over the hours, only to be met with no answer.  After a while she decided it was best to just leave her concern within herself, and just hope that he was okay.  The last thing they needed was JJ hurt.

When darkness fell, the trio headed to the Chateau to continue working out their plan.  The Heyward truly had planned most of it out, which Eden was thankful for—without John B. and JJ the ideas were actually decent and thought through. 

"So we gotta be done before my scholarship interview in the morning." Pope stated from the drivers seat, stopping the car within the Chateau's dirt driveway.  This whole gold thing had taken up most of his time, and he was starting to get nervous about the ordeal—this was  a make it or break it, deal.  His one chance at getting into a good college.

Kiara nodded, "Okay, but we gotta focus."

"I know, I know. It's gonna be fine."

Eden lightly smiled at the boy, "Pope, you have more brain than this whole group combined.  If anyone has it in the bag, it's you."

The Heyward sent a thankful look to his friend before beginning to talk about the plan, "We got John B. and JJ inside the well and—" he pointed at Eden, "—me and you on top."  He then looked at Kiara, "You and Sarah will be outside transporting."

Kiara opened her door, "Yeah, we got this."

"Cool." Pope copied the action, Eden following suit.  Once out, the three headed towards the bed of the truck. "Uh, I got a winch."

"Yeah."

"That tin can hold over like....two hundred, three hundred, pounds." 

Eden bit her lip and moved in front of them, grabbing the rope from the truck bed.  Pope didn't get a lot of moments alone with Kiara like this, and the Bexley was sure he was letting his hidden feelings get the best of him.   So, she decided to let him have his moment and not ruin it, despite the awkwardness.

But Pope never got his moment as the sound of whirring began, the entire property of the Chateau lighting up in colorful, exotic lights.

"What the hell?" Pope questioned, eyes narrow as he took in the lights.

Eden lips were in drawn in a thin line as she dropped the rope, "Did John B. decide it's Christmas in July or...."

"Who the hell is that?" Kiara asked. The group shared a look before speeding towards the backyard of the Chateau. 

 Eden felt all worry drop out of her as her eyes met the sight of JJ Maybank sitting in a hot tub, bottle of champagne in his grasp, a pair of sunglasses sitting loosely on his face.  

"What the fuck." the Bexley's brows furrowed as she took in the sight.  Colorful string lights were wrapped around every tree in sight, illuminating the small pool floats within the hot tub—which looked expensive—and the champagne flutes sitting in them.

Pope exclaimed in almost horror, "What did you do, JJ?"

JJ didn't seem to hear their disapproving tones or looks of horror, and smiled at the trio like an innocent child, "I got a jet going straight up my butt right now.  Y'all should get in immediately, you hear me?" He poured the champagne into one of the flutes, "Salud!" 

As the Maybank drank out of the bottle instead of the flute he poured, Pope asked, "How much did this cost?"

"Uh..." JJ stalled for a moment before pointing all around the back yard, "Well, with the generator, the petrol, and oh, hey, express delivery...." he lightly chuckled as if it were funny, "....pretty much all of it, yeah."

Pope's mouth dropped, "All of it?"

"Yeah, all of it."

"You spent all the money in one day?"

"Yeah, burned a hole right through my pocket."

Eden felt her heart drop at the statement. JJ was known for his recklessness but had he seriously spent thirty thousand dollars in mere hours? Blown away cash he could've used for his restitution, for a good cause, rather than a hot tub and lights?

What made JJ loose any sort of common sense he had to do something as stupid as this?

"But, I mean, like, come on guys, like, look at this!" JJ exclaimed, voice very high pitched.  Eden was trying to decipher whether he was drunk or extremely high as he continued to speak excitedly, "Finest in jet-based massage therapy, that's what they told me."  Kie shook her head causing him to ask, "Kie, what?"

He wasn't sure why his friends were staring at him in such disbelief.  Did they not see the good in his decision? I mean, they were getting this gold for a reason, right? To get rich and spend it on whatever they wanted.  Why were Eden, Kie and Pope so upset with him for buying something he wanted with his money? Hell, something he bought for them too.

"Can't a man have a little luxury in life? Come on, all this scrimpin' and scrapin'...." the blonde tore his sunglasses off, face slightly faltering. "I mean, like....we—you only live once, right?" Fumbling over his words, JJ put a smile back on his face—a smile Eden saw right through. "Enough of this emotional shit. Get in the Cat's Ass, come on."

Lightly, Kiara asked, "The what?"

"In the Cat's Ass. That's what I named her." the Maybank stated, almost proud of himself. "Oh, hey, yo, I almost forgot." The boy leaned over and clicked a button on the side wall of the hot tub, the trio watching as a disco ball lit up over their heads, the lights brightening, shining down on JJ. "Huh? Yeah that's right, I know. Disco mode.  That's right, baby!"

"Are you kidding me?" Pope exclaimed, disbelief and anger filling his tone, "You could have paid for restitution!"

Kiara furiously added, "Or literally given it to any charity!"

Eden watched as JJ placed two fingers on the bridge of his nose, almost as if he was trying to keep from lashing out.  Sure, the Bexley felt upset knowing that JJ had wasted his money away but.....something had happened for him to have done this.  He'd needed a distraction so he didn't break.

"Guys, maybe we should—" the brunette tried to stop her friends, but was cut off by Pope's yell.

"Or better yet, you could have helped us buy supplies to get the rest of the gold out of the well!"

"Okay, well you know what? I didn't do that!" JJ stood up out of the water to reveal a torso full of bruises.

Eden felt her breath hitch as her eyes grazed over the deep bruises on his abdomen, a hand hovering over her mouth in shock.  She felt sick to her stomach knowing that while she was laughing with Kie and Pope, JJ was getting beat up by his dad.  She'd missed so much.

"I got a hot tub! For my friends.  I got a hot tub for my friends.  You know what? No, you know what? Screw friends.  I got a hot-tub for my family!"

Kiara looked at her friend with her jaw dropped, "JJ, what the hell?"

"I got this for you! Guys, look at what I did for you! Alright?" the Maybank was practically crumbling beneath himself, voice breaking with every urge.  Eden could see the way he was trying to stay strong and happy. "Look at this! Look at this!"

Eden shook her head, "JJ, I—"

"No, you stop being emotional! It's fine, okay?" the blonde was on the verge of tears, "I mean, it's sweet, right? Everything—" 

JJ's sentence was stopped as Eden brushed past Kiara and Pope and got into the hot-tub, ignoring the warm water as it soaked her jean shorts.  She didn't hesitate before wrapping her arms around the blonde boy, showing him that she was there.  Eden might not have been there when it happened, but she was there now. 

JJ practically crumbled in her embrace and clung on to his friend as he sobbed, Eden having to fight back tears of her own at the sight.  The boy yelled through sobs, "I just couldn't do it.  I can't take him anymore! I was gonna kill him!"

"It's okay." Eden tried to be comforting, but nothing was okay about this.  JJ didn't deserve this. "I'm here, it's okay." 

Eden held him close, watching as Kiara entered the hot-tub too, wrapping her arms over the boy too, Pope following soon after.  JJ continued to sob, grasping on to his friend's arms for support as he broke down.

"I just wanna do the right thing."

Kiara replied in a tear filled tone, "I know. I know."

"We all know." Eden whispered, holding JJ like a mother comforting her child—like the parent  JJ deserved.

mara's misc

haha.....sorry guys. 

the hot-tub scene is really so sad.  i remember watching luke beating up jj after jj takes pope's place in the car for the first time and full on gasped in shock.  like luke maybank can kill himself and i'd wear pink to his funeral.  #jjdeservesbetter

also can we talk about how  jj is breaking down and needs kie and pope (and in this fic ofc eden) to comfort him and then sarah and john b. are like.....fucking in that abandoned church or whatever ???? like it's honestly kind of funny.....

as per usual, this is courtesy of surf-style my favorite little obx watcher.  go check out her outer banks fics or else the demons will drag you under ur bed by ur toes when ur are sleeping!!! we love making fun of john b. and his lincoln log build of a house, so don't be alarmed by our mean comments. it's from a place of love <3

anyway, hope you enjoyed <3 see you back with chapter 22!!