FORTY ALWAYS

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The docks. It all came down to the docks. They had used JJ's key that he stole off of his dad to get into the shed where the boat was. As Kie and JJ teased each other over the boat, the four of them got ready to get it attached to Kie's SUV. The sound of an engine slowing and shutting off was heard and Kie sighed with relief.

"Pope, finally," the girl exclaimed as she went running to the entrance of the shed. However, she stepped back once she realized who it was.

"Hey, there," came the voice of Rafe Cameron, the hairs on the back of Norman's neck stood up. "What's going on? How you guys doin'?"

A whistle sounded from behind them and Barry came out from behind one of the cars in the garage. Immediately, Norman reached to grab Alisha's arm and pull her closer to him. Barry cocked his small handgun, pointing it straight at JJ's chest.

"See, don't think I forgot about me and you on the side of the road," Barry said, "I'm here because I want my motherfucking money."

JJ fought back and the two got into it, Kie and Norman running to protect JJ before any triggers could be reached. Rafe pulled Kie away and Norman went to get his grip off of her, punching him in the face and loosening his grip on Kiara so she could get away. She ran for JJ again, but Norman held her back, not wanting her to get hurt.

"It's not you we want, Kie," Rafe explained, clutching a bleeding nose. Norman scrunched up his face in disgust as he wiped the blood off of his knuckles. "Where's John B?"

"I don't know," the girl spat, not having any of it as she smacked him, adding onto the pain he was feeling. Norman smiled, knowing she could handle her own without his help. Still, it was nice to land a punch to Rafe Cameron's nose regardless. He had been wanting to do that for a long time.

"I really wish you didn't do that."

Norman kept one hand on Alisha who was coming around his side. The girl shoved Rafe back as he tried to get in Kiara's face, but neither Alisha nor Norman were going to let that happen.

"I know what you did," Kiara exclaimed through gritted teeth.

The boy scoffed, "Really? What did I do?"

"You murdered Peterkin."

The boy stepped back for a moment and clearly these words got Barry's attention because the man had gone silent from taunting JJ. Still, he continued to demand his money while JJ laid on the floor. Rafe grabbed Kiara in a chokehold and Norman let go of Alisha to try and work Kiara out of his grip.

"Don't you ever fucking say those words again," the boy seethed as Norman pulled him off of Kiara and the girl slipped, falling to the floor, "Where's John B? I know you guys know. Where is he?"

"We don't know!" Norman yelled, shoving him back. Just in time, Pope came up behind Rafe with a crowbar, hitting him in the back of the knees and sending him to the floor. Norman breathed a sigh of relief as he nodded thanks to Pope, glad to see the boy again.

"Don't touch them!" Pope screamed as he continued to hit Rafe. The two got into an altercation as Alisha came up behind Rafe and grabbed one of his arms to throw him off balance and keep him from hitting Pope. Meanwhile, Norman helped Kiara off of the ground as she brushed herself off. Barry noticed this, getting his gun ready to stop the fight, but JJ grabbed his ankle and the man went tumbling to the ground.

"Kick it!" JJ instructed, referring to the weapon clattering on the floor. Kie followed instructions and JJ was able to get up, getting into another altercation with Barry except this time he was actually winning. Barry was on the ground, meanwhile, Pope was still getting into with Rafe except at this point it seemed to be extremely one-sided. As the boy wrapped a hose around the other's neck and grabbed him in a chokehold, the four of them screamed at him to stop. Finally, JJ came and grabbed Pope, pulling him back, while Norman worked to free the almost-unconscious Rafe.

"It's okay," Kie muttered in an attempt to get the heaving Pope to calm down. "Okay, we've gotta go. We've gotta go."

As quickly as they could, they got the boat rigged to Kie's car, which thankfully was much easier with the five of them. The drive was silent as Pope seemed to be in a state of shock meanwhile JJ had a towel pressed to his wounds. Norman and Alisha sat in the back, the girl with her head on his shoulder as she squeezed his hand worriedly. His leg was bouncing up and down anxiously as they awaited the arrival to their location. It seemed like forever until they got to the docks where they were supposed to be meeting and had the boat in the water, ready to go.

Now, they waited. And waited. Norman checked his phone for the time just about every thirty seconds and it was slowly driving him insane. A siren wailed in the distance as the sun began to hang low in the sky, much later than they anticipated John B meeting them. Norman's heart thundered in his chest.

"Dude, where is he?" Kie sighed as they continued loading the boat. They were behind schedule already thanks to Rafe and Barry's little stunt, but they were just about finished.

"Give him a second, he'll be here," Pope reassured.

Alisha tugged on Norman's wrist, whispering just loud enough that only he could hear her, "You wouldn't still be hearing the sirens if they caught him. He'll be here."

Norman nodded, trying to stay calm as he bit his fingernails to shreds, "I know, I know."

A siren wailed as a police car pulled up and everyone started freaking out. Norman knew the cops weren't looking for him thanks to the hostage miscommunication, but he wasn't sure he could say the same for the others.

"Get back on the boat," JJ called out as they began freaking out. Pope went to untie the boat from the dock so they could take off, but before they could, the door opened and John B stepped out of the drivers' seat. "No way."

"John B," Norman yelled as he ran over to the boy, hugging him fiercely. The boy pulled him into a kiss before the two of them rested their foreheads against each other. He was fairly sure he heard JJ gag in the background, but he didn't care. "I thought... I thought it was over."

John B just shook his head, letting his fingers run through Norman's hair, "No, I'm here. It's okay, I'm here."

After a moment the two let go of each other and John B addressed the group, "Uh, yeah, Shoupe let me take it for a spin."

Kie scoffed, a look of disbelief on her face as she pulled the boy into a hug, "Okay, yeah that's believable. I'll buy that for now."

"It wasn't easy, bro, but I got the Phantom for you," JJ announced as he hopped onto the dock and tossed the keys to him who caught them with ease, "and she runs like she was made yesterday. You ready to go?"

"Where's Sarah? We got separated in the swamp, she said she'd meet me here," John B told them, a worried look on his face. "Kie, have you heard from her?"

The girl shook her head frantically, "Shit, no, I'll call her."

"I don't wanna leave until I know she's safe," John B said, but no one was having it.

"There's no time," said JJ, "Kie will make sure she's safe, but you're running out of time. You've got plenty of gas, plenty of food. Once you get around the point, it's a straight shot across the sound to Dismal Swamp, okay? Once you get there, lay low. Hang out for a couple of weeks, then go overland. Cross the border at Brownsville, you got that? Brownsville."

John B looked like he wasn't paying attention, his eyes boring straight into Norman's. "Yeah, yeah, I got that."

JJ went to get the boat ready, and John B looked at Norman, his eyes teary. "Norman--"

"Let me come with you," the boy cut him off, knowing the words had been on the tip of his tongue for the last two days. "Please. I don't wanna leave you again."

The boy shook his head, grabbing his hands and holding them tightly, "I can't let you do that, you can't leave your life behind because of me, Norman. I-I love you too much to let you. Hey, hey, every time I leave, I come back. I'll always come back to you, Norman. I'll always come back."

Norman already knew he was crying by the way the water slid down his cheeks, "I love you too much to let you leave alone. Please, John B."

At first instead of words, John B, with his hands pressed to Norman's cheeks, left a gentle kiss on his forehead before he whispered something in his ear. Norman forced himself to nod as John B wiped the tears off of his cheeks before kissing him one last time. After that, he stepped onto the boat.

As the five of them stood on the docks, John B turned around with tears in his eyes, "Hey, hey. I'm sorry for basically... throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing."

"Hey, John B, yo, we were bound to run off a cliff at some point," retorted JJ.

"Yeah," was all he said.

JJ was crying too now as he wrapped his arms around Pope's shoulders, saying, "At least we did it together, though. Pogue style."

John B nodded, "Pogue style."

"We'll see you in two months in Mexico," Pope said with a forced laugh.

They said the last of their love yous and goodbyes as John B tearfully got ready to leave. JJ reminded him of his instructions one last time as they untied the boat from the dock. They pushed it away into the water as they watched him drive off.

"Hey," Alisha got Norman's attention as they watched him get smaller and smaller, "What did he say to you?"

"He said," Norman began through the tears, "He said, "I'll always come back to you." I just hope he knows I'm holding him to that."

THE END