𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 she drove a brush through her dark hair, Kaci Flores left the house to join the others out back. "I really should've tied my hair up before I did that," she admitted, wrapping it into a ponytail. "Someoneʼs nail snapped off and cut my scalp."

"Ew," Kie cringed.

Kaci sat down on the log beside her, dressed in JJʼs long sweats.

Kie studied her closely. She knew Kaci had it in her to fight, everyone on the island was aware of her short temper, but as she searched her face, she didn't see a single flicker of guilt. Not that she was supposed to feel guilty, what Kaci did tonight was justified. And, maybe, after murdering her brother, a small fight didn't affect Kaci anymore.

But it did make Kie wonder.

"Are you about to kiss me?" asked Kaci jokingly, sliding a marshmallow on a stick to roast it on the fire close to them. "ʼCause I'm holding my other virginity out for Cleo."

Kie chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Did you feel bad?" she suddenly questioned, tone serious. "After our fight?"

Not prepared for the question, Kaci let out a slow breath, rolling her shoulders back as she sat up a little straighter. "At first, no," she admitted. "When I get into...things, it's kind of a moment thing. It's like...I'm not there. I just get filled with so much serotonin and adrenaline that I don't really care about any of it." She shrugged, glancing back at the fire. "But when I hit your temple, it made me feel sick inside. I knew you'd gone to hospital, the police told me that one more wrong punch, and you could've been permanently damaged. You could've..."

"Died." Kie nodded, remembering all the time she spent being shouted at by her parents, being surrounded by the cops, being so scared of the girl sitting beside her that she didn't dare leave her house for months.

Kaci shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said meaningfully. "I know it doesn't help much, but I really am sorry for it, Kie."

The girl nodded, shaking her head with a smile, and nudged Kaci in the stomach. "I don't know why I brought it up, it doesn't matter anymore."

"Hey, if you two are about to hook up, let us know first, yeah?"

Rolling their eyes, the two girls looked up to flip the three boys off, their group coming together again as they all sat on the logs, roasting marshmallows; a calm ending to a crazy night.

"I've had more black eyes in the last month than I've ever had," said Pope, sitting on a garden chair beside JJ.

Kaci shook her head. "Anyone else gives you a black eye, I'll stab them with this marshmallow," she warned, poking his cheek with it.

"That was building up for years," JJ stated. "Rumble in the jungle, we really should've brought Kaz — he woulda loved it." He hissed in pain when he touched the end of his burning stick.

"JJ, our son can't watch us fight people," Kaci deadpanned.

"Just wait until you meet the soccer moms in middle school."

John B chuckled, wedging himself in between his sisters on the log. "Kace'll kill them."

Kaci turned to her side, glaring at him. "I'm not that bad."

"You are," the three boys all said.

JJ shook his head when she stared at them in disbelief. "Don't worry, Princess, it's hot."

Kie nodded in agreement.

John B turned to the two of them. "Hey, did you really stick up for Sarah, or did you just wanna fight?"

"Both," shrugged Kaci.

Kie shook her head, chewing on her sandwich. "Of course we did. She's not a real kook."

"Right."

"Yeah, tell that to Topper," muttered Pope.

Kaci furrowed her brows, seeing JJ at the end, shaking his burnt hands all over the place. "You are such a dumbass."

"It looked fluffy!" he defended.

"So you touched it?!"

"Kaz woulda touched it!"

"Kaz is a baby, JJ, not a good comparison!"

"I just want one bite. That's all..." Everyone turned around to watch John B steal the gas station sandwich from Kieʼs hand. "Mmm."

"What are you doing?" hissed the girl, trying to take it back. "No! Stop!"

"Mmm."

"You should kill him," Kaci encouraged.

The two fought for it like siblings, until John B accidentally knocked it to the ground.

"You're not having any of mine," said JJ.

"I thought you were gonna share."

"I spent the last of my money on that."

"Poor sandwich. Can you imagine being made so perfect only for the jelly baby to eat you?"

"Sarah relates to that."

"JJ, don't be disgusting."

"It's true, though! Right, Pope?"

"Don't bring me into this."

As Kie and Kaci continued to go on at the Maybank boy, John B climbed behind the log, searching for the fallen food. "Sixteen years in most federal prisons," John B mumbled, munching on the sandwich.

"Ew, there's no way you're actually eating that, you menopausal rabbit," said Kaci, turning around to him in disgust.

"I'm a what?" he questioned.

Seeing him eating the sandwich again, Kie rolled her eyes. "I'm stealing your marshmallow."

"I believe that's a...not even a fair trade," said Pope.

"It's not at all." Kie giggled. "Not even close."

"Y'know, I used to think that Jordan was the most annoying a human could get, and then I met him." Kaci shook her head, her sisterly hatred for John B clear in her voice.

JJ sent her a soft smile, knowing she didn't bring her younger brother up often. He liked how close she was with the pouges now, how Pope and John B were like brothers to her, but he knew she still missed her real ones. The ones she grew up with, shared blood with. The ones she lost way too early. One deserved it, one didn't, but Kaci still lost both.

"Can someone put on some music?" asked JJ, lifting his head to face the sky, like that was going to do something.

"I'm in an Avril Lavigne mood tonight," said Kie.

"My toxic trait is believing I could pull off the early 2000s style," added Kaci.

"You totally could," Kie told her.

"I know." Kaci shrugged with a smirk. "I just wanted the compliment."

"We should buy low-rise jeans and those tight tank tops."

"We should."

"Yeah, with what money?" asked Pope, shaking his head.

Kaci shrugged. "Who needs money?" She turned around with a glare when she felt John B hit her back. "Hey, don't touch —"

"Shh. Shh."

Everyone in the group fell silent, their eyes travelling over the long field. It took a couple of seconds, but eventually, they heard what John B did; a rustling in the bushes ahead of them.

"Somebodyʼs here."

Kie turned back to Kaci, caution in her eyes. "You don't think that Topper would..."

"I wouldn't put it past him," said JJ, standing up with Pope.

Kaci shook her head. "Sarah wouldn't let him."

"Do you have the gun?" Kie asked, turning to him.

"Oh, now she wants the gun."

"Oh, now you don't have the gun?"

Pope tried to shush them before they began bickering like siblings.

It didn't work.

"No."

"Isn't that your ʼsecretʼ weapon?"

"Kaci stole it."

"I didn't steal it, I hid it."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I shot my brother with it, and if the cops get hold of it, I go to jail?"

"You'd look hot in orange."

"Shut up, JJ," both girls said, rolling their eyes.

He raised his hands in defence. "There was once a time when people appreciated compliments."

"Guys," Pope hissed.

JJ shook his head, walking beside him. "They're always gangin' up on me, man."

Kaci rolled her eyes again, jumping forward to stand at the front with John B. "Hey, who's out there?" the boy questioned, letting the intruder know he knew they were there.

"You kooks better not try anything," Kie added.

"Who's there?" JJ called, holding a branding iron up in the air.

Kaci shook her head. "It's probably, like, an axe murderer or something."

John B sent her an odd look. "Why are you so chill about that?"

She shrugged. "Imagine killing a killer, that's gotta feel powerful," she said simply.

JJ snapped his head towards her in disbelief, not having heard the complete conversation. "You wanna kill Kaz?"

Kaci sighed, and Pope patted JJ on the shoulder, shaking his head.

"But she just said..."

"How y'all doing?"

A glare fell onto all the teensʼ faces at the sight of Renfield, his hands up in surrender, as he strolled towards the group.

"It's this piece of shit," muttered Pope.

"You gotta be kidding me."

"I will literally fight this bitch."

Kie sighed quietly. "Kaci, no."

"Lovely evening we're having," the man said, ignoring all their comments. He continued walking ahead towards them, body relaxed and careless. "Look, I, uh...I don't hold a grudge with any of y'all, all right? But this can go hard —" He started patting his jacket, then spun around, opening it up to show proof of no weapons "— or this can go easy." He shrugged, close to them now. "You know what I'm here for."

The pouges all glared at him, carefully watching him for any tricks he could pull. John B put a protective arm in front of Kaci, seeing the man walk towards their group. Pope remained strong, jaw clenched, as he tried not to let all his anger out on the man.

Kaci was proud of him. If she were in his position, she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to hold back.

"Let me give you a little demonstration. You see that swing right there?" Renfield moved on, pointing to a homemade swing that hung off a tree beside JJ, who still held up the branding iron in his hands. "I got the best bow hunters in the Army Rangers with me. Hidden."

JJ stepped forward and put his hand around the rope of the swing, humming at Renfield in fearless challenge.

Rising up to the teen boy, Renfield nodded and whistled. Not even a second later, an arrow ran straight through the swing and into the tree beside it, shocking everyone on the scene.

"Now, they're out there," Renfield continued, not even giving the kids a chance to process it. "And they'll stick you just as soon as I say so." He got close into Popeʼs face, causing both Kaci and JJ to go forward for him. Then, an arrow landed at their feet.

"Uh-uh-uh," Renfield tutted, turning around to take JJʼs weapon from him. "We clear?" When the boy only glared at him more, gripping to the branding iron like it was his life source, Renfield shrugged. "Or maybe we're not." He let out another whistle, and an arrow came for Kaci. John B went at lightning speed to pull her away before it could hit her, but the statement of the arrow still carried on the teens heavy.

JJ went back to his place beside Kie, allowing Renfield to converse with Pope. "Now, I'm not gonna give you a countdown or any bullshit like that, I'm just gonna whistle," he warned.

Pope looked back at all his friends for a moment, seeing them all frozen in shock but also slightly shaking their heads, telling him not to let go on the key. Even Kaci wanted him to keep it, even she was starting to believe they could get the cross.

"No," he whispered, holding the key up, wrapping his fingers around it tightly. "This key belongs to my family."

Renfield turned back around to face the tress, and Kaci could see the outline of some men sitting up there, watching them. When the man went back to face Pope, he let out a laugh. "I am losing my patience with you, Pope," he said, shaking his head. He glanced back at the boyʼs friends, who were all cautiously eyeing the trees that surrounded them, starting to put his fingers in his mouth, ready to let out another whistle.

And that was why Pope handed the key back over to Renfield. He couldn't put his friends through all that, he couldn't let Renfield hurt all of them for this. They were going to get the cross, but Pope wasn't going to put the pouges in danger for it.

"Did the right thing, kid," Renfield said at last, taking the key from him without any hesitation. "Knowing when you don't have a choice is an underappreciated talent." He waved the key in Popeʼs face. "Be safe."

At last, Renfield started to walk away, pausing when JJ held up the branding iron tightly again. "Easy there," he said simply, and continued to walk on. He chuckled at Kaciʼs face, so angry, so much like her mother.

Seeing the man looking at her, John B kept his protective arm in front — for her safety or for Renfieldʼs safety, he wasn't sure, but he knew it needed to be there.

"Y'all have a good night." He whistled and walked into the darkness, leaving the pouges feeling uneasy.

"I'm so sick of this shit," Pope stated shakily. He turned around to storm back into the house, a few of his friends following behind him, all of them ready for bed after their long night.

Seeing that they were left alone on the field, JJ finally dropped his weapon and turned to Kaci with a suggestive grin. "I know it's probably not the time, but we still don't get Kaz back for another few hours..."

Kaci rolled her eyes. "You're disgusting."

"Tree house sex?"

"Tree house sex."

Authorʼs Note
kaci and kieʼs friendship development means sm to me because i remember when everyone hated her in the early chapters. also, the start of this chapter, when they're all just talking, is so cute to me. i just love how well they all work together and are so chaotic.

btw fridays are now update days for this fic!! check my announcements to see the full schedule if you read any of my other stories :)

love tay </3