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''So that would leave you... and JJ, right?''

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THE BOAT SLOWED as we glided into the marsh, the soft lapping of water against the sides filling the quiet. JJ leaned back, one arm draped over the edge, and rubbed his stomach dramatically.

''Anybody else starving?'' he asked.

''I don't think I've eaten in, like, 36 hours,'' Kie replied, shaking her head as she stared out at the shore ahead. Her dark hair was tangled from the wind, and she tucked a strand behind her ear.

The hunger gnawed at me, too, but I didn't say anything. My stomach had been growling for hours, but it wasn't exactly the biggest issue when we were being chased, again.

We found a dock, the old wood creaking under the boat as John B tied us off. ''We're gonna find some food,'' Sarah announced, hopping off with a quick glance at Kie and me.

''Right behind you,'' I muttered, jumping onto the dock with the help of Pope's steadying hand.

The three of us ventured into the brush. My shoes squelched with every step, but the faint smell of vegetation hinted at something promising. A short trek later, we stumbled upon a watermelon garden.

''Ugh!'' Kie exclaimed, holding up a round, green watermelon. ''Jackpot!''

Sarah grinned, her fingers brushing the leaves as she bent to pick another. ''Holy shit, this is a goldmine.''

I grabbed one and hoisted it against my hip, already imagining the cool sweetness of the fruit. We found a bench nearby, shaded by an old oak tree, and used a pocket knife to split the melons in half. The juice dripped down my hands as I carved out chunks, the first bite like heaven.

''Holy shit,'' Sarah mumbled through a mouthful, her shoulders relaxing.

Kie leaned back against the bench, her eyes narrowed playfully at Sarah. ''Okay, so you really got married?''

''It wasn't exactly legal, but...'' Sarah trailed off, her cheeks pink as she glanced at us. ''Yeah.''

I raised an eyebrow, the sweetness of the watermelon still fresh on my tongue. ''Congratulations or something,'' I mumbled. The whole thing sounded wild, but then again, what about our lives wasn't?

''Am I crazy, or is there definitely something going on between you and Pope?'' Sarah asked, her eyes twinkling as she turned to Kie.

Kie shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. ''Maybe.''

''That's not a no,'' Sarah teased.

''It's not a no,'' Kie agreed.

Sarah's attention shifted to me, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. ''So that would leave you... and JJ, right?''

''Um, no way,'' I replied quickly, shaking my head.

''Why not? He cares for you. I've seen it with my own eyes,'' Sarah pressed, her tone soft but insistent.

I sighed, leaning forward to rest my elbows on my knees. ''Me, JJ, and John B are like glue. John B already said if JJ ever tried anything, he'd probably beat him up because of the whole no-dating-other-Pogues rule.''

''Well, Kie obviously doesn't care about that rule,'' Sarah pointed out. ''Neither should you.''

''Fair point,'' I admitted, though the idea felt strange. JJ was like a brother to me, but I wasn't about to squash Sarah's matchmaking enthusiasm entirely. ''I'll keep that in mind.''

We finished our breakfast, laughing and joking as the sunlight filtered through the trees. The watermelon was a mess, sticky juice dripping down our hands and arms, but it felt good to finally eat food again.

When we returned to the boat, the boys were still there.

''Hi,'' Sarah greeted, stepping aboard. ''What are y'all talking about?''

''Uh... fishing,'' John B replied, avoiding her gaze.

''Dropping lures,'' JJ added, his tone suspiciously nonchalant. ''That's that, you know?''

I narrowed my eyes, crossing my arms. ''Okay, so you were definitely talking shit about someone.''

''Yeah, sure. We'll pretend to believe you,'' Kie chimed in, rolling her eyes as she handed Pope some of the leftover watermelon.

JJ reached out his hands for the fruit I carried. ''Need help?''

''Thanks,'' I replied, passing it over. His fingers brushed mine briefly before he took it with a grin.

''Goodness gracious,'' he muttered, pretending the watermelon was impossibly heavy.

Pope glanced over with a smirk. ''What's that now?''

''I got breakfast,'' Kie said proudly, holding up the watermelon.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

JOHN B'S VOICE softened as the chateau came into view in the distance. ''There she is.''

JJ leaned against the side of the boat. ''Bet it's good to see her old bones, right? Welcome home, guys.''

The boat bumped gently against the dock as we tied up.

''You know, I gotta be honest,'' Kie began as we climbed off the boat, ''not exactly looking forward to a check-in at home. My parents probably already arranged my funeral.''

Pope groaned. ''I also predict unpleasantries at the Heyward household after I left the truck in Charleston.''

JJ slung an arm around his shoulders. ''No one knows we're here, right? And you two aren't gonna get into any more trouble for showing up 12 hours later.''

''You're not wrong,'' Pope admitted.

''So that means we have 12 hours to do whatever we want,'' JJ declared. ''Huh? A little Pogue fellowship. How does that sound?''

John B nodded. ''Let the shit hit the fan tomorrow.''

''Yeah!'' JJ cheered, throwing his fist in the air.

Sarah hesitated. ''The cops could be looking for us. It could be really stupid.''

JJ's grin only widened. ''Sarah Cameron, you've heard of my philosophy, right?''

''No,'' she replied, shaking her head.

''Stupid things have good outcomes all the time,'' JJ declared, as if it were a universal truth. ''Who's with me? Let's get some beer!''

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THE NIGHT WAS alive with laughter and the hum of strung-up lights casting a golden glow over the Chateau's backyard. I was sunk into the bubbling water, my head tilted back against the edge, taking it all in. JJ and John B were already tipsy and loud, their laughter cutting through the air.

Kie emerged from the store earlier with a few cases of beer, a smirk tugging at her lips as she handed them over to JJ. Now, hours later, we were all a little drunk, some more than a little high. It felt good to let loose, to forget about everything that has happened. Although I was concerned the others would comment on the massive bruise I had on my back. John B was the first one to notice and I just said I got during our chase. It was a lie, but they all believed it. I'm not going to snitch on Sarah's brother, especially with her around. Also, I'm not just willingly going to admit I let him get into my house again and I couldn't even fight back.

The boys had taken the entertainment to a new level, currently slap-fighting to see who could knock the other down first. I leaned forward, the heat from the water mixing with the cool night air brushing against my damp skin. JJ lunged at Pope, who swiftly ducked, sending JJ stumbling.

"With the single leg sweep," John B narrated dramatically, holding a beer aloft like it was a microphone.

Pope pinned JJ to the ground, holding him in place. ''You've got a new technique now,'' JJ groaned, looking up at him.

"When did you start wrestling?" John B asked.

"I dunno. I'm done. I'm out of here," Pope declared, getting up and brushing off his pants as he staggered away.

JJ called after him, ''Did you have too many beers? You want a round two?''

Pope turned back, shaking his head with a lazy grin. ''Yeah, I think I'll take my losses.''

Kie got up then, sharing a glance with Sarah and me before following after Pope. ''Really?'' Sarah asked.

"Oh yeah, way to be discreet!'' JJ yelled after her, waving his arms like a madman.

''I leave, and this is what happens,'' John B remarked, shaking his head as he stood to grab another beer from the cooler.

JJ rounded on John B and me, pointing a finger. ''Are you blaming us?''

''Just a little bit,'' John B admitted, grinning as he popped the cap off his drink.

''Literally one job, you two,'' Sarah chimed in, her laughter bubbling out before she took another sip of her drink.

I raised my hands in mock surrender. ''Were we supposed to lock them away? I can't just stop two people from macking on each other.''

JJ gestured to me, nodding in agreement. ''Exactly!''

''No excuses,'' Sarah argued, narrowing her eyes. ''You're both Pogues. You should know this.''

I smirked, leaning closer. ''Do you want me to bring up what you said to me in that garden?''

Sarah's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing under the warm glow of the lights. ''Nuh-uh, don't you dare.''

John B's interest piqued instantly. ''No, no, keep going. I'm very curious now.''

Sarah turned her glare to me. ''Mimi.''

I leaned back, savouring her discomfort for a moment. ''Well, Sarah knew damn well they were macking and even encouraged her to do so.''

Sarah threw her hands up. ''Oh no, you did not!''

''So you're working on both sides, I see,'' John B teased, taking a long sip from his beer.

Before Sarah could retort, the unmistakable sound of the HMS Pogue's engine broke through the chatter. We all turned, spotting Pope and Kie driving off into the night.

''Oh! All right!'' JJ yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. ''Have a good time!''

Sarah called out after them, ''Don't do anything I wouldn't do!''

JJ shook his head. ''There he goes. He jacked your boat, dude.''

''Pope's poking on the Pogue,'' JJ quipped with a grin.

Sarah groaned, throwing a hand over her face. ''Okay, let's stop talking about their sex life, please.''

I couldn't resist. ''Funny, considering how curious you were about it when it was just us three back there.''

Sarah shoved me lightly, her laugh breaking through her protests. ''Oh, shut up, Mavis.''

''Hey, you should probably—'' JJ began, turning to John B, but was cut off.

''What?'' John B asked, furrowing his brow.

''What was that?'' I interjected, straightening up from my seat by the tree.

''Your chicken?'' JJ asked.

It clicked instantly. ''JJ, you killed his chicken,'' I reminded him, crossing my arms. His face shifted from a proud smirk to sudden realization.

''I—'' JJ opened his mouth to defend himself, but before he could get a word in, John B shushed us all.

''I heard a car door,'' John B whispered, his voice barely audible.

JJ immediately began clucking like a chicken.

''JJ, not now,'' Sarah hissed, but he kept at it, earning a glare from John B, who promptly clapped his hand over JJ's mouth.

I glanced toward the direction of the sound, my heart picking up its pace. ''Guys, we need to move,'' I urged.

John B nodded, already putting out the remaining embers. ''The tree,'' he said firmly, pointing to the large oak.

JJ scrambled up first, muttering something about being the bait if we all fell out. Sarah followed, letting JJ haul her up to a branch before settling herself on a sturdy one. John B helped me up next. 

''You good?'' he murmured, his eyes scanning my face.

I nodded quickly, not trusting my voice to sound calm.

We all nestled into the tree's thick branches, our breaths shallow as we tried to steady ourselves. The leaves above rustled in the wind, but beneath us, the crunch of footsteps reached our ears.

Two figures emerged from the shadows. My stomach churned as I recognized them. Rafe and Barry. Great.

''Where are they?'' Rafe's voice cut through the silence.

I froze, instinctively holding my breath. The last time I'd dealt with Rafe, it hadn't gone well.

Kiara and I stood back, admiring the jagged letters we'd just scrawled—''MURDERER,'' bold and defiant. My pulse was pounding, my fingers slightly shaky as I tucked the spray can into my bag. This wouldn't bring John B back, wouldn't fix what they'd taken from us, but it felt like a warning shot. Maybe now people would see.

We didn't have long to savour it. The front door flew open, and out stormed Ward Cameron with Rafe trailing him, their eyes instantly landing on us. I met Rafe's gaze, and for once, his stare wasn't the usual manic look he gave, but uncertain, almost wary. I knew why; he had to have recognized the rage in my own eyes—a rage that had replaced every ounce of fear he'd once tried to instill. I felt hollow but focused, like nothing they did could reach me anymore. They'd already taken what mattered to me the most.

Ward's voice broke the silence. ''Did you do this?!'' His face was flushed with fury as he jabbed a finger toward the graffiti, his anger so intense it made Kiara take a small step back, but I didn't move. I just watched Rafe, watched him, hoping he'd feel some glimmer of remorse or even fear.

''This little art project,'' Ward continued, ''do you think it's funny?'' Kiara laughed. I held Rafe's gaze, not laughing, but feeling something darker. He should've taken the blame, should've come clean. John B was dead because of him.

Ward narrowed his eyes,. ''You kids think you're so untouchable. Why can't you just leave us to grieve?''

That was enough to snap Kiara's restraint. ''You're a fucking murderer,'' she snarled. She didn't yell, but her words cut like glass. Suddenly, we heard footsteps running toward us, and before we could react, JJ and Pope were pulling us back. JJ grabbed Kiara around the waist, lifting her slightly as she struggled, hurling her words back at Ward and Rafe. ''Murderer! Murderer!'' she shouted. I stopped, my eyes fixed on Rafe until Pope grabbed my hand and pulled me away.

Below us, the two rummaged through the chateau.

''Yo!'' Rafe yelled at Barry. ''Anything?''

''No. Ain't shit in there, bro,'' Barry replied.

''Nothing?'' Rafe repeated, pacing.

''Not even a clue where the bitch that ditched my car in the lake is,'' Barry growled.

I rolled my eyes, though my pulse raced. ''Mavis isn't the one you should be worried about right now. You should've protected your car better,'' Rafe shot back.

The others turned to look at me, their expressions a mixture of confusion and curiosity. I offered a small, innocent smile, even as my insides twisted.

Rafe was relentless, his gaze scanning the area like a predator hunting prey. ''They were obviously just here based on the smoke, man,'' he muttered.

''Yeah, yeah, yeah,'' Barry mocked. ''Great observation, boy scout.''

''They're not far, you know?'' Rafe said, his tone darker now.

Barry wasn't helping. ''Smokey the Bear! Look at you, bro!'' he shouted, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

And then, as if sensing us, Rafe's eyes snapped towards the tree. My stomach dropped.

''P4L,'' he muttered with a twisted laugh, raising his gun. ''Well, shit.''

''So your sister's a pogue for life, huh, Rafe?'' Barry sneered. ''Now who would've thought?''

Before anyone could move, Rafe shouted, his voice maniacal. ''Shit!''

The gun fired.

I flinched, gripping the branch tighter as bark exploded near JJ's head. He ducked instinctively, his knuckles white as he clung to the tree.

''Hey! Whoa!'' Barry shouted, rushing forward to grab Rafe. ''Chill your shit! Chill out! You're gonna get our asses busted, dawg! Let's bounce. Let's go!''

Rafe hesitated, his breath heaving before Barry dragged him away, the gun dropping with a dull thud onto the dirt below. Their footsteps faded into the night, leaving the four of us perched in stunned silence.

''What the fuck just happened?'' Sarah whispered, her voice trembling.

John B scanned us, his eyes wide with concern. ''Everybody okay?'' he asked.

We nodded slowly, still too shaken to speak. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding and leaned my head against the tree trunk, trying to will my heart back to a normal rhythm.

''That was way too close,'' I murmured, my voice barely audible over the rustling leaves.

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