༄ 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗂𝗑𝗍𝖾𝖾𝗇 ༄

THE ENTIRE WAY back home, Topper and Rafe went on and on about Pogues versus Kooks, and Thalia was angry. Rafe and Topper didn't deserve the privilege they had. So, after making sure Topper wasn't at home, Thalia skated over to his house, evading other Kooks as she made her way down his dock towards his boat. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but the security cameras caught her every move.

        Thalia paced where Topper's boat was docked, unsure of what to do with it. When Heyward's boat drove into view with JJ and Pope aboard, Thalia almost lost her mind. Of course they were there. The two boys' jaws dropped when they saw Thalia standing innocently on the dock, a bathing suit top and athletic shorts covering her body, red hair sprawled over her back. Pope was not being discreet about his awestruck gaze on her, but Thalia was metaphorically blind.

        JJ and Pope conversed, and Pope tugged his shirt and hat off, horribly diving into the water as JJ tugged a bandana and sunglasses over his face. Pope swam over to Topper's dock, hauling himself into the boat. "What are you doing here? Thought you chose being a Kook." Pope sneered, angry that she left with Rafe and Topper.

        Thalia shrugged. "I chose to be me. Don't really know who that is yet," she said, her and Pope staring at each other. Thalia found himself lost in Pope's beautifully warm eyes. "I'm really sorry. About Rafe. I can find some money, pay your dad back–"

        "No, Thalia, it's okay. Friends?" Pope stuck his hand out to Thalia, and she shook it awkwardly.

        "Friends," she smiled lightly, the sun catching her features. "What are you doing here? I was trying to figure out how to mess with Topper." Thalia said, unaware of the camera in the distance catching the ends of her red hair as it zeroed in on Heyward's boat.

        "Funny, that's what I'm doing," Pope winked daringly, reaching into the expensive boat, pulling the plug out. He handed the plug to Thalia as the boat started to fill with water. "You approve?"

        Thalia twirled the plug between her fingers. "You're speaking my language here." together, Thalia and Pope jumped into the water, swimming back over to JJ and Heyward's boat. Swimming wasn't exactly easy for Thalia, so she was tired when she reached the boat.

        Pope climbed up beside JJ. "I am so proud of you right now. Holy crap." JJ said to Pope, Thalia holding the plug. He took off his sunglasses, shocked that Pope had gone through with sinking Topper's boat.

        Pope helped Thalia up the ladder, and once she was on the boat, she handed the plug back to Pope. "JJ?" Pope said, panting, water dripping down his body.

        "Yeah?" JJ found a towel, passing it to Thalia. He was pissed that she left Pope, but this kind of made up for it.

        "You can't tell anybody." Pope said seriously as Thalia leant on the side of the boat, shaking her sore knee out.

        JJ nodded. "Oh, no, yeah. Totally, dude." he brushed off the statement like it was obvious.

        Thalia rolled her eyes. "No, he's serious, JJ. Not Kiara, not John B, nobody. If Topper and Rafe find out I sunk his boat, I will genuinely be murdered." the redhead shook the water out of her hair with the towel JJ gave her.

        "Yup, my lips are sealed. Give me that. Give me that," Pope gave JJ the plug and JJ chucked it into the ocean. "Okay! Let's get outta here." JJ hurried into the control center of the boat with Pope and Thalia as Topper's boat sank.

        Pope started driving the boat back to his father's shop. "Hey, we're all going surfing at the break. You should come." Pope said suddenly to Thalia, who looked at him, braiding her hair.

        It was an awkward topic for her to speak about. "Thanks, but I can't surf anymore. The surgery fixed my ACL and MCL, but my knee still dislocates all the time." Thalia explained quietly, embarrassed.

        Pope instantly regretted asking her to come, but JJ had an idea. "You should come anyway. Watch us surf. I mean, if you want to go hang out with Rafe and Topper, that's your choice." JJ said, and Thalia wanted to go, more than anything, but she was covering something else up.

        They docked Heyward's boat. "No, I should go home. Tell me if you find the Merchant with the drone?" Thalia asked hopefully.

        "Yeah, definitely." Pope said, deflated that Thalia was leaving.

        When Thalia made it to her house, Rose was anxiously waiting in the kitchen. "Where the hell have you been? We're running late." Rose said, and Thalia's face fell.

        "Hell no, I'm not going if you're taking me." Thalia said, still in her bikini and shorts.

        "You're going. Get changed, and get in the car." Rose insisted.

        But Thalia wasn't giving up that easy. "Am I speaking Chinese? I am not going if you are taking me." she enunciated, arms crossed.

        Rose sighed heavily. "Ward! Come down here, please!" Rose shouted uostairs, and Thalia rolled her eyes.

        "Really? You're playing that card? I'm not going if he's taking me, either. I'm not going at all." Thalia leant against the glass french doors, Rose inhaling sharply.

        Ward came downstairs. "What's going on, kid?" he asked, looking from Thalia to Rose.

        "I don't want to go, and she's making me. Will you tell her she doesn't control me?" Thalia said before Rose could speak, pointing at the woman.

        "You need to go, Thalia!" Rose shouted, hair straightened to perfection.

        "Are you calling me crazy, Rose?" Thalia retorted. She didn't want to see her psychiatrist again, and she didn't want to talk at all. She was fine.

        Ward sighed. "Okay, okay, let's all just calm down," he glared at Rose, now standing in front of Thalia. "Sweetie, you have to go. It's good for you to talk about your feelings. It'll help you." the man said, treading on light waters.

        Thalia rolled her eyes. "No, it's not. You know what helps me? Peace, quiet, Fleetwood Mac, and marijuana." she listed, feeling the need for a joint. It had been too many hours since she had weed.

        "That is very not funny. Why do you have to make everything so difficult?" Ward muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

        "I don't know what to tell you, Ward. I'm not going. If you need me, I'll be drowning my sorrows in vitamin water and listening to Stevie Nicks." she slipped away from her step-aunt and uncle and made her way to her bedroom, shutting the door firmly.

        In her bathroom, Thalia changed out of her damp bathing suit and into shorts and a hoodie before collapsing at her window seat, taking a few hits from her vape. That was her version of therapy. When Wheezie came in without knocking, Thalia hid her vape and pushed the fumes out of her window. "Do you have any cash?" Wheezie questioned, looking around Thalia's dresser.

        "Paws off, cretin," Thalia said quickly, Wheezie lifting her hands from Thalia's jewelry. "And no, I don't have cash. I don't get an allowance like you do. Ask Sarah." Thalia answered, her head pounding.

        "Sarah said no. When will you have cash?" Wheezie wondered, standing in the middle of Thalia's messy room.

        "Guffy pays me in a few days. Why do you need money?" Thalia questioned her little cousin.

        Wheezie shrugged. "I want these new shoes, but Dad and Rose said no." she explained, and Thalia wanted to throw Wheezie across the room.

        "Get out." Thalia said, and once Wheezie was gone, she went back to smoking. Thalia slept for hours, and the next day, while the Pogues tried to find the Royal Merchant with the drone, she went to work. Thalia didn't really have true friends yet.

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