༄ 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗋𝗍𝗒－𝗌𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇 ༄

THALIA PULLED ON jean shorts and a dark brown shirt with a fish on it, eager to hide as many of her bruises as possible. Thalia brushed out her hair, leaving it down to distract from her black eye and hammer cut. She tugged on socks and sneakers and made her way downstairs to the kitchen. Sarah and Wheezie were still asleep, and John B was fishing with Ward, so it was only Rose that Thalia had to navigate around. "Where are you going?" Rose asked, making coffee in the kitchen.

        "With my friends." Thalia answered. She actually had friends now, and it was weird. It had been well over a year since Thalia could confidently say she had friends to hang out with, and even then her friends were just on her soccer team. She had her own group now.

        Rose slid over a single pill. "Just one. It's the heavy stuff," Rose explained, and Thalia nodded, popping the pain pill into her mouth, hoping it would help with her agonizing knee. "You sure you don't want your crutches?" Rose questioned as Thalia grabbed her bag and turned to leave.

        Thalia rolled her eyes. "Positive." she hated her stupid crutches.

        Right as Thalia stepped out of the french doors, Pope was pulling up in his dad's truck. If Ward and Rafe were home, there was no way he would be showing his face on the Cameron property. Though he knew, even if Rafe was watching him, he would be there for Thalia if she needed him. Thalia pasted a light smile onto her face as she got in the front seat of the truck. "No John B and Sarah?" Pope asked to avoid speaking of what happened to Thalia and JJ the day before.

        Thalia shook her head. Her face was definitely worse than yesterday, but it didn't hurt as much. "Sarah's sleeping and John B's still out with Ward." Thalia answered, her backpack in her lap.

        Pope drove the two all the way to the Chateau. They didn't talk much, as there wasn't really a lot to say. Kie didn't say anything to Thalia when the two arrived in the backyard of John B's house, and Thalia was glad. JJ sat with his legs in the hottub he had purchased. "Nice." he pointed his bottle of beer at his sister's eye.

        Thalia rolled her eyes and limped over to him, sitting on a chair outside of the tub. "Love the purchase, dumbass." she took the beer he offered her and brought it to her lips. They didn't talk about it.

        When Thalia looked up from her phone a few minutes later, Kiara was sitting in a tin that Pope had set up. "How's it feeling?" Pope asked, controlling the ropes that held Kie in the air.

        "Feels good." Kie said, and Pope brought her down to the ground.

        "John B pullin' a Houdini." JJ said from the hot tub, embarrassed over what he had done.

        "Yeah, where is he? I got my scholarship interview tomorrow. We gotta get this done!" Pope said urgently, stressed out.

        Thalia finished with her beer. "We will, Pope. Don't worry." Thalia said, both Kie and JJ confused at Thalia's tender words, and the effect they had on Pope.

        Then, all of a sudden, John B marched across the lawn. "Speak of the devil. Hey! Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything." JJ said to his best friend, getting out of the tub.

        "No, he did not. I did that." Pope corrected.

        But John B didn't stop walking. "John B. Hello?" Thalia pushed herself to her feet as John B rushed past her, making his way into the house.

        Pope and Kie came over to the sibling duo. "Uh... what's that all about?" Pope asked JJ, the blonde hopping off the ledge of the hot tub.

        "I was gonna ask you the same question." JJ responded.

        The four walked into the Chateau, finding John B searching through cabinets and shelves. Pope stepped up to him. "You all right, man? What... what's up?" Pope trailed off, following John B around the house.

        "What are you looking for?" Kie asked, voice trembling.

        "Bro, what's going on?" JJ asked as John B made a beeline for the sofa, nearly knocking Thalia over.

        "John B, what's wrong?" Thalia asked, brushing some of her red hair behind her ears.

        When John B pulled out the gun JJ had stolen from the motel, everyone's eyes widened. "John B, what do you need the gun for? Talk to us!" JJ stepped over to John B quickly, only to get shoved into the couch.

        "John B, chill! What are you doing?" Kie shouted as Thalia gave JJ her hand, tugging him up to his feet.

        "What, are you JJ now?" Pope asked, trying to block John B from leaving the house with the gun.

        When Pope was pushed harshly into the kitchen table, Thalia was the first one there, steadying him so he didn't fall over. "Are you okay?" she asked him quickly, her hand on his shoulder and the look in her eyes threatening to make Pope give up everything and just kiss her.

        But instead he just nodded.

        Kiara followed John B quickly out of the house. "John B, what the hell are you doing?" she shouted, John B revving the engine of JJ's motorbike. "John B, what the hell?" the four Pogues rushed out of the house.

        "Ward knows about the gold. He killed my dad." John B said suddenly, and Thalia stopped moving, Pope walking into her. She had to misheard him, right?

        John B drove off before anyone could process what he had said, and Kiara chased after him, Pope and JJ following for a moment, before they realized it was hopeless. But Thalia stayed still. "He's wrong. He mixed Ward up with someone else. There's no way." Thalia said as the three turned around.

        JJ frowned. "Thals–" he began, gently, knowing what his sister had been through.

        "No. No, there's no way. I know Ward, okay? He's the guy that picked me up on the side of the road when I called him with a payphone because my mom dumped me so she could run more drugs. He's the guy who went to every one of my soccer games, who sat in the hospital for days when I had my surgery. He's not a murderer. He didn't do this."

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