𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐡 - 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

{ chapter sixteen }

[ just pretend ace is in this picture]

Chapter sixteen: we're screwed

•~~~~~~~ ☼~~~~~~~•

Pope had been complaining the whole ride to the impound yard as the twinkie neared the place. He had reminded the gang of his scholarship and the fact that John B, JJ and Aspen were all in trouble with the police or DCS, making Kie and him the only ones who still had a reputation to maintain.

"Guys, you're gonna give Kie and I a bad rep by stealing the drone." Pope groaned, sulking as he sat in the back of the van.

"Oh boohoo." Ace mocked the worried boy. "It's better on the other side of the law anyway. No one has expectations so you have no one left to disappoint." She shrugged, playing with JJ's lighter that she had snatched from his pocket.

"Pope, we're not stealing the drone, we're borrowing it." John B added into the conversation. It was Pope versus everyone at that point.

Pope looked out the window with crossed arms while JJ sat on the floor, leaning his back against the passenger seat that Kie was currently lounging in.

Ace watched as the boy struggled rolling a blunt, his fingers having difficulties doing such detailed work.

"Here, let me help." Ace crawled over to him, sitting down in front of him and taking the joint into her own hands, rolling it with her fingers that were definitely slimmer than the blondes. The boy kept staring at her as she did so, not letting the opportunity pass by him.

"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality." Pope suddenly spoke, still refusing to look at his friends due to his childish sulking. He was like a kid who was denied candy.

"Wait, did you come up with that?" Asked John B from behind the wheel.

"No, Albert Bernstein came up with that, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing." Pope shook his head as he looked down at JJ and Ace.

"And you call us children." Ace snorted, beginning to lick the blunt to make it burn slower. As she did so, a strand of hair fell over her face, blocking a part of her view.

JJ laughed softly, gently touching the girl's face to push the strand of hair behind her ear.
The action made her look up, their blue eyes staring at each other for quite a while before Pope cleared his throat, making the two pull their eyes away as if nothing happened.

"So, which is it? Fantasy or reality?"

"Why are you so weird Pope?" JJ asked as Ace handed the blunt back to him, her legs criss crossed as she continued to sit in front of the boy, having no desire to move from her newly found spot.

"It's fantasy, but possible reality." Kie answered , ignoring the blondes statement.

"Reality." John B looked at Kie with determination, who smiled back at him sweetly. Ace stared at them in curiosity. It seemed like there was definitely something going on between the two, but then again—Kie had rejected him already.