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Chapter twenty: deny, deny, deny
tw: self-harm
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The boat ride back to shore had been uncomfortably silent, since all of the teens were pretty upset after not finding the gold.
After the teens docked Hayward's boat safely on land, Kiara and John B went their separate ways, while JJ and Aspen had decided to help Pope and his father out at Heyward's Seafood.
However, JJ ended up not being that big of a help, because immediately after he hopped out of the boat, he told the two others that he was going to practice his aim out back. Ace was surprised nobody called the police when they heard the gunshots.
Ace and Pope had been talking for a while, still feeling disappointed about the gold, but feeling much better than they had before.
The two walked out of the building, about to collect the dishes from one of the tables outside, when a gray Jeep Wrangler Rubicon caught Pope's eye.
"Ace...Ace!" Pope whisper-yelled at her, making the girl turn her head to look at the boy in annoyance.
"What?" She questioned, while holding onto the dirty plate that she was balancing on top of another.
Pope didn't say anything. Instead he gestured towards the car with his eyes, making the girl's attention turn to it as well.
What she saw was none other than Topper and Rafe, shooting dangerous glares their way from the safety of Topper's Jeep.
"Shit." Ace mumbled, meeting Topper's eyes. They were having a mild staring contest, neither one wanting to pull away. They were on their side of the island now, and they most certainly weren't welcome there.
Pope ended up needing to pull the girl away before the both of them dashed inside the seafood shack as fast as they could. The two pushed people aside, afraid that the Kooks were somehow following after them as they rounded the corner and made their way out back, seeking advice from JJ.
Aspen's breathing was heavy as she leaned forward, resting her palms on her knees to catch her breath. "JJ!" She yelled out, but didn't get a response.
The blonde boy was currently shooting at an innocent teddy bear, headphones covering his ears to protect his eardrums. He was also talking to himself, which wasn't exactly a surprise.
"What was that?" The boy questioned, nodding at the teddy bear and firing the gun again. Ace wasn't sure if the boy thought the bear had been the one to yell his name.
"JJ!" She tried again, the gunshot muffling her voice completely.
"That's what I thought, man." JJ nodded, his bullet flying straight through the stuffed toy.
