Nothing is hidden under the sunlight // JJ

Chapter 20

The water was calm and inviting, combined with the heat of the day scuba diving was the only thing someone would want to cope with.

It was 5:00pm. The wind was nonexistent. Nothing alive was wandering around the streets. Everyone was locked into the coolness of their houses. Either that house was made from concrete and bricks, or was a nest, or even an underground tunnel. It was like these ghost towns in westerns, that they were very lively at one point and then when the gold fever was over everything emptied.

On the shore there were sitting four teens. Three boys and one girl. They were sitting in silence like talking was forbidden. They were trying not to waist their breath to unimportant reasons. Even if they moved their lips to say something they would heaten much more up. Finally someone broke the silence

"Where the fuck is Rafe? We're waiting for like an hour."

"Topper the heat is probably playing with your mind. If you have one. We're waiting only five minutes"

"Shut up Sophie. You're lucky that I can't even move from the heat..."

Topper took a deep breath trying to cool himself down. The girl smirked at him jokingly and lied down in the sand. Something that she completely regretted after feeling her whole back burning.

"Do any of you have the equipment? We're not going to wait for Rafe forever." James said after ignoring completely Topper's almost threat. He would easily beat the shit out of someone because he looked at his sister but he ignored completely this. Sophie looked at James confused.

"Yeah I have." Kelce replied immediately and stood up quickly. He would run to his house stay there and take a shower for a couple of minutes and then return much cooler. "James, are you coming?" He accepted the offer and both of them started running towards Kelce's house not listening to Topper and Sophie complaining for being left alone with eachother.

"Man, why do you dislike me so much?" Sophie said moving closer to him.

Topper without looking to her let out a sigh. "Because you're getting us into trouble. At the party your started hanging out with a pogue. Then you agreed on falling from the roof causing us getting into a fight with JJ - again. And now because of you and your unconditionally talking Rafe decided not to come. And let's just not talk about Kelce who's taking about you 24/7."

He seemed pretty calm despite his words. But he meant every single one of them. Sophie decided not to be disappointed or sad from his answer. "Why do YOU dislike me so much?" She was taken by surprise by his question.

"Oh that's easy actually. You made fun of me from the very first time we met." She said without second thinking. If he hadn't laughed at her from the very first moment she wouldn't be so harsh on him now.

He didn't replied. He didn't want to talk to her anyway. He really disliked her. Maybe it was because of Sarah. She was the last girl she would hang out with them. And now she was taking her place. Everyone wanted her in the group.

"Topp...." He looked at her with a deadly look "...er" after getting his approval she continued "What did Rafe mean this morning when he said that nothing of these would have happened if it wasn't for you?"

He laughed sarcastically "There's no way I'm telling you that."

"Come on Topper. I'll do anything!!" He looked at her "I'll never come with you again. Just please tell me!"

Topper considered her offer for a couple of seconds "Fine. Last year Sarah ran away with John B."

"OH MY GOD! I don't believe it"

"Shut up Sophie it I'm not telling you anything." He replied at her full of tease response and she decided to shut the fuck up. "So, what Rafe meant was that I helped John B run away. You see he was chased by the police because he was accused of murdering someone. So I helped him escape."

"You? Topper helped a pogue?" Sophie was surprised. "Then why do you hate them so much?"

"Sophie, I didn't help him. I helped Sarah who was with him! Because I love her..."

The silence

"And... There's one more thing you need to know about your beloved cousin." But Topper didn't manage to finish his sentence since James and Kelce showed up running towards them carrying the must needed equipment.

~~

The Pogues were sitting in Kiara's house. After everything that had happened last year Kiara's house was always open for her friends and everything that was said about them being trash from her father was taken back. Since her house was the only one where they could have air conditioning all the time they had decided to spend the hot noons of the day there talking, watching a movie or even playing board games when JJ decided not to cheat.

"Kiara, when were you going to tell me that the Greens are in town?" Kiara's mother entered the room carrying a jug of water mixed with ice cubes. At the sight of water JJ was a little bit disappointed, he was probably dreaming about a beer or something.

"If it wasn't for James stopping by to say hello I wouldn't have found out." JJ smirked he knew how to greet someone after all. "Why don't you go visit them some time?"

"Have you seen their house? Absolutely not! And also they're spending a lot of time with Rafe back then..."

Kiara's mother looked disappointed and got out of the room "So what did she say exactly about us? JJ?"

The boy looked at Kiara "Nothing we didn't know already. Even though I have to confess that I was surprised by how quickly she believed me when I talked to her about John B's innocence."

"Does she know about Rafe?" Pope asked

"I thought you were the smart one of the group. Of course not Pope"

"Well if she learn she will help us" Kiara said seriously

"No!" JJ protested causing both of his friends turn and look at him. " She doesn't have anyone else here. Okay? She is happy with her family and we should respect that."

Kie started laughing along with Pope "Relax! I was just joking. You're getting attached JJ, and you can't prove me otherwise"

A pillow landed on her face "oh shut up Kie" said JJ laughing.

The next thing they knew was pillows flying across the room. Unfortunately one pillow landed on the jug with water. "Well, I can't say I'm sorry for that. I really hoped it was something more... Alcoholic."