A Can of Coke

Parcel 9 part 2

JJ

With the girls gone, John B, Pope, and I needed to devise a plan to get rid of those photos and to get them to get along. 

"John B, some part of you still cares about Crick, right?" 

Crick said they made up, but with the way John B still treated her I honestly wasn't too sure. 

"She's one of my best friends, of course I care about her--what the hell are you implying?"

"Nothin' man, I just want to make sure you'll be totally on board for Pope's and I's plan."

John B looked at the two of us confused and asked us to elaborate. 

"It's those fuckin' kooks again!" Pope gritted his teeth, probably recounting every awful thing they had done to us and him. 

"Branden and James have the photos." I threw my hat on the ground in frustration. 

"They already showed Rafe, so I think it's safe to assume that most of their buddies have seen them too."

"...the photos...?" John B wondered before his eyes widened.

"Oh my God, Crickett's photos from middle school?!" 

Pope and I stoically nodded as we watched John B panic the same way we did earlier. 

"Fuck, is Crickett okay?" 

"She's putting on a brave face..." I sighed. 

"I tried to reassure her that they wouldn't do anything with the pictures yet and that we have time before all hell breaks loose, and I think she believed me." Pope chewed on his lip nervously. 

"But you don't believe it?" John B asked while twisting his hat in his hands. 

"Those kooks are fucking unpredictable and maniacal. I wouldn't be surprised if they've already sent the images out." Pope ran his hand through his hair as he tried to get rid of some of his anxiety. 

"So why did you lie to her then, why isn't she apart of your plan? Why isn't Kie?" 

"..." Pope and I looked at each other before sighing and taking turns explaining everything to John B.

"The content of those photos are really gnarly. She didn't tell us in specifics but it was enough to chuck her off the deep-end this morning. She's terrified of letting anyone see them."

"Rafe tortured her all morning. Branden and James haven't left her alone all month...if our plan were to fail and she was caught...I'm not sure if she could mentally survive it. She's been forcing herself to be strong all month-- hell her entire life...so we think she deserves a break."

"Crickett's smart though, so if we all went on the photo recovery mission without her, she'd figure it out. However, if we also leave Kie behind, then they could distract each other."

I was going to continue talking after Pope, when John B asked:

"Okay, okay, I think I understand, but how're we gonna get Kie and Crickett to stay in one place away from wherever this grand plan is going to take place? And the second Kie finds out about this she's going to want to join in too."

"Well, I think you'll like this bit," I dryly chuckled. 

"We're going to lure them onto a boat with Sarah and take the keys. Killing two birds with one stone."

"They'll distract each other and learn to get along while we go and destroy all files and copies of the photos." 

John B nodded, saying: "Alright then, sounds like you guys have really thought this through, so what's the plan?"