𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

fifty-seven: P4L.

    

     AFTER THEY all got changed and washed up, they went on a beer run. Kie and JJ successfully got two cases of, raising them to show them off to the other four in the boat. Theg make their way down the pier, handing the case of beer over to John B.

JJ jumps in, plopping down beside Kai who he put his arm around as Kie got in, smiling widely as she sets down the beer case she was holding, sitting down beside Sarah.

When it was nighttime, that's when the partying began. They had the beer in the frigde since they bought it, bringing it out to Kie, Kai and Sarah in the hot tub. They spent their time shotgunning beers, smoking spliffs and cheering everytime they finished a beer can.

At some point, JJ had the empty Blue Ribbon box over his head as he and Pope were nodding their heads, while Pope was rapping. The others laugh, Kie handing the joint over to Kai who chuckled, taking a long drag from it.

Kie smiled, glancing down when Pope finished his little freestyle as Kai looked at her, raising his brows at her. Kai moved to the other side of the hot tub, sitting beside JJ. "I thought you quit." He mused, noticing the cigarette in the other's hand. "It's because you always smoke around me." He says, leaning forward.

At some point, they got out of the hot tub and sat around a fire they got going. Pope and JJ were goofing off, shoving each other's shoulders. "Get it, Pope!" Kie cheered as Kai laughs. JJ shoved Pope next, but the boy almost fell, when he stood back up straight, he shoved JJ back. "Yes! Yeah!" He said. "Okay!" JJ exclaims. The two started wrestling with one another as Kai rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"I'll be right back..." Kai suddenly got up, looking at his phone and walking away. He stood nearby the Chateau, furrowing his brows when he saw who it was that messaged him.

Sterling
Hey, I know we don't talk anymore, I know that you don't want to talk to me or whatever, but I overheard Kelce telling Rafe John B and Sarah are alive and back in OBX. Did you know anything about that?

He stared at the text then glanced up when he saw John B standing by the tree, walking over. "It's a cute art project." John B said, sniffling as Kai looks at him and JJ nodded. "Killed the tree though." He added afterwards.

JJ laughs softly, "probably. Yeah." He says and Kai just smiled softly. "Oops." JJ adds as Kai chuckled quietly. "I missed you, JB." He said, looking at the other. "I missed you too, man." JJ said and the three brought themselves together into a little group hug.

They held each other tightly for a while as Kai pulled back, smiling widely. He wipes away his tears as he looked back at the tree again. They went back to join Sarah as the thought completely slips Kai's mind, sitting down beside Sarah. They wave when they spot Kie and Pope were leaving on the boat.

"Pope just stole your boat."

Kai's mind automatically remembers when he heard something, looking towards the chicken shed. "Guys... I heard a car door." He said as he stood up. "It was probably the chicken." JJ says and began clucking like a chicken making John B cover his mouth to stop him.

"Hey... let's hide." Kai quickly turned to them, getting a bad feeling. The first spot that came to mind was instantly up in the three. The four were all sitting on top of branches, glancing at one another and looking around.

Kai points when he spots Barry walking towards the house, they watch as the man made his way into the Chateau. He looked down, spotting Rafe Cameron looking at the fire they had just put out. "Where the hell are you?"

Kai looked over at JJ who glanced at him then looked over at John B. They all looked down at Rafe below them on the ground. Kai looked at the Chateau, wondering what Barry was doing. He glanced down and panicked when he saw the hand gun in Rafe's hold.

Kai looked at the house once more when hearing glass shatter, Barry grunting loudly. "Yo! Anything?" Rafe asked the dealer. "No. Ain't shit in there, bro." The other replied. "No? Nothing?" Rafe says when Barry walks past him. "No, nothing, Rafe." He tells him.

"They were obviously just here based off the smoke, man." Rafe pointed to where the teens had their little bonfire. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Great observation, Boy Scout." The man says. "They're not far, you know?" Rafe explains. "Smokey they bear! Look at you, bro!"

"They gotta be around here somewhere."

Rafe looked towards what they did on the tree for John B, the big heart with his birth year, his name, the little lightning symbols and P4L. "P4L." Barry read aloud and Rafe laughs. "Well, shit." He said then laughed again. "So, your sister's a Pogue for life, huh, Rafe? Now who would've thought?" Barry said, sounding amused as he chuckled lightly.

"Shit!" Rafe screamed in anger as Sarah flinched, putting her forehead against the tree branch she was sitting on. "Alright, chill." Barry immediately said but the Kook lost it, shooting at the tree, specifically John B's name causing Barry to stop him, pushing his arm up and shots fired into the air, at the teenagers hiding.

Barry tried his best to make Rafe stop and relax as Kai brought a hand to his mouth, wondering if any of the gunshots hit them. He looked up at JJ right away, who was looking at a branch that had a gunshot hole in it. Kai stared at it as JJ looks at him with a bewildered look. JJ could've been shot, just a couple of inches... and he'd be gone. The thought ran through Kai's mind as he took a deep breath in, looking away.

  

AUTHORS NOTE
fuck i feel like everyone over looks that scene a lot when jj saw the gun shot at the branch he was sitting/standing up on, because it could've hit him and the look on his face...