𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

eighty-six: Allergic.

AFTER THE Cross fell, Kie is the first to say anything. "Pope, are you okay?" She asked and JJ and Kai rush to the boy's side. "Hey, you good?" JJ shakes him gently. "Yeah, I'm good. Just give me, like, one second to, like, catch my breath." He said, breathing slowly and the two stood up, looking at the cross.

"You did it, Pope." John B says. The others walk over to the cross as Kai stayed by Pope's side, looking down at him a couple times. "Pope, she's... she's beauitful." JJ said as they admired the cross and Kai smiles at them. "I've never seen anything like it." Sarah says. "Man, the detail's insane." JJ added.

"Well, here's why Limbrey wanted that key so bad." John B said, pointing at the key hole on the side of the cross. "Woah. Good find. How much do you think she's worth?" JJ said as Pope tried to get up on his own so Kai helps him up. "Like, if we melted her old bones down, dude, I'm talking like high billions." JJ said but John B cuts him off. "This belongs in a-- No! This belongs in a museum." He tells the blond.

"He's right, J." Kai said, looking over as he stood beside Pope. "What? So no one sees her?" JJ looks at John B. "In a museum where everyone sees it." The boy argued back. "Are you kidding?" JJ exclaims at him.

"Hey!" Pope shouts, catching their attention, "it's my ancestors' cross!" He said as Kai looked at him, furrowing his brows. "Right, okay. Alright, alright. Well..." JJ said as Kai leans closer to Pope. "This is bigger than money, and the world's gotta know the truth." The boy said and looked up at the other dark haired boy standing before him. "What?" He whispered.

"Yes. If we don't get this shit outta here before Limbrey gets here, nobody's gonna know. So saddle up." John B says as Kai watched Pope who got up. "You don't look too hot, Pope..." He says as the boy hissed and shakes his hand. "Ah! God!" He exclaims softly.

"Wait, hold on, hold on. John B, you're gonna pull, alright? Pull down." JJ says as Pope just looks at Kai. "I'm fine." He proceeds to help them out and Kai does so too, watching Pope worriedly. "Alright, I'm gonna pull down. You guys pull up. Ready? One, two, three." They began pulling, grunting and groaning as they did so. Once they lifted it up, JJ tries to put it up onto his shoulder. "Who's... who's not lifting right now? Sarah, are you seriously--" "I'm lifting!" Sarah exclaimed loudly at JJ.

"It doesn't feel like it!"

"I am!"

"Okay, guys, I can't. I can't." Pope says making Kai look at him immediately. "No! No, no, no!" Kie says, and they all yell at him. "No, no, Pope! Hang on there!" But Pope dropped it and they all let go, it clanks onto the ground as Kai rushed to Pope's side. "Damn it, yo! You almost dropped it on my foot!" JJ looks at Sarah.

"Cause I'm the only one lifting it!"

"We'll make like a little sling!"

"Yeah, yeah, and then put it on the tail hitch."

"Guys, seriously?!" Kai raised his voice, catching their attention. "Pope is in pain! And you guys didn't even notice it! Only I did!" He pointed to his chest, his other hand was on Pope's shoulder as the boy held his wrist in his hand. "Yeah, I'm not okay. I'm not okay." Pope repeated in loud breathless statements.

"Your eye, it looks all puffy." Kie says as they all surround him. "You don't look too good, bro." JJ says and Kai sighed, "that's what I said but he said he was fine..." He said, watching Pope worriedly. "I can't--" Pope gasped. "He's having an allergic reaction." Kai tells them. "Those wasps? How many times did you get stung?" Sarah asked as Pope slides down, no longer breathing. "Hey! Hey!"

"Pope!" Kai says as he grabs Pope's arm, to lift him up and Kie grabs him from the other side. "What about the cross?" Sarah asked as she helped out Kai and Kie. "Hide it, JJ!" John B says. "I got it. I got the cross."

"Here we go. Come on."

JJ rushed over to the cross, wondering what to do as Kie and Kai carried away Pope to the door. "I can't breathe." Pope said, heaving loudly. "I know." Kie says. "Guys, I don't know how I'll hide this!" JJ says to them. "Can you get the door, JB?" Kai says and John B rushed to open the door for them, then continued to lead the way towards the parked truck.

"JJ! We gotta go!" Kai shouted as he and Kie continue to carry Pope. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" The blond boy came rushing out as Sarah opened the truck's back door for Kie and Kai. "Okay, careful, careful..." Kai says as he lifted Pope into the car, trying not to hit Pope's head on the roof or anything. "I got it, I got it," Pope says breathlessly as he lays down.

"Pope, what do you need?!" JJ shouts as he came running over to them. "Keep his legs elevated!" Sarah says as Kie looks over at JJ. "A shot." Kie says to JJ. "A shot? Okay! I know where to go! Give me the keys! Kie! Give me the keys!" JJ says as Pope sits in the back with Kie. "They're in the ignition! Go."

"Right! I knew that." JJ exclaims as he hops into the driver seat with Kai in the passenger seat. He started up the engine as Kai turns around in his seat. "Keep a hand on his pulse." Kai says to Kie as John B and Sarah got into the Twinkie parked behind them. "Hang on, Pope! We're going." JJ says as he drove off. John B and Sarah followed behind in the van.

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

   

   

AUTHORS NOTE
seeing them all care so much for each other makes my heart warm 🙁💗 like when one is hurt, they're all ready to drop everything. i want a friend group like theirs 😭