𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

eighty-eight: Drive.

      

     IN THE truck, Pope is driving with Kie in the passenger seat, Kai, JJ, Sarah and John B all the back seat. John B behind Pope, Sarah by him with Kai behind Kie, JJ on his lap. His arms are around his boyfriend's waist.

"Uh, Pope, you're driving pretty fast." Kie says and all the boy does is howl. "Pope, last to judge, but I think you should slow down a little. JJ says as he leans forwards a bit. "That would definitely delay our arrival to the cross. We gotta get there." Pope tells him.

"Why did we let him drive again?" Kie says, looking at Pope then at the others with a concerned look on her face, her hand holding the handle above her door. "I said I'd rip your ears off." Pope says as Kai spoke, "he said he's rip our ears off." He nods.

"I was joking about that, by the way." Pope said as he glanced back at them. "That's a really funny joke." Kie says, forcing a smile but sounding unsure. "Hey, how ya feeling, buddy? How ya doing?" John B pats his shoulder. "Uh, fantastic. I don't know what JJ's cousin gave me, but I am moving!" Pope says.

"We couldn't tell." Kie says and Kai looks to Pope. "Okay, well, um, you're going really fast right now." Kai says and Pope moves around to look at them completely. "Yeah, really fast!" He says and they all shout over one another, telling him to turn back around and to put his attention back onto the road so he does so.

"I don't know if you noticed, but there's these giant oak trees all along the road. They're like six inches off the road." John B exclaims at him as Sarah leans over. "Woah! Woah!" She says as Pope speeds up to pass the car in front of them. "You don't need to pass! You don't need to pass!" Kiara's voice raises even more.

He swerves back to the side, "what an asshole, right?" He looked at Kie who pushed her head back. "We're not gonna get to the cross if we're dead, Pope!" John B exclaims.

"We're not gonna die. It's our divine right to get that cross." Pope says as Sarah glanced to Kai and JJ. "Pope! Look at the road!" John B shouts and the boy swerves, only to turn the wheel the other way as the truck goes swinging into the ditch. The airbags blow up as Kai's arms tighten around JJ's waist and they all groan and cough as smoke comes from the engine.

"Is everyone okay?" John B asked them. "I think so." Sarah says faintly as JJ rubs the side of his head. "Never better." He said and Kai reached up, rubbing his boyfriend's head gently. JJ opens the truck door, getting out first, "that is the last time you drive, Pope." He said, turning around to Kai and holding out his hand.

Kai got out with him and they go to the front of the vehicle. "My dad's truck! No!" Kie says as she runs to the front, standing in front of them. "Kie, one word. Totaled." JJ says, pointing his phone's flash at the windshield as they all stand together. "My parents are gonna kill me for real this time." Kie whispered then became louder towards the end as Kai looks at her.

"Yeah, but... they were already going to, right?" He says as she slings her backpack onto her shoulder. "Helpful, thank you." She says and Kai shrugs, looking away. "We're gonna have to walk the rest of the way." Pope says making Sarah beside him look over right away. "Dude," she says, her brows furrowed.

"I'm going to get my cross."

"Hey, just relax for a second." John B grabs his arms, trying to stop him. "Get off of me." Pope says, sternly. "No." John B shakes his head. "Move." The other says right away. "I'm trying to help." The brunette boy says. "I'm getting my cross." Pope pushed him away.

"I'm trying to watch out for you. Hey!"

"Pope! Pope!"

"Look out! There's a truck coming! You're gonna get hit by a car!" John B yells at Pope who he's trying to hold back. Pope stops, looking at the passing truck as John B shakes him. It was Rafe and Renfield. "We gotta get back to the church!" Pope yelled at the others.

"No, no, no!"

When they got to the church, Pope opened the door, and just as expected it's empty. JJ kicks the cushion on the ground, "damn it!" He shouts angrily as Kai watched Pope. "I knew I didn't hide it enough." JJ says and Kai looks at him. "It wasn't your fault..." He whispers.

"Damn it!" JJ continued being angry. "Okay, what do we do? What do we do? What do we do?" He turns around to Kai who grabs his shoulders. "Relax, alright?" He says and rubs his hand against JJ's arm. "We just... we just need to think. A plan..." Kai turns to the others and looked over at Pope. "Alright, here's what we do." JJ walked around Kai.

"We'll grab some kerosene tanks from the Chat, then we... we go to my dad's shop and grab some dynamite. And then we drive down to Charleston and tell this lady who she's messing with! Because this is some bullshit, ya'll!" JJ raised his voice and Kai walks up to him, sighing as he put his arm around JJ's neck from behind. "That's not gonna help." Sarah says. "Well, what is, Sarah?" JJ looks over.

His tone is still hostile but puts his hand over Kai's arms against his chest as he took a deep breath. "I'm thinking, okay? We can't just go blow shit up, JJ." John B says as Kai puts his head onto JJ's shoulder. "Pope, I'm sorry." The blond looks over at their friend.

"Denmark would've stood right here... preaching to everyone he set free. A slave, the sole survivor of the Royal Merchant, he got the gold and the cross, and he brought them both to shore and used it to free every person who walked through those doors. He made a church, a family, a congregation... a home. And the Limbreys took everything from him. They sicced dogs on his wife and his kids, and when he tried to get her remains, they hung him." He said and they all just listened to him.

"Well, I'm done. I'm tired of this shit. That is now how this is gonna end. We need a freaking win, guys. I'm going to get my family's cross." He says, walking past them and to the door where he turned around. "You guys coming?" He asked and Kai looks at JJ.

"Well, if you put it that way..."

"Well, maybe we should think about it, you know?" JJ said as Kai pulls back from him, chuckling. "Pros and cons?" John B gestured to him. "Pros and cons list." JJ says, nodding as he lifts up his backpack, looking at Kai and holding out his hand. "Hell yeah, we're coming, Pope!" Kai says with a wide grin before he, John B and JJ go to the door with Kie and Sarah following behind the three boys.

AUTHORS NOTE
this friend group >> any others