𝐀 𝐊𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀 𝐏𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄, 𝗋𝖺𝖿𝖾 𝖼𝖺𝗆𝖾𝗋𝗈𝗇

2: "𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊 𝚙𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎, 𝚍𝚞𝚍𝚎."

Chatters of the happy teenagers could be heard throughout the parking lot of Kildare County High School. The sun was shining down brightly on the island, the birds flying high up in the sky. Adding to the conversations the teenagers were having, vehicles drove by them, some being parents that were dropping off their children for school, some being teachers that were parking or the students that went to the school parking their cars that they had, the occasional honks from the vehicles throughout the parking lot being heard.

Kiara found herself hopping out of the car after she parked it, one of the slings of her backpack over her shoulder. Y/n was getting out of the passenger's seat beside her, slinging her backpack over while the two boys of the group got out from the back. As the Heyward twins walked around to the other side, them and Kiara watched as JJ took a quick gulp of the alcohol he had in a metal bottle, twisting the cap closed before tossing it back in the car and grabbing his bag, knowing he wasn't aloud that at school.

"Hey, chill out." Y/n instructs.

"If I black out, just don't remind me." JJ tells them.

Kie shakes her head. "That's not funny."

It seemed like everyone's attention snapped to the group of four, their chatters going quiet which the group took notice of. Next thing they knew, theories started going around to each groups, someone claiming that they heard the group had gotten arrested. Y/n's hands grip tighter on the straps of her backpack as she keeps her gaze at her feet, continuing to walk in-between Pope and JJ, all four of them trying to ignore the prying eyes that were trained on them as if the groups around them didn't seem to care they were making the group uncomfortable from their gazes.

As they continued venturing towards the building, they all stopped at the sight of a memorial for their best friend. A yellow surfboard was leaning against a large rock, John B's full name being painted on it, pictures of him that looked to be taped on the board and the large rock that held it up. Flowers could be seen laying on the ground, most likely from the people who had spoken to John B and who were friends with him, but still not being as close as the group of four was with him.

"I feel like people are staring at us." Kie speaks up.

JJ looks around, nodding when he sees she was right. "Oh yeah."

"Guys, I can't be late." Pope states.

As the boy begins to walk off, Kiara called out for him, claiming they had to stick together. Seeing her holding her hand out, Pope clasps his hand with hers as they start walking towards the building. JJ and Y/n glance at each other before the blonde holds out his hand, and she places hers in his in a friendly manner as they follow the two inside.

***

School was about halfway through the day, and the classrooms were full of students and one teacher in each room. Classes had been going on for some time now, teenagers sitting in each of their desks as the teacher's voice echoed throughout the silent classroom. The group of four could be seen amongst the teenagers as three out of the four wrote in their notebooks, copying what they needed to write that was printed onto the chalkboard in the front of their classroom, other students doing the same.

Just then, the sound of four ringtones go off throughout the entire classroom, catching everyone's and the teacher's attention. When not getting a response on whose phone it was, the teacher goes back to teaching while Y/n silently grabs her phone from her desk, furrowing her brows on why her and the rest of the group had their phones ring at the same time. It seems like the others had the same ideas as they glanced at one another with looks of confusion across their faces.

Looking back down at her phone, Y/n turns it on, revealing she had gotten a text from an unknown number. Being the curious person she was, she unlocks her phone and opens the text, thinking it could be someone mistaking her number. What she didn't expect was to see a picture of John B Routledge and Sarah Cameron on the screen, both wearing smiles on their faces as it looked like the brunette out of the couple was taking the picture, both looking very much alive than what everyone thought.

Next thing the class knew, JJ was rising up from his chair and rushing out of the room. Quickly grabbing her bag, shoving her stuff inside, Y/n follows out, phone tightly gripped in her hand. Kie and Pope also followed, giving excuses unlike their first two friends. As they ran through the hall, turning the corner, the sound of the teachers calls from behind them made them look back, but they ignored him.

As they ran, JJ had managed to knock into the cleaning equipment that the janitor was using and fall right to the floor. Pope and Y/n were quick to help him up before the four were pushing through the doors and outside of the school. Thoughts were all running through their brains as they stopped by a table outside, no one else being seen around them.

"Is that even possible? I mean, Shoupe said that they didn't make it. He said that." Kie reminds.

"Okay, but I think we're overreacting right now, cause we can't rule out the possibility that this could all be some kind of weird, cruel hoax." Pope argues.

Y/n sighs. "I'm just gonna ask."

"What if it's actually him, though?" JJ questions.

Pope shrugs. "Then I don't know, okay? I don't know."

The teenagers all place themselves in each of their own spots. JJ leaned against the wall of the building, Pope sitting on one table, Kie sitting on the table across from him and Y/n pacing back and forth in front of JJ, her hands shaky as she stared down at her phone while they waited for his response to Kie's question.

Unknown
Is JJ there?

JJ
I'm here Bree

Unknown
Did you pimp my short board?

Almost right after, laughs escaped past the groups lips as smiles went onto their faces at his text. Tears welled up in all their eyes as the confirmation they had. John B Routledge and Sarah Cameron survived during the storm on the ocean and the police chase that night.

JJ walked away from the wall and to his friends, giving all of them hugs. First, he gave Pope a bro hug, then giving Kie and tight hug and doing the same with Y/n, even lifting her feet off the ground in excitement as she was the only one, other than him, standing up instead of sitting. When they pulled away, the blonde let out a small 'yeah' as a cheer, large smile on his face. Y/n couldn't help but chuckle as she wiped the happy tears that fell down her face.

"Laying super low in Nassau." Kie reads the new text that popped up. "How the hell did they get to the Bahamas?"

"You can't kill a Pogue, dude." JJ states.

"Especially John B." Pope adds through a light laugh.

Unknown
Can you clear my name?
Wanna come home

JJ
Hell yeah, bro
We'll clear your name

Unknown
Be in touch
P4L

When they read the last text, the smiles were still very evident on their faces as they couldn't get over the news. They were still shocked, but most of that had turned into happiness. Their best friend was alive. The tears could still be seen, but it wasn't at all because they were sad. They were happy, obviously.

"P4L, man. That's what I'm talking about!" JJ exclaims.