✧*̥˚ITS ALWAYS YOU! *̥˚✧ J.M 2

072

CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
Stranded?

HER HAIR WAS SALTY, damp and tangled as she lay her head on the blonde boys shoulder, the group tiredly laying among each other as they drifted out into open sea.

The small boat road up on the sandy shore of an abandoned island, the friends sharing glances before hopping out of the boat.

JJ, Pope, and John B brought their only form of travel onto the sand, the girls scurrying off to fallen rocks and logs making a seating arrangement.

The boys walked over towards them, sighs leaving their mouths as they sat.

JJ stayed standing as he looked around, "Okay, anybody know where we're at?"

"Deserted beach. Unknown island." Pope replied flatly, sitting beside Cleo as he held his wrinkled tshirt in his hands.

"I'll take that as a no." JJ glanced off into the distance, raking his hands through his knotted hair, "Plan a, huh, Pope? That went well."

Pope kept his eyes fixated on the sand before darting them up to look at the exhausted group, "This is the lowest we can go. We literally have nothing else to lose. The cross, gone."

"The gold, gone." Sarah added, scoffing lowly underneath her breathe.

"Seriously, if we had a nickel for every time we got beat up, I'd say we're at a dollar fifty." JJ jeered, leaning against the large palm tree.

Aria hummed, "That's more than I got on me."

"That somehow doesn't make me feel better." Sarah shook her head, chewing on the inside of her cheeks.

"Yeah, you're right." John B spoke up, grasping the attention of the Pogues, "But I mean, we've...we've had some good stuff happen, right?"

Pope narrowed his eyes at him, "Name something."

"Um...Uh the boiler room. If the boiler didn't explode, I wouldn't have gotten away from Rafe. I couldn't have gotten the Zodiac and gotten us out of here."

"That wasn't luck." Cleo shakes her head with a faint smile, "That thing was gonna blow the second I stopped feeding it."

John B formed his lips into a flat line, "Stealing my thunder, Cleo. Okay, Pope, you're related to Denmark Tanny. That's crazy."

"And I lost all his inheritance." Pope shot back.

"You know what." JB stood, gesturing out to the breathtaking view, "Guys this is it. This is the Pogue life. We are in the Caribbean. It's our own little slice of paradise. With my best friends, with my family. I don't know. I wouldn't wanna do it with anyone else. Look, and while you guys were complaining about every little thing...JJ?"

JJ tilted his head towards the brunette as he neared him, "Hm?"

"I was looking at those burly lefts." John B smirked, pointing towards the calm but harsh waves, the image of him riding them playing on a loop.

"There's some slabs out there." JJ nodded, chuckling as he beamed a smile.

Aria lit up at the friends, "This is our own land, guys. We can do whatever the fuck we want. No one's here to tell us we can't."

"Poguelandia." JJ put on a posh accent, "I claim the Poguelandia. I like the ring of it. I'm gonna make a flag, it's gonna have a chicken on it. With a coconut bra, smoking a J...in crocs."

"I could use a J." Aria laughed, smacking palms with the curly headed girl as they shared laughter.

Pope looked at the boy beside him, "Shall we get to work?"

"Let's get to work. Let's start working on provisions. Set up shop." The two boys bumped fists before parting ways.

JJ offered his hands out to the former Kook, she gladly accepted it as she helped her to the other side of the rock, the two looking out to the setting sun.

Aria slipped her hand into her damp pocket, revealing a small pocket knife, she placed her hand on one side of the tree, slashing a carving into the bark, "P4L".

She smiled at her work, JJ placing his chin on her shoulder as he admired it, "Welcome to the true Pogue life, baby."

They hurried to join the plotting friends sat in the sand.

Night came quick, the group sat around a illuminating fire, bringing them warmth as John B held a stick, cooking something that he'd capture.

They laughed, talked, bickered, but ultimately they were happy. This felt like the peace they'd all been searching for.

Was this finally their calmness after the storm?

JJ engulfed the girl into a hug as they stood by the water, he glanced down at her side profile as she looked to the distance, dancing his fingertips along his skin.

"What do you think is gonna happen if they find us?" He whispered, fluttering his eyes shut as bathed in her warmth.

She sighed lowly, "I don't know. I won't let him take me away."

He cupped her cheeks, pressing his forehead against hers, "I'll love you to the day I stop breathing."

"I love you." She giggled, the two staring deeply into each other's eyes.

The truth was, she didn't know what would happen once reality came back to bite them in the ass, wether it would mean she'd be sent across the island to a boarding school or her father would send her back to France.

But she didn't care. All she needed was the comfort of the boy she loved and the company of her lifelong friends.

Even if that meant the truth was gonna come out sooner or later. They'd have to be prepared for the unexpected.

And just like that it's over.
Thank you so much for everything.
I love you all.
Of course there is gonna be a sequel ;)