𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 - jj x kiara

- chapter twenty seven -

Once we got back, we were greeted by everyone laughing.

"Guys! I'm so excited!" Sarah whooped.

JJ and I glanced at each other and forced smiles. I noticed that Cleo had done the same.

"If this doesn't work, I will actually swim home." Pope said, and I realized it was one of the first negative things he'd said about our plan.

"I'll help," Sarah offered, "I've been wearing the same clothes for, what feels like, literal years."

"Once we get off, the first thing I'm doing is riding some waves!" John B said, unable to contain the enthusiasm in his voice.

"Yes!" Pope agreed.

JJ cleared his throat, "I think we might want to hurry it up, y'all."

"Yeah," Cleo said, jumping onto the bandwagon.

"Mhm, agreed." I forced the nervous edge to stay out of my voice.

We've gotten so far, there's no way this can be ruined now.

No way am I letting Rafe Cameron shit on me and then ruin the plans to get back home. I will literally scream and punch him if that happens.

In the back of my head, I was making a list of things I wanted to get done.

One: tell JJ how I feel. Two: maybe (emphasis on maybe) tell the others about Rafe. Three: don't let Rafe foil our plans. Four: get home.

It feels stupid to say that the thing that was scaring me the most was One.

"Can't wait to rub in all those Kooks' faces that we didn't die." John B laughed.

At this, JJ couldn't suppress a smile, "Agreed."

"I really hope nothing goes wrong..." Pope muttered, loud enough for me to hear.

"Why such a Negative Nancy?" I said, nudging him a little.

"I just want everyone to be alright, you know? And Cleo doesn't deserve anything bad to happen to her, and I just - !"

"Pope!" I interrupted, "I know you're nervous, but don't worry, we can do it. We've come so far," Words were falling out of my mouth, but I wasn't sure what was true and what wasn't.

"I know, you're right,"

"Don't give up now, I believe in you," I said to him, and these words were very true.

"What if it starts raining, or something happens with the weather?" Sarah asked, and even though she said it in a happy way, we all noticed the nervous tinge in her voice.

"We can just postpone it till a day later." John B reassured.

"No!" I sharply interjected.

Everyone looked at me.

"I mean... yeah, but if it's not too bad, it'll be fine!"

At this, everyone nodded, and I looked around at my friends, my gaze lingering on JJ and Cleo.

Especially JJ.

I forced myself to look into his clear eyes and keep eye contact until I couldn't hold it any longer and dropped my eyes to the sand.

"Nothing can stop us now," John B's positivity spoke.

If nothing meant Rafe Cameron, then I was fully on board with it.