𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲

XX. Midsummers.

AFTER THEY left, Kie dropped off JJ first, then Pope before driving to Jake's since he did live closer to where she lived, so she always dropped him off last. Pope had asked them if they want to hang out tomorrow and they all agreed to meeting him. "Man, that was crazy earlier." Kie chuckled and Jake laughs softly, nodding his head in agreement.

"Yeah... and that was crazy smart of you. Helped us a lot since I suck at fighting." He said and she glanced at him. "You're never one for violence, aren't you?" She says and he just shakes his head. "Violence isn't really ever the best solution, but I helped them because they're my friends." He says, smiling.

It makes her smile wide, looking at the road as they got to his place. The car comes to a stop slowly and Jake looks at Kie. "It was fun, maybe one day we'll get to hang out one on one like you wanted." He says and she nods. "Yeah, one of these days." She tells him.

"Yeah... goodnight, Kie."

"Goodnight, Jake."

The next day, the boys were over at Heyward's, Kie standing behind the counter as Jake stood by JJ sitting on the counter. "Don't let it get to your head, bro. There was three of them and Jake sucks at fighting." JJ tells Pope and Jake looks at him right away, offended.

"Besides, that's typical Kook shit right there." He said as Kie hands over the change to the man waiting for her. "What was your thought process, using your head?" JJ asked Pope because he apparently head butted one of them and Kie looks at him, grinning wide.

"I don't know, man. I just kind of acted off instinct. Alright? I was a cornered animal." Pope says and Jake raised his brows, smiling as he glanced down. "Hey, Pope, someone here to see you." His dad came over to them, pointing behind him, at Shoupe who walks in.

"Evening, officer."

"I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property." The man says, making Pope look back at JJ. "Keep your hands on the counter where I can see 'em." Shoupe said, walking behind the counter as he looks at Kie. "Young lady, out of my way." He demands her as she raised her hands, backing away to Jake.

"Woah, woah, wait, Shoupe, what'd he do?" Heyward asked the officer standing behind his son. "Look at the warrant." He pointed. "You're arresting him?" Jake asked as Shoupe pulls Pope's hands behind his back. "You're just arresting my boy?" Heyward asked.

"What's the proof?"

"Be careful!"

As all of them clamour over one another, Pope doesn't say a word and they follow Shoupe all the way outside, yelling at him. "It wasn't him!" JJ yelled just before Shoupe put Pope into the vehicle making them all stop and look at him. "It was me." He takes the blame.

"JJ," Jake says but JJ continued on. "He tried to talk me out of it, but I was mad because he'd just been beaten up. I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit." He said, looking at Pope after.

"I can't let you take the blame for somethin' I did. You've got too much to lose." He says and Pope steps closer. "JJ, what are you doing?" He asked his friend. "I'm tellin' the truth. For once in my goddamn life, I'm gonna tell the truth." The blond boy looked at Shoupe.

It's quiet as the officer glances at Pope and Jake just looked at Kie who glanced over at him. "I took his old man's boat, too." The blond boy added making Heyward look at him. "What the hell?" He sounds genuinely offended.

"JJ, come on."

"Just shut up, Pope! Just shut up." They just stare at one another for a while making Jake glance back and forth between them. "He's a good kid." JJ then tells Shoupe, looking at him. "You know where I'm from."

"Yeah." He nods and JJ looks at Pope. "This was all me." He says and Shoupe sighs. "That's the whole truth?" He asked as he looked at Pope who was still staring at JJ. "Whole truth, swear to God." JJ says when Pope doesn't say anything. "I know what you think, damn it, I'm asking Pope here." The man says, gesturing towards the boy who's still cuffed.

Pope looks at JJ again and the two once more were just staring at one another. "Yeah, that about covers it." Pope says, nodding and Shoupe takes off the hand cuffs as Jake sighs. JJ glanced back over at him and Kie as the cuffs were then put onto him. Shoupe puts JJ into the backseat as the other three and Heyward just stood there, watching.

The police truck backs away and drove off as Pope walks to the middle of the road. He then took off his hat, throwing it onto the ground. "Pope?" His father says but he walks off, "shit!" He exclaimed. "Pope? Pope!" Heyward repeated as Kie and Jake run after him.

The next day, Jake showed up at the country club the Midsummers was held where he had snagged a job offer where he was gonna waiter. He hated being around Kooks but it was good pay, not to mention, Kiara was gonna be there and Pope said he and his father always work there to cook and all of that.

As usual, every woman was dressed extravagantly and when Kie walked in, he happened to be passing by, to serve a drink for one of the men at a table so he slowed down and she looked up, seeing him.

She waved, smiling and he waved back before quickly looking away, smiling kindly. "Your drinks," he says, setting down two drinks between the couple who kindly thank him before he walked away, brushing his hair back as he watched Kiara approach Pope.

As it got darker, Jake was becoming more tired and Topper and the others won't stop bothering him with them asking for drinks. "No. I don't serve alcohol to minors, I'm doing my job which I don't wanna lose." He denied Topper before walking away and approaching the bar, sighing. "Do all minors harass the workers?" He said. "Yeah, no kidding." He turns around to see Kiara standing there behind him.

"Oh, hey, Kie..."

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

  

   

A.N.
jj to john b: she kissed you on the cheek
jj: [kisses pope on the cheek]
they are canon at this point, idc