𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲

XXXII. Kook Year.

    

     THE NEXT morning, JJ and Jake were once again enjoying some beers at the Cat's Ass as Kie and Pope checked how the winch and the pulley worked on a tree nearby.

"John B pullin' a Houdini." JJ said as he sets down his beer and Jake sighs, stretching his arms. "Yeah, where is he?" He asked and Pope glanced over. "I got my scholarship interview tomorrow. We gotta get this done." He says as he is lowering down Kiara.

"Speak of the devil. Hey!" JJ said and Jake looks over at John B walking towards the Chateau. "Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything." He said. "No, he did not. I did that." Pope instantly says.

"Hey, John B." Kie says when the boy just ignores them, heading inside. "Okay, that's it?" JJ said as Pope and Kie walked over to them. "Uh... what's that all about?" Pope asked and Jake shrugs. "I was gonna ask the same thing." He said before they head inside.

John B was rummaging through drawers snd cabinets. "You alright, man? What's going on?" Jake asked him, standing beside Pope behind John B. "What are you looking for?" Kie asked as the boy walks over to the couch.

"Bro, what's going on, man?" JJ asked as John B reached under the couch mattress where he took out JJ's stolen gun. "John B?" Kie said quietly. "John B, what do you need the gun for, man?" JJ walked over to him. "Talk to us!" He says but John B pushed him to the bed. "John B, chill!" Kie said as Jake looks at JJ. "You alright?" He asked and the blond gets up.

"What are you doing?" Jake raised his voice as Pope stands in his way. "What, are you JJ now?" He asked and the boy shoves him towards the table so Jake rushed over. "Shit, are you okay?" Kie asked as Jake grabs Pope's arm. "You good?" He asked him and Kie rushed past the two. "John B, what the hell are you doing?" She said and the three follow her.

Outside by Heyward's truck, John B got onto JJ's dirtbike and revved it to life. "John B, what the hell?" Jake shouted as they rush down the steps. "Ward knows about the gold." He finally spoke, looking over at them. "He killed my dad." The four stop and he drove off.

"John B!"

Out of worry for what the boy might do, Jake, Kie, Pope and JJ gathered together and headed down to the HMS Pogue. Pope drove them all the way to the Camerons where they parked at the dock and looked over to the house. "What now? We just go up to the front door and ask, hey, have you seen John B?" JJ asked and Kie looked over at him.

"Look, he lives at Tannyhill now. It's plausible." She says and Jake sighs. "Look, we can play dumb." She turns around. "Play dumb?" Jake asked her. "It's pretty late." Pope tells her and she looked at the boy.

"Look, I've never seen John B like that. We should honestly be going to the cops." She said and Jake scoffs. "The cops? And say what?" He asked her. "Yeah, we're worried about our friend going on a rampage because Ward Cameron killed Big John?" JJ asked.

"They're not gonna believe us." Jake says and JJ nods. "Hey, I see Ward." Pope tells them and they look over at the boy holding up binoculars. "Let me see." Kie tells him and he hands them over so she can look. "Doesn't look dead to me. Let's go home." Pope says.

"What?" Kie turns around. "Uh... okay. Obviously, Mr. Cameron is fine, and even if John B was here, he isn't now, okay?" He reasoned and Jake nods. "He's right..." He says and Kie looks at him with a confused look.

"Plus, I have the biggest, most important moment of my life in six hours." He tells her. "And I haven't been home to my girl in like two days." Jake says and Kie glanced between them. "Yeah, well, our friend is in trouble." She says and Jake furrows his brows.

"I'm in trouble. Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dad's probably put all my shit on the street by now." Pope looked down and Jake sighs. "Kie, come on... My girl--" "oh, so "your girl" is more important than John B right now?" She said out of anger and jealousy and he just looks at her with a confused look.

"My girl" is my daughter, so of course, she is." He said right away, as JJ and Pope look at him right away before glancing at one another. "Oh." Kie said and Jake sighs. "So that's it? In a time of need, you two are just gonna bail? You're just gonna walk away?" Kie asked them both and Jake just crossed his arms.

"Okay, yo, guys, can we not do this right now?" JJ asked as Jake looked up. "Hey, I have a scholarship interview in the morning. I can't--" "Okay, well, what about John B?" Kie asked, cutting off Pope. "Why is it always about John B?" Jake finally snapped.

"It's not always about John B. You're so stupid. It would be any of you in this situation." Kie gestured around at them. "Oh, bullshit!" Pope exclaimed. "Guys--" "this is about friendship." Kie stood her ground, looking at them. "Bring it down." JJ tells the three.

"This is about Pogues for life." She looked at Jake who sighed. "My life doesn't revolve around that, Kiara. I have a daughter." He said and she looks away. "And what about forensics pathology?" Pope asked him.

"Forensic pathology?"

"Yeah, that's my life. Everything I've worked for." Pope raised his voice. "That's your priority?" Kie asked her. "Stop with the moral high ground bullshit!" Jake shouted at her and Kie looks at him right away. "Jake, come on." JJ says right away. "No. She has no room to talk..." Jake shook his head, looking at her.

"Yeah. Where were you when Big John went missing?" Pope asked her and Kie just stared at them. "You weren't there. You weren't there for John B. You weren't there for any of us. That's how you didn't know about Evie because it was around the same time she was born." Pope said and Kie looks over at Jake.

"Remember your Kook year?" Pope asked her and she looks at him. "Dudes." JJ says. "Yeah. You forgot about us. Now you feel guilty." He says and Kie shoves him. "Give me a break!" She said. "Hey!" JJ quickly got up as Jake sighed. "Is that what you need?"

"Hey! Yo, yo, yo, cut it out, alright?" JJ rushed over to them, pushing the two apart. "If I'm the one mediating, we've hit rock bottom." JJ said and he had a point. Jake glanced at Kie who sat down. "Bow, now." JJ demands Pope who does so, going over to the front.

"Pope, I'll drop you off." JJ says as Jake sat down at the front nearby Pope, bringing his knees up to his chest. He kept glancing over at Kie who's not looking his way. At the Chateau, she just heads inside and didn't say a word to either of the two as JJ looks at Jake.

"Need a ride home?" He asked and Jake shook his head, looking off towards where Kiara went. "I-I'll stick around. My mom loves taking care of Evie... I have some apologizing to do anyway." He says before looking at the blond boy who just slowly nodded his head.

"Hey, are you vibing on Kie?"

A.N.
evie will be fine with extended grandmother-granddaughter time, so for now, i don't wanna split up jake and kiara 🙏