AURORA KNEW one thing, and one thing only: Ward Cameron murdered Big John. The thought of it scared her, of course, and she couldn't get it out of her head. Rory couldn't imagine what John B was feeling, but it was very clear that he was off the rails. Who could blame him?
Aurora, JJ, Kiara, and Pope waited on the docks outside of the Cameron's House, desperately waiting for John B.
JJ ruffled his hair in stress, as he paced the HMS Pogue,
"What now? We just go up to their front door and ask, hey have you seen John B?"
Kiara nodded, "Look, he lives at Tannyhill now, it's possible."
"It's getting pretty late." Pope mumbled.
"Look, I've never seen John B like that." Kiara explained, "We should honestly be going to the cops."
"The cops?" Aurora scoffed, "Can I remind you that we're Pogues, they won't listen to us. What would we even say?"
JJ agreed, "Exactly, we can't just say, We're worried about our friend because he's on a rampage because Ward killed Big John."
Pope watched the house through the binoculars, "I see Ward. He doesn't look dead to me. Let's go home."
"What?" Kiara scoffed in disbelief.
"Obviously, Mr Cameron is fine, and even if John B was here, he isn't now, okay?" Pope reasoned, "Plus, I have the biggest most important interview of my life in six hours!"
Rory sat down on the edge of the boat, fiddling with a cigarette in her hand, as she looked at her brother. JJ cracked his knuckles in stress, and it was clear to see he was triggered by their arguing. Rory's gaze drifted to the two arguing, getting louder and louder.
"Yeah, well, our friend is in trouble!" Kiara retorted, raising her voice.
"I'm in trouble!" Pope shot back, "Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dad's probably put all my shit on the street by now."
Kiara sighed, "Okay, so that's it? In a time of need, you're just gonna bail? You're just gonna walk away?"
JJ stressed, resting his hands on his head, "Yo, guys, can we not do this right now?"
Pope lowered his voice, "Hey, I have a scholarship interview in the morning. I can't-"
"What about John B?!" Kiara shouted.
Pope blurted out in frustration, "Why is it always about John B?"
Kiara hesitated for a moment, "It's not always about John B! It would be any if you in this situation."
"Oh, bullshit!" Pope argued.
"Guys." Rory attempted to speak but she was interrupted.
"This is about friendship! This is about Pogues For Life!" Kiara argued shakily, tears beginning to form in her eyes.
"What about forensic pathology, huh?" Pope questioned, "It's my life! It's everything I've worked for!"
"That's your priority?" Kiara yelled emotionally, as she walked closer to Pope's face.
"Can you just stop with the moral high ground bullshit?" Pope finally snapped, "You have no room to talk. Where were you when Big John went missing? You weren't there. You weren't there for John B. You weren't there for any of us. Remember your Kook Year? You forgot about us, and now you feel guilty."
Kiara shoved Pope, "Give me a break!"
Rory and JJ ran towards the two fighting and broke them apart. Rory dragged Kie away from Pope, as she glared at them both,
"Stop. Stop!" She snapped, "Can you both shut the fuck up for once?"
JJ agreed, "If we're the ones mediating, we've hit rock bottom."
Rory motioned for them both to sit down, "Pope, sit. And if you two even look at each-other wrong, you can swim home."
***
The next morning, the Pogues (minus Pope and Sarah) were all gathered around on the deck. John B struggled as he pulled his cast off, despite the fact he'd only had it on for a week.
"Look, it's not like I expected a happy ending or some shit." John B said, as he chucked his cast to the side.
Kiara sighed, "John B-"
"It's a hairline fracture." John interrupted, "Who cares?"
"You should care." Aurora deadpanned, "Your arm's gonna be messed up for life."
"It's fine." John B reassured, as he wiggled his fingers, "See?"
Rory made a sarcastic face, "That's so convincing."
"Guys!" A voice yelled from behind the group, "Guys!"
The Pogues turned around to see Pope sprinting towards them, sweat patches visible on his Kook-looking shirt. Rory flicked her cigarette onto the floor, before running towards him,
"Did you get in?" She asked excitedly, "How did it go? What did you say?"
Pope arrived on the deck and couched over, his hands resting on his knees as he tried to breathe, "Oh my God! Oh! I ran all the way here."
"So..." Rory prompted, "You gonna tell us or are we just gonna sit here?"
"Don't ask." Pope shrugged, seeming unbothered despite the months he's studied for this scholarship. Rory glanced at JJ, giving him a confused expression. JJ returned that look.
Pope was the smartest Pogue Rory ever knew, there was no doubt in saying that. He would always be busy revising or studying for fun, which baffled his friends. Rory was doing every drug on the planet, John B was concocting over his missing father, JJ was Luke's human-punch bag, and Kiara was having her Kook year... Whilst Pope was studying. Aurora didn't understand why he was so unbothered. Wasn't this his dream?
"JB." Pope panted, as he stood up straight at looked down at John B, who was laying on the deck, "Look, I'm sorry dude. About everything."
"It's fine." John B replied.
"But.. but I don't have a lot of time and-and I have information that is tactically relevant." Pope explained quickly, "So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's big plane. Because it was too heavy and it needed a longer landing strip to take off. So, im sitting in my interview, thinking to myself, hmm why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off?"
Rory frowned, "What could be so heavy to weigh it down?"
"Gold." JJ replied in disbelief.
"Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight and we have have to go." Pope encouraged.
"Guys, we can't give up now." Kiara nodded, a smile spreading upon her face.
"What's the plan, Big Man." JJ asked, as everyone looked at John B.
John B hesitated, then smiled, "We're gonna steal that shit back."
