Wonderwall, JJ Maybank

Chapter Five. Where The Wild Things Are.

CHAPTER FIVE . . .
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

CORDELIA PACED SLOWLY BACK AND FORTH LIKE A DRILL SERGEANT, CHEST PUFFED AND SHOULDERS drawn as she strode confidently in the sand. She observed each of the pogues with a foolingly judgmental stare, the teenagers sitting in a line before her; legs crossed or hugged to their chests.

      Today was all about teaching them the island she'd come to know so intimately. It became glaringly obvious that a formal lesson was required when John B and JJ had somehow managed to find themselves deep within a dingy cave that housed dozens of freshly hatched snakes. According to Pope, they were the dangerous kind, too. Of course, Cordelia could've warned them to steer clear of that exact spot; she had found the gloomy cavern back when it was still loaded with little eggs. So collectively, the castaways had all decided it would be beneficial for her to share the various tips and tricks she'd accrued over the past two and a half months— erm... 180 years.

     Her stern mien and stringent behavior were throwing some of them off— she looked like one of the teachers they used to fear back in elementary school with the way she was carrying herself. Disciplined and relentless and like she wasn't afraid to put her hands on a misbehaving student. Pope and John B clearly didn't get she was putting on an act just for the hell of it, but the others were suppressing smiles watching her boldly play pretend.

     Cordelia cleared her throat and straightened her spine. "Class is now in session. Today commences Poguelandia 101."

     Using the long stick in her hand, she drew various scribblings and lines in the sand, nodding in satisfaction once she had finished. She pointed the object to one of the markings. "Here lies the south side of the island." She sharply moved her stick opposite to where it was. "Here lies the north. The south side is where you two fopdoodles nearly perished at the hands of venomous snakelets." her eyes narrowed at JJ and John B, sitting side by side.

     "What's a fopdoodle?" John B asked hesitantly, brows arched in confusion.

     JJ, amused by the eccentric girl's current behavior, leaned over to whisper in his best friend's ear without taking his eyes off of her. "It means dumbass."

She slammed the tip of the stick into the sand before them, the Routledge boy flinching as Kiara let a small giggle slip; JJ's lips quivering as he fought to hold back his humored smile. "Speak only when you're spoken to, pet! There are many caves located in that area, scattered about— you'll take good care to avoid them. Caves on the north side, however, are harmless."

"Where'd you get all the fruit from?" Cleo gestured towards a few nearby bowls of berries resting in the sand by their fire pit.

"North side. Nearly all of the island's jewels reside there. The fruits, the waterfalls, a hot springs."

Sarah and Kiara's heads shot up from where they'd been staring at the sand, as if Cordelia had just spoken the most important words that would ever be said.

"Hot springs?!" the wavy-haired girl exclaimed.

     "It's bewitching." the Edwards girl nodded with a budding smile, excited by their excitement.

     "Uh... what's bewitching mean?" JJ lifted an unsure hand. "Like it's magical? Like a witch?"

     The pogues all blinked at him.