𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑，𝗃𝗃 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖺𝗇𝗄

𝗍𝗐𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝖾

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆, JJ and I were sat with our feet dipped in the hot tub. He had calmed down from my last night but didn't seem to want to talk about it so all I could do was be there for him.

Olivia, Pope and Kiara were testing out the winch that they were going to use to get the gold out of the well. "How's it feeling?" Pope questioned the two girls who was on top of it."

"It feels good." She smiled.

The Heyward boy nodded, "Okay, I'm taking you down."

The Carrera girl hummed in response before JJ spoke up, "John B pulling a Houdini."

I frowned, "Yeah, has anyone heard from him?" I asked. The boy had supposedly gone fishing with Ward Cameron and hadn't been back for a while.

"I've got my scholarship interview tomorrow. We've gotta get this done." The boy panicked.

Olivia laughed, "Pope, don't worry. You're gonna get that scholarship.

"Speak of the devil." The blonde boy smiled as he saw his friend approaching the group. "Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything." He lied.

Pope scoffed, "No, he did not. I did that."

"John B," Kie called out to him when we didn't get a response from the boy. Anxiety rose inside of me. Something had definitely happened on that boat.

We all followed him inside the Chateau as he was searching through cabinets roughly, "What are you looking for?" I questioned but I was ignored.

"What's going on?" JJ asked as the brunette boy picked up JJ's gun from the couch.

"What do you need a gun for?" The Thompson girl questioned anxiously.

"Talk to us," I yelled but was cut off when John B pushed his friend onto the couch roughly. "What the fuck are you doing?"

The Heyward boy made an attempt to block his way but ended up getting shoved into the counter. "Are you okay?" Kie frowned, concern written across her face.

I ignored them as I followed the Routledge boy outside the small home, the rest following me in tow, "John B, what the fuck is going on?"

"Ward knows about the gold." He yelled, climbing onto JJ's motorbike. "He killed my dad," He turned to face me, "And Phoebe."

I froze in my spot, tears forming in my eyes. I knew my mom was dead. I had come to peace with that now but hearing someone else say it out loud, and by the hands of Ward Cameron made it feel so much more real.

𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐃 much since finding out the news. We had docked The Pogue outside Tannyhill in hopes of finding John B there. I was sat toward the back of the boat beside my boyfriend as he rubbed comforting circles over my waist. He understood that I didn't want to talk and I respect that.

"What now?" Pope asked irritably, "We just go up to the front door and ask. 'Hey, have you seen John B?"

The Heyward was stressing due to the fact that he had his scholarship interview the next morning that he had been preparing for all his teenage years.

"Look, he lives at Tannyhill now. It's plausible." Kiara spoke up, "We can play dumb?"

"Play dumb?" JJ asked in disbelief, "Olivia, why can't you just go in? They won't suspect anything."

The Thompson girl opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the Heyward, "No way you're going in that house alone."

"It's pretty late." Kiara sighed heavily, "I've never seen John B like that. We just honestly be going to the cops."

"The cops?" The Maybank boy scoffed.

"And say what?" Pope shot back, "We're worried about our friend because he's on a rampage because Ward Cameron killed Big John and Phoebe Madison?"

I shiver ran down my spine at the boy's words which only caused the blond to hold onto me tighter.

"I see Ward," Olivia suddenly spoke up after looking through Pope's binoculars.

The Heyward took them from the blonde girl's grasp to look through them himself, "Yeah, doesn't look dead to me. Let's go home."

"What?" Kiara turned around in disbelief.

"Obviously Mr Cameron is fine and even if John B was here he isn't now," He spoke factually, "Plus, I have the biggest most important moment of my life in six hours."

The girl rolled her eyes, "Yeah, well, our friend is in trouble."

"I'm in trouble." He shot back, "Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dad's probably put all my shit on the street by now."

I watched on as tears began to well in my best friend's eyes, "So that's it? In a time of need, you're just gonna bail? You're just gonna walk away?"

I flinched as their tones grew more angry and JJ seemed to pick up on it, "Guys, can we not do this right now?" He spoke calmly motioning to the bad state I was in.

I watched as the blonde Kook sent a reassuring smile in my direction to which I didn't return. I only leaned closer to my boyfriend hoping to find some comfort.

"I have a scholarship interview in the morning. I can't-" He started.

"What about John B?" She yelled out of anger, cutting him off.

Pope sighed heavily before replying, "Why is it always about John B?"

The curly-haired girl gasped in surprise, "It's not always about John B. You're so stupid. It would be any of you guys in this situation."

"That's bullshit," The boy added.

"This is about friendship," She cried, "This is about Pogues for life."

"Bring it down," Liv reminded them.

Pope scoffed, "What about forensic pathology, huh? It's my life. It's everything I've worked for. Stop with the moral high ground bullshit."

"Excuse me?" Kiara frowned.

"Pope, come on," JJ spoke in a warning tone.

He shook his head, "No, she has no room to talk. Where were you when Big John and Phoebe went missing?" The mention of my mom again almost brought tears to my eyes, "You weren't there. You weren't there for John B., you weren't there for Hayley. You weren't there for any of us. Remember your Kook year?" He reminded her, "Yeah, you forgot about us. Now you feel guilty."

"Give me a break." She yelled over him as they began to push each other forcefully. Olivia was quick to step out of the way as the Maybank boy jumped up to separate them.

He stood between the two, "Cut it out. If me and Hales are the ones meditating, we've hit rock bottom." He turned to Pope, "Bow, now."

Kiara moved to sit beside me at the back of the boat as JJ started the engine, driving off into the night.

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄
okayyyy, i'm gonna assume you all saw this coming but anyways
fuck ward cameron
xoxo