"Sit down! Sit down! I'm about to do a speech damnit!" The voice was John Bs, the boy holding a beer up in his right hand as he yelled at Cleo and JJ who were still wandering about. They had scored beers, a lot of them, and they had been talking and having fun throwing a football for the past hour. They decided to start a fire, JJ getting the thing started and the beers continuing to flow as the real Pogue fellowship began. June had had about four, and she felt tipsy, tipsy enough to really loosen up and be herself. Now John B had stood, turning the music down and ushering the others to quiet down themselves, hoping he could give his little speech. "I'm giving a speech."
"He's drunk." Kie called from her spot on the log, the group bursting into laughter as he flipped her off.
"We all will be." John B said, shaking his head at the girl and then moving on. Cleo and JJ were now sat, his lips turning up as he raised his beer, the crackling of fire making the moment more real. It had been a long time since they had had a moment like this one, sitting around a fire and having fun. Since the island.
"Boo! Get off the stage!" JJ jeered from his spot, cutting John B off right before he could start talking. An empty beer can flew from across the fire and hit JJ in the chest, Pope giving the blonde a glare paired with a scolding smile. "Sorry mom."
"Okay guys...guys listen—for real." John B called the attention back to himself and June crossed her leg over the other, taking the final sip of her beer and leaned over Sarah to get another. The Cameron girl thought this was June trying to lay in her lap, so she stroked her hair, the March girl deciding to just stay there. Sarah's fingers raked through her hair as John B started to talk, June cracking open another can and drinking it sideways the best she could. "This year...has been a tough year. Not just for me—for all of us. And even though it's over, we're only just now getting to be together again. So I want to toast—yes raise your drinks guys—I wanna toast to us, to the Pogues...because in just a few weeks it will be the one year anniversary of Hurricane Agatha."
"Wow...a year." Sarah said, a sorrowful look in her eyes as she looked at the fire. It was a look June knew well, she was thinking about her dad. June brought her hand up and rested it on Sarah's knee, the Cameron girl seemingly comforted by it as she looked down at June with a sad smile.
"From the original Pogues to the updated version, this is the best group of people I've ever met...and I wouldn't want to have went through what I did without you guys." June blinked at John Bs words, her stomach knotting as she realized he was right. There is no one but them that she would want to go through all of it with. Even if she didn't feel like that was the truth all the time. "P4L...no matter what."
There was a silence that followed his words and they hung heavy above all of them, June feeling them being etched into her soul. No matter what. It felt right.
There were a few mumbled replies and John B looked between all of them with a strange expression, his eyes landing on June. He laughed aloud and then gestured towards her, his lips parting to speak.
"Oh and I'm glad Junes back and we don't all hate each other." He slurred a few words, the group cheering with their beers and letting out a hearty wave of agreement. Sarah's hand ran over Junes hair one more time before she sat up, taking a sip of her beer and then holding it in the air.
"And I'm glad to be back." She said, feeling her head spinning from sitting up so fast. She felt the burning gazes of everyone and John B was quick to pull the attention away again, his face holding a mischievous look as he prepared to say something else.
