WHILST RORY spent an afternoon at the police station, Sarah had managed to convince Topper to wait one day before pressing charges. Aurora didn't know how Sarah did it, she didn't want to know either. Rory was just thankful that she didn't end up like her dad. Shoupe let her out of the cell she was in, before she walked outside of the station. She saw Sarah sat outside on a bench, her gaze lifted to meet with Rory's eyes.
Sarah and Rory went back to the Château, seeing the rest of the Pogues waiting for Rory to come home. The group all hugged her tightly, as a real smile grew on Rory's face. She wanted this moment to last forever.
"I have something to tell you guys." Sarah exclaimed, "I can get us down to the Orinoco."
Pope questioned excitedly, "Are you serious?"
"How's that gonna happen?" Cleo added curiously.
"My dad's gonna let us use the plane." Sarah explained, "We lay low tonight, then wheels up first thing in the morning."
"I'm sorry, what?" Rory questioned in disbelief, "Your dad? Ward Cameron?"
"I talked to him." Sarah reassured, "He'll do it."
Cleo questioned, "So we're trusting Ward now?"
"Trust Sarah." Kie replied softly.
That night, the Pogues spent time together: Pope, Cleo and JB played a board game, Kie played the ukulele to JJ, and Rory relaxed in her room with Sarah. Everything was the way that Rory wanted things to be. Everyone was together and happy.
Sarah sat down on the bed next to her, as Rory couldn't keep her eyes off of her. Her hair lightened by the sun, her face sun-kissed, her shorts fitted her perfectly, her tank top exposing the top of her chest. Rory couldn't stop smiling, as she placed a cigarette in-between her lips, "You bailed me out?"
"Bought you a day." Sarah shrugged, as she chuckled at Rory's smile, "What?"
"Nothing." Rory tried to stop smiling, "You're just good at persuading people. Topper had his mind set on pressing charges."
"What can I say?" Sarah bragged, as her body got closer to Rory's, "Maybe I'm just that good."
They kissed passionately for a moment, before Sarah took off her tank top, leaving her in her bra. Rory couldn't stop admiring the girl, as she straddled Sarah's lap. Sarah wrapped her arms around her waist, before suddenly the door swung open. The two blonde's stopped kissing, as they jumped around at the door.
"Sorry!" Kie apologised quickly, as her breathing grew heavier in panic, "There's a fire!"
"What?" Rory questioned quickly, as she rushed off of Sarah and towards the door.
Sarah followed, quickly putting her tank top back on, "Fire? Kie, what are you-"
"Come on! Get outta there." JJ stressed, holding Rory's arm and pulling her towards him.
"Wait! This way." John B suggested, as he lead the group out the back of the burning Château.
The Pogues rushed to the front of the building, watching as their home got burned up into flames. Sarah held Rory's hand, as a tear rolled down the girl's face. The only home Rory had ever known had been destroyed. All of the memories were gone.
The Pogues had no choice but to sleep outside, though none of them actually got any sleep. The next morning, the sun shone brightly down on what was left of the Chateau. Rory stared at the pile of wood which she once called home.
"Do you think somebody did it?" Rory asked curiously.
Pope suggested, "It could've been a faulty electrical wire."
"It was all wood." Kie added, "A tinderbox."
"Thing just went up." Cleo muttered, "Boom."
"Verdict's in, bro." JJ said to JB, "Whoever's up there does not like you." He paused, patting the boy's shoulder, "I'm sorry."
***
The Pogues gathered on the deck, waiting for Ward to send over a plane for them to use. John B asked, "When did you say the pilot was getting in?"
"Probably like an hour?" Sarah replied, "I mean, once he's here, my dad says we can leave whenever we want."
"Okay, well, as much as I would love to ghost my parents again, I can't." Pope explained.
"Pope, we're talking El Dorado here." JJ replied, "Can't you just slip out the back?"
"Great advice." Kie smiled sarcastically.
JJ shrugged, "It always worked for us, didn't it, Rory?"
"How to avoid unpleasant circumstances 101." Rory nodded.
"If there's a problem, you don't wanna face it, turn that face and keister around and walk the other way." JJ added.
"I'm not doing that, okay?" Pope replied, as he stood up.
JJ nodded, "I just want you to be there."
"I'm gonna be there." Pope reassured, "I'll meet you at the airstrip in an hour?"
"Think you should let me talk, Pope." Cleo followed the boy, "Think your mom kinda likes me."
"I'm gonna take a stroll back to the shack." JJ informed, "For old times sake."
"I always wanted to go to South America." Rory added, following her brother, "Great surf, cheap weed."
Aurora and JJ arrived at their house, packing the things they needed. It mostly contained beer bottles, lighters, cigarettes, and old clothes. Rory sat in her old bedroom, looking around at the complete mess it was in. Her gaze travelled towards the long mirror in the corner, the multiple cracks in it from her outbursts of rage. There were dents in the walls from being thrown up against them. She started to remember things she didn't want to remember.
"Hey." JJ appeared in the doorway quickly, "We need to go now."
Rory questioned, standing up quickly to place her bag on her back, "What?"
"JJ! It's your old buddy, Mike!" A voice shouted from outside, "You lost my load. Time to pay up!"
Rory frowned, "Is that-"
"Barracuda Mike." JJ finished with a nod, as they started crawling towards the back porch, "Yes."
"Do I want to know?" Rory whispered, as she crawled quickly behind her brother. The two siblings quickly ran out of the back, as Mike stormed into the front of the house.
"JJ!"
Rory watched her brother stop running, as he turned back for a second to look at the house. She did the same, remembering the haunting memories for one last time. They both flinched at the sounds coming from inside of the house.
"JJ, come on." Rory tugged his arm, "We have to go to the Tarmac."
a/n:
sad announcement! there's only 3 more chapters until the END of this book!! brb gonna cry myself to sleep.
