One Stupid Thing

1:6:20

I was sitting in the kitchen when John B walked in and asked me to help him. With what you ask? With getting Kiara and Sarah to work together. I was skeptical at first, but I felt like there was only one right answer. Yes. Now, we have our work cut out for us, but if everything goes according to plan then Sarah will be in and if she is in, than I am too.

"So, what's the plan? I ask him.

"Well, somehow I need to convince Sarah to come on the boat with us, but hopefully because you are going she will want to too. While I do that, you have to explain to your dad that you two aren't going to be home tonight," John B says.

"Shouldn't be too hard. I can just tell him that we are staying over at one of Sarah's friends house's."

"Okay, sounds like a plan, Stella B."

I give him a strange look. "Stella B? When did you come up with that?"

"Stella Blair Cameron, right? Sarah called you by your first and middle names at the boneyard that one night," he reminds me.

"Yeah. She tends to do that when she's cross with me. You'd think she was my mother," I laugh. "Clever nickname though, John B."

He laughs, salutes me, and heads out the back door to talk to Sarah, who is sunbathing by the pool. I hop off my stool and head upstairs to the study. Ward has been working in there all morning. I make my way down the hallway and knock before entering.

"Hey, Stell. What do you need?" he asks, not even glancing away from his desk to acknowledge me.

"Uh, I just wanted to ask you if it is okay if Sarah and I go to Scarlett's tonight. Re-do sleepover, ya know?" I say, as sweetly and respectfully as I can.

"Yeah, sure, honey." He flips through some folders, half-listening to me.

"Okay, thank you." I slip back out the door and close it behind me with a sigh of relief. Operation: Join The Pogues is a go.

I join John B and my sister outside after changing into proper boat-wear. A black triangle bikini top with a pair of matching bottoms. I threw on a button-up long sleeve overtop and a 'Kildare Island' baseball cap as well.

"Well, are you coming or not?" I ask my sister. I stand in front of her and block out the sun, just to make sure she can't ignore me.

"I've tried everything. She's not budging," John B shrugs his shoulders and sighs in mock surrender.

"Wait, wait, wait. Stella, you're going?" Sarah lifts her sunglasses up to look at me more clearly.

"Uh, yeah," I reply.

"Okay, fine. Count me in," she sighs and gets up from her pool chair. She walks past us and into the house. John B holds out a closed fist and I bump it with my own in celebration. Phase 2: Complete.

As we are loading onto the boat, we hear footsteps approach on the metal dock. I turn and there's JJ, walking towards us with a small cooler in tow. I turn back around and glare at John B. "You didn't tell me he was coming!" I whisper-yell at him.

He shrugs knowingly. "That was the point."

I narrow my eyes at him in annoyance but I feel my expression soften as soon as I hear the Pogue's voice.

"Howdy, ya'll. Isn't it just the perfect weather for being out on the boat?" JJ greets us.

"Oh, hey, JJ," Sarah replies. "We didn't know you were joining us."

"Ah, well, it was a last minute thing. I had to cancel some plans to be here, ya know." He makes eye contact with me and throws me a wink. I can't suppress the smirk that creeps onto my face.