𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 // 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 \\

Chapter Five

"Stop, you guys!" Kiara shouted.

"Stop! John B!" Valerie shouted to the two boys after Kiara. John B and Topper kept throwing punches at each other. "Topper! Stop!" Sarah yelled as she backed up with wide eyes. Topper and John B pushed each other away. John B was quick to walk back into Topper's space. "Come on, John B!" JJ shouted. Valerie walked to JJ. "What the fuck happened when I left?"

"Doesn't matter." JJ replied with no emotion. Valerie rolled her eyes and walked back to Kiara who had her hands in her hair. "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!" The crowd chanted. John B threw a punch at Topper. "That's what I'm talking about!" JJ hyped up John B. "Come on!" Pope shouted joining JJ. "Come on!" John B shouted at Topper. "Yeah, you wanna go?" Topper shouted as he held up his fists. "Stop!" Kiara shouted when Topper hit John B causing them to return to the shallow water. "John B!" Valerie yelled angrily. Topper went for another punch, but John B managed to dodge it and threw Topper even further into the water. "Oh! Topper!" Sarah shouted. She covered her hand with her mouth. "Come on, Topper!" John B shouted. Valerie sighed. They weren't going to stop. "Let's go! Come on!" Topper stood up and ran at John B. This time, Topper managed to punch John B in the stomach.

"Come on, man!" Topper held his fists up. John B charged at Topper, but it didn't work in his favor. John B was flipped into the water. Topper had the upper hand. All the crowd did was cheer. "What the fuck!?" Valerie shouted. "Topper! Topper, stop! No!" Sarah shouted once she saw what Topper was doing. Topper was trying to drown John B. John B gasped when he was able to come up for air. Valerie dropped her jaw in shock. Kiara had tears in her eyes. "No!" Pope shouted. "He's drowning him!" Pope said as Valerie and Kiara walked on either side of him. "I know." Kiara gasped. "Topper!" Sarah yelled again. The next move could not have been predicted by anyone. Not even the man himself.

JJ walked up to Topper and held the gun they found at the motel to his head. Topper immediately froze. "Yeah, you know what that is." JJ grabbed Topper's shirt. "Your move, broski." JJ grunted. "Come on, chill dude!" Pope shouted. "JJ! Stop!" Valerie shouted. "Chill!" Pope shouted again. By now, the crowd was running away from the scene. "Stop! JJ!" Sarah shouted. "Put the gun down, JJ!" Valerie took a step closer. "Did you say something, princess?" JJ yelled not looking away from Topper. "Put the gun down!" Sarah shouted after Valerie. "We're good. We're good." Topper repeated as he held his hands up and away from John B. "Kie! Can you check your psycho friend?" Sarah shouted. JJ moved away from Topper. Kiara looked away from the girl. "Okay, everyone, listen up! Get the hell off our side of the island!" JJ shouted. He held the gun up to the air and shot twice. The crowd, which was further away, shrieked and gasped. "Are you crazy? You idiot!" Pope pushed JJ. "Stupid!" Kiara shouted at JJ. "Why would you do that?" Valerie stepped in front of JJ. "I'm saving his life, okay?" JJ angrily shouted as he harshly pushed Valerie to the ground.

"What the fuck?" Valerie grew angrier with JJ. "Stupid!" Kiara shouted again as she ran to Valerie and helped the girl up. "You're gonna jeopardize everything!" Pope shouted. John B shivered and panted in the water. He fell backwards as Pope ran up to him. "You're fucking crazy, JJ." Valerie shouted at him as she grabbed Kiara's hand and walked off, following the big crowd. "I'm fucking pissed at JJ. First he almost kisses me and then he shoves me to the ground." Valerie looked at Kiara. "Mixed signals." She responded with a sigh. "You staying at my place?" Valerie asked Kiara. "If you don't mind." Kiara smiled at her. "Of course not." Valerie smiled back.

The next day, the pogues were outside of the Château. Kiara was playing the bongos while Valerie sat content next to her. Pope was reading a book and JJ was throwing items further away from everyone else. "Look, I'm calling it off. Alright?" John B walked outside gaining everyone's attention. He had a bruise that had formed around his eye. "Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS."

"And you believed her?" JJ called out. "Yes, I believe her, JJ." John B said, annoyed. "An actual cop, John B. You believed a cop." Valerie rolled her eyes at JJ as she looked towards Pope. "All I gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple days, and she'll help me out. It doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting the gun." John B argued. "True." Valerie nodded. Kiara nudged her with a smile on her face. Valerie returned the smile. "You know what I should have done, man? Just let Topper drown your ass."JJ threw another item. "Yeah, cause Topper was gonna drown me?"

"Sure looked like it."

"Funny."

"I mean, have you looked in a mirror?" JJ walked towards the other pogues. "Tell me some more. Come on."

"They always win, don't they, man?" JJ leaned on the supporting beam to the overhead roof. "Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win! Goddamn!" JJ hit the buoy that was hanging. "Look, it's okay!" Kiara spoke up. "No, it's not okay! It is not. They don't want us to go down into the marsh. That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it." JJ pointed at John B. "I know you do. And I understand why you don't wanna go. You're the golden boy. You got way too much to risk." JJ looked at Pope. "And you-- You're already rich as fuck anyway. Valerie too. Why would either of you bother? But you and me, man, we got nothing to lose! We really don't, alright?"

"JJ." John B looked to the side.

"And I know it didn't use to be that way for you."

"I don't want to talk about this. I don't wanna talk about it." JJ shook his head. "So that's it?" JJ looked at John B who was walking towards him. John B pushed JJ to the side. "Just get out of my way, bro."

"John B, listen to me. I have a plan." JJ yelled. Pope, Valerie, and Kiara shared a look. "You got the key to Cameron's big boat, right?"

"No, JJ."

"There's scuba gear in there." JJ walked further away from where the three other pogues were sitting down and walked next to John B who had his arms crossed. "We just borrow that, and then we go down to the wreck this afternoon, and that is what's gonna save you, man. You don't see rich kids going into foster care, do you?" JJ threw an arm around John B. John B shook his head and looked to the side. "Alright! Fine." John B shoved JJ away who silently cheered. John B walked towards the docks to get into the HMS Pogue. JJ joined the other three. Valerie rolled her eyes and quickly walked inside. "What's her problem?" JJ scoffed.

"Her problem? She told me what happened between you two by the tree. Yeah, I know. Then you shove her to the ground when all she was trying to go was protect you, JJ! I'd go sort it out." Kiara crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. JJ looked down before quickly standing and going inside. Pope turned to Kiara and leaned forward. "What happened by the tree?"

JJ looked around once he was inside the Château. "Val? Valerie!" He shouted as Val walked into the main room. "Did you come here to shove me again? Oh, or maybe is it say it doesn't matter what happened between my friend and Topper." Valerie crossed her arms and looked at him. "Okay, look, you know I didn't mean it, alright? I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Valerie chuckled as she stepped closer to him. "Look, I know some thing happened between us last night. It was different, I know. But then you shove me to the ground claiming your on the right end? Jesus, JJ, you just pulled a gun on Topper."

"He deserved it." JJ pointed at her. "No- Well, yes, but a gun was not the way to go. You could have just punched him for fucks sake. You're not supposed to have the gun in the first place." Valerie took a deep breath. "I know you don't deserve this, JJ, but what you did last night hurt me. Emotionally and physically." JJ grabbed her face. He put his hands on either side of her face and looked into her eyes. "I will find a way to make it up to you, okay? I'm so fucking sorry and I shouldn't have shoved you to the ground. That was too far." He whispered. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. Valerie sighed. "I can't stay mad at you, JJ Maybank." JJ chuckled. He moved his hands to her waist and pulled her into a hug. Valerie's arms went around his shoulders. JJ picked Valerie up so she was slightly off the ground. Valerie laughed as she latched onto him. "Hey, John B is back." Kiara walked inside. JJ and Valerie nodded as they pulled away. JJ gently put her down and ran out of the Château.

"So, you made up?" Kiara smirked and crossed her arms. Valerie laughed and tucked some hair behind her ears "It's his motherfucking charm, Kie."