One Stupid Thing

Tickle the Wire

After school, the four of us went to the Wreck. Ever since finding out that John B and Sarah are indeed alive, a weight has been lifted off of our shoulders. We are all buzzing with excitement.
"Just for the record, I never doubted them," JJ tells us proudly.

Kiara laughs. "I owe you five bucks."

"Hey, Kiara, I do need those setups done by five!" Mrs. Carrera shouts.

"You know, there are other people that work here," Kiara calls back.

"And ain't none of 'em my children," Mrs. Carrera replies lightheartedly.

"I feel that. On a deep, emotional level, I understand that," Pope says.

The Pogues and I walk out on the back deck of the Wreck—it has just been rebuilt after Hurricane Agatha—and we take a seat on the benches that line the railing.

"So, we going to the Bahamas or what?" JJ asks, dropping his backpack like it weighs a thousand pounds.

"I'd be down," I shrug.

"Dude, there's no way we're getting to the Bahamas," Pope says rationally.

"John B will get nabbed sooner or later, so if we're going to clear his name, we need to have done it like yesterday," Kie points out.

"I'll tell you how we do it," JJ tells us.

"Oh, so you have it all planned out?" Pope asks him sarcastically.

"As a matter of fact, I do. We kidnap Rafe," JJ announces nonchalantly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Pope blinks in disbelief.

"We kidnap Rafe, tie him up and stick the gun in his mouth and just wait until he starts squawking," JJ clarifies.

I look up at him and furrow my eyebrows in question. "You know, I'm all for getting revenge, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal."

"Yeah and you know, torture's a war crime," Kie tells him.

"I thought it was a good idea," JJ shrugs.

"Yeah, so how exactly do you plan on clearing John B's name from a prison cell? Because that is definitely a felony," Pope agrees.

"All right, well, what do you got, Pope? I was just trying to keep it simple. You know, one stop, and we're done." JJ paces back and forth. He never can just sit still.

"Guys, all we need is a material witness. We saw Ward's plane fly right over our heads with the gold inside of it. He didn't fly it. If somebody else was flying it, then they were on the tarmac. They saw Peterkin get murdered. We just have to find whoever that was and get them to confess on record." Pope explains it to us like it's easy.

"Wow. Now, why didn't I think of that?" I say sarcastically. Pope ignores my comment.

"Okay, so how do we do that?" Kie asks.

"A little light espionage," Pope replies.

"A little ghost recon," JJ adds, taking off his hat to ruffle his hair before putting it back on backwards.

"Woogity-woogity?" Pope holds out bolf of his hands to Kie and JJ.

"Woogity, baby!" JJ cheers. I partake in a four-way, classic, Pogue handshake. We laugh and pile right into Kiara's car. Happy, lighthearted, reggae music plays over the radio and it totally suits the vibe.

"Hey, Kie! Take a left up here at the stop sign," I instruct her. She glances in her review mirror back at me in confusion.

"Okay... why?" she asks suspiciously.