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— • — • — • — ꧁꧂ — • — • — • —
𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 — 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑠ℎ
LATER THAT DAY, Pope and Kie arrived at Kildare Marine Rescue as Leilani was finishing up her shift and Bryce was cleaning up with JJ. They wanted to go check in on John B, so once Leilani changed her shirt and said goodbye to Kai and Bryce, they piled into her car and drove through the Cut to the Chateau.
It was awkwardly quiet as the group set up outside, John B sporting a large bruise under his eye. JJ sat against a table in the yard, throwing something repeatedly. Pope read a book, Kie played the bongos and Leilani settled herself beside John B, tuning her ukelele. John B abruptly stood up. "Look, I'm callin' it off. All right? Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS."
"And you believed her?" JJ asked as Pope lowered his book.
"Yes, I believe her, JJ." John B said as though it were obvious.
"An actual cop, John B. You believed a cop." JJ said in frustration, harshly throwing the object once more.
"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 a gun." John B said and Leilani rolled her eyes. The last thing they needed was the boys fighting.
JJ scoffed. "You know what I should have done? I should've just let Topper drown your ass." he said, though everyone knew he didn't mean it.
"Topper was gonna drown me?" John B said in a patronizing tone as Leilani looked up at him.
"Sure looked like it." The blonde said, John B rolling his eyes at his best friend.
"Funny." he said sarcastically as JJ stood up, walking towards him.
"Have you looked in a mirror, recently?" JJ continued, standing at the base of the overhead roof the other four were sitting under. "They always wind, don't they, man? Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win!" JJ said, hitting a hanging buoy above his head.
"JJ, it's okay!" Leilani said, trying to get the blonde boy she had spent the morning with to calm down.
"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. I know you do," JJ pointed at John B, who had leant over the table, averting his gaze. JJ looked at Pope. "And I understand why you don't wanna go. You're the golden boy. You've got way too much to risk."
