𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑾𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑺 /𝑗𝑗 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑘

𝟎𝟐𝟓.

___________________
𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑰𝑺𝑬𝑺.
𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑤𝑜，𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑒．
𝟔:𝟏𝟒 — 𝟐𝟑:𝟐𝟔
___________________

"UH, POPE," Sarah says worriedly, her voice trembling slightly as she sits in the cramped backseat beside me. She clings tightly to the handles on either side of the car for stability, her knuckles white as she gulps nervously. "You're driving pretty fast."

In response, Pope howls excitedly, the sound echoing off the interior of the car, and I can't help but smirk at how ridiculously funny he is right now—high as a kite and full of life. It's both amusing and terrifying, considering how recklessly he's weaving down the road. After a transition of bumps and jolts that have left JJ hitting his head against the ceiling more times than I can count, we've somehow crammed four of us into the back seat. Kiara, ever the responsible one, chose to sit next to Pope, ensuring she could keep an eye on both him and her father's truck.

The four of us are tightly squeezed together, practically laid all over one another. I'm practically sitting on JJ's lap by now, his arm steadying me around my waist while the other grips the overhead handle for dear life. I give JJ a sideways glance, and the sight of the smirk plastered on his face makes me roll my eyes before turning my attention back to Pope.

"Pope, last to judge, but I think you should slow down just a little." JJ suggests, his lips scrunching, and his eyebrows knitting together in a worried frown.

"That would definitely delay our arrival to the cross. We need to get there." Pope insists with an almost stubborn conviction.

"Why did we let him drive again?" Kiara asks incredulously, her voice rising to a pitch that only amplifies her disbelief as she shoots a look at Pope that suggests he's turned into a different person behind the wheel.

"Because I said I'd rip your ears off," Pope replies at the same time as Sarah, who quips, "He said he'd rip our ears off!."

"Honestly, at this point, that sounds much better than this car ride—fuck!" I groan as another jarring bump rolls us around, causing me to crash my head against JJ's.

"Ow!" JJ hisses, shutting his eyes at the impact, throwing his head back against the headrest. I give him an apologetic smile as I recoil from the sudden pain, but after a second, he opens his eyes, shrugs, and gestures as if to say he's alright.

"I was joking about that, by the way." Pope clarifies, oblivious to the chaos around him.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Hannibal." I scoff, letting go of the handle on the side to rub the back of my head where I hit JJ's forehead.

"That's a really funny joke." Kiara adds, managing a smile while anxiety shapes her features. Her concern about being in the car with Pope is almost palpable.

"Hey, hey." John B calls out to Pope, leaning in to brush his shoulder with Sarah's, who bites her lower lip as if trying to hold back her fear. "How ya feeling, buddy? How you doing?"