: ̗̀➛ 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 Victoria Miller's world is upended when she learns her life as the Pogue Princess is over. No longer surrounded by her group of friends, she's forced to adjust to a new, unfamiliar reality as a Kook. After a year of her not so...
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AS THE BOAT GLIDED effortlessly across the shimmering water, Victoria leaned against the bow, letting the spray kiss her cheeks. She swept her wind-tossed hair from her face and chuckled. "Well, that was fun," she said with a wry smile, adjusting her sunglasses. "A little heads-up would've been nice, though."
"We would've warned you," Kiara shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "but Pope was on the math team." She gave Pope a pointed glare, which he deflected with an exaggerated shrug, raising his hands as if surrendering.
"Wait, wait, wait." JJ sat up straighter, squinting at Pope in disbelief. "You were on the math team?"
"Can we not do this right now?" Pope groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Behind the wheel, John B kept his eyes on the water, steering the boat through the gentle waves. "Focus, people," he interrupted. "The cops cleaned that place out like it was a freaking crime scene."
"Because it was a crime scene," Kiara retorted, folding her arms. "You know, technically."
"Yeah, yeah," John B waved her off. "But did we find anything? Anything at all?"
Pope glanced around, his expression hopeful. "So? Did we?"
Victoria's lips curved into a sly smile. "Find anything?" she repeated, casting a playful glance at JJ, who was lazily sprawled across the bench, one leg dangling off the side. "Hmm, let's see." She reached into JJ's jacket pocket and pulled out a small stack of cash with a dramatic flourish. "Oh, yeah. Just this."
JJ sat up abruptly, grinning as he snatched the money back. "And this," he added, fishing a sleek black handgun from his waistband and holding it up like a trophy.
The reaction was immediate. Pope's jaw dropped. Kiara's eyes widened, and she sputtered, "What the hell, JJ?!"
"Relax!" JJ said, hopping to his feet as he tucked the gun away with a cavalier shrug. "It's better we have it than the cops, right?"
"Are you insane?" Pope shot to his feet, gesturing wildly at the weapon. "Why would you take that from a crime scene? Do you know what this means? Fingerprints? Evidence? Jail time?"
"Pope," JJ said with a smirk, throwing an arm around his friend's shoulders. "Buddy. Relax." He waved the gun in a mock-soothing motion. "You're overthinking it. I've got this all under control."
"You've got nothing under control!" Pope snapped, shoving JJ's arm off. "I swear, I'm gonna lose my merit scholarship because of you idiots."
"Aw, come on, man," JJ teased, giving Pope a playful shove. "Merit scholarships are overrated. You've got us. Your real friends. Isn't that enough?"
