golden wings melt like blue slushies // JJ Maybank

-One way, or another, I'm gonna find ya-

"Guys, can you chill out?" Pope pleaded.

Kie and JJ looked up from where they were putting out their stubs on the bottoms of their shoes before they got ash and weed all over Kie's parents car. It turns out having no emotional connection with your very rich parents while you're grieving gets you a lot of favors and expensive things.

While having a sort-of-there emotional connection with your poor parents while you're grieving just gets you hugs and dessert after dinner, Pope thought to himself.

He picked up his backpack.

"If I black out, just don't remind me," JJ muttered, coughing out white smoke.

Pope rolled his eyes, and the three of them trekked across the front lawn of the one and only shit hole that was highschool. Kie's tote bag only had snacks, weed, and a typo pencil case in it, which was already better than JJ's collection of exactly one notebook from last year.

He stopped, and Kie bumped into him, her eyes pink.

The big stone between the two paths leading up to the entrance was covered in photos. At least half of them had living people on the edges of them. Pope saw himself in a few. John B and Iggy's school photos were up there too, which they would've hated. No one looks good in school photos.

There were a few of Sarah scattered around as well, but no kooks went to the school. Except for Kie, of course. They would be ripped off by the end of the day.

Around those were sticky notes with what would ultimately be Lana del Ray lyrics on them. John B's name was written in big black sharpie letters on one half of a broken surfboard. There was a kermit the frog plushie.

Kie looked around at the crowds of teenagers in summer clothes with old backpacks and tans murmuring to each other from their gathering spots for the morning. "I feel like people are staring at us."

"Oh yeah," JJ scoffed. His voice went quieter when he bent down and plucked a photo of Iggy with her hair in pigtails from a collage, stuffing it in his pocket. He looked away when they made eye contact. "...She hates that one."

Pope looked around at the students eyeing them. He checked his watch. He had four minutes until his math class started, and it was the advanced one. He couldn't be later. "Guys..."

"Yeah, we're coming," Kie chuckled tiredly. "Tight ass."

"How was last night?" Pope shot back, as she looped her hands through both his and JJ's arms, tugging them all along in a little row.

She shot him a glare. 'Great. I saved so many starfishes."

Pope could feel JJ's comment coming from a mile off, and he resigned himself to it as his friend cocked his head. "Aw, did the little starfish get caught in a pair of scissoring- I mean, sorry, scissors?"

"I can't believe they dobbed us in," Sarah huffed. "I mean, who does that?"

John B side eyed her. "Uh, strangers who want 50 thousand dollars?"

"We aren't strangers, we were on that boat for two months," she said. "I thought we bonded! I did Cleo's nails! She plaited my hair. You learnt how to use their coffee machine. That's bonding. Not dobbing in."

"...Sarah, are you sure about this?" John B asked, looking around at the entrance to what could possibly be the biggest building he'd ever seen, decorated with white lattices and yellow paint. It was like two of his schools stacked on top of each other. But, like, nice.