All That Glitters

Impartial to Kidnapping

Kie stomped across the porch of the Chateau. "No effing way! You brought her here? Is she in on it now?"

Sarah looked at John B with I told you so eyes. He tensed and scoffed at Kie.

"Look, all I care about is her cut comes from your share." JJ said. Pope sat down on the arm of the chair JJ was sitting in. Twiddling his thumbs with his eyes to the floor.

"I don't remember taking a vote. This is our thing." Kie shouted at John B. "A Pogue thing."

Sarah bit her lip and looked away.

"I gotta say, I'm just a tad uncomfortable with all of this." Pope spoke up.

"Thank you!" Kie put her hands on her hips.

"When are you not?" John B questioned.

"I dunno. I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably."

"It's true. Most relaxed I've ever seen him."

John B sighed. "That's cute guys."

"We were all extremely comfortable until you brought her." Kie's gaze snapped over to Sarah. Staring daggers.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Sarah stared daggers right back at her.

"Then leave."

Sarah scoffed and turned toward John B. "I told you."

"What exactly did you tell him? That you're a liar?"

"No, that you're a shit talking bitch! When have I lied?"

JJ and Pope exchanged a few bills. Placing bets on who was going to win the argument.

"You get somebody close to you—"

"I didn't lie about shit, Kiara!"

"—for like a month and then you—"

"Everybody shut up!" John B shouted. Deafening the group. "Kie, you are my best friend, right?"

She gave him a quick nod. Without question.

"And Sarah, you're..." he looked over at her, "you're my..."

She met eyes with him. She softly said, "Say it."

"You're my girlfriend."

"She's your girlfriend now? What was all that talk about you were just using her for information? Get a map, cut her loose?"

Sarah's jaw dropped. Slightly. "You said you were using me?"

John B panicked. "No."

"Yeah, you did, John B. Don't lie." Pope said from the corner.

"Look, love just walked in, okay? I didn't expect it. It just— it kind of happened. And I'm not gonna deny it."

"Cut the bullshit, John B. If she's in, I'm out. Is it me or her?"

—

"You two shitheads are gonna help me get Kie and Sarah to work together."

"Dude, that's your mess. We're not gonna put the plan on hold just because you're pussy-whipped." JJ slipped his finger into a jar of peanut butter he found on John B's counter. "You're picking Kie."

"I agree with JJ on this one, John B. This is your mess. If you want them to work together, that's on you."

"We can't do this without Kie, bro. Just say you're sorry to Sarah and let's go get the gold."

"I can't do it without Sarah. Not after everything. They both have to be in on it."

"Well, good luck with that." Pope started walking away. John B rushed to get in front of him to stop him from leaving.

"I know this was my fault, guys, but it's our problem. We can't do anything until they're both on board to work together. Plus I just thought of a fool proof plan."

"John B, I appreciate you taking responsibility like that but if it requires kidnapping—"

"I'm actually impartial to kidnapping." Pope and John B took a moment to stare at JJ. Mostly with concern but also with a side of who asked . "What?"

"Dude. Anyway, if it requires kidnapping, I'm not gonna be held accountable for the disappearance of Figure Eight's Princess. Not when her dad has a magic key that could send me to the shadow realm."

"No, it doesn't involve kidnapping." John B took Pope's shoulders in his hands and shook his head. But then stopped. "Oh shit, wait, maybe it does." He said low almost under his voice.

"Oh hell no." Pope pushed past him.

"I'm in. What do you need, brother?" JJ's whole face lit up.

"Pope, all I'm asking for is to borrow your dad's boat for like—uh... overnight kinda." John B called after him.

JJ slapped John B's chest and leaned in so he could hear him whisper. "I'll go talk to him." Before marching right out after him.

JJ somehow convinced Pope to go along with the plan claiming it wasn't kidnapping if they coincidentally get stranded on a boat overnight. Pope only agreed because he just wanted to be done with it. Knowing if it didn't work that John B would be forced to choose and this was all just delaying the inevitable.

So that night the boys all took on their respective roles. Pope was getting the boat and dropping Kie off. JJ was in charge of making it so the boat was unusable once the two of them were trapped. John B would bring Sarah along. It was all going smoothly. JJ even rolled a blunt for them to share.

The boys left them screaming and hollering over the railing of Heyward's boat.

"Kie was mad mad. I'll honestly be surprised if they don't kill each other tonight." JJ remarked with a snicker. He ruffled his hair with a towel.

"I'm not so sure. They could just abandon the boat and get to shore. You sure you thought this through, John B?"

In the distance they heard a pained yelp. Obviously Sarah by the furious splashing and cries that followed.

"Yeah, I don't think they're going anywhere." John B winked behind his sunglasses.

They sat in silence as Pope drove them back to the Chateau.

"So, you guys wanna hit up that pizza place that opened two summers ago?" JJ broke the silence.

"Didn't they get shut down for a week because someone found a dead rat in their pizza box?" Pope grimaced in disgust.

"Oh nah, it got disproven. Just some Cut folk looking to sue the guys that opened it. But I've been there and their pizza actually isn't that bad. Plus they're open pretty much until midnight anyway."

"Yeah okay. That sounds really suspicious, JJ. No other restaurant on the island besides the hotel is open past ten. They're probably a front to some drug cartel."

"I've got a coupon for a free large."

"Say no more." John B took over steering from Pope.