𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

FIFTY-EIGHT| neighbors and needles

WITHOUT Kiara, the Pogues continued on their mission for the Cross of Santo Domingo, heading to the Cameron Estate after Rafe and the truck.

The old van came to a halt in front of the stone gates of the mansion, and the five remaining teens pile out. It was the dead of night by now, the only sounding coming from the neighborhood being the chirping of crickets and hooting of owls.  Due to the lack of sound, Eden tries to keep her footsteps quiet against the grass.

"He's got the truck." Pope announces, voice in an audible whisper as he pointed over the fence. 

The announcement causes the Pogues to rush even faster towards the fence, John B. reminding them to keep down with a chant of, "Stay low, stay low, stay low, stay low."

Eden stands on her tip toes, peering over the fence to watch as the truck they'd seen earlier halts in the Cameron driveway. The door opens and Rafe Cameron steps out, as the Pogues had seen earlier.

Eyes narrow at the thought of Rafe Cameron having his cross in his grasp, Pope mutters, "How much do you wanna bet Rafe has the cross inside that truck right now?"

Rafe's eyes scan the perimeter of the yard before he enters the house, door clicking as he shut it behind him. Across the lawn, his sister gives a light shrug before beginning to back away from her friends, "There's only one way to find out."

"Hey, hey—Sarah." Eden lightly steps away from the wall, staring at the girl. Her eyes take in her tired expression, her dirty clothes, the way she seemed to want to get everything over with simply the way her lips down turned. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Sarah gives a curt nod. She knows her brother tried to drown her the last time she saw him, but she'd be fine. Besides, they needed to see whether or not the cross was in the back of the truck for sure, and she knows there was no one else who'd want to go. 

Eden steps back, "Okay." 

The blonde girl begins to walk towards her house once more, but is once again stopped as another friend stepped in to speak to her.

"Hey, hey—wait." John B. jogs away from the wall and towards his ex.

Sarah whips around as she's interrupted from going into her yard again, "What?" 

"Look, okay, before you volunteer on this death mission, I just....I need to know a couple things—" 

Sarah retorts, "'Death mission', that sounds familiar..." 

"Okay, look, Sarah, I just have questions."

"About what?"

"Us." 

As Eden hears the word, she has to stop herself from rolling her eyes—they couldn't be doing this here and now. Out of all the times John B. had to confess his love, he chose the moment they didn't have time?

"Oh, Jesus Christ." Eden scoffs under her breath, looking at the ex-couple.

Sarah too seems surprised by the sudden statement, guffawing, "Us?"

"Yeah, Sarah, come on—"

"You wanna talk about us right now?"

"Yes, I'm—I'm sorry, okay?" the Routledge boy thickly swallows, "I'm...I'm sorry. And I should have said it sooner." He moves a hand to his pocket and pulls out a dirty string of bandanna, fiddling with it as his gaze softened towards the Cameron, "I want you to have this back. Will you take it?"