Ma belle- JJ Maybank

Prayers

The Pogues sit on the ferry on their way to Charleston, South Carolina. Freya and JJ are on the roof of a truck, Kie sits in its bed, and Pope leans against it.

"My parents are so paranoid of me being a Pogue, like it's the worst thing that could ever happen," Kie says. Freya, who has met Kie's parents before, knows they think she's a nice girl but disapprove of her friends, much like they do with Kie.

JJ rolls a blunt. "Hey, I hear they got good weed at boarding school, though."

Kie shakes her head." I'm not going to boarding school. They're gonna have to kidnap me, tie me up, and throw me in a van. Freya too cause I'm not leaving her."

Freya nods in agreement.

"Well, I say..."JJ stands up, blunt in his mouth, inhales, then offers it to Kie. " ...we just crumble some herb right now." He sits down in the truck bed with a grunt, landing a small kiss on Freya's leg since she's still on the roof of the truck.

"Hey, Frey, have you tried to hit John B back on that number yet?"

"Like, twenty million times," Freya says, shaking her head, her fiery hair blowing in the breeze.

"That's quite a few times," JJ says, adjusting his hat and chuckling at his own joke.

"Some random lady at a hotel keeps answering."

"Well, until we hear from them again, we gotta try and clear his name. Right now, this letter's our best bet," Pope says, holding up the letter they got saying to meet a man in Charleston.

"Right. Stay on task. That's why I love ya, Pope," Kie says, standing up and walking over to Pope, clearing her throat. She holds out the blunt to him."What Pope are you gonna be today?"

"I'm good," Pope says, shaking his head. " I'm gonna try to focus."

"Good Pope. Boring Pope," Kie sighs as she sits with JJ in the truck bed.

"I'll take that," Freya says as Kie hands her the blunt.

🌷🌷🌷

The light blue truck barrels down the highway, passing a mile marker that reads "Charleston 125." Trees arch over the road, their leafy branches forming a tunnel that dappled the asphalt with spots of sunlight.

"Guys, I've read this thing like a thousand times. It makes no sense," Freya said, shrugging her shoulders. She perched precariously on JJ's lap, silently hoping they wouldn't crash and send her flying through the windshield. "I mean, the Limbreys own, like, half of Charleston. What do the Kook kings of Charleston know about a murder on Kildare Island?"

"Why you specifically? That's the other creepy thing. You know?" JJ says, casting a sideways glance at Pope in the driver's seat.

"Please come alone." That's hella sus," Kie chimed in from the middle seat.

"I was thinking the same thing. I think it's because..."Pope starts, but the truck sputters and steam hisses out from under the hood. "Oh, come on," he yells, slapping the steering wheel in frustration.

"What's that? Pull over. That's a lot of smoke, even for your dad's truck."

JJ rolls up the windows coughing " Pope, I got sensitive lungs, man!"