P4L | Outer Banks | JJ Maybank

Movie Night

"I'm so glad that they're still doing this," Kie said with a grin, walking the boys and Cory over to their spot in front of the screen.

Cory and Pope exchanged a glance. Pope had informed her and JJ that Rafe and Topper had figured out who had sunk the boat. They seemed to think it was Pope, so Cory was in the clear... for now.

"Keep calm, carry on," Kie said in regards to the movie, though Cory didn't feel it calmed her nerves much. "Back to OBX life, y'know. Aren't you glad I made you come?"

"Ecstatic," Pope groaned.

"My couch was pretty comfy, I'll be honest," JJ said, setting down their stuff.

"We're out of the green zone, man," Pope whispered.

"Dude, tranquilo, okay?"

Cory rolled her eyes at JJ and his random spanish words.

"We're in the middle of Kooklandia," Pope continued. "This is the last place I want to be."

"Shut up," JJ said through gritted teeth.

"Besides," Cory started. "You didn't do anything. I did."

Pope sighed. "They don't seem to know that–"

"You wanna go tell them?"

Pope froze, looking down at the feisty girl before he sighed.

"I would never throw you under the bus," Pope said. "But I wish they wouldn't be after me."

"You can tell them," Cory said. "I don't care." She shrugged, laying down her towel on the grass and plunking down on it.

JJ made a gesture to Pope.

"Look, Core," Pope started. "I'll gladly take the blame. No ones going to tell them."

"I'm being serious, Pope," she said. "Honestly, if they know, they'll find a way to get us in trouble for it. And better me than you, yeah?"

Pope opened his mouth to speak, but Kiara was returning with drinks for the girls.

"Just saw Rafe, and he said, and I quote, 'Tell your boy we know what he did'," Kie said. "What is that?"

"Umm, where is he?" JJ asked.

"Right there," Kie gestured behind them.

The three culprits turned around, finding the three big Kooks standing behind the crowd. Topper had an uneasy grin on his face. Kelce and Cory locked eyes.

Cory snapped her head back forward.

"This may have been a bad idea," she muttered to the boys.

"Oh come on, it's fine–" JJ started but upon looking at her terrified face, he understood why. As much as it hurt, Kelce was part of her family now, in a weird, weird way.

They were silent for a minute and then JJ spoke again. "Just warning you bro? If they corner me, I'm coming out swinging, okay? Slicin' and dicin', I'm on edge right now." Pope confirmed his plan with several littles 'yeah''s. Then JJ raised his bag. "If that doesn't work, I got this right here."

"Yeah, yeah," Pope said. "So we just gotta stay in the group. They can't get us if we're in the group."

"Like a school of fish."

"Oh god," Cory mumbled.

"Stay in the school, can't leave the school," Pope was muttering.

"I'm sorry, JJ," Kie started. "Please tell me that you did not bring a gun here. JJ, there are kids!"