Now or Never ⇀ John B Routledge [1]

viii. the downfall of us all

As Ashtyn's feet hit the hard ground on the safe side of the graveyard fence, she winced from the added pressure on her joints. She had never been the most athletic member of her family, opting to spend more time on her studies than 'roughing it up' at after school athletics, but she was proud of her accomplishments thus far.

JJ hopped down next to her, falling forward into a tumble before continuing full speed toward the van followed by Kie and John B. In the distance, Ashtyn could see the headlights of the cart that chased them growing closer.

Her stomach dropped though when Pope frustratedly mumbled something about being stuck, causing the entire group of teens to stop in their tracks. His pant leg got caught on one of the metal spikes when he swung his leg over, and rather than pull himself back to unhook it, he kept his body weight forward.

A hand wrapping around her elbow pulling Ashtyn's attention away from Pope, leaving JJ and Kie to attempt to get their friend down. Her blue eyes met John's hazel ones, smiling at the childlike grin that replaced his earlier one of dread. "We need to go Ash."

The discovery of his father's FedEX folder would ultimately bring John some peace of mind after their eventful day, but Ashtyn was worried that the items inside would also make matters worse. Big John may actually be dead and this folder could very well be his last words to hisqson.

What if whatever was in there hurt more than the unknown?

"Wait, you're gonna rip me!" Pope's voice cut through the silence like a knife as Kiara grabbed the waistband of his pants. His yelp caused the curly haired girl to roll her eyes, ignoring her friends plea as she tugged on the fabric.

Kiara mumbled a quiet, "You're fine, come on," as John motioned for Ashtyn to follow him to the van parked a few yards away.

JJ stood behind Kiara, worriedly watching the cart speed toward their group as the stitches in Pope's cargo shorts finally give out. The sound of fabric ripping echoed through the wooded area, shocking the five teens into silence as Popes feet finally come in contact with the ground.

Ashtyn's hand flew to her mouth to cover her laughter, watching the horrified expression cross Pope's face when he realized his pants had been ripped clean off his body. "Oh shit..."

"Nice!" JJ snickered, ditching his friend to get in the van. "It's a little tootsie roll!"

The blonde's joke was too much for the mainlander, causing her laughter to ring through the air as John motioned for everyone else to get in the vehicle. "Pope, come on!" 

Ashtyn watched Pope attempt to cover his crotch area, embarrassed to be exposed to three of his closest friends. JJ and Kiara's had to make it worse as they slipped onto the back, sharing yet another round of laughter as John B started the old Volkswagen bus. Pope was the last to jump in, hands still covering his lower half as JJ slammed the sliding door shut behind him.