RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

THIRTY THREE

SARAH

River aimlessly kicked stones around, while everyone else hit the mosquitos away. Pope looked up to River as she kicked a stone down a small gap in the wooden floor boards.

"River Cross you are a genius." Pope whisper shouted, picking her up and spinning her around.

"I-thank you?" She questioned confused, she had no idea what he was about, but she'll take the compliment.

Pope picked up a stone and dropped it down the crack and listened carefully, waiting for it to hit the bottom.

"Oh my God." A huge smile made it's way to her face. Pope began to frantically move all the spare floor boards.

"Hey. Help us move this." Pope ordered the three who were still making stupid comments about Skeeters. "Help us move this." He repeated. "Just quiet."

Everyone began to pick up the floor boards, revealing a well. River looked down at the seemingly bottomless pit. "That'd be a long way to fall." She mumbled.

A smirk appeared on JJ's face and he wrapped his arm around her waist and picked her up, pretending to throw her down the well. She let out a quiet yelp, JJ was quick to cover her mouth.

"Ass." She matter but clung onto him for dear life.

"Well, well, well." Pope mumbled, shining his torch. River stifled a laugh at the awful joke.

"That was a good dad joke." John B muttered, he was star struck.

"They built this part of the house right over it." Kie mumbled.

"This is where she hid the bodies." JJ muttered, River still hadn't let go of his bicep and his hands rested firmly on her thighs.

"Oh dude, come on."

"Stop." Kie whined.

"No I'm dead serious." JJ said looking at the four, with a blank expression.

River laughed. "Get it, dead." Everyone turned to River with a blank expression. "Not funny?" She paused. "You guys have no sense of humour."

"She probably doesn't even know it's here." Kie shrugged, referring to Mrs Crain.

"So, we found water." Pope pointed out, looking up to John B.

"We're gonna need a really big rope." John B said, looking down.

~

"No effing way." Kie said as she and River stared at Sarah. John B had just brought her back to the Château. "You brought her here? So what? She's in on this now?"

"You're kidding right JB? I mean- Sarah Cameron?" River stuck up for her best friend, motioning to Sarah. Sarah gave her a confused look. "You know how Kie feels about her. It's bad enough that you're macking on her." River shook her head in disbelief. He promised Kie that nothing was happening with Sarah. He quiet obviously lied.

John B looked over to Pope and JJ hoping they'd help him. Pope just shrugged, whereas JJ said, "Look, all I care about is her cut comes out of your share." He pointed.

"You know, I don't remember taking a vote." Kie turned to look at John B angrily. "This is our thing. A Pogue thing."

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

"Thank you!" Kie shouted.

"When are you not uncomfortable?" John B questioned looking over to Pope. River would've laughed, had the situation not been so tense.

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

"That's true. Most relaxed I've ever seen him." JJ nodded, River stifled a laugh.

"That's cute guys." John B clenched his jaw.

"You know I think we were all comfortable until you invited the princess here." River snapped looking over to Sarah.

JJ wrapped his hand around her mouth and waist. He pulled her back into his lap. "Not your fight baby girl."

"No I agree." Kie nodded looking over to River with a smile. River was now fiddling with JJ's rings.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Sarah snapped, she had, had enough.

"Then leave." Kie shrugged, raising her brows and crossing her arms.

Sarah scoffed, before turning to John B and saying, "I told you."

"Told him what exactly?" Kie paused. "That you're a liar?"

"No, that you're a shit talking bitch." River's mouth fell agape. She was surprised that Kie was staying so calm.

"Oh yeah?" Kie questioned cockily.

"When have I lied?"

"My moneys on Kie." JJ said as he pulled out a 5 dollar bill.

"You're not betting on our friend JJ." River said as she took his money and place it in her bra.

"Will I be able to get that back later?" He questioned with a smirk. River nodded in response and JJ tightened his grip on her.

"You let somebody get close to you for like a month—"

"Everybody shut up." John B shouted. River flinched slightly at the shouting. JJ placed a light kiss on her shoulder, saying that he was still there. "Kie, you are my best friend right?" Kie just nodded. "R.C you're my sister, I don't know why you're involved but you—"

"Kie is my best friend, I'm going to be by her side no matter what." River spoke up, cutting the boy off.

"And Sarah, you're my-you're my-"

"Say it." Sarah smiled at John B.

"You're my girlfriend." John B admitted.

"Oh my God." River clenched her jaw and looked up at Kie.

"She's you're girlfriend now?" River could see how upset Kiara was. "What was all that talk about you were just using her for information? Get a map, cut her loose."

"You said you were using me?" Sarah asked, she was hurt.

"No." John B lied.

"Yeah you did." Pope cut in.

"Look, love just walked in okay?" John B snapped at his friends.

"Oh vomit." Kie muttered.

"Love?" River quizzed. JJ rested his chin on her shoulder, and began to trace patters on her torso.

"I didn't expect it. It just—it kind of happened. And I'm not gonna deny it. Right?" John B looked at Sarah the whole time.

"Oh that's corny." Pope whispered.

"Look, cut the bullshit John B. If she's in, I'm out." Kie leant against the railing.

"I'm not doing this." John B turned to look at River. "Will I loose you too?" River just shrugged in response. "I can't!"

"You are gonna decide." Kie snapped. "I'm very interested actually. Me or her?" Kie shouted.

"Both." John B shrugged. Kie didn't say another word,

SHE JUST WALKED AWAY.