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THE BEAT-UP OLD VOLKSWAGEN BECAME UNUSUALLY QUIET when Martha made her way to the dark red seat next to Pope. She immediately looks out of the window, watching how the trees sway in the summer wind. She didn't want to lock eyes with anyone, because she knew she would cry.
What is very surprising to the rest of the pogues is that JJ didn't bother to retaliate. Not a push nor a shove, not even a bitchy remark. He just knew what they didn't know, she was hurting. A lot.
"Martha, are you okay?" Kie asks closing the door as John B starts it up again and drives along the pavement. Pope shifts away from Marty, giving her needed space, he is also kinda afraid of her. JJ sighs, plopping right down next to her.
He looks at her and his heart breaks. His eyes drop to her hands; her wrists show a discolored bluish-green hue, spotted and very light but still there; her fingers bending as she picks the bottom of the cushion seat nervously. He wants to grab them, show that he cares, but he doesn't want the others to judge him for it.
"I... I guess everyone I know has been calling me a kook lately, and I hate it! They're conceited and ungrateful and full of shit! They take what they want because they think everything is handed to them. Like, that's like comparing me to Rafe. Like, how could you possibly compare me to that manipulative little fuck?" She shakes in anger as she rants, forcing herself to look upon the rest of the teenagers in the vehicle.
"You don't even know me." She turns her head, locking her eyes with JJ.
"Amen to that," John B states from the driver's seat. "No offense, Kie."
"None was taken," she mumbles, avoiding eye contact with Martha.
"Wait, what?" She whispers, her face drops from anger to distraught.
"Kiara's a kook, by the way," Pope mumbles under his breath. He feels bad for Kie, it's not her fault she was born a kook.
"Oh shit, Kie. I am so sorry!" Martha leans up from her spot on the cushion, laughing awkwardly as she grabs Kie's arms, forcing the girl into a makeshift hug. I had literally no clue." She pulls away, "You're nothing like them, obviously. You know don't you?"
"M, I'm not offended. What you said was straight facts," Kie smiles, nodding her head in reassurance. Martha smiles back at her as she sits back on her original seat.
"I'm sorry," J says, looking down at his feet. He felt bad and hypocritical. He's broken all the time and he's always lashing out at everyone. Why did it seem like she couldn't? Probably because he thought she was perfect.
"I'm sorry too," she says smiling at him. "Did I hurt your shoulder?" She asks, acting as if she was really concerned.
"Wha—" JJ looks over at her, surprised that she cares for him when he just offended her. But then he saw her smirk as if she was confident in being too strong. "Oh, shaddup," he shakes his head, smirking back at her.
"Hey, uh, Marty? Hate to break up this sentimental moment but, where the hell do you live?"
"On the edge of Tannyhill, but I don't really wanna go home right now." She says, rubbing her arms since the outfit she was wearing wasn't good in the cold wind seeping from the window.
"Well, you're welcome to join us fishing on the HMS Pogue if you want?" John B offers, causing everyone else to nod in agreement.
"That sounds wonderful," Marty says, smiling a heartfelt and warm smile. For the first time in a long time, she felt happy. Truly and utterly happy.
