𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

twenty-two: Crain.

    

     AT the Wreck, Kai, JJ and Pope were seated at a table together. "You two are really adorable..." Pope said to the pair across him, Kai had been leaning against JJ and not even moving a muscle. JJ had been tolerating it well, because one, it's Kai, he'd do anything for him, and two, Kai had JJ wrapped around his little finger.

"I'm sorry, you're staying where?" Kie said as she walked over to where John B was. "Tannyhill." The curly haired boy answers, staring at a bottle of pepper for some reason. "So you're living with Sarah Cameron." Kie says, annoyed.

"Okay, look, the only reason I'm living there is because her dad bailed me out, alright? And it's way much better than foster care, which, by the way, is where I was about to go if Ward didn't—" "Hey, so, like, do you have a membership to the clubs now?" Pope asked as Kie set down the last drink onto the table which was Kai's.

"I don't know, Pope." John B says as he takes a seat at the table his friends were sitting at. "What about those little golf carts they drive around? You get one of them?" JJ asked as Kai sat up, looking over at John B. "Does it come with a sweater-vest, or do you have to go buy one of those on your own?" Pope says and Kie looked at John B.

"Look, you promised. You said you weren't with her." She says and John B pretends to act clueless, shrugging mindlessly. "Bro, just own it. She got you." JJ says before looking away, sipping his cup of soda. "Look, if you wanna hang out with her, that's fine. But I'm letting you know now that I'm not doing anything with Sarah." Kie says and John B looked towards the other boys.

"Do you guys see her here?" He asked as he glanced at Pope, Kai and JJ who all remain quiet. "No, right. Okay. A little focus would be fantastic. We've got the map, right?" John B says.

"Well, it's all out of whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it." JJ said as they looked at the map. "It's because the coast has changed." Kie says, glancing at him before looking back down. "So we just have to look for landmarks that haven't changed." Pope explains.

"What about the old forts?" John B says before glancing up at Pope. "Battery Jasper." Kai pointed to the map, looking over at John B before looking back down at the map on the table. So there they were, at Battery Jasper, looking out at the view. "We're in Battery, right here." Pope says after taking out the map and pointing at it.

"So if this is parcel nine, then it's somewhere northeast of here." Pope explained and Kie points. "Somewhere over there." She says and Pope nods. "Right." He says and Kai climbs up to where JJ was standing on the bricks set up. "Over there? Guys, that's not Tannyhill, that's a subdivision." JJ said as he and Kai look over where they were pointing. "Tannyhill Plantation use to be the entire island." John B says as he looks at JJ.

"It got sold into smaller pieces over time." John B added quickly after and Kai looks towards where they had been pointing. "So we're just looking for an old stone wall." Pope said.

And then they were off, driving down the road with Pope telling John B directions on how to get there. "Okay, so the road should split up here." Pope informed their driver. "Okay." John B nods. "Alright. You're gonna take a left." Pope said and John B did as told, taking a sharp turn.

"That looks like a stone wall to me." JJ said as he and Kai look out the windows of the van and the vehicle came to a stop, John B putting it into park. "This is it." Pope says with a nod.

"Not the Crain house." John B says before they all got out of the van and went over to the stone wall. "Worst-case scenario." JJ says as they all stand in a line along the stone wall. "Why'd it have to be here... of all places?" Pope asked, staring at the house up ahead. "I heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husband's head on the property." Kai said and JJ looked at him right away. Kai just nods.

The group had gotten over the stone wall, wanting to get to the house. "Look, you guys know whose house this is, right?" Kie said as she looked at Kai walking behind her, with the other boys behind him. "Oh, no, yeah, I do." JJ said right away with a nod. "Honestly, I don't really believe the stories of this place." John B says and Kai rolls his eyes.

"Shh..." Pope shushed him and John B gave a confused look. "What?" He says, confused. "Which stories did you hear?" Kai asked as he looked at Kie who looked back at him right away. "The one where she killed her husband with an axe and that she's been holed up ever since." Kie said as Kai looked behind him, at JJ and Pope.

"On certain nights, when the moon is full... you can see her in the windows!" She said as she wiggled her fingers in front off JJ and Kai since now the blond boy had caught up to them, walking side by side with Kai. "No, Kie, it's not funny, cause it's all true." He said as Kie turns around, away from them. "I swear to God, guys, this is all real. I knew Hollis. Jeez!" JJ said as he got frightened by a statue that he somehow didn't notice.

"Wait, you knew Hollis Crain?" Kai asked as he looks at JJ who was staring at the statue behind him. "Yeah, Kai." He nods and Kai furrows his brows. "How do you know Hollis Crain?" He asked and JJ looks over at the others. "She was my babysitter. She told me all about it." He explained before looking back at Kai who got more intrigued. "Told me the truth... about her mother and what happened in this house. So as a kid, she heard all the stories that her mother killed her father, and... she was a murderer and all." JJ continued on.

Kai noticed Kie looking off in the distance so he followed her gaze and it was at a window where the curtain moved a bit. He looked away right away, stepping closer to JJ. "Hollis didn't believe it. Until that night." JJ said, dramatically looking off into the distance and Kai looks at him.

"What night?" John B asked, his eyes on JJ and JJ only. "It all came back to her." JJ says before turning around to look at the house. "When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs." He looks back at them. "So she goes downstairs to see her mom washing her hands in a sink... full of blood. Her mother just says that she cut her finger. The next morning, she says her father and her split up. But then, Hollis noticed something. Her mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out and in and out with plastic bags. Weeks pass, and Hollis decides to use the outhouse. And as she's using it, she looks down, and there, in the outhouse, is her father's head, looking straight back at her." JJ says, looking at John B.

"God, you're so full of shit." John B says and Kai snorts. "Dude, I swear to God." JJ looks away. "So, did she call the police?" Pope now asked JJ. "She didn't have time." The blond says and Kai looks at the three boys. John B brushes past the two and then walked around Kai. "Hold on! Wait! Dude!" JJ rushed to stop John B.

"What?"

"You sure you wanna do this? She's an axe murder, man. You got a cast on." JJ says and Kai rolls his eyes as he crossed his arms over his stomach. "I don't give a shit if she's an axe murderer, okay? I got nothing to lose, right? You coming or what?" John B says before walking away.

"Come on." Kie says as JJ looks at Kai, Pope walking past them to catch up with John B and Kie. "It's gonna be fine..." Kai simply says to JJ, leaning over and giving him a peck on the cheek before grabbing his hand and interlocking their fingers together to lead him towards the others.

  

   

   

  

  

  

authors note jj and kai being together but not together officially el oh el 👁💋👁