THE PRINCE'S QUEEN | J.MAYBANK

[2]

"Oh! Hey, John B," I greeted as Sarah, and I walked onto the boat to see John B about to get off with a large black duffle bag filled with something that I probably didn't want to know about.

"Are you stalking us? Plotting your revenge?" Sarah asked sharply. She was still upset with what happened last night, and so was I, but at Topper, not John B.

John B laughed, "yeah. Why don't you just tell your daddy I blew the ilge on Druthers?" he spat and leaned against the boat. He sighed and went down the stairs and to the main deck, "everything's good to go. Just toppin' off these tanks."

"Hey, are you okay?" Sarah asked, "'cause that eye of yours looks really gnarly."

"You know what? You can tell Topper he won the first round. I'll get him next time," John B shot back as he hopped on the boat he brought.

"So, there's just gonna be a reign of terror on this island now?" I questioned with a hiss in my tongue as Sarah and I rested our hands on the ledge of the boat to watch him.

"Wars have been started for less, Eleanor Thorton."

"Okay. Can we drop the whole Pogues versus Kooks thing? It is really stupid," I complained, and he turned to look at both my best friend and me.

"Oh . . . . you know, it's easy to say when you're a Kook," John B knocked on the boat before pushing off and me and Sarah to roll our eyes. Sarah put up a salute only to turn it into a middle finger. She started walking away, but I stayed there, watching John B drive away.

"Nora, come on," she whispered and dragged me off the boat.

~:*:~

"Topper!" I shouted as I walked into the workout room. Topper was shirtless and was doing pull-ups, sweat dripping down his neck and chest.

"I'm going out. You have to do the laundry since you were the one who's ass was drowning a pouge," I smirked at him as he furrowed his eyebrows and put on a face of disgust. I slammed the door before he could argue and walked into the garage, turning on my car and pulling out of the garage after putting all my supplies in the back. I wasn't really going out. Well, I was, but not in the way people would think.

When I was 14, I found out that Lana Grubbs, a now widow who lives in the cut, was actually my aunt, which meant that she knew all about my birth family, specifically my mother, since they were sisters. I visited her often, and she treated me like a daughter. I was very depressed when I found out that Scooter, her husband, was killed in the Hurrican, but I wasn't very fond of him being a drug addict and all. But I promised myself I would visit her to comfort her because she needs someone at a time like this.

When I got there, I saw the Twinkie, which I narrowed my eyes to see if someone was in there, but no one was. I shrugged it off and hopped out of the car, making my way toward the house when I stopped.

There was JJ and John B crouched down by the house, and that's when I heard screaming coming from the inside. I heard a loud crash come from inside, and Lana started crying. JJ then glanced back and saw me, his eyes widening. He turned to John B and nudged him roughly, making him look at me. The boys looked shocked to see me here, and I was terrified about what was happening inside my aunt's house.

JJ waved me over frantically, and I ran over to them, crouching down next to JJ.

"What are you-" the blonde was cut off by a loud bang making me jump and look up with tears in my eyes, "doing here," he finished, and I looked at the pouges.

"I-I came to visit Lana, JJ, what's happening?" I whispered.

"We don't know, why are you visit Ms. Lana?" he asked with a hint of concern in his voice, which I quickly noticed.