She sat in class the next morning trying to focus on their test, thouroughly dejected.

Tyler hadn't shown up to drive her, though, so that was a positive.

She still couldn't wrap her head around it.

He didn't love her. She knew that logically, yet she couldn't help but think of John B and Sarah. A Pogue and a Kook, together. She didn't know how they'd managed that.

She and Tyler certainly wouldn't.

"Mr Sunn, can I borrow Pope for a minute?"

At the mention of her best friend's name, the girl looked up to see a man at the door, looking at their teacher. She didn't recognise him, and so looked round at JJ and Kie, both of whom looked just as confused as her. Pope, however, also looked confused.

"Look, we're in the middle of a test right now," Mr Sunn whispered, getting up.

"I'm from the Vanderhorst Foundation," the man explained quietly, but loud enough so everyone could hear.

Mr Sunn dropped everything and turned to Pope. "Mr Heyward, it's for you."

Elora looked at her friends again in confusion as Pope walked away, confused.

The test was boring. She was sure she had most of her answers wrong, yet she didn't want to do it anymore.

She thought about last night. She hadn't slept a wink, instead staying awake to cry and look at pictures of her mother.

She wanted to forget last night ever happened. She deliberately hadn't spoken to the Pogues about it this morning, hoping Tyler had gone home to Figure Eight last night with a funny story about a silly redheaded Pogue he thought he was in love with.

Crash!

Pope entered the classroom clumsily with a frantic yet urgent look on his face. He walked quickly to his desk, his eyes alternating between Elora, JJ and Kie.

"Okay, what was that?" Kie asked when he sat down.

Pope said nothing, instead holding up a golden envelope with a very specific symbol on the wax seal.

"Is that the wheat symbol?" Kie demanded, referring to the symbol on all the gold nuggets, to the symbol of the Royal Merchant-

"Hell yeah it is," Elora said, not smirking but feeling a tiny spark of hope igniting again.

JJ, meanwhile, exclaimed. "What the f- fu... fu... fudge?"

Elora felt a small smile play on her lips as he evaded swearing in front of their teacher.

Then her eyes were drawn back to the envelope.

Screw love. And Tyler Thornton.

They clearly had more pressing concerns.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Shit.

Elora didn't know what to do when they all rolled up to the library after school, somewhere they wouldn't be overheard, and Tyler was there.

She didn't know what to do. She could hardly run because fuck, she wanted to know what this letter with the wheat symbol was about.

Yet, as she made eye contact with those blue orbs the sky wished it could copy the colour of, she just wanted to get out.

Tyler was looking at her unsurely, as if he was just going to follow her lead here.

And she could feel Kie looking in between the both of them, itching to know what was happening. Pope, as well, noticed the difference in their looks, and she just fucking hated it.

JJ, however, did not notice anything. He marched straight up to the boy and said. "Ty, oh my god, man! Pope's got a letter with the wheat symbol on it?"

"What?" Tyler asked, suddenly forgetting about Elora as the letter was shoved in his face. He took one look at the seal and then looked back up at Pope. "Where did you get this?"

"That's what we want to know!" Kie said desperately. "Come on, Pope, tell us, you're driving me insane!"

Pope took a deep breath. "Okay, so that guy was from the scholarship committee. Take a look at this. Read it."

He handed them the envelope again, and JJ snatched it, opening it up and holding it out for them all to read. It was written in a very nice cursive, and all four of them squeezed in to see it whilst Kie read it aloud.

Dear Mr Heyward,

I am reaching out because I have material evidence that can exonerate John B Routledge. It is of vital importance that you come and meet with me in person at my offices at 27 King Street, Charleston at 8pm sharp tonight.

Please come alone.

Regards,

C Limbrey

Silence followed.

Everyone knew one of two people would break it. JJ or Elora.

Eventuallt, the latter did.

"What the fuck?"

"Charleston?" JJ added.

"I know, it's like an eight hour drive, plus the ferry," nodded Pope. "How will we get there tonight?"

"We'd have to leave right now," JJ told them.

"Material evidence? What does she even mean, material evidence?" Tyler was still looking at the letter.

Elora couldn't resist the opportunity to dig the knife in a little further. "It means this mystery person can clear John B."

The boy sighed, biting his lip and not replying as he glanced nervously at her.

Elora groaned internally. She hadn't made Tyler hate her yet, so she needed to try harder.

"Well, we have to go to Charleston if there's even a chance they can clear JB," JJ announced.

Kie sighed. "I gotta tell my mum. Look, if we get it this time we are not giving it to Shoupe."

"Yeah, he'll be too busy with his moustache," nodded Elora, before letting a smirk through and hi fiving JJ.

Pope, meanwhile, was on the computer, typing stuff in and looking determinedly at the screen before sighing heavily.

"What?" Tyler frowned.

"I'm not sure," Pope told them. "But I think whoever this Limbrey person is, they might be related to the captain of the Royal Merchant."

They all gasped, looking at his screen to see a profile of the Merchant's captain, proudly sporting the name Captain Herman Limbrey.

Elora looked from the computer to the boy controlling it, in absolute disbelief.

Then she felt Tyler shift behind her and everything came rushing back.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The plan was set.

JJ and Tyler were all ready. Pope was going to ask Heyward for his truck to drive it down. Kie needed to talk to her parents.

So, whilst Pope went on his way to get the truck and JJ and Kie went to get provisions, Elora headed back to her house.

She needed to change, to pull her hair back and to get a hoodie.

"Elora, can I please speak to you?"

But she couldn't do any of that if Tyler was fucking following her.

"No, Tyler, go and get supplies with JJ and Kie!" She yelled angrily behind her, not even thinking about her reply. "I'll meet everyone back at Heyward's in an hour as promise!"

"Elora, please-"

"Stop following me!"

"Elora-"

"Tyler, I swear to god-"

"Elora, please!" Tyler raised his voice, running to catch up with her and appearing in front of her, blocking her way.

"Get out of the way," Elora snapped.

"Elora-"

"I'm fucking serious, Tyler, get out of the-"

"Elora!" Tyler yelled, his eyes narrowed and his tone harsh. Harsher than she'd heard from him in a while. "Could you just listen to me for a second?"

Elora crossed her arms, rolling her eyes into the back of her head and saying. "Fine. Hurry up."

Tyler took a deep breath.

"Listen, everything I told you last night is true," he said, his cheeks going red. "Even if you don't believe it. And I don't really care if you love me back or not, but what I do care about is that you stop self-sabotaging, because-"

"There you are! Get away from her!"

Elora didn't even see Cynthia Thornton approaching them, too caught up in what the blonde before her was saying. She wasn't self-sabotaging, simply protecting him from herself.

But then she wasn't able to think about that because Tyler's mother was grabbing his arm tightly, dragging him backwards.

"Get the hell off me!" Tyler yelled at his mother, anger contorting his face as he shoved her off.

Elora didn't even really notice herself subconsciously stepping forwards, but she did know that soon enough, she and Tyler were side by side, facing Cynthia, who was speechless.

"You haven't been home in a week and a half," she snapped.

"Yeah, well maybe there's a reason for that," Tyler shot back.

His mother crossed her arms, snapping. "The Academy called me. Said you haven't gone to any classes this week-"

"You seriously think I want to go back to the fucking Academy? To go to classes?" Tyler snapped. "John B and Sarah just fucking died, mum-"

"John B is a murderer, and Sarah has lost all respect!" Cynthia screeched. "You should be glad they're dead!"

"Shut up about them!" Elora, this time, was the one who yelled. "Shut the hell up!"

"Oh," Cynthia's lips dragged into a sarcastic smile as she looked between Elora and Tyler. "And don't think I've forgotten about you, Elora Easton! Still having fun with him, hmm? Still using him to have a little fun-?"

"Shut up," Tyler snapped, taking a half step in front of Elle. "You don't know anything about Elle."

"I know she's her mother's daughter, that's what I know!" Cynthia shouted. "Believe me, Tyler, if you want to go anywhere in life, I would stay way from her!"

For once in her life, Elora agreed with this twisted, cruel woman.

If only Tyler would listen to the both of them.

But he didn't, instead he faced his mother, straightening up to his full height.

"I'm not going back to the Academy," he snapped. "And I'm not coming back to the house. I don't care if you have a problem with that."

He made to walk away, and Elora decided to follow him. Cynthia, meanwhile, just shook her head, spluttering. "Excuse m-"

"Oh, and one last thing," Tyler turned back to her, crossing his arms, his sky blue eyes on fire. "If you want to see me ever again, keep Elora's name out of your mouth."

He didn't care that she was telling him he was too good for her.

He also didn't care that she was clearly angry at him for defending her.

No one would ever talk about her that way again.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The car was immeasurably awkward.

Elora and Tyler were in the back, Pope and JJ in the front. They were at the Carreras, and Kie was speaking to her parents about going to Charleston.

Elora wasn't looking at any of the boys. She was staring out the window, fiddling with her fingers and trying to calm her head down.

"They're taking it really well," JJ said from the front, watching Kie fight with her parents up the steps of her fancy Figure Eight house. He glanced at Pope for a second before asking. "How'd you get this rig? Cause I know your old man didn't let you have it."

Pope sighed, eyes fixed on Kie. "I undid the intake valves on the carburetor. Made it start pinging."

JJ nodded. "So now you're just gonna take it to your cousin Jeff's house. Just gonna get it fixed."

Pope nodded and they said the same bit in unison. "Crash overnight."

JJ nodded, turning to face the boy. "Think I'm rubbing off on you, Pope. Lying to your old man, stealing his truck. Kinda sounds familiar."

Pope turned to look at him and he sighed. "Alright, that's a sore subject. My bad."

Pope shrugged. "I'd say we have about eighteen hours before he absolutely loses his shit. So as long as we get it back before then, I think we're good."

Elora sighed, continuing to look out the window as she said boredly. "When have we ever done something in record time, though?"

JJ scoffed slightly. "That's true?"

Outside the car, Kie was walking down the steps, screaming. "Oh my god, boarding school? What?"

"It's just an option, it could broaden your horizons baby, get you outta OBX!" her mother started.

"They're not my people!" Kie proclaimed, now fully down the steps and headed towards the truck.

"Look at your life right now! Look at your life!" Mike roared.

JJ opened his door and let her in, the girl shrugging at her parents.

"It's good to see y'all, Mr and Mrs Carrera!" JJ said awkwardly, raising a hand in a wave.

Pope, meanwhile, hung out the window and said. "Hi, uh- ma'am, sir, I- I promise to have her back at a reasonable hour and safe."

"What are you doing?" Kie muttered.

Elora was cringing in the back seat yet also a bit solemn because Tyler was right there, and they'd be silently laughing by now if it wasn't for his confession last night.

Anna ignored both of them, shouting at her daughter. "Kiara, listen to me! You wanna go, then you can go! But if you don't come back at the proper time, then do not come back at all!"

Kie looked scared for a second, and JJ didn't help matters by telling her. "She's bluffin."

The brunette sighed, getting in the front next  to Pope and JJ, the blonde shutting the door behind them.

"This shit would be so much easier without parents," Kie announced.

No one chose to say anything as they tore out the driveway.

Probably because, bar Pope, none of them really could. JJ had a deadbeat father who abused him and who he probably hadn't seen in a while. Tyler had just spoken to his mother but didn't plan on doing so again.

Elora's mother was gone, and her father was dead.

Not like she was an expert on that topic.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

They were on the ferry, JJ sat on the truck and Elora and Kie in the back, Pope and Tyler leaning on the edge of it.

"My parents are so paranoid of me being a Pogue, like it's the worst thing that could ever happen," Kie grumbled.

"Join the club," Tyler muttered.

Elora rolled her eyes. "Kie's been part of us for years now, though," she said, making direct eye contact with those bright blue orbs, needing to show him how terrible she was. "What have you done, a few weeks?"

She could see the hurt flash across Tyler's face as she said this, and tried to ignore it as the other Pogues stared at her in disbelief and disgust.

"Hey though Kie, er... I hear they got good weed at boarding school, though," JJ put in to ease the awkwardness.

"I'm not going to boarding school," Kie shook her head. "They're gonna have time kidnap me, tie me up and throw me in a van."

"Well, I say..." JJ shrugged, getting down off the truck and lighting a joint, offering it to Elle first. "We just crumble some herb right now."

Elora shrugged, taking it from him and inhaling a drag.

"Hey, Kie, have you tried to hit John B back on that number yet?" Pope asked.

"Like, twenty million times," Kie said, as Elora handed her the J. "Some random lady at a hotel keeps answering."

Pope sighed. "Well, until we heat from them again, we gotta try and clear his name. Right now, this letter's our best bet."

"Right," JJ nodded. "Stay on task. That's why I love ya, Pope."

Tyler chuckled slightly as Kie got up, offering the joint to Pope with a flirtatious smile. "Which kind of Pope are you gonna be today?"

The boy looked at it for a second before shaking his head. "No, thanks."

"Good Pope," Elora commented, starting to feel the weed hitting her and being thankful for it, after the rough few days they'd had.

"Boring Pope," Kie added, giving Tyler the joint so he could take a hit.

Elora rolled her eyes, because look at him. Being a Pogue suited him so much it was annoying.

Didn't mean it was good for him, though.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

"Guys, I've read this thing like a thousand times, it makes no sense."

Things didn't get any less awkward after they left the ferry. Elora and Tyler were still in the back, looking anywhere but each other. Kie, Pope and JJ were in the front, the girl looking through the letter.

"I mean, if the Limbreys own half of Charleston, what do the Kooks of Charleston know about a murder on Kildare Island?" Tyler commented, turning his head from the window into the conversation.

"Also, why you specifically? That's the other creepy thing," JJ directed at Pope.

"Yeah, and she said 'please come alone', as if she's gonna like do a hostage swap or something," Elora rolled her eyes.

"Well, I was thinking about that," Pope said. "I think it's because-"

Hisssssss!

"Shit, shit, shit!"

"Oh, come on!"

That and other shouts were uttered as the car stopped, and the hood started to smoke.

"Pull over!" Kie shouted at Pope. "That's a lotta smoke, even for your dad's truck."

"Pope, I got sensitive lungs, man!" JJ added.

"Pull over, you can't see shit!" Elora yelled.

"I'm pulling over! I'm pulling over!" Pope shouted, pulling onto the grass at the side of the random road they were driving down.

"Shit!" Kie cursed as they came to a stop, all five of them lurching in their seats.

"No! No, no, no, no-" Pope said as he got out, the rest of them following as the hissing sound continued.

"It's gonna blow up, it's gonna blow up-"

"It's not gonna blow up!" JJ rolled his eyes at Kie. "You probably unhooked the radiator, Pope! I haven't seen this before, you knocked the entire hubcap off!"

"We're fucking screwed," Elora muttered as they got out, Pope lifting up the hood in a shower of steam and sputtering.

JJ went to collect the hubcap, clapping and whooping sarcastically.

"Pope, you might wanna reschedule your meeting tonight," Tyler said warily.

"Uh, plan B?" Kie raised her eyebrows. "We could, uh... public transportation. We could hitchhike, we could rent bikes-"

"Or we could sit about on our asses because literally none of those are viable," Elora said back, half joking, half exasperated.

"Yeah, it's the radiator," JJ said, looking into the hood which had thankfully stopped smoking.

"My dad's gonna kill me," Pope was shaking his head.

"Don't worry, we'll make the funeral perfect," Elora said to lighten the mood.

It didn't. Pope looked at her in despair and JJ's chuckle didn't do much. Kie was crouching, her hands in her hair, and Tyler wasn't looking at her.

They were screwed.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

They eventually managed to get somewhere.

Tyler had taken some money, and used it to call and pay for a tow truck. They'd been taken to the nearest garage in the middle of nowhere, and Pope had gone inside to see if he could get it fixed. JJ, Kie, Elora and Tyler were outside, each one as nervous as the next.

Elora wasn't with the rest of them. She was sat just outside the building and the other three were with the truck. She didn't want to  speak to anyone right now, however, because she was descending into madness and it needed to stop.

So screw Kiara for noticing all that and coming over.

"Hey..." she said awkwardly, coming and sitting next to her. "Are you okay?"

No.

"Yeah," Elora turned to her, fake smile on her face, nodding.

Kie chuckled slightly. "You're a horrible liar, Elle. And you and Tyler have been acting weird all damn day. What's going on with that?"

"Nothing," Elora shook her head immediately. "I mean... nothing more than usual anyway."

Kie raised her eyebrows, smirking slightly. "Elle-"

"I just..." Elora paused, turning to face her fully. "It just didn't go well, okay? That's all you need to know."

Kie frowned. "What didn't go well?"

Elle's cheeks redenned and she looked down.

"I'm not good enough for him," she muttered firmly. "And he thinks I am way better than I actually am. So..."

She trailed off, not wanting to say anymore as she sat there with her knees bunched up to her chest.

Kie looked at her, pressing her lips together. "You mean to tell me he-?"

"Kie! I kinda need your help with money here!"

Pope was leaning out the side of the garage shop, looking desperate.

"Sorry," Kie apologised to Elora, flipping her parents' credit card (which she was not allowed to have) in her hands and said. "We'll continue this later, okay?"

Elora sighed sarcastically, watching Kie smile slightly before walking into the shop.

"I simply can't wait."

𔓘𔓘𔓘

She wasn't feeling much better by the time the Pogues were speeding across the highway into Charleston, sat next to Kie this time in the back whilst the boys sat in the front.

She still didn't think she was good enough.

She wasn't sure what to do about that.

"Wonder where John B and Sarah are right now," JJ thought aloud as they crossed the bridge.

She sighed slightly as the radio began to play one of her favourite songs. And it was as if everything was lighter when it came on; more hopeful.

Where'd all the time go?

It's starting to fly...

And it had.

In a matter of weeks, a hunt for gold had overtaken their group, Tyler and Sarah has joined the Pogues, John B and Sarah had died and been reincarnated, and everything had gone to shit and back.

And you know what?

Elle wouldn't have it any other way.