"Home sweet home." John B hummed and shut the engine of the van. We were parked in front of his house. It was an old weak standing house with a long front porch cluttered with chairs and a small couch. Everyone hopped out and headed towards the porch.

"Ok, so what's the game plan tonight?" JJ asked plopping down in a chair.

"What do you mean 'what's the game plan'?" Kiara darted her eyes to me and back to him.

"I mean like are we keeping the-" Everyone, except me and JJ, groaned in unison before he could finish is sentence.

"Jesus, JJ! I mean can't you keep anything to yourself." Kiara was glaring at him now. And JJ just pursed his lips and threw his hands up in surrender.

"Dude complete and total amnesia." Pope chimed in. I just stood there awkwardly studying all of their expressions. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I decided it was none of my business.

"Ok, so anyways we're taking Sophia to the kegger and she's crashing here with us." Kiara said wrapping her arm around my neck. JJ smiled enthusiastically and lit up a joint he had been making.

"You sure the Kook king is going to be ok with that?" John B asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I mean he doesn't own me so I think I'm good." Kiara nodded in agreement.

"Hell, yeah!" JJ thrusted his fist in the air in approval

*****

I had finally gotten to know the crew a little more and I was slowly seeing how each one contributed to the group. For example, Pope was a hundred percent the brains of their operation.

"Who's kegger is this anyways" I asked curiously as we walked through what they called the 'boneyard'. It was a beach filled with thick rooted trees and their dead branches. We continued marching through the sand towards the crowd of people surrounding the keg and speaker. It was almost completely dark outside there was only the thick orange and yellow hue of the sun descending into the sky. It shaded all of us with its golden essence.

"Who cares? Free beer." JJ yelled over the music.

We all eventually went our separate ways. So, I grabbed myself a beer and wandered around for a place to sit. Lately I had been drinking a lot more than I wanted to. Tonight I planned to keep it to two beers max, but I had a feeling that wasn't everyone else's plan. I found a long twisted dead tree root and sat down sipping my beer trying not to look so lonely.

As I people watched I spotted a familiar pin striped shirt and jorts outfit I had just seen this afternoon. He had his back to me and his hands were shoved in his pockets. I silently prayed it wasn't Rafe and thought maybe all of the Kook guys dressed the same. He was talking to one of his friends and was too far away for me to get a good look at him.

I stayed put and watched his movements carefully.

"Refill?" I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to JJ. He was even more bubbly than before so he definitely had enough to drink.

"Uh, sure. Thanks." I handed him my empty cup and took the newly filled cup from his hands. I glanced over his shoulder and saw that the guy I had been watching was Rafe. And he was now staring directly at me. "Shit." I muttered. JJ followed my gaze.

"Don't worry about him seriously. He is a stuck up addict." He said reassuringly and walked off to another couple offering the girl a beer. Rafe was heading towards me and I sat back down waiting for the inevitable to happen.

"You made it home?" Rafe asked but I kept my eyes on his shoes too nervous to come to terms with his face.

"I'm sorry I didn't know you were picking me up after school. I kinda assumed it was a one time thing." He took a seat next to me pressing his hands into the thick wooden branch we were sitting on.

"How'd you get home?" I knew he wouldn't like my answer so I hesitated before I spoke.

"John B, Kiara... you know that whole group." I said nervously trying to keep my tone even.

"Yeah, yeah I know. The pogues." He sighed. "Just be careful around them. And I was thinking we never really got to finish our night off the other day so-" He was cut off by the sound of a girl screaming and I could see a glimpse of two boys fighting through the crowd. Rafe took me by the arm gently and we ran to towards the fight to get a clearer view. It was JJ and a another guy brawling. John B managed to quickly separate them standing firmly between them.

"Dirty pogue." The other boy yelled and John B immediately turned around punching the other boy in the face. I stood there motionless not really knowing what to do. The girl that was screaming tried to run over there and stop them but Rafe stopped her instead.

"Sarah stop." He tried to contain her from interrupting the violent fight going on between her boyfriend and John B.

"Don't make me fucking drown you like they did your old man!" The boy yelled and slammed John B's head face down in the shallow water of the shore. I gasped and covered my mouth. I was completely frozen. John B fought against the hand holding him down but the other guy's grip on him was strong. JJ dug around in his pockets hastily and pulled out a gun.

He walked up behind the boy drowning John B and held it to his head. More screams erupted not just from Sarah but from the crowd surrounding him.

"Yeah, you know what that is? So, I suggest you let him go." The guy held up his hands in surrender.

"Ok, ok man just chill. We're cool." JJ aimed the gun in the air and shot it twice making me tremble violently. Everyone flooded the scene but I was still frozen in place. Kiara grabbed my wrist and tugged on me.

"Come on, Sophia." She yelled over the commotion. I ran with her and didn't look back. We got to the Twinkie and practically jumped in. We both sat in the back in silence waiting for the others. I glanced over at Kiara expecting her to have the same fear-stricken expression as I did, but instead she looked livid. JJ swung open the passenger seat and helped John B in.

He was a wet coughing mess and was gripping the seat as he gasped for air. Pope climbed in the back and JJ hopped in the driver's seat.

"JJ what the hell?! Why the hell would you do that?" Kiara yelled.

"Yeah, man. We were suppose to be laying low." Pope agreed trying not to tick Kiara off anymore than she already was.

"Jesus, what did you want me to do guys? Let him drown?"

"I don't know. How about not pull a gun on Topper." Pope said annoyed at JJ's stupidity.

"JJ where did you even get a gun?" I asked. They all looked at each other nervously and I waited for JJ to answer my question.

"Well, before you came here there was a storm and the day after we went fishing at the marsh. And then we saw a Grady White, which is like a really nice boat, and then we found a motel key. So, JJ and John B checked it out and found a gun and a shit load of money in the motel room's safe." Pope ranted quickly trying to catch me up. Which I very much appreciated because I felt so out of place lately.

They all looked at Pope in disbelief. "...What? Isn't she like basically a Pogue she goes to Kildaire highschool and Pogue parties."

"Wait, so you took a random gun from a safe."

"Your dad's a cop right?" Kiara asked nervously.

"Yeah, but I won't snitch. I swear." I held one hand over my heart and one up in the air.

"Well, there's a lot to go over but basically the boat we found belongs to a guy everyone in town knew. And the police found him washed up on shore dead after the storm."

"Wait so that gun is his then?" Kiara nodded. "JJ you can't keep that gun. It's way too dangerous especially since the guy who owned it is dead. You could easily get roped into the investigation." I had overheard a lot of choppy details from my dad's cases back at home. So, I knew a thing or two about criminal investigations.

"You know what fine but were keeping the money." JJ opened the glove compartment, keeping one hand on the wheel, and shoved the gun in there. The car came to a stop and we were back at John B's place. JJ and Pope helped drag John B out of his seat and on to his feet. They helped him into the house and into his room and we followed them.

"Is he gonna be ok?" Kiara asked furrowing her eyebrows in concern. She was leaning against the doorframe of his bedroom door staring at his motionless figure sprawled out on his bed. He had fallen asleep as soon as JJ and Pope got him into bed.

"He's fine Kie. He's just gotta sleep it off. " JJ gave her a reassuring squeeze on the arm. He slid past her into the living room where I was standing. "I'll take the couch and you can take the guest room...unless you want some company." He smirked and I could feel my face getting warm.

"Ew! JJ no," Kie chucked a pillow at his head. "You can take the bed with me Sophia. JJ and Pope you guys take the couch." She stated tiredly. I nodded in agreement and grabbed the pillow that Kiara chucked at JJ and headed to the guest bedroom. I threw the pillow on the mattress and turned to my side covering myself with the thin gray blanket that had laid at the end of the bed.

I was still in shock of everything that had happened today. Rafe's unnecessary concern for me, the fight at the kegger, and JJ pulling a gun on someone. As I laid there on my side getting lost in my thoughts I felt the bed shift and I could feel that the space next to me was no longer empty. I turned over to find Kie with the same lost in thought expression.

"What do you think Rafe's intentions are with trying to be my friend?" I blurted out after a long pause of silence. I had been dying to ask someone who actually knew Rafe and had been around him. Kiara sighed and thought for couple moments before she spoke.

"I think- that maybe you interest him and he really wants to get to know you." Was he though? Or was he just trying to get in my pants? I thought.

"Well, that's what it seems like but I guess it's just hard to believe because we kissed the other-"

"You kissed?!" Kiara whisper-shouted. I guess I left that part out.

"Yes, and I don't know what to do or think about it." I said throwing my hands up in the air dramatically.

"One thing I can tell you is Rafe Cameron is a dick. He's a stuck up Kook who hangs at the country club and treats Pogues like his servants." She spoke with disgust in her tone. "...But he hasn't been acting like such an asshole lately especially around you." My expression lightened and I tried my best not to let the smile on my face show.

"I just- I don't want to fall in love with an asshole. Been there done that you know?" Kie nodded and gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Well, we'll see how he acts now that your an official Pogue." She smirked.

"I'm an official Pogue?"

"Hell yeah!" She shouted in a hushed tone and I laughed at her excitement.

"So, does this mean I can call you Kie?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." She giggled. "And what about you? Can I call you...Soph?"

"Deal." I smiled and dug my head deeper into my pillow. I could feel the adrenaline of day wearing off making me feel groggy. "Night, Kie." I sighed tiredly.

"Night." She whispered back.