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𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗬
beach day

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・・・・☆・・・・☆ ・・・・

Kyla woke up the next morning in JJ's bed, his arm draped over her body. They had all spent the night partying together, so the two were pretty tired.

However, she could feel him start to stir before a kiss had been placed on the side of her head. "Mornin'," he whispered and she softly laughed against his body. "Sleep well?"

"Best I've ever slept," she replied before she turned over, meeting face to face with the blonde boy. "I could get used to this."

He raised his brows. "Oh, really?" He challenged and she nodded before pressing a soft kiss on his lips. "Okay, yeah, I can get used to this, too."

They both laughed before JJ got up, putting on a shirt. "You hungry? I could put some left over mac and cheese in the microwave."

"Mac and cheese for breakfast?" She inquired, placing her elbow on the bed and lifting her head up.

"Pogue style, baby," he said, clicking his teeth together.

"Okay, yeah, sure. Oh, and don't forget to take the fork out before putting the food in the microwave. I think John B left it in there when he put the leftovers in the fridge," she reminded him, knowing he would be the one to make the microwave explode unintentionally.

"Wait, why do I gotta do that again?" JJ said in confusion.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, his question proving her right. "Unless you want the microwave to explode, just take the fork out."

JJ nodded slowly and pointed at her. "Right..." He then backed out of the room, leaving Kyla to her thoughts.

She had no idea how she ended up with this life, but here she was. Despite all the shit that they had went through, she couldn't have been happier. Especially with JJ by her side. She couldn't believe she had known him all these years and she had just started to like him only when she joined the Pogues. She never understood why she became stuck-up a Kook. It was a mistake she'll always regret.

She thought back to a memory, the night she came home after Rafe asked her to be his girlfriend:

"Mom, I'm home!" Kyla shouted as she entered the house, a giddy smile on her face. "And guess what? Rafe asked me to be his girl—"

She cut herself off when she stepped into the kitchen, seeing that it wasn't her mother but instead, it was Kiara and what seemed like some new friends. This had been right after Kyla and Kiara had stopped talking, after Sarah didn't invite Kiara to the party and the cops were mysteriously called.

"Oh, I didn't know you were home," Kyla said awkwardly instead, looking at the three boys who were standing in their kitchen.

"Oh, Kie, is this your sister? Wow, she's even hotter up close," the blonde commented, making Kyla give him a look of disbelief as he walked toward her. "It's Kyla, right? The name's JJ. JJ Maybank," he introduced, reaching out his hand.

She looked down at it and then up at him, not taking it. "And I'm taken, sorry," she bluntly said, moving away from him in disgust.

"And meaner up close, too," JJ muttered to himself, stepping back.

"Just because he says you're hot, doesn't mean he wants you, Kyla. Jesus, you're so full of yourself," Kiara rolled her eyes, which made the other two boys (John B and Pope) give each other an awkward glance.

Kyla scoffed at that. "Well, I just thought I'd be a loyal girlfriend. Now that I'm dating Rafe."

"Rafe Cameron?" John B blurted out and Kyla sent him a look. "Sorry. I'm John B, by the way." Kyla gave him a tight-lipped smile before turning back to her sister.

"Why the hell are you dating Rafe? Wouldn't Stuck-Up Sarah be mad?" Kiara questioned a mocking tone.

Kyla sighed, not liking the nickname she gave Sarah but she didn't want to push it with her. "No, she's not mad. In fact, she loves it."

"Well, that's great. I hope you marry into the family so I don't have to live with you anymore," Kiara told her before looking at the boys. "Let's go, guys."

"Kiara!" Kyla said as Kiara zoomed past her, but the girl didn't listen. Kyla sighed before JJ walked past her, pausing in front of her. "...What?"

"If you ever decide to break up with Rafe, I'm right here," he told her suavely and she scoffed at him.

"Come on, JJ," Pope said through clenched teeth, pulling JJ along.

"Just remember that, Princess!" JJ called out before they all walked out of the house, the door slamming behind them.

"Yeah, I'll remember it, all right," Kyla muttered under her breath before she went up to her room.

Kyla laughed to herself as she thought of the memory, just now remembering it. It was both a happy and a sad one at the same time, but the fact that JJ even flirted with her then was very telling.

All of a sudden, JJ came running back into the room. "We're going to the beach, baby!" He shouted.

Kyla got up from the bed. "Wait, what?"

"We're hitting the break! The day is perfect!" He said, pulling stuff out of his closet.

Kyla chuckled. "Well, if you say so."

Everyone began to get their things in order to get ready to go surfing since the day was, in fact, perfect. "Yeah baby, now that's a perfect swell. It's probably the best of the year," JJ said as he looked down at his phone for the reports. They were now outside at the cabana, readying their boards.

"Guys, I'm so excited, we're finally gonna have a chill day to hang out. Okay, so you guys can use these two boards. Do you know how to surf?" Kyla said, handing Rhi and Alex two leftover boards.

"I've surfed a few times, but Alex hasn't," Rhi answered.

"Yeah, I got no idea," Alex confirmed with a nod.

"Okay, so then I can just teach you the basics then," Kyla said to him.

"Or he can learn it himself. That's how we all did it," JJ cut in and Alex sucked in a breath, starting to get annoyed with how much JJ seemed to be taking subtle digs at him.

"Well, I don't want him to completely wipeout," Kyla told JJ, and the blonde just shrugged at that as he continued looking at the reports on his phone.

"So, you don't need anyone to teach you, then?" Kiara asked as she walked next to Rhi, her eyes slightly widened.

"Well, I haven't surfed in a while so I may need a few tips, here and there," Rhi revealed with a knowing smile.

Kiara nodded, swallowing hard. "Good to know."

Pope then walked by. "Oh, come on, are you guys seriously surfing today?" Pope asked.

"Oh, don't. Don't," John B began to say.

"As opposed to what?" Kiara replied in shock.

"Well, I don't wanna sell the million dollars I have in my hand for 50K, so I'm gonna look into this," Pope explained, waving the amulet up for them to see.

"Wait, Pope. You just heard me, right? I said it's a perfect swell day," JJ reminded him.

"Yeah, and there'll be other swell days," he countered and all the Pogues began to get offended.

"That's like saying there's other pizza to eat, all right? Like, come on, now. Are you serious?" JJ compared.

"Wow. Listen to your Earth Mother, Pope. She's, like, begging you to surf," Kiara gestured to the ocean.

"I think my Earth Mother is telling me to maximize our intel," Pope said.

"Mine's telling me to maximize the swell," Kiara replied under her breath and Rhi laughed, causing Kiara's stomach to drop a bit.

"You wanna maximize a beach day?" John B looked at Sarah.

"I'm gonna maximize this tan," Sarah shrugged and the girls pointed and hummed in agreement.

"Okay, everyone, have fun maximizing," Pope told them.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold on. Wait, where-where's Cleo?" John B questioned.

"Oh, yeah, she just texted me. She said that she was on Pogue patrol, and she's looking for bait in The Cut," Pope relayed.

"Lame. Tell her we're closed."

"I'll text her right now."

"Pope, hey, hey, rule number one, Pope, is no working on a swell day. That's rule number one," JJ tried again, showing him his phone.

"JJ, come on," Kyla tried, knowing Pope just wanted to make sure they were going to get all their money in the end.

"Okay, hey, somebody's gotta do this. You guys have fun. Catch a nasty one for me, all right?" Pope told them before he walked out.

"Miss you already!"

"Are you gonna meet us there?"

・・・・☆・・・・☆ ・・・・

The Pogues plus Rhi and Alex finally made it the beach and JJ was right: it was a perfect swell day. Kyla hadn't surfed in a hot minute, so her eyes lit up when she saw the perfect waves crashing down.

"Don't you just immediately feel like life is better at the beach?" Kiara rhetorically asked before they began setting everything up.

"Let's get these boards up!" JJ announced after they finished setting up the beach chairs and umbrellas.

"Oh, boy," John B said as a some big cars rolled up towards them.

"What? Oh..." JJ trailed off, immediately knowing who it was: the Kooks.

"You're joking," Sarah exhaled.

"Anywhere but here."

Kyla's smiled dropped, her eyes narrowing as the cars got closer. "Who are these guys?" Alex whispered to her.

"We call them Kooks. Used to be one. Not anymore. They're assholes," she briefly explained before she noticed Rafe sitting in the back of Topper's truck. Her body tensed. She hadn't seen Rafe since her and Kie ditched him and Tara in Barbados. And knowing him, he definitely still held the grudge.

"Look!" Some girl pointed at them as they rode past.

"Who's that chick?" Sarah said with a disgusted look.

They then stopped their cars a few yards away from them. "Oh, you're joking. Of course they stop here. Why wouldn't they? When there's an entire beach."

"We were here first," Sarah complained.

"It's a waste of waves if, you're asking me," Kiara said.

"Wow, you guys really don't like them," Alex pointed out and Rhi nodded along.

"Because Kyla's right, they're assholes," Kiara confirmed.

Kyla then walked over to JJ. "J...Rafe's here," she told him.

"I know, I know. Don't worry, I'm not gonna let him get near you, all right? If he does, he'll get what's comin'," JJ told her and she nodded in relief before she looked over, making eye contact with Rafe through his sunglasses.

She held his gaze, wanting to show him that she wasn't scared of him. She had no idea what he had been thinking, though, since there had been no expression on his face. He then looked away, seeming to speak to his new girl: Sofia. Kyla wondered if she had been like Tara at all and if she should be worried or not.

"John B. Sunshine's coming," JJ warned, referring to Topper. "What do you think he wants?"

"What does he ever want?" Kiara pointed out.

"Please don't let him antagonize you," Sarah told her boyfriend.

"I got him," John B assured her. "I'm gonna be cool. I got." Kyla watched as the men spoke to one another, trying to make sure that John B actually kept it 'cool' like he said. They seemed to be conversing for a little before John B walked back, assuring them it should be okay.

So, now, it was time to surf.

The Pogues and Kooks made their way out into the water, trying to catch the perfect waves. It had started to become the best day ever.

To teaching Sarah and Alex how to surf and watching them fall over until they got the hang of it, to catching big ass waves, and to just being with each other, Kyla couldn't ask for anything better.

Kyla then sat on her board with John B, Kiara, and Rhi to her right and Alex to her left. Topper and Kelce had been a little bit over to the left next to Alex.

"So, Ky, who are these guys? New additions?" Topper decided to ask, probably to ruffle some feathers.

"No, they're friends from college that came to visit. Alex and Rhiannon," Kyla told him, raising her brows. "Why, you wanted some more Pogues to pick on or something?"

"Hey, hey, just trying to make some conversation there, Ky. Maybe thought you got a new boyfriend or something," he gestured to Alex, who stiffened up awkwardly, "you know, after Rafe, and I wasn't sure if you and JJ were doin' well," Topper told her with his stupid face, clearly trying to make her mad.

She sent him a tight lipped smile. "JJ and I are great. How's your sister, though?" She replied back, tilting her head to the side.

Topper's cocky expression fell, knowing Kyla got him with that one. "Haven't seen her."

"Uh-huh, yeah," Kyla nodded and John B nudged her, hyping her up for getting Topper to can it.

"What up, fools?" JJ arrived, swimming up to them and getting in just between Kyla and Alex, making Alex smother a sigh. "How's it going, sunshine?" He said to Topper.

"What's up, pal?"

"Oh, can't complain on a day like this."

"Right?"

"Nah."

"It's getting big out there, huh?"

"Sure is," JJ agreed, acting friendlier to the Kooks than per usual. He then pointed to an oncoming wave. "See that one?"

Topper began to cheer. "Oh yeah, here we go."

"Is that you?" JJ asked.

"Yeah, baby, that's all me," Topper confirmed.

"Yeah, that's all you, Top," Kelce hyped him up before Topper began to swim toward the wave. However, JJ seemed to have the same idea and he cut Topper off.

"Don't mind if I do," JJ said as he cut past Topper, stealing his wave and making him fall off his board.

"Whoo!" Kyla cheered for her boyfriend, not caring at the moment that the Kooks were probably about to go crazy about this.

"So much for keeping the peace," Kiara commented.

Topper came swimming back. "What the hell, dude? You oughta teach your boy to wait his turn," he said to John B.

"Yeah, or we'll teach him," Kelce added and Kyla sent him a look.

"Yeah, I'll text him real quick." John B pulled out an imaginary phone. "'Hey, J, can you...?'"

"Classic Pogue shit, man," Topper continued to complain.

"Hey, it's really not that deep. It's just one wave," Rhi told Topper, seeing why all the Pogues hated these guys after his comments to Kyla and now this.

"Yeah, for real," Kiara agreed.

"I thought we were chill," Topper said and Kyla shrugged before she looked back at the beach, seeing Rafe send JJ the middle finger. She rolled her eyes at him and then looked at JJ, who just sent the Cameron boy a shrug.

After a few more waves, the Pogues decided it was time to pack up. As they did so, Kiara spotted a turtle hatch. "Guys, there's a turtle hatch."

"What?"

"There's a turtle hatch!" She repeated as she ran over to it. The others followed behind her, seeing the little turtles make their way through the sand.

"Aw, they're so cute," Kyla gushed as she held a hand over her mouth.

"Oh, my god, I need to take a picture to show my professor," Rhi said, taking out her phone and snapping some photos. "This is so cool."

"Wait, back up. Give them some space. You can't touch them," Kiara told them.

"Yeah, Kiara's right. You gotta let them go themselves," Rhi confirmed and Kiara nodded at her.

"We gotta make a path, right?" John B suggested.

"Yeah, come on," JJ said, running around them to help make a path. They started to make a path for the baby turtles, wanting them to make it safely to the water.

As they continued to make the path, Kiara turned around to see one of the Kooks' cars driving toward them. "Hey! Hey, stop. There's a hatch!" She warned them, waving her hands in the air. However, that didn't seem to make them stop. "Hey! There's a hatch!"

They all began to start screaming at them to stop, but the car just seemed to be going faster. "Stop the car!" Kyla screamed, not moving out of the way because she believed there was no way they could just run right through them.

"Ky!" Alex yelled as he tackled her out of the way since she, along with the others, were too close to being hit. He ended up on top of her as the wind had been knocked out of her a bit. "Oh, shit, are you okay? I didn't want you to get hit."

"I'm fine," Kyla breathed out, trying to catch her breath.

JJ pushed himself up from the ground and noticed Alex on top of Kyla, making his lip curl in frustration. "Hey, hey!" JJ ran over, pushing Alex aside and going to Kyla. "You okay?"

"I'm good, I'm good," Kyla assured him as the blonde helped her up, letting Alex let himself up. She then looked at her sister. "You okay, Kie?"

"Fucking assholes. I'm fine," she replied.

The car then turned back around, facing them and revving its again. "What are they doing?" John B muttered.

"No, hell no. There's a hatch!" Kiara yelled. "Hey, stop!"

The car then came driving towards them again and they all stepped out of the way, but this time, a drink had been thrown onto Kiara. "Suck it, Pogues!" Ruthie yelled as she did so.

"Oh, my God," Kiara dropped down to her knees and Kyla immediately went down by her side.

"Kie, Kie, are you okay?" She quickly asked as Kiara just looked down, breathing heavily. Kyla looked past her and to the Kooks, who had been cheering, and her eyes began to narrow angrily.

Rhi then looked toward where the hatch was. "Guys, the turtles," she reminded them as she began to walk toward them, immediately followed by Kiara. They both dug through the sand to find that a turtle had been crushed to death. "Oh, my god."

Kiara whimpered quietly as her lip quivered, trying not to cry in front of everyone as she held the dead turtle in her hands.

That had been the final straw for Kyla.

"Kie, give it to me," she whispered to the girl as she carefully took the dead turtle out of her hands. Kiara just stayed on the ground as Rhi crouched down next to her, trying to soothe her.

"I'm gonna talk to them," Kyla said as she marched on over.

"Ky. Ky! Ky, listen," JJ began as he raced over to her, as did Alex. "Hey, no, you stay there, Al, all right?"

Alex stopped in his tracks and muttered to himself, "Al?"

JJ was able to catch up with his girlfriend. "Ky, listen, I know I'm the last person to say something like this, but we just need to be smart about this."

"No."

"No? All right. We're just a little outnumbered in this situation."

"Just let me handle this," Kyla seethed.

"Oh, it's Kyla? Ha, what's she gonna do?" Topper spoke and the Kooks all laughed, which fueled her anger even more.

Kyla held out the dead turtle for them to see. "Look at what you did. You killed it. You think this is okay? There was a fucking turtle hatch, that's why we were telling you to stop, you idiots! You drove right over it!"

"I understand you're upset, Kyla—"

"Shut the fuck up, Topper, no one cares about what you have to say!" Kyla cut him off, making him shut his eyes.

"All right, but it was only one. I mean, look, there's so many more of them. A hatch is, what, like, 100 turtles?" Ruthie guessed before she shrugged. "Most of 'em don't make it anyway.

"I think it's like one in a thousand," Topper added.

"What the fuck did I just say? No one cares when you open your goddamn mouth, Topper," Kyla bit at him.

"Hey, watch what you say to my boyfriend!" Ruthie said, taking a step closer to the girl.

"Oh, you're his girlfriend? You should know you're Sarah's replacement since he's still in love with her," Kyla told her and Topper's eyes widened, not knowing what to say. Some of the Kooks seemed to have found it funny, though, including Rafe who quietly laughed to himself.

Ruthie seethed, "You fucking bitch!"

"This is not me being a bitch. This is me being reasonable. For all the things that your boyfriend has done and all that your friends have done, I should be doing a lot more right now," Kyla told her angrily.

"Oh, yeah, like what? It's your move, Ky," Ruthie dared to say.

Kyla let a fake laugh before she turned away, only to come back with a punch to Ruthie's face. "Oh, shit!" All the Kooks yelled, running forward.

"Hey, no!" JJ said, running in front of Kyla to protect the girl if they tried to do anything in retaliation.

Ruthie held a hand up to her face in shock, clearly trying not to cry out in pain. All the Kooks started to yell at her and Kyla looked around, locking eyes with Rafe once again. He watched her with narrowed eyes before he looked away, slowly nodding to himself.

Kyla continued to look around before she spotted someone filming. "Shit. Oh, shit," she whispered, backing away.

"Let's go, Ky," JJ whispered to her, not noticing the camera just yet.

Kyla then turned around and walked back. "Yeah, that's right! Get back to your side, Ky!" Ruthie managed to yell through the pain and Kyla decided to push over their large speaker as well.

"You come near her, or any of us ever again, and I'll come back and kill every single one of you," JJ threatened before he caught up with his girlfriend. "Ky, what the hell was that? It was kinda hot...but-but like, I've never seen you do something like that in a while."

"They can't fuck with my sister, J. That's where I draw the line," she told him.

authors note!
kyla ain't messing around
this season, im telling you that
she's done with all the bullshit
also, guys i don't wanna spoil
the rest of s4 if you haven't seen it,
so read on with caution right now:

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yeah so with the end of s4, im honestly
shocked that they would do that. like,
it's unreal to me. im so sad since ive been
watching this show since it came out
and i felt like ive grown up with it, and
its helped me through hard times so seeing
jj die like that is really fucked. anyway, with
this book, i think i might do 2 endings so
like you can decide which one u wanna go with
perhaps? idk tbh. and i wanted to write s5 if i
could but now with jj dead, idk how tf im
supposed to do that so the book might just
have to end at s4 unfortunately.
unless jj pulls a ward and
magically comes back which i don't think
will happen bc rudy has said he's leaving the
show so...yeah. writing this chapter really made
me sad tbh i just can't believe they would kill
jj off. he couldn't have waited until the show was
over, i mean like it's ONE more season goddamn 😭
idk im just so upset bc i love this book and i love
kyla and jj. i just cant believe it