"Do we have to go now?" Melissa groaned loudly against the dining chair, she was all ready to go but, from what Elena could pick up, her little sister came back home last night after midnight.

"Yes, come on, Kie's gonna be here any minute now." Elena finished drinking her coffee, all she needed was to clean her teeth and finish packing her bag. Just like every school year for Elena, she did everything at the last minute.

"Girls, have a good first day, Elena," Her father walked out to the living room looking at his oldest daughter "Don't let comments get to you and your friends, okay? Fight if they get too personal." Ernesto smiled at Elena, his daughter laughed in response. "Tell the guys I said hi okay?" Ernesto finally added after hearing the vehicle honk outside.

Elena nodded and hurried to her room, stocking everything from her bed to her backpack, taking one last look in the mirror seeing her half-up-down hair, smiling back at her reflection she rushed to the bathroom, cleaning her teeth. Another loud honk was heard, indicating to Elena that they needed to leave, but she also thought that maybe JJ had fallen asleep at his place. Or she hoped that he did.

"Bye Dad." Elena exclaimed rushing outside, Kiara waved her to hurry, she could see Pope on the passenger seat waving as well. "Morning guys." She greeted everyone, her eyes fell on each of them, smiling, then she saw JJ, fast asleep against the car window.

"He's not dead." Melissa said, not glancing up from her phone.

"I know that Mel, geez." Elena scoffed, with the seatbelt on, Kiara drove towards Kildare High, somewhere along the way as they passed a speeding bump, JJ woke up, groaning loudly, and crying about how no one was letting him sleep peacefully.

"Wake up JJ, school is around the corner, stop wailing and make yourself look alive at least." Pope said looking back at his friend.

The building made its big appearance, there was a faint sensation of nerve, parking at an open spot, everyone got out of the vehicle, the loud sound of the bell rang, echoing even outside the place. Elena took her backpack out and noticed that JJ was taking another drink out of the flask, and when he was called out by Kiara, he hid it.

"If I blackout, just don't remind me." JJ shut the door and walked next to his friends. Eyes were on them as they walked to the entrance, uncomfortably sensation ran through Elena's body as people whispered and talked about them, shamelessly.

"Hey, I'm going to speed up, I can't be late." Melissa whispered to her sister leaning closer to her as she said it, Elena just gave a nod at her, watching Melissa walk away, rushing inside.

A small memoir was made for John B, his name and small notes, pictures and decorations were around the rock that had been selected and created for their friend. A piece of the surfboard was the "altar" of it, the thing that most people remembered of him.

"I feel like people are staring at us." Kiara said looking back at seeing everyone around them, the rest of the Pogues did the same, and clearly, they were.

"Guys, I can't be late." Pope said and started to walk away, Kiara was quick to call for his attention.

"Hey, we gotta stick together." She said when Pope looked back at her, she had a point, during this time, it was better to go through this as friends, as a group.

"Stick together, yeah." JJ wanted to ignore this, passing by Kiara, but she stopped him, interlocking her arm with his and pulling him back.

Elena quickened her steps, grabbing hold of JJ's arm too, unsure if she could hold his hand. The group walked inside the building, as they continued down the hallway people kept on looking and talking about them, they had to ignore them, it wasn't easy when some of them talked badly about them or John B, but they didn't want to cause a fight, except JJ, he had to be pulled back from the initiative of doing so.

"I gotta head to class, I'll see you guys at lunch." Elena walked past them, before doing so she turned to look at JJ "Don't fight with anyone JJ." The blonde just sighed and nodded his head at her, Elena waved them goodbye and entered her class.

Elena didn't share the same classes with the Pogues, when she came to Outer Banks, the school system messed up everything and she had to repeat the sophomore year now, but she didn't mind that much about it. So right now Elena was waiting for her Social Studies teacher to start his class, in this room she had some classmates she could talk to, but none of them wanted to talk to Elena today, they all just stared at her, some of them even glared evilly at her, as if being friends with John B made you part of what crime he didn't do.

"Morning class, everyone settle down and start writing down what I am going to show you on the board, no questions about it until I finish." Mr. Andrews said and started writing the plans for the upcoming exams, students groaned loudly causing the teaching to shush them.

The class kept on happening, every student seemed to get even more bored by the words the teacher spoke, Elena shifted in her seat, tapping the end of her pencil aggressively on her notebook, just wishing this day could end early for her. The vibrating sensation on her jeans got her back to reality, carefully she pulled out her phone to see a message from an unknown number, a photo was sent to her to be exact, curiosity stroke and she opened it, hoping she hadn't been sent some type of dick pic or some evil joke about her friends. But what her eyes were seeing were John B and Sarah Cameron, smiling, looking very much alive.

"This has to be a sick joke." Elena whispered, trying to see if the unknown number was going to send another message, Elena checked to see where the number was from, but all she noticed was that she wasn't the only one who had received it, she had been added to a group chat with the rest of the guys.

The blaring screams made everyone turn their attention to the door and some even to see outside the window, laughter followed along, and then some hushing. Two knocks on Elena's classroom door had the teacher confused, but her expression from it changed to annoyance when the person behind it was the one and only JJ Maybank.

"Hello, teach, may I borrow Elena? It's an emergency, her sister, you know." JJ said leaning on the door, his eyes searching for the brunette until he met with her gaze. Elena stood up quickly, taking her backpack, and hiding her phone back in her jeans when he mentioned Melissa's, she didn't even hesitate to look back at the older one.

"Hey, what happened? Where's Melissa?" Elena asked, her eyes glancing at the blond.

"It wasn't for Melissa." He answered.

"It's about the message, come on, we need to get out of the hallway." Pope spoke, Elena saw Kiara as well with the group, the four of them walked out to the courtyard.

"I mean, is that even possible? Shoupe said that they didn't make it. He said that."

"We never got to see a body Kie, and they can't say there was no body, they didn't look out for them." Elena added walking behind Pope, her eyes looking down at her phone.

"I think we're overreacting, cause we can't rule out the possibility that this could all be some kind of weird, cruel hoax." Pope was responsible for sharing this theory, a theory too cruel to even imagine.

"You okay?" Elena turned to look at JJ, she noticed how his hand was pressed against his chest, rubbing it gently, she had noticed these actions for the past week, and she worried, who wouldn't worry?

"I'm good." JJ answered, faking his best smile and lowering his hand from his chest. Elena squinted her eyes at him, not believing a word he said, and making a mental note to ask him later.

"Look I'm just gonna ask." Kiara typed down on her phone hoping this text message wasn't an evil plan.

"What if it's actually him, though?" JJ walked past them and tried to maintain a bit of calmness in him, but the way Pope reacted wasn't helping this case.

WTF is this you? Kiara typed to the group chat, Elena's nerves built up, standing next to Pope she moved her right leg up and down. Her eyes didn't look away from her screen, she just stared, Elena's cheek was hurting already from how she was biting it from the inside, there was a moment of suspense when the brunette saw the typing dots on the screen.

Is JJ there?

Everyone turned to look at the blond, he was quick to respond back, how couldn't he? There was the possibility that his best friend is alive.

I'm here Bree. A small inside joke between them was answered by another text. Did you pimp my short board? The response was definitely John B, the sarcasm was all written on those words, the knot that had been on Elena's throat was finally free as she let the few tears leave her eyes.

"It's him." JJ said happily, the smile on his face was so bright.

"He's alive, he's okay, they're okay." Elena sniffled, the smile on her face matched with the ones of her friends, Elena side-hugged Pope resting her head on his shoulder just until JJ came towards them. With a hug for Pope, Elena went towards Kiara, wrapping her arms around her tightly, giggling about this moment.

"It's him." JJ whispered, pulling Elena into his arms, wrapping hers around his waist, their embrace was just for a second, JJ walked back and shouted out in pure joy.

Another chime from their phones was heard, looking at the text, written that they were staying safe in Nassau.

"Nassau? Is that on?" Elena looked up, trying to meet with someone's eyes and get an answer.

"Bahamas." Pope was the one to answer Elena, his eyes glancing now to Kie.

"How the hell did they get to the Bahamas?"

"You can't kill a Pogue, dude." JJ said as if it was the answer to Kiara's question, Pope followed along adding that especially John B.

Can you clear my name? Wanna come home.

"How is that even a question? We are gonna do it." Elena commented everyone seemed to agree with her.

Be in touch. P4L.

"P4L, man. That's what I'm talking about!" JJ shouted with joy, taking a jump on the cafeteria table and making it known that he was happy, excited.

The teenagers shared a hug, all of them laughing or crying with joy, the news that their friends were alive, and now they had to bring them back.

"Afternoon kids, aren't you supposed to be in class?" A teacher's voice got their attention, the group tried their best to hide their smiles and went back inside.

"No one else has to know about this, got it? It will just stay between us." Kiara said, stopping in front of Elena's classroom, everyone agreed on this and returned to class, waiting for their school hours to end.

Elena didn't pay any attention to her teachers, she had been too focused on the text messages and the thought of John B and Sarah being alive and coming back home, how? That was the hard part, but it wasn't impossible to do so. Elena had smiled all day long, stares were given but she didn't mind, if only they knew.

"Honestly, I don't get how people expect us to be all friendly on the first day, all I wanted was to run out of the classroom and stay in the cafeteria." Melissa groaned, she kept on talking about how her first day had gone while Kiara dropped everyone back home.

The guys were listening to her speak, but their mind wasn't really in there with the youngest one, Elena was too focused already in some school work of her own, and her time management had to be finding a job, and she hasn't told her father yet, not until she had a new work plan.

"Thanks for dropping us off Kie." Melissa said, waving the brunette goodbye, Elena and JJ followed behind, entering the Herrera's home. "I thought you two had work today." Melissa added, her eyebrows lowered as she questioned them.

"Free day." In unison the pair said, walking towards the kitchen.

"I need to get something to eat, I am starving." Elena tapped on her fridge door, her eyes scanning on every item. "I'm making grilled cheese, you want one?"

"Yeah, I can't say no to that." JJ said, walking over next to Elena, wrapping his arms behind her waist and pulling her to his body. "But I am not really that hungry for food, you know." Elena could feel her cheeks warm when JJ whispered into her ear.

"Well, I can't do anything about that, I am hungry JJ, I need food." Grabbing her items, Elena was gentle to get out off JJ's embrace. She rolled her eyes at the groan he did, and like a child he sat at a stool in front of the kitchen island.

"So, I know we aren't supposed to talk about this just yet, but, do you think John B and Sarah can return safely?"

"Yeah, I think they can, I mean, they have to come back at some point." Elena said as she did her food on the stove. "And when they do, it's gonna be hell loose, are we even ready for that to happen?"

"Probably not, but if we need to put up on a fight? I'm ready with my dear old friend, my g-."

"You're not using the gun, you're throwing that thing away." Elena stopped, her eyes looked back at her as she moved her body. "JJ, you shouldn't have that, it's was part of a crime scene, and you've used it on many stupid occasions."

"I was doing the right thing Elena, defending my friends, isn't that what you would do if you had the chance?" The question for Elena was a little stupid, she couldn't and wouldn't grab a gun, the fear of them was just too big.

"I'm gonna eat my food and you'll can do whatever you want, I'll be in my room." The brunette took her sandwich and backpack to her room, letting the door open just in case.

It didn't take a long time for JJ to join Elena, he laid on her bed letting the music play from her phone and speakers, their talks changed from school, to John B, to even their future as individuals, and trying their best to avoid any mentions of Elena's mom and JJ's father. But they always managed to come back to the John B and Sarah Cameron topic. They wanted them back, and the thought always made the teenagers smile.

The afternoon sky darken as time passed by, Elena began with her homework being careful on not waking JJ's body next to her, he had fallen into a deep slump, the snores in unison with some music from her speakers.

"Hi mi princesa," Ernesto Herrera knocked on his daughter's door gently. "Rough day?" He asked when he noticed the blond.

"Yeah, I'll wake him up in a few." Elena added, returning her focus to her notebook.

"The couch is free if he wants to spend the night." Elena's gaze returned to her father when she heard his suggestion. "I saw his father coming in drunk, I think it would be better if he stayed."

"I'll suggest it to him." Elena's lips pressed together watching her father leave the room to his own. Elena glanced down at JJ, she didn't want to wake him up, he looked so calm and peaceful, probably one of the few nights he would have that felt nice and he hadn't blacked out due to alcohol.

"I can feel you watching me princess." JJ said half asleep, he groaned turning his body around laying on his back. "I have to go, I'll see you tomorrow." Slowly he stood up from her bed, his steps being clumsy and almost falling back when he stumbled with his own school bag.

"Can't you stay tonight?" Elena asked standing up as well throwing her stuff in her bed to be face to face with the blond. "You don't have to go home."

"I'm not going home El, but I have to do some stuff, I'll see you tomorrow, promise." Pressing his lips on her forehead Elena could only see him walk away, she was curious about his destination, it wasn't her business to know, but she had a weird feeling about it. She knew JJ, she knew wherever he was going, it wasn't pretty.