If you'd ask Danny if he thought he'd ever deceive one of his friends, he'd answer: unlikely.

But, this instance, apparently, fell under the minute, tenth percentile of likely.

It was this: Danny, JJ, Pope, Kie, and John B pulling up to the Crain house. The shrubbery was overgrown, flowers bloomed every other step, and green, green, green appeared with the other step. Pope held Danny's hand the entire time. He needed moral support.

It was this: Hollis Crain, decapitation quadrant, nothing to lose.

It was this: JJ singing deadly lullabies, mosquitoes attacking, and discussing the cinematic masterpiece that was C.H.U.D. It was Kie talking about bad karma and how it was Barbie's fault that the trail's gone cold. It was John B assuming him kissing Kie was the problem. It was slapping under the guise of skeeters. And then it was finally finding water in the well.

It was this: Sarah showing up at John B's and everything going horribly, horribly wrong.

Danny shoved another handful of Skinny Pop into his mouth as he stepped from the living room onto the porch. He paused, hand still to his mouth as Kie shouted, "No effing way!"

"Oh, Jesus," Danny muttered when he saw Sarah sitting on the couch and Kie pacing the walkway. Danny shot a look at John B on the arm of the couch. He slowly shook his head in disappointment.

John B's wide eyes had Danny regretting ever coming over to witness this disaster. John B had no idea the damage about to occur and Danny had no way to stop the train wreck already in motion.

"You brought her here? So what? She's in on this now?" Kie asked.

Danny nearly choked on his popcorn when all eyes looked at him. "Why are you all looking at me? I don't want anything to do with this." He took a step back and leaned against the beam along the screen of the porch. He raised his bag of popcorn in a mock salute and designated himself to the sidelines.

"Look, all I care about is her cut comes out of your share," JJ told John B. He sat across the porch from Danny in the armchair. Pope took up place next to him on the stool.

"You know, I don't remember taking a vote," Kie accused. She stared pointedly at Sarah when she continued, "This is our thing. A Pogue thing."

"I gotta say, I'm just a tad uncomfortable with all of this," Pope added.

"Thank you!"

John B scoffed and said, "When are you not uncomfortable?"

"I dunno. I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably."

"It's true," JJ said. "Most relaxed I've ever seen him."

Danny laughed and ignored the scowl from John B.

John B said, "That's cute, guys."

"You know we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Sarah finally said.

"Then leave," Kie said coldly.

Sarah shook her head and turned to John B. "I told you."

"Told him what, exactly?" Kie asked. "That you're a liar?"

"No, that you're a shit-talking bitch."

Danny's eyes widened and he turned around to stare at the yard. He shook his head to himself and couldn't help but think that the train finally crashed. There were casualties. Definitely casualties.

"Oh, shit!" Pope gasped.

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "When have I lied?"

"You get somebody close to you for like a month—"

"I didn't lie about shit—"

"Everybody shut up!" John B yelled. Silence filled the air, but it didn't make Danny feel any better. It was heavy and thick. The kind of air if a match was struck, explosions would ripple down. "Kie," John B continued, "you are my best friend, right? And Sarah, you're. . .you're my. . ."

"Say it."

John B smiled softly. "You're my girlfriend."

"Oh. . . that's new," Pope muttered.

"She's your girlfriend now?" Kie said sarcastically. "What was all that talk about you were just using her for information? Get a map, cut her loose."

Danny winced. He turned back around and almost felt bad at the disbelief on Sarah's face.

"You said you were using me?"

"No," John B lied.

Pope immediately said, "Yeah, you did."

"You said those things," JJ added.

"Look, love just walked in, okay?"

"Oh, vomit," Kie sneered.

Danny caught her gaze and tried to. . .what? Tell her everything would be okay? It wasn't. She was already hurt. He wouldn't lie to her.

"I didn't expect it. It just—it kind of happened. And I'm not gonna deny it. Right?" John B said.

"Oh! That's corny," Pope whispered. 

"Look, cut the bullshit, John B," Kie said firmly. "If she's in, I'm out."

And just like that, Danny could tell that the match was struck. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the blast.

"I'm not doing this. I can't!"

"You are gonna decide. I'm very interested, actually. Me or her?"

"Both," he replied instantly.

Pope whistled, and Danny whispered, "Jesus Christ."

Kie stared at him, lips pinched into a frown. She turned and left without a word. The slamming door was the blast that rippled down.

Danny rubbed his brow bone.

"It'll be cool, right?" Sarah said to John B. "I'm gonna leave."

"Sarah, don't."

"Gonna let y'all chat. Let me know."

And she was gone.

John B closed his eyes and banged his head against the wall.

"I'd just like to say you handled that beautifully," JJ said.

Danny kept his mouth shut and sat on the couch. He ate another handful of popcorn. He didn't particularly feel like fixing this mess. The train wreck was a lot to contend for. There were, of course, casualties, the fires needed put out, people needed rescuing, ambulances needed calling, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. He was fine with watching just this once.

John B slid off the armrest and onto the cushion beside Danny. "Well?" he said.

Danny furrowed a brow and slowly held out the bag to him.

John B slapped the bag, and stray kernels flew to the floor. Danny held the bag to his chest, aghast. "The fuck?"

"I don't want your popcorn. Tell me how to fix this?"

Danny laughed, loud and mean.

JJ sat on the coffee table in front of Danny and took a handful of the popcorn.

"Dad's on sabbatical. Fix it yourself."

"Come on," John B pleaded. "Can't you just talk to her?"

Danny sucked his teeth and sighed through his nostrils. "You know what I like, John B?"

John B stared blankly and looked at JJ and Pope for assistance. They offered none.

"Loyalty," Danny answered. "That," he said and waved his hand around to reference the event that took place, "was not loyalty. Hell, that was a fucking ambush."

"Come on," John B scoffed.

Danny ignored him and continued, "Pogues don't do that shit. You know she doesn't like Sarah. That alone should have prevented you from bringing her here and involving her in the hunt. I like Sarah, I do, but that doesn't mean you can tell her without telling all of us first."

"It is not that deep."

Danny chuckled to himself. He turned and watched Kie pace at the end of the dock. "Maybe to you," he said. "But to her, it is. They are not in preschool. You can't force them into a room and make them share their toys."

"So you're not going to fix this?"

"No, 'cause I agree with her."

***

Pope volunteered to go speak with Kie. Danny didn't give Pope a vote of confidence.

John B sat on the counter next to the sink, and JJ sat on the counter next to the stove. Danny shuffled between the two of them to make his grilled cheese. He flipped the sandwich and moved it to his plate.

He set the pan and spatula in the sink, and when he returned, his sandwich was missing.

"Dude," he deadpanned when JJ took a second bite.

"Thanks, honey-bunches," JJ said around his mouthful. John B laughed.

Danny stepped into JJ's space and leaned his stomach to rest against JJ's knees, arms on either side of his waist. JJ held the sandwich up in offering. Danny took a bite while holding eye contact. JJ repeated the action. It all felt charged.

The door slammed open, and Danny took a reluctant step to the side. JJ kept the sandwich, but Danny kept the beer.

John B tossed Pope a water bottle and asked, "What'd she say?"

"That you're an idiot."

Danny laughed. "She's right. You are an idiot."

"It's a no-brainer. You're picking Kie," JJ said and held the last of the grilled cheese in Danny's direction. Danny opened his mouth and let his lips linger around the tips of JJ's fingers before pulling away. He chewed and blew a kiss at JJ's narrowed eyes.

"Look, I can't make a decision," John B said with a sigh.

JJ rolled his eyes. "So what? We're just dead in the water because you're pussy-whipped? We can't do this without Kie, and you know it."

"And I can't do it without Sarah. Okay? They both have to be in on it."

"Fat chance," Danny muttered around the mouth of the bottle.

Pope shrugged and opened the door of the freezer, "Well, good luck with that."

"You know what?" John B said. He hopped down from the counter and faced the three. "I know this was my fault, all right? But it's our problem. I've got a plan."

Danny stared in amusement. "Oh yeah? I'd love to hear it."

"Yeah," John B stated. "And you shitheads are gonna help me out."

And so it was this: Danny and the boys lounging on the hammocks and colluding about ways to deceive Kie and Sarah.

"You're insane!" Danny cried and shook his head. "That will never work. There are way too many moving parts."

John B's big plan was to simply trap them in a room together as Danny suggested off-handedly earlier. That was all. Well, Pope suggested a boat. So. His big plan was to trap them on a boat.

"Have a little faith," JJ said and nudged Danny's shoulder. "I think we can pull it off."

JJ smiled. Danny's steadfast refusal waned the longer he stared at it.

"All right, fine," he conceded.

JJ's smile widened, and Danny wondered why he hadn't agreed sooner.

Danny groaned and dropped his head to his hands. His fingers threaded through his hair, and he stood with a put-upon sigh. "Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine."

"That's the spirit!" John B praised and slapped Danny on the shoulder.

"This is still so stupid," Danny said with an I-still-can't-believe-you-idiots-convinced-me-to-do-this shake of his head, "But daddy's gonna make it better."

Pope continued to toss the tennis ball against the wide tree trunk. "Oh, come on, Danny. You wouldn't be complaining if it were you and I stranded on a boat," he said, referencing Danny's deeply regrettable dream.

JJ's laugh was immediate.

Danny reached out and intercepted Pope's tennis ball, his smile brazen. "Did you just flirt with me, Pope?"

Pope leaned back in the beach chair. "You tell me."

Danny nodded, impressed.

"All right, all right," John B interrupted. "Before this turns weird, let's go back to the plan. How are we getting them to the boat?"

Danny nodded and paced around the tree to think. "We'd need different motivating reasons to get them both there." He passed JJ and ran his hand through JJ's hair.

"Tell Kie we need help with the engine," John B offered.

"She won't believe that if I'm there."

"We'll say you got called in for work."

Danny hummed in consideration. That could work.

"What about Sarah?" JJ asked. He feigned a ball-tap at Danny when he passed around again. Danny flinched and jerked backward.

"You asshole," Danny said and jumped on top of JJ on the hammock. They swung wildly as they wrestled each other.

"Stop," JJ said between chuckles. He had Danny's wrists in his hands.

"You stop it. We're gonna flip." Danny argued and tugged a hand free. He brought it to JJ's stomach and tickled. JJ bucked his hips to rid Danny, and before Danny could right the weight, they flipped and landed on the ground.

Danny gasped as the air left his lungs from colliding with the ground, along with the body falling on top of him. He sucked in a breath and winced in pain.

"Ow," JJ muttered and rolled off Danny to the grass. "I bit my tongue."

Danny definitely landed on a rock. Had to. A big one, too. He sat up and stretched. He looked at JJ beside him. "Want me to kiss it better?"

"Fuck you. This is your fault."

Danny smiled innocently.

"Tell her we're going fishing?" Pope suggested.

"Like Kook Princess would come fishing," JJ dismissed and stood. He collapsed back onto the hammock. His foot bumped Danny every time he swayed forward.

Danny motioned for Pope to toss him the ball. They threw it back and forth as they brainstormed.

"Look," Danny said after a long moment of silence. "Say we did figure out how to get them both there and keep them there safely; what if they don't make up?"

"They have to," John B stated.

"But what if they don't?" Danny pressed. "We'd have to choose."

"I'm not choosing."

Danny hoped for John B's sake that the girls made up.

***

Danny got up early, well, not early for him, and bought supplies. He caught a ride with Pope on his Dad's boat and began hiding the food.

"We're almost there," Pope said as he drove closer to the Marina.

Danny acknowledged that information and quickened his pace. He neglected to take the items out of the grocery bags and instead stuffed them all in the cooler. He placed a crate on top to help disguise it. He left the cabin with sleeping bags pressed under each arm.

"I don't know where to put the sleeping bags."

"Put them under the table," Pope said, and they pulled up to the dock at the Marina.

Sarah, John B, and JJ hopped on, and Danny greeted them before walking into the cabin again to take over driving. Pope made his leave for his apparent shift at Heywards.

Danny quickly made his way to the Alps. The quicker they got there, the quicker this would be over.

He could feel the sweat gathering along his back. He hated this. It made his skin squirm. He could never be a criminal.

JJ opened the door and left it open. With this cue, Danny slowed the boat to a stop and swore.

"I thought you said it passed inspection?" JJ said loudly.

"It did," he answered. "I checked it myself." And that was the truth.

"What's wrong?" John B asked.

"We're dead," Danny said. He lifted the flooring to reveal the engine. He took the plugs out and pocketed them quickly. "Nothing I can't fix," he added with an easy smile when Sarah and John B crowded the door. 

"Well, if you would have fixed it the first time around, we wouldn't be in this mess," JJ accused.

"Oh," Danny said and stood up. "I'm sorry, did you suddenly become an expert in all things mechanics that I was unaware of?"

"Certainly better than you if this is what you call passing inspection."

"Well, Handy Manny," Danny quipped, "You tell me: is it the valves, the rockers, or how about the piston? Huh?"

"Oh, piss up a rope."

"I'm gonna call Pope for a tow," John B said and pulled Sarah away.

Danny shut the door and sighed. "I hate this."

JJ scoffed. "Handy Manny? Really?"

Danny shrugged.

They sat on the floor around the engine. They had about ten minutes to spare since Pope should've already picked up Kie.

Danny mindlessly flipped a screwdriver with his hand as he stared at the engine. "So," he said. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"Nothin',"

"Oh, come on! What do you want? It's in like, what, two or three weeks."

JJ relented with a sigh. "Case of beer."

Danny groaned in annoyance. "We're gonna have 100 million dollars, and you want a case of beer?"

JJ bent a knee and rested his arm on it. "Fine," he said and took a moment to think. "A house in Fiji with a surf shack."

Danny's lip quirked. "All right, done. And if your birthday falls before our pay-day?"

JJ's face looked like someone made him choose if he'd rather lose his left or right arm.

"Just tell me," Danny pleaded. "Anything you want, JJ, come on."

JJ stared at him, assessing. Danny didn't know what he was looking for, but he held JJ's gaze. Just as Danny was going to start offering ideas, JJ said, "A watch. And I want to come with you to Fashion Week this year."

"Really?" Danny beamed. "You'd come with?"

"Yeah. I want to make a move on Sara Sampaio."

"She'd go for it. She's really nice."

John B banged on the glass and asked, "How's it going?"

"Really good! Nearly finished!" Danny shouted and offered a thumbs up over his shoulder.

"What do you want? Yours is in five weeks."

Danny's teeth tugged on his lip. He stared at the engine and thought. "The new John Wick movie on DVD, and a big-ass party at the Boneyard."

"I can do that."

"No guns this time, though."

"That's less fun, but whatever."

John B's knuckles tapped the glass in the specific pattern, and Danny gave JJ the screwdriver. He stood and left the cabin. He stifled his smile as he passed John B and hid along the side of the cabin on the outside.

He heard Kie step onto the boat and ask, "What happened?"

"Uh, the alternator's, uh, not alternating anymore," JJ said.

"It's not charged," John B added.

"Did you check the plugs?"

"No. No, you should check 'em."

"Yeah," John B added. "Give it a whirl."

"You guys are useless," Kie muttered. "Why couldn't Danny come?"

"Work."

"Come on, come on, come on!" John B urged.

"Uh. . . is this a joke?"

"Go, go, go, go!" JJ said. "Danny!" he stage-whispered. "Come on."

Danny stood but was jolted back a step when he tried to leave. "Shit," he muttered and tried to free his shorts from the stray nail. "I'm stuck!"

"There are no plugs, like, at all," Kie said. Realization dawned on her. "Shit!"

"I'm stuck!" Danny cried, panicked. He tugged at the waistband and nearly stumbled overboard when he freed himself.

"Sayonara!" John B yelled as he and JJ dove into the water.

Danny stumbled to the haul and slipped past Kie and Sarah coming from the storage unit.

"What the hell?" Kie said. She caught sight of Danny and rushed after him. She tugged on his wrist and pulled, hard.

He lost his footing and fell to the deck with a scream. "Ouch! Shit! Holy God, Kie, are you Super Man?" He clutched his shoulder with a wince.

Kie and Sarah stood over him and shouted to the boys.

"Are you serious?" Sarah yelled in disbelief.

"Are you joking? Get your asses back here! Danny, I can't believe you!"

Danny gathered himself and stood in haste. He lunged to prepare for a dive, but Kie wrapped her arms around his waist.

"No!" he cried. "Help me!"

Danny could see Pope and JJ hunched over laughing, and it cemented his reality. He would be staying here. Shit. He dropped his head in his hands and sunk to his knees. Kie let go of him when she realized he wouldn't be trying to escape.

"We can't. Not till you two figure it out," John B explained as they drifted further away.

"I will kill every single one of you!"

"Y-You can't just leave!" Sarah cried.

"There's food in the cabin, and JJ rolled a blunt," Pope said easily and gave a thumbs up.

"Hydroponic!"

"This is ridiculous," Sarah said and kicked off her flip-flops. She started to undress.

"Well, I would rather drown than stay here with you, so. . ."

"Fine, be my guest," Sarah said and tossed her top at Danny. "Maybe you'll finally shut the hell up."

Danny nodded in thanks and held on to her top. Kie's shorts smacked his face. He accepted them wordlessly.

"You don't even know where you're going."

Sarah stepped over the edge of the boat and muttered, "I don't care."

"Good luck with the oyster beds," Kie said.

"Wait!" Sarah said and dove into the water.

"Godspeed!" Pope yelled, and they started driving further away.

"Wait!" Sarah called as she swam after them. "John B, you asshole!"

"If they left Danny, why would they come back for you?"

"Love you, guys! Bye!"

"Have fun, Danny!" JJ added.

"Fuck you!" he yelled.

"Great," Kie muttered. She kicked Danny's leg and slapped his shoulders.

"Hey, hey, hey," he said and raised his arms to cover himself. "Watch it!"

"I am so mad at you."

Sarah screamed from the water, and he glanced over his shoulder. "You all right?"

"I got stung by a jellyfish! Shit! Ah!"

"Dramatic," Kie mumbled. Danny swatted her arm.

Danny stood and leaned over the side of the boat. "It's okay. Just climb up, and I'll look at it, yeah?"

"Well, you swam right into a man-o'-war. Don't know what you thought would happen."

Sarah climbed the ladder, and Danny lifted her by her armpits the rest of the way. He sat her on the edge of the boat.

"Ow," she cried. Her hand hovered over the sting.

"Does it hurt?" Kie mocked. Danny slanted her a look and then crouched in front of Sarah.

"Danny, you've got to pee on it."

Kie chuckled. "Yeah, Danny."

"Uh," he said. "No. Nope, not gonna do that. Let's rinse it, yeah? Get rid of some of the venom."

"It's venom?" she asked, alarmed.

"Not really. But kinda," he appeased. "Hold tight."

They didn't have hot water, so he filled a bucket with salt water. He poured it over her side and gently brushed the burn with his hand. He didn't know if it was helping, but she wasn't wincing anymore.

"I like my idea better," Kie said. She clicked the lighter and lit the joint. She blew out the smoke and then took a long drag.

Danny sighed. This was going to be a long night.

***

He didn't accept the joint. Someone needed to keep their head, and it sure as hell wouldn't be him if he participated.

The two weren't fighting, but that was mainly because they weren't speaking. The longer they sat in silence, the more Danny yearned for the joint. He'd lose his mind if all of this was for nothing. He almost preferred when they were threatening him because, at least then, they were working together.

He texted Lou that he couldn't come in. Lou responded with the middle finger emoji. Danny responded with a heart.

He texted his mom that JJ wanted to come to Milan with them. She bought him a plane ticket within five minutes. She started her plans on his outfit, too. Danny was counting down the days.

He passed out the snacks after a while. He made sure Sarah had enough water. She said it wasn't her first time, but she wasn't fooling anyone.

He received a very explicit picture from Leo.

"Do one of you want to help me take a dick-pic? I can't get a good angle without a mirror."

Kie gave him the finger while Sarah asked, almost scandalized, "What?"

"Never mind," he mumbled. He liked the text and told Leo he was out of town and they'd meet up later.

When the sun began to set, Danny climbed on top of the cabin and stared at the horizon. He'd rate it 8.5/10.

He lit a lantern and made their beds. He stacked life vests as pillows and set a blanket to cover them. He laid a blanket on the haul and then unraveled the sleeping bags for the two.

Soon enough, they came and sat next to him. Sarah was still suffering from weed-induced word vomit, and Danny could tell it was pinching Kie's nerves. He's resisted interfering all day because, honestly, he wasn't supposed to be here.

Thank god Sarah became distracted before Kie lost her cool. "What are you looking at?" she asked and rested her chin on Danny's shoulder.

"Watches."

There wasn't much else to do, so he decided to go birthday hunting early.

"Why," Kie asked and scooted closer to him on his other side.

"For JJ's birthday."

He switched back and forth between two different watches from Jaeger-LeCoultre. He liked the Master Ultra Thin collection but couldn't decide on a specific design feature.

"You'd drop twenty-grand on JJ's birthday present?" Kie asked incredulously.

He nodded easily. "He deserves something nice, and I want to be the one to give that to him."

"I like the Moon one," Sarah said.

Danny took her opinion and added it to the cart.

"That one's more expensive," Kie said, but she was the only one who cared. "Elitist assholes," she muttered to herself.

"You can look for one for yourself," Danny offered and gave Kie his phone.

"I don't wear watches."

"You might when you're thirty."

"It's not my birthday."

"I'll save it until February," he said. "Go on."

She looked at the screen to appease him. "How rich are you?" she asked when she saw the prices.

He shrugged. "Very," he decided.

"That's— that's like, you're so nice, Danny," Sarah said and nodded at him.

He hummed noncommittally.

"You are. My friends gift me, give me Tito's and champagne. You just, you care, y'know? JJ is really lucky to have you."

"Oh, he's lucky?" Kie goaded. "It's nice to have someone care about you? Why did you do it, then?"

Danny suppressed his cringe. He's been wondering when this shoe would drop.

"Why did I do what?" Sarah lifted her head from Danny's shoulder.

"We were best friends. We— we stole beers from your dad's fridge, we watched movies together, we cried about boys. And the next thing I know, I'm watching your birthday party happen from Instagram."

"It was one party."

"You invited everybody except me. Danny even went!"

Danny's mouth dropped open, and he looked up from his lap. He glanced between the two. "Uhh. . . I—"

Kie continued, "And then you told everybody I was the reason that the party got busted."

"Okay," Sarah scoffed. "Well, who else would've called the cops?"

"You never asked. You just let the rumor go that I was a rat. You were my best friend, and then you ghosted me, and I don't even know why! I mean really, what did I do?"

"You liked me."

"What?"

Sarah sat quietly for a moment. She exhaled and said softly, "When. . . people get. . . close to me, I feel trapped. And. . . I bail. And then I blame them for it. I'm really sorry. . ." She took a breath. ". . .and I miss you. Do you think there's a chance that we could be okay again?"

Kie processed the information. "Honestly. . ." she said, "I don't know."

***

Danny didn't know how long he's been staring at the stars. He lost his nerve and ended up lighting up the rest of the joint. He sprawled on his back on the top of the cabin.

He was on the brink of an anxiety attack, debating when/if/how he would tell his mom about his father. He kept telling himself he needed to get over himself and just tell her, but every time he came up with an action plan, his self-destructive thoughts crashed down and consumed him.

The joint was helping a bit, much to his surprise. Mostly it was probably because it was helping control his breathing.

He took a long drag and then watched the smoke wisp away in the air. It was almost hypnotic, so that was also helping.

He heard a grunt and jolted in alarm. He craned his neck and saw Sarah trying to climb up.

"What are you doing? Be careful," he whispered, turning on his knees and hauling her the rest of the way up.

"Thanks," she said and huffed a breath of exertion. "What are you doing up here?"

She laid down next to him.

Danny took another hit and exhaled through his nose. He shrugged. "Thinkin'."

She interlocked her fingers and rested them under her head. "What about?"

He sighed and squeezed his eyes closed. "If you. . . had a secret, would you tell the person you love?"

"I don't know. I mean, it's a secret for a reason." Sarah was quiet for a moment. "Is this about JJ?"

Danny's face scrunched in confusion. He took another hit. "No, why would it be about him? I never lie to him."

"Then what's wrong?"

Danny sat up and ran a hand down his face. "This secret would hurt her if I told her. Like really bad, but it's— it's eating at me and I. . . I don't know what to do."

She sat up and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Is this secret hurting you?"

Danny thought back on all the verbal abuse, the humiliation, the slap. The fact that his father never uses his name, or the fact that his mom wouldn't leave him. Tears welled in his eyes, and he dipped his chin. He took a needed drag and whispered, "Yes."

"Is someone hurting you, Danny?"

He immediately shook his head in denial. He was going to say no, but a small sob answered the question for him. He rose the joint to his lips and breathed shakily.

She shifted closer to him and ducked her head to meet his gaze. He wiped his cheeks and stared out at the horizon.

"Danny," she whispered. "What's. . . tell me the secret, Danny."

It was relatively easy telling Lou. It seems that the longer he holds it in and internalizes his abuse, the harder it is to talk about. "Fuck," he muttered and took his longest hit yet. "My dad. . ." He let the silence paint its own picture.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around him. "Tell your mom."

He shook his head and leaned away.

She held tighter and continued, "No, Danny. He's hurting you. That's not okay. I don't know what you think your mom's going to do, but Danny, trust me, she loves you. All right? She loves you."

He swallowed thickly.

*****

I made Danny a Leo because, come on. Tell me I'm wrong. I also technically made JJ one as well. What do you think he is? What about the others?

I don't think I've read a fic w the oc stranded as well, so I wanted to switch it up.

Thanks for reading!

XO
R