GLITCH.
039 | hydroponic

CONFUSION WAS THE FIRST THING RENEE FELT. Her arm sprawled against the place the bare chest belonging to her boyfriend was meant to be — although it wasn't.

Instead JJ stood half dressed with his eyes fixated on the silhouettes of the sun dancing on the walls of her room as they slipped through the gaps of the curtains as well as occasionally turning and checking to see if his girlfriend was still asleep.

he found peace in watching her sleep similar to the way she did him, noticing her lips curve into a bigger smile every few minutes — hoping of course that she was dreaming of him.

" you're up?" he asked, moving to her side of the bed using his hand as Renee rolled over to push all the hair out of her face. Renee grumbled a small 'duh' earning s few amusing notes from JJ.

Once Renee finally managed to sit herself up, rubbing her eyes with her head rested against the headboard she let out a yawn before looking at JJ.

" why are you up so early, it's only like eight?" she sat herself up, rubbing her eyes that had adjusted to the light that was flooding her bedroom.

" I had some plans with John B this morning, and I knew there was no point asking if you wanted to come because-" JJ was cut off by his girlfriend who was now sat upright.

" because he's an ignorant asshole who has literally betrayed two of his closest friends?" JJ swallows dryly at Renee's depiction of his best friend.

" in some sort of perspectives yes." deciding wisely not to argue with the girl who nodded.

" fine, I'll just go and chill with Kie until you get back." JJ stayed quiet, knowing the guilt of the truth of the situation was eating him up inside.

Renee could sense on the uneasiness of his actions, peeling the covers off of her body and standing herself up — JJ's shirt falling to their full length on her figure as she wondered to where the blonde boy had barely turned to look at the girl.

Running her arms around his still bare stomach and nuzzling her chin on his shoulder as jj sighed.

" is everything okay? you seem a little ...distracted." Renee asked, her tone gentle with him as he shook his head.

" no, nothings wrong." the guilt of his lies continued to feast on his stomach strengthening the nauseous feeling, " just hungry?" His statement came out more like a question as Renee nodded not seeming to catch onto it.

" well, do you want me to make you something?" she smiled at her own words " I make a killer bowl of lucky charms."

Pulling away from his girlfriend's embraces, and shaking his head — turning down her offer of a bowl of sugary cereal.

" nah, I'm just going to roll a blunt." the girl furrowed her eyebrows at JJ who couldn't see the stupidity in his own words.

" you realise you can't survive on just weed." Renee told him, JJ's shook his head as he reached for his backpack.

" until my theory is proven wrong, I will continue to do so." Renee sighed and  began to walk towards the closet, searching for something to wear for the day.

'' THIS BETTER BE IMPORTANT ."

Renee's voice bellowed as she lead Kiara to the boat after a so called 'code red' from Pope regarding JJ and John b.

If it weren't for one of the two of them to be dating the blonde boy, they probably wouldn't have left the comfort of Kiara's house considering neither of them had even spoken to John b or the 'traitor' as they had nicknamed him after the events of yesterday.

" what the hell is going on?" Kiara asked a bit firmer this time, her hands gripping the bars to the small ladder down to the floating dock.

" JJ and John b conked out in the marsh, they need a tow." pope explained, earning a shrug of the shoulders from the blonde who hesitated to step onto the boat, propping down her bag as she let a sigh slip from her lips.

" okay, and what does that have to do with us?" Kie asked on behalf of both of them who would have much rather stayed asleep or went surfing for the couple of hours they were now wasting on the two boys.

" you and Renee have always been mechanical." Pope cleared up, Kiara rolled her eyes as she rested her hand on the controls taking a stand by Pope.

" I'm only here because JJ is my boyfriend, so if this is some ploy of yours to get me to talk to the traitor it won't work." Renee couldn't help but notice the mischievous smirk on popes lips as he simply shrug his shoulders. " I'm too pissed to play happy families."

" don't worry, you won't have to talk to John b at all." both girls shared a look at one another curiously at popes slight slick sounding voice.

After a boat ride filled to its brim with Pope being questioned by the two girls on why the boys were out here in the first place — the three of them arrived in the middle of marsh, seemingly miles away from the mainland.

" John b and JJ are in the alp." pope told the two of them as they reached the stranded heyward boat.

Renee was the most skeptical out of the two of them, JJ normally told her everything he was going to do and he did not mention anything in his plans about using heywards boat in the marsh with John b.

" seriously, can you guys do anything without us?" Kiara mocked pope, steadily stepping onto the boat, followed closely by the Renee who still had her eyebrows furrowed — growing more skeptical by the second.

they swiftly made their way into the alp, presented by the two boys hunched over trying to fix something.

" what happened?" Kie questioned, whilst Ren leant into the doorway.

The two boys looked at one another with a sort of hopeful glint in their eyes.

" the alternators not uh..alternating anymore." JJ told them, his eyes loosely scanning over Kie who had entered before finally fixating on his girlfriend.

she was forced to playfully roll her eyes as the boy winked his left eye at her. Renee unfolded her arms, stepping fully into the room and scooting towards JJ, hoping she wouldn't have to talk to John b.

" it's not charged." John b finally spoke up, eyeing up the two blondes as they pecked eachothers lips softly.

" hey." Renee couldn't help but grin, running her fingers briefly through his already wet hair as JJ watched her in admiration but a pile of guilt built up in his stomach from what he was about to do.

" hey." JJ replied, moving back in to peck her lips. Earning a fake gag from John b, the girl had no hesitation silently showing the boy her middle finger.

" have you guys checked the plugs?" Renee asked, now turning her attention to the whole reason they were here in the first place.

"N-No you should check them." JJ told her, handing her the screwdriver before rising to his feet just like John b had a few seconds prior.

Both of the girls hunched over the open engine system, not paying attention as the two boys crept away — instead confused as they couldn't figure out the root of the problem.

" give it a whirl." JJ encouraged, bending down briefly to press his lips onto Renee's shoulder, which she barely noticed.

" you guys are so useless." Kiara mocked them both, joining the blonde into helping the boys out.

" come on, come on, come on." John b ushered in the midst of breaths the boy away from his girlfriend, both leaving to put their plan into action.

The girls simultaneously scrunched their faces up on the lack of help the boat actually needed — not focusing on the seeming chaos unfolding behind them.

" uh..is this a joke?" Kiara scoffed, looking for the plugs that didn't seem to exist.

" guys, there aren't any plugs like at all." Renee chuckled, turning her head hoping to see JJ watching over her like he usually did.

Renee's face dropped noticing both of the boys had seem to disappear into thin air.

" oh you've got to be fucking kidding me!" Renee scowled, picking herself up before almost racing out of the room.

Kiara followed behind, their eyes caught onto the boys swimming towards the pogue that was no longer parked against the side of the heyward boat.

About to shout at them to come back,  Renee was cut off by the emersion of another voice.

" John b, let me out!" Renee felt her stomach drop as she noticed the thumping of the small compartment on deck.

The two friends looked at each other, scolding themselves for be so oblivious to what was actually happening.

" for fuck sake!" Kiara cursed, bending down to push the board back.

It seemed every single nightmare Renee had ever had was coming true, especially when Sarah Cameron was revealed in the same compartment.

" what, wait!" Sarah shared the same scowl as both the pogue girls as she clambered out of the place she had been held for god only knows how long.

" what the hell!" Kiara looked at Renee who was already getting ready to bail.

Renee threw her crop top onto the floor of the boat, sliding off her slip on shoes.

" JJ, you better get your ass back here now!" She began to shout out to the blonde haired boy who had only then reached their get away boat.

" Guys are you serious!" Kiara called out, only earning laughter from both JJ and John b.

" are you joking?" She continued, glaring her eyes at Sarah who stood too close to her for her own liking forcing her to shuffle back.

Renee shook her head, moving to the other side of Kiara.

"Get your asses back here now!" The blondes voice filled with almost a tinge of anger as the two clearly amused boys looked back at the three of them.

" we can't- not until you three figure it out!" John b claimed, Renee rolled her eyes, crossing her arms against her chest.

" I'm going to kill you JJ, you understand that right?" Renee's words only made JJ laugh at her empty threat as he sent her another wink.

" y-you can't just leave." Sarah attempted to reason, her voice only making both Kiara's and Renee's hatred for her burn brighter.

" there's food in the cabinet and JJ rolled a blunt." pope put his thumbs up to the girls.

" hydroponic, I know it's your favourite babe!" He aimed his final comment at the girl who was shaking her head at him.

" well at least your thinking about my favourite type of weed whilst you leave me stranded in the middle of the marsh!" She told him sarcastically, clearly not amused.

Renee sighed, watching helplessly as Sarah frantically attempted to rip her non swimmable apparel off, just like Kiara but she already knew the boys weren't going to wait for her.

" this is ridiculous." Sarah groaned, throwing off her jean shorts and sliding off her shoes.

" well I'd rather drown than stay here with you so-" Kiara's comment made laughter stifle out of Renee's lips as she joined in.

" I second that." Renee agreed, Kiara sent her a tight lipped smile whilst Sarah just rolled her eyes.

" fine- be my guest, maybe then you'll both shut the hell up." Sarah retaliated, the urge for the blonde to flip her ex best friend off was almost undeniable.

Renee perched a seat on the floor, knowing their was no point wasting her time chasing after the three boys.

" Sarah, do you even know where you're going?" Renee groaned, tilting her head back slightly.

" to be honest Renee, I don't care!" She sassed back, stepping over the edge. Getting ready to dive in.

" good luck with the oyster beds." Kiara spoke fakely, both the girls watching the kook helpless throw herself into the water.

Renee let a groan slide from her lips, she knew what fate awaited her and Kiara and she wanted to drown before fulfilling it.

" John B you asshole!" Sarah cursed down her so called 'boyfriend' as she aimlessly paddled towards the boat which was continuing to move further away from them.

" they're not coming back for you!" Renee's voice was mocking, as she crossed her arms looking back at JJ who was blowing her kisses from their getaway vehicle.

"I'll see you soon baby!" no longer Renee fought the urge to present her signature middle finger to her boyfriend — clearly annoyed that she was ever dumb enough to get roped into this.

JJ whooped a few times before the boat was finally out of sight, leaving Sarah still paddling in the marsh.

" ugh, great." Kiara sighed, looking to Renee who had her hands palmed on her face.

" we should have never left your house Kie." renee groaned — only mere minutes they were watching Bridget Jones tucked under the covers of Kiara's duvet. And Renee already missed it dearly.

The squealing of the ex friend made Renee reveal her face and peer overboard, she rolled her eyes noticing Sarah yelping.

" oh my god, what!" she asked, already infuriated by her, " I got stung by a jellyfish, shit!" Kiara rolled her eyes at the overdramatised performance the kook Princess was putting on — especially as her and Renee separately had been stung many times.

" dramatic." Kie commented over the sound of a clearly discomforted Sarah.

Renee rose from her seat on the floor, sighing before running her hand over her hair.

" Sarah, you swam right into a man-o'- war." Renee told her as she slowly appeared back into Renee's eyeline, " I really don't know what else you thought would happen."

Sarah climbed back onto the boat — rolling her eyes at Renee's last words " thank you for your help." Her tone very obviously sarcastic.

Renee and Kiara looked at eachother, the background noise of Sarah's heavy pants and occasionally swearing at she sat down.

" does it hurt?" Kiara said, yet no sympathy in her voice.

" Hey, guys you know what they say?" she began "about curing jellyfish stings?"

Both of the other girls began to adamantly shake their heads, before Sarah could even finish their request.

" one of you have to pee on me."

" yeah." Renee looked at Sarah who had a glint of hope in her eyes " no fucking way."

THEY ALL SAT IN SILENCE, The only communication the three of them had the entire day was watching Sarah's first experience smoking weed which they deemed medically necessary to ease the pain of her sting.

Well by silence, it meant Kiara and Renee looking at each other enjoying their high that eased their bodies whilst Sarah continued to laugh next them — at anything and everything she could physically laugh at.

" hey guess what?" Sarah looked over to the two girls who out of politeness looked back at her,

" would you rather have-" she seemingly lost her train of thought as she talked again " I was imagining you guys like this just now and it was pretty funny."

" oh god." Renee sighed, leaning her head on Kiara's shoulder.

" would you imag- would you rather have nipples for eyes or eyes for nipples?" It was clear she was out of it, Renee knew if the police were somehow called out here they would be spending the night in a cell.

" imagine if you get really old and your nipples- your boobs get saggy." she continued to ramble "and your nipples if they were your eyes."

" you could see if your shoes were untied." Another dose of chuckles left Sarah's mouth — annoying Renee and Kiara more than they thought was humanly possible.

" Sarah, is this your first time smoking weed?" Renee leant forward, Sarah looked slightly bashful as she shook her head which the girls could tell was a blatant lie.

After a few more seconds in silence, Sarah began to talk again.

" hey guys."

Renee's patience managed to snap mere seconds before Kiara did.

"Enough with the 'hey guys' bullshit Sarah!" her tone slightly tough as Sarah's eyes widened at her change of attitude. " why'd you do it?" she questioned, Sarah shrugged her shoulders before speaking back.

" why did I do what?" Sarah asked back, Renee shook her head.

" we were bestfriends since we were kids." Renee sighed " we pulled pranks on Rafe and Lennon, we practically made a thieving career out of stealing beers from your dads fridge."'

" we watched movies together." Kiara joined in " we cried about boys and then the next thing we know."

" I'm watching your birthday party happen from Instagram." Kiara finished, Sarah too stubborn yet to admit she was in the wrong decided to bicker.

" and I'm being ghosted by my best friend at a time when-" Renee took a breath although it was clearly shaken " when I really fucking needed you" not expanding any further as both Kiara and Sarah knew what she were referring to.

" you cut us out of your life..like you got a better option and just deemed us unnecessary or excess baggage."

" god..it was one party."'She rebutdtaled, looking at the two of them.

" you invited everyone except us." Kiara stated factually through the amount of weeks later that both of them had to listen to what had happened at tanny hill.

" and then you told everyone that me and Kiara were the reason the party got busted." Renee huffed crossing her arms as she did so.

" well who else would have called the cops?" Sarah scoffed, earning a irritated look from the blonde who sat close.

" but you never asked, you just assumed and let the rumour go around that we were rats ." Renee told her firmly, earning a nod from Kiara who was in agreement with every word leaving Renee's mouth.

" I mean, you were our best friend." Renee sighed "and then you just ghosted us in a months span and we don't even know why!" it was clear that Renee was taking this opportunity to air our everything that she had kept to herself all those years.

" I just want to know why, Sarah." Renee scoffed "what did we even do to you.. what did I do that was so bad that you locked your window and then never spoke to me again?"

After a few seconds of looking at her, Sarah opened her mouth and ushered her words out in a breath

"you guys relied on me."

Kiara and Renee looked at each other, confused on what she meant.

" what?"

Sarah sighed, it too being the first time she admitted to herself the truth.

" when people get close to me or become so attached that either they relied on me or I rely on them." She adverted her eyes from their gaze " I feel trapped and that I'm scared I'm gonna mess it up..so I just bail."

" and then I blame them for it."

Sarah could sense Renee's confusion " I was use to it with you Ren, you had been there forever you were more like family than a friend."

Sarah eventually pulled herself to look at them, her throat running dry as she began to speak

" but I was so scared of how much you meant to me and now much you relied on me after your dad died." She stumbled on her words " I don't know why but I got scared that I was going to let you down in some way or you'd realise I wasn't the support you needed and you'd leave me so I bailed first."

"And I know how wrong it was, I felt so horrible." Sarah told her, Renee somehow feeling some sympathy for her " but, I wouldn't let myself let you back in despite how much I wanted to."

" I'm really sorry." she told them " and I miss you guys so much ." Finally looking at Kiara who too was slightly sympathetic for the blonde.

It almost made Renee smile that Sarah felt the same way she had admitted to JJ yesterday that does. " do you think, there's any way that we could all be at least...ok again?"

Renee and Kiara looked at each other, both not knowing what to say — neither wanting to cave easily back into the friendship that had hurt them for the last couple years.

" honestly," Kiara sighed " We don't know."

Sarah wasn't surprised by their answer , nodding her head and licking her lips. The silence that followed wasn't awkward — they all just individually got in a comfortable position to sleep in.

Renee knew she wouldn't sleep well that night and it wasn't because she was trading in her comfortable mattress for the floor of Heyward's boat — it was the irregularity of having to sleep without a certain blonde headed boy lying next to her that she had grown use to having and the days where she couldn't rely on her boyfriend to be her sleeping partner she'd be too tired to be an insomniac.

But yet as she stared at the stars that glistening in the dark obis she was lying under — she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable without his arm lying under her and his head not rested on her chest. It just felt odd.

It was a slight relief that Renee wasn't the only one struggling to sleep in the  situation they were forced in.

" hey Sarah?" Kiara's voice was timid, her gaze too at the sky whilst the other blonde leant on her side and peered her eyes open.

" hey kiara," her voice low too, not knowing that Renee was still wide awake next to Kiara.

" promise me that you won't bail on John B." After a few moments of silence Kiara spoke again "he's not just some other guy."

Renee sat her self up, resting her weight on her arms as she looked up — gently smiling at Sarah who reciprocated it.

" and he really, really likes you." Renee added onto Kiara's words, she even noticed a slight tinted red colour against Sarah's cheeks.

" I won't." Kiara didn't find enough belief in Sarah's simple phrase.

" promise me." she asked again, Sarah nodded seemingly agreeing to Kiara's terms.

" I promise." The words tumbled from her lips and soothed the anxiousness in Kiara's stomach as she too turned over.

Kiara smirked as Sarah furrowed her eyebrows " I'm sorry that we called the cops."

Sarah widened her eyes and let her mouth gape open, meanwhile Kiara had painted a shocked expression on her face as she looked back at Renee.

" I thought we agreed that we weren't going to tell her!" Kiara's voice came out a slight squeal as she swatted Renee who was in the midst a fit of laughter — soon accompanied by Kiara who couldn't help but break out in giggles.

" it was both of you?" she snorted, heavy laughter falling from the pogue girls lips.

" I knew it, you bitches!" Sarah too picked up on the contagiousness of the laughter that stifled through the prior silence of the night.

SOMEHOW THE PLAN HAD WORKED.

Although Renee had barely slept it was because she had spent the night and earliest hours of the morning talking to Sarah and Kiara — mostly gossiping about relationships and especially digging up all the dirt on JJ and Renee's relationship.

Renee was the first one who noticed the boat, as she dangled her legs over the side in the middle of the three of them.

" uh-oh!" Pope said in an attempt to be shocked that they were stuck in the middle of the marsh.

" did you forget your keys or something?" John B joined in, the girls looked at eachother silently suppressing a smile as they did so.

" do you need a tow?" Pope continued, Renee rolled her eyes subtly whilst she sighed.

" so we're not telling them this worked?" Sarah asked Kiara and Renee who shook their heads in sync.

" they'd never let go of the satisfaction, don't worry we're saving your ass by doing this." Renee said, gently nudging Sarah's shoulder gently as the boat pulled up to them.

" you gotta admit, it was quite funny." The girls turned away from eachother, all three of them glaring at the boys.

" John b?" Kie asked, flickering her attention to him.

" uh- what's that?" He answered dumbfounded.

" mastermind huh?" Kie sighed, only making him chuckle.

" I'm always planning-"

they all stood up, ready to leave the boat they had been trapped on for far too long now.

" some patriarchal bullshit." Kiara swore, grabbing her bag and quickly looping it over her shoulders as JJ went to throw her the rope.

" yeah, you guys fucking suck." Renee groaned, doing the same thing with her backpack before flickering her eyes to her boyfriend who sent her a pout.

" you still want to be my girlfriend right?" He asked softly, the girl shrugged her shoulders.

" maybe girlfriend is too big of a commitment right now." She teased back.

John B looked at Sarah skeptically, furrowing his eyebrows.

" do you still hate me ?" He asks, just like Renee she simply shrugged her shoulders.

" a little."

" anyways, we're all gonna get you back when you least expect it." Sarah finished, both girls nodded their heads in agreement.

" yeah, you better watch out boys." renee attempted to be intimidating.

" well I for one welcome that challenge." Pope spoke, John b hummed in agreement whilst JJ kept his eyes trained on his girlfriend.

" so did you guys, you know-" pope asked, mashing his hands together, only confusing Renee even more.

" reconcile?" She asked, still slightly confused on what he meant.

" y-yeah." He answered sheepishly, his answer was met with three shakes of the head.

" not even close." Kiara inputted, glancing over to Renee who sighed.

" but, we're willing to work together." Sarah informed them, the boys felt their eyes widen as a smirk toyed on all of their lips.

" you know what- that's a victory." John B announced, doing a weird handshake with Pope as he said so.

" woogity-woogity-woogity-"

The three girls looked at eachother, all trying to suppress a smile on successfully tricking the boys.

" know why, hydroponic?" JJ said confidence laced in his normal tone.

" don't say that." Pope scolded .

" all right, shut up. You guys ready to jack some loot?" John B said smugly.

The girls nodded, Pope helped each one on, Ren being first followed by Sarah and finally Kiara.

" babe, babe!" JJ groaned; grabbing the loose material of her shorts and pulling towards the back of the boat where he was. She pouted her lips, as he sat down meaning she was trapped in between his legs.

" you suck." She attempted to be mad with him, failing miserable as a wide smile spread thinly on her lips. " you know that right?"

He arched his head up, placing kisses on her bare stomach since she still hadn't changed back into her shirt which was now stuffed in her bag.

She placed her hands on his cheeks, moving her fingers to the sides of his shades, she peeled them off his eyes before placing them on her own face.

"I realised it was a bad idea like an hour after we came back, fuck I've missed you." Renee could feel her act of being annoyed falter as the words escaped his mouth.

" I missed you too." she spoke softly, bowing her head as their lips met in the middle as well as their foreheads that rested gently on one another.

after a few seconds of making up for lost time through the connection of their lips — the background sound of Kiara gagging broke the two of them apart.

" please get a goddamn room!"

AUTHORS NOTE.
hello ellie who updates twice in 24 hours 👋👋
psa. this chapters only out as quick as it is because I've had it prewritten for MONTHS now .

hope you enjoyed
don't forget to vote and comment,

love you all so much xo