Kathryn hasn't been able to sleep. Either her brain is all scramble at the mere thought of getting into Yale, or she hasn't had a decent night sleep since... Well, she's not going to spell it out for you, but it's hard to readjust to sleeping alone when you are used to having a weight on your chest at all times of the night.

At least she uses her time right.

"Why are you up? It's like, five AM. That's a bit early for you."

She turns around to look at Henry, and holds up her letter in answer. "I got in!"

Henry grabs the letter and gives it a once over, before shaking her shoulder and letting out the quietest shout she'd ever heard. "I'm so proud of you, kid. Even if I had like, zero doubts."

"Thanks," she grins back. Then, she holds out her dad's journal. "I've been doing homework in preparation."

He sits down heavily on the couch next to her. "What does that mean? Give me very broad strokes."

"Well I was just reading through dad's journal, and while there are some theories about El Dorado and Denmark Tanny, I really like what he wrote on Kalinago."

"Broader strokes?"

"Native American tribe in Venezuela. The dialect is very complicated, barely translated, but..." She shows him some of the sigils her father has drawn. "Dad translated a bit of words. You can see some resemblances between them. Like here, look." Her fingers trail over them. "This is 'home,' and this is 'friends,' and this one looks a bit like them combined, so I think it's 'family.' But, what I like most is the way they work together. The order of words determines if it's a verb, or a subject, or an adjective, and your eyes are really blank right now."

Henry stares at her. "You're smarter than me, kid. I have no idea what you're talking about, but Yale better watch out."

"I just like to see how words work together. Dad was more focused on making sure the result fitted the sigils he found. He was working backwards and shoehorning in some weird meanings... Which is still good, but not how I'd do it."

He huffs. "Well, if you manage to stick it up to Edward, I'm in."

"Where is he, by the way?" she asks, closing the journal and her notepad. "He left right after me, and hasn't come back."

"You might be your brother's keeper, but I sure as shit ain't."

She blinks at him. "'Mkay. That was a lot of emotions."

"Yeah, that's because I should be asleep, but no, I'm waiting on my baby brother. I was planning on waiting for him to come back angrily." He sighs. "I just hope he can make it to the party tonight."

"He will," Kathryn promises without the shadow of a doubt.

Henry seems dubious. "Well. In any case, you mind picking up some stuff at the Wreck this morning? For the reception."

"Sure thing, Henry."

Kathryn had sent a text inviting the Pogues, but so far, no one had answered. Probably because of the current time. But still. She also planned on talking to JJ as soon as she could. Say what? She doesn't know, but she hopes she'll get inspiration. She can trust herself on that.

"Why were you looking for Edward?" Henry asks her, tilting his head.

She gulps. She'd planned to give him his money clip back and explain that JJ had just reacted badly, overshot, most likely. Maybe she could try telling Henry first, test the waters...

She slowly takes it out of her back pocket. "JJ... swiped that, when mum was here. I think he just flipped. He hasn't said he's sorry, but I know he is."

Henry stares at the money clip, completely dumbfounded. "Jesse James stole from your dad?"

"As a, like, 'well if I'm a thief, might as well,' moment." Kathryn looks away. "I think coming back here has been rough on him."

He looks back at her, the slightly worried look on her face, the way she keeps playing with JJ's ring on her thumb. Henry might not be the most emotionally intelligent man on the planet, but he could see that his niece was still in love with JJ. And, to be fair, Henry found it hard to hold anything against the kid.

It made sense, that he'd nick the money clip from Edward. Henry himself didn't grow up exactly well. He didn't steal, but he knew the urge to prove everyone right, to prove that he could be worse than what they expected.

He takes the money clip, and puts it back on the table. "Edward won't say a thing," he promises. "I'll talk to him."

Kathryn frowns at him. "You're not mad?"

"I mean, I'm sure you already gave him a stern talking to." Yeah, with tongue. "You're right. He's been weird since that night. But he's still a nice kid."

"I knew you liked him."

He holds up a finger. "But don't go telling him that. I still haven't forgotten when I caught him sleeping on you." He gags. "Oh god. War flashbacks."

She giggles, pushing her uncle, shaking her head. "You're dramatic, you know that?"

"Coming from you?"

But memories are already plaguing Kathryn, and the way JJ held her in his sleep, like she was going to leave him, sneaked up on her. It was ironic. She wasn't the one who left, in the end.

They settle down after a moment. Kathryn scratches her knee. "I miss JJ. Is that weird? He's literally here, and we sorta still have something. But I miss him."

Henry put an arm around his niece, rubbing her back. "He'll come 'round, kid. I'm sure he will."

🍓

"I am so excited you have no idea," Kie tells Kathryn with a grin. "I have this top that crosses over my chest, it'll look cute with the skirt I took from you."

Kathryn arches a brow at her. "The skirt you took from me?"

"The one you lended me that I'm never giving back, duh." She snorts. "I swear, this is the first official outing I can have without my parents breathing down my neck, you've blessed me."

"No, I know, I try."

Kie checks a few items off of the list Kathryn gave her for her uncles' reception. "Still no news from JJ?"

"Or John B," she nods. "But I'm sure they'll turn up."

"They better." She sighs, and hands her the list back, suddenly dead serious. "Kat, I really wanted to thank you."

Kathryn, who isn't particularly sure why she's being thanked, blinks at her friend. "You're welcome?"

Kie makes a face at her. "We haven't exactly had time to really talk, with everything, and..." She shrugs. "I dunno. Thank you. And JJ. For not telling anyone else that I..."

When Kathryn realises that Kie almost expected the pair to tell the rest of their friends that she had been in love with Sarah and was, to a certain level, attracted to girls, she nearly falls off her stool.

"Kie, we weren't just about to scream it to the world?"

"I don't know how people are meant to react. I don't even know..." she trails off. "I still don't know."

"That's okay." Kathryn pats her hand. "We'll all be here once you figure it out."

She smiles, fondly, before it turns a little snarky. "Maybe I'll throw a party. If my parents jump off my ass."

"You know, that's actually not–"

Kathryn's voice dies down in her throat.

Sitting, happily enjoying breakfast, Sarah and Topper are looking extremely comfy a little further down the Wreck. Holding hands, even. Kie's eyes trail after Kathryn's, and she immediately puts a hand on her shoulder.

"Kat."

"Topper. Really? It had to be Topper?" She turns back to her friend. "What is she doing with him?"

She knows her and John B aren't exactly in the brightest moment of their relationship, or at least, she can guess with the way John Bastard has been acting, but that's just... Everytime Kathryn catches a glimpse of Topper, she loses years off her life.

When Sarah realises that Kie and Kathryn are staring at her, she pales, and tries to hide. Something sinks in Kathryn's stomach. She couldn't have seriously... She hopes Sarah didn't, because if she did, Kathryn has to learn surgery and a way to remove fallopian tubes to strangle her with them.

Kie just shakes her head, nearly dragging her friend out. "Come on."

"It's weird," Kathryn says, following her out begrudgingly. "I'm not tripping, am I?"

"No, that's why I dragged you out."

"Good. Sensible."

They're barely halfway down the street before Sarah screams out after them, calling their names. She doesn't know about Kie, but Kathryn figures that the blonde should know better than to try to explain anything to them right now.

"Topper and I were just getting breakfast," she starts.

Kie shakes her head. "It's none of our business."

"You don't want to make it my business, that's for sure," Kathryn groans, Kie pinching her.

"No, that's it, just breakfast," Sarah promises, but the hurried way she says it makes her think the exact opposite. "You should join if you want to!"

"I'd rather kill myself, actually. Like I know for a fact it'd be less painful."

"Yo, Kat, Kie!"

Kie's face scrunches up in disgust as Topper jogs over to them, Kathryn visibly growing redder with anger, fingers twitching with the hem of her shirt. Sarah should be remorseful if only for subjecting her to Topper's presence.

Kathryn tries to get ahold of herself. Sarah's a great girl. She wouldn't cheat on John B, and especially not with Topper. And if she did, she knows better than to chase after her. She trusts that she at least has some sort of self preservation.

"Yo, Top," Kie lets out dryly.

Kathryn looks back at Sarah. "You have ten seconds to explain yourself before I claw his balls out."

"I had nowhere to go last night," she hushers before Topper reaches them. "Cleo's at Pope's. I couldn't find JJ. I tried yours– John B and I got into, like, a thing. I'm – he found me and took me to Mase with a group of people."

Kie frowns. "Okay, so you bring him to the Wreck on a Saturday?"

Kathryn hates where this is going, and she hates it even more that Kie herself seems to think Sarah capable of it. As a reminder, she's in love with the girl.

The benefit of the doubt, Kathryn tells herself. She'll start kicking and screaming when said doubt is gone. It's waving at her from the door, though.

"What's up?" Topper exclaims when he arrives, holding his fist up. "Random, right?"

Kathryn stares at his hand. "It's like you want me to break it." He retreats.

"Look, we're just gonna leave," Kie tells them, grabbing her friend by the arm again. "We don't want to impose. We have to set up Henry and Max's party anyway."

"I want to impose. I want to impose my hand across his frat boy face."

"I know, that's why we're leaving, Kat, keep up."

As they start walking again, Sarah holds up a finger. "You know what? I'm gonna go too."

This is a colossally bad move on her part. This is like, handing the Darcy a gun and expecting her not to shoot at Topper.

Kathryn turns to Kie. "If what I think happened, did happen, don't hold me back."

"How about you promise not to rip her head off instead?"

"That's dull."

"Real helpful, Kat."

Topper is still grappling with the fact that Sarah is leaving him. "How are you gonna smother your hunger?"

Kathryn and Kie stare at each other again. "I need this to end."

"Yeah, we're leaving."

"Topper, I'm going with Kie and Kat. But thank you." She kisses his cheek. "I'll call you."

They stare, arms crossed, as Topper leaves, and Sarah turns back to them. They look like the very picture of aggravation, though one seems disappointed and the other irate. Good cop, bad cop. Except the bad cop is looking up cliff notes about fallopian surgery.

Kie shakes her head. "Sarah, what are you doing?"

Kathryn scoffs. "She means what the fuck are you doing, actually."

Sarah looks away. "I don't know."

"Well, figure it out before this goes to shit."

They walk back to the Country Club, in silence. Even if John B has been lying to all of them, Kathryn is still holding onto the hope that he has his reasons. Worse, even if he was the worst human being on the planet, she doesn't see a way out of this argument with Sarah and her remaining friends. It was a no-brainer. If she had to pick someone's side, it was going to be John B's. Bug and Bee, that's just how it went.

Sarah was a good friend. She was a great friend even! But John B, well... he was her brother. There's nothing she wouldn't do for him. There's nothing she hasn't done. And if she was right, well, even on principle, Sarah was wrong. Not that it would matter.

Kathryn would always be her brother's keeper.

"Fess up, Cameron," she asks, leaning against the wall.

The girls are sitting outside. Well, Kie and Sarah are. Kathryn can't stop moving. Her fists are clenching and unclenching, going back and forth being determined to kill Sarah on the spot, or being nice to her, because she was the only one who was there for her, when she came back on this island.

Sarah gulps, actual despair in her brown eyes. "It's actually so embarrassing. He caught me slugging beer at the Tiki Bar."

Kie snorts. "You weren't."

"Yeah... shot drinking."

She makes a face. "I'm not judging."

"I wouldn't blame you if you were."

Kathryn arches a brow. "Cool, 'cause I am."

"And then a couple kids from KCD rolled up, and they were already going to Mase. And then... I kissed him."

There's a beat of confusion. Then, as if on cue, both girls turn to Kathryn. She pushes herself off of the wall, heart hammering in her chest. She knew that this was what it was about. She already knew, so why was she surprised?

"Excuse me?"

Sarah looks like a beaten puppy. "Do you hate me?"

"Well I don't very much like you at the moment, yeah."

Kie harbours nearly the same expression. "Kat, c'mon."

"'C'mon' what?" She points a finger at Sarah, growing angrier by the second. "She cheated on John B!" She grounds her teeth, taking in a shaky breath for the sake of their friendship. "Sarah, if you wanted to break up with him for his recent behaviour, I wouldn't have blamed you. But cheating?"

She winces. "I don't want to be broken up."

"Oh! Oh, this just makes it that much better then. No, you'd rather suck face with your bleached tip boy toy instead, but keep John B near, just in case. Gotcha."

She runs a hand down her face. This cannot be happening. Not today, of all days. Sarah had got to know better! Kathryn already feels betrayed by her actions, because Topper, really? The guy was like a goddamn skeeter you couldn't get rid of, always buzzing in your ear. Out of all people...

"Look, ever since the island everything has felt so abnormal..." Sarah says, quietly. "And it just felt nice to feel something normal again. I'm a mess. I feel like such a mess."

"What, because you fucked up real bad?"

"Kat," Kie sighs, shaking her head.

Her voice is tired, drawn. Maybe it's why Kathryn clenches her jaw, instead of ripping Sarah's pretty blonde hair out. Kie, as far as the Pogues are concerned, had always been middle ground. Kathryn always trusted her to tell her when she was going too far. And why she was going too far.

"I think we're all a little messed up," Kie says. "You, me, Kat–"

"Wrong."

"–JJ."

She scoffs. JJ stole from her dad. And once upon a time, it would have been blasphemy. The highest offence against the god she worshipped. But Kathryn had let that go. She had no idea how, but she did.

Because Kie was right. She was messed up too. She's been looking for normal, too. She thought she'd found it with Josh, for a moment, before she was laughing on her porch with JJ, and he kissed her cheek.

She can attest that she had made mistakes with Josh, too. She'd lead him on, a lot. Too much. Made him think that he had a shot with her was enough to make her feel sick when she thought back on it.

But she would never have kissed him. Not even now. Her whole being recoils at the idea. She pictures JJ cheating on her, and feels sick. The thought alone is enough to drive her up against the wall, so knowing that Sarah knowingly did this to John B?

Kie was still staring at her.

Sarah had gone through so much in so little time. They all had, it was normal to make mistakes at this point. It was bound to happen.

JJ said the same thing about breaking up with her.

Instead of blowing up at Sarah, and strangling her like she promised she would, Kathryn looks away. "Sarah, you fucked up," she repeats. "Okay? I'm not sugarcoating that for you. I understand why, to a certain level, but I will not be okay with it. You cheated on my brother. I'm not going to like you for a good, long while."

Sarah's eyes fill up with tears that Kathryn is too angry to see. But that was always how Kathryn was. There were offences not to make, lines not to cross. JJ got a pass because she was in love with him. Stupidly, but she was.

Worse, maybe, Sarah understood. Kathryn was John B's best friend, she didn't expect her to react kindly. In fact, she needed her not to. She needed her to tell her that she'd messed up, to snap out of it. Someone to give her a glimpse of reality. She had cheated on her boyfriend, her husband, if they went into the thick of things. She had no right to expect nothing else but disappointment and anger.

Sarah needed to see both, to realise what she was doing, what she was giving up, what she was breaking. Nothing 'normal' was worth this. Kathryn knew that now, and so did she.

Besides, she needed time before looking at Sarah and not picturing her kissing Topper. And she would rather do without that image.

"If you ever want to talk to me again, and I mean it, Sarah, you tell John B. As soon as he gives signs of life, you tell him. Or I will."

Kie looked frustrated by her choice, but she couldn't disagree. Kathryn could have been worse. Kathryn could have been much worse. She was surprised that blows hadn't landed yet, to be fully honest.

She sighs. "I'm gonna put up some decorations inside. I can't do this right now, it's my uncles' engagement party tonight."

She needs tonight to be perfect. That's on the foreground, before everything. The rest could be put on pause for a little while, at least. Tonight was for Henry and Max.

Sarah nods once, Kie patting her knee. Kathryn walks away towards the door with long strides, determined to get her head out of whatever that image of Sarah and Topper was. She had kissed him. Him?

She turns around abruptly.

"And don't you dare cause a scene at their party!"

Author's Note: I needed to get this out of my system, but I really do have a lot of work coming my way Saturday, Sunday and Monday, so I'd say definitely don't expect anything until then ... I am so sick you have no idea I NEED JJKAT NOT THE ILLIAD'S LITTLE GAY BOYS!!!!!!!!!! But no ... So here's a lil chapter setting up for Henry and Max's party <3

And yeah, trust me Sarah, Kat could've been SO MUCH WORSE