MY PURPOSE - JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

CHAPTER TWO - POGUE FOR LIFE

"To John B and Eleanor" JJ toasted, holding up his beer as the teens all stared at the couple's monument. Something to remember them by after their funerals yesterday that were all paid for by Eleanor's family.

Sarah put her hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs as Kiara cried into the blonde's shoulder before they all bent down to bury the box under-neath the tree.

Now, here's a fun fact. I hope you're ready. Here we go...

Everyone you know...will die. And by everyone, I mean everyone. Your mother, brother, sister, all of your friends. And all of your enemies.

But, of course, there is another way of looking at it. Since it's all so short and over so quickly...that makes everything so meaningful. Everything's just one time.

-----

"How's your hand?" John B asked his girlfriend after her fist went through a glass window as they continued their trek through the hot sun of Nassau.

Eleanor shrugged, looking over to the boy "It's fine, it's not bleeding and it doesn't even hurt" JB smiled in relief causing the girl to squeeze his hand comfortingly until she realised where they were.

"We're here, so act normal and civilised okay?" Eleanor told him as she walked into the hotel, her head held high and her posture straight making her look like she belonged.

"A five star hotel? You've got to be shitting me-" John B didn't get to finish sentence when a hand came to rest over his mouth and was soon removed when an older couple came from round the corner and his walking in their direction.

"Just smile and say hi to people, ya know act like you belong. Like this" She then smiled at the older couple who were now about to walk past them "Hi, good afternoon"

The couple smiled back "Good afternoon, dear" The woman replied as her husband next to her nodded at them.

"Hi" John B put his hand up to wave awkwardly before Eleanor quickly whisked to the two of them away.

"Yeah, not like that" Eleanor said, leading John B into the main voyar of the hotel when a man who worked there quickly brought the couple to a stop.

"Excuse me. Excuse me. May I help you?"

Eleanor turned around with a small smirk on her face "Yes sir you can. Do you have any bottled water, please? You know like Voss, Fiji, or-" The brunette stopped talking when she saw waitress walking by. She smiled at the woman before grabbing two drinks off her tray and handing one of them to John B.

"Thank you, I am so parched. God, I can't wait to get out of these clothes. What time is our reservation?" She looked over at John B.

"Uh...our reservation" John B trailed off "Oh yeah, it's at uh four thirty ish"

"You have a reservation?" The man looked at them in disgust.

"Yes actually, we have a harbour-view king on the third floor, and we've been patrons of your hotel for years. And I'll be very sure the manager knows of your hospitality, Eliot, thank you" She finished after reading the man's name tag as she gave him a nod before making her way to the stairs.

JB followed five minutes later after slurping down the rest of his drink "We need to brush up on your lying skills" Eleanor smiled at him as they jogged up the stairs.

The boy laughed, looking at the view they already had just from the stairs "So, you stay here?"

"When I was a kid yeah, but as soon as my uncle's house was finished we stayed there" She replied.

Arriving on the second floor, they saw a cleaner putting fresh towels in every room as she smiled at the two teenagers "Hey, good day"

Eleanor smiled back and made her way up the next set of stairs which lead to the third floor and soon enough they were on the roof of the hotel.

"Okay, you didn't tell me you lived on a beach filled with rollers that just slide in all day" Eleanor laughed at his comment.

"I used to sneak out here at night and watch the sunset. Honestly, I probably passed Sarah and her family many times whilst being here. You can see their vacation house from here and then uncle Armando's is just a few more blocks down"

"I bet that's where the gold is"

Eleanor sighed "Don't be stupid JB, I know what you're thinking"

"Well, Eleanor Ortiz-Toretto, I do stupid things all the time without realising it"

"And so do I and I know you want to go over there but we have to think about this. There's gonna be security outside that house, there will be patrols. Jesus christ John B, my uncle practically owns half the island meaning I can't risk being seen and neither can you"

"Okay, but El, just think about it. If we can get some money...like real money, I can get a lawyer. We can clear our names. We can go home. Baby, look, the gold is only gonna be there for a few days, and after that, it's gone. It's gone forever" He shrugged "The world thinks we're dead. It's perfect, we just go and hop over the gate, steal some gold"

"No John B because it's not that easy and trust me when I say that, things like this need a plan. We're wanted and the police over here are not so friendly, we just can't...I'm sorry"

John B nodded, looking down at his shoes whilst biting his lip "Yeah, yeah you're right"

"And anyway, we've gotta a super sweet crib for the night" Eleanor smiled at him. She took a seat on one of the deck chairs with the boy on the one next to her. 

Eleanor looked over at him and frowned watching the boy pull a phone out his pocket "Where did you get that?"

"Borrowed it. For a minute, ya know to send a message from beyond the grave" He smiled typing in their friend's numbers including Sarah's.

John B then held up the phone so Eleanor leaned over so he could take the selfie. She had her hand over her mouth but you could still see that she was smiling and he was kissing her cheek. It wasn't long before the couple got a reply.

KIARA
WTF is this you??? Both of you??

UNKNOWN
Is JJ there?

JJ
I'm here Bree, El

UNKNOWN
Did you pimp my short board?

UNKNOWN
You still want a ride in my 'beast of a car' I have?

They both knew the Pogues would be smiling and probably crying back at home.

UNKNOWN
Laying super low in Nassau
Can you clear our names?
Wanna come home

UNKNOWN
Also, don't tell my family please
I'll them everything when we get home

JJ
Hell yeah, dude
We'll clear your names

POPE
We promise, El

UNKNOWN
Sarah, if you're reading this, we love you
Thank you for everything

UNKNOWN
Be in touch
P4L

And Sarah was reading them, a big smile on her face, in the Kook academy.