☀︎︎

☀︎︎

“That's what, a three-story fall to the deck?” Pope Heyward spoke as he stared up at John B, who was precariously balancing at the edge of the roof. “I give you about a one-in-three chance of survival.” 

Eli snickered to herself as she watched the boy stick his finger in his mouth before sticking it into the air. 

“Hm, should I do it?” he questioned.

“Hell yeah, JB,” Eli hollered, both hands thrown in the air. 

“Yeah, you should jump,” Pope added, holding up a drill as if he were holding a gun. “I'll shoot you on the way down.” 

“You'll shoot me?”

“Yep. Pew.”

“Ugh, they're gonna have Japanese toilets with towel warmers.” Kiara announced as she strode out of the half built building. 

“Of course they are,” JJ replied with a shrug. “Why wouldn't they?” 

“This used to be a turtle habitat, but who cares about the turtles, I guess?” 

Eli slung one arm around the girl's shoulders, directing her attention towards the still staggering boy on the rooftop.

“I can't have cold towels,” the blonde boy continued to himself. 

“Uh, can you not kill yourself?” Kie spoke as she stared up at John B, hand raised to block the rays of sunlight from entering her eyes.

“Don't spill that beer.” JJ warned.  “I'm not giving you another one.” Right on cue, John B did just that, causing the can to fall to the floor with thud. 

“Wow, nice one John B,” Eli sarcastically applauded. 

“Of course you did.” “Smooth.”

“Hey, uh, security is here. Let's wrap it up.” Pope warned, causing the group to scramble. 

“Boys are early today.”

“Humpty dumpty, let's roll,” JJ hollered as he jumped down from the elevated platform, with John B hot on his heels. “Gary, it's good to see you man!”

“JJ!”

The group whooped and hollered as they ran back into the house and down the stairs. Most of the group managed to evade the officers and run out of the building, however Gary managed to almost cut off JJ by coming in through a different entrance.

“Not much of a hugger man,’ JJ exclaimed as he barely escaped the officer's grasp and ran out of the entrance. 

“They're going out front!” 

“Go Pope! Go Go Go Go Go!”

Eli stumbled slightly after jumping over the fence, but unfortunately for Pope, the boy managed to fall face first into the ground.

“Come on, Pope, fatso's coming,” JJ warned with a laugh as Eli helped the boy to his feet before sprinting with him alongside JJ. 

“Come here you little pricks!” The man shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Come on, guys!” Kie yelled out with a grin as John B's van pulled up. The two boys jumped in first, before JJ held out his hand to pull Eli in, securing an arm around her waist to ensure she wouldn't fall out.

“Hey, hey, hey!”

“Check out Gary, he's gunning for a raise.”

Eli giggled and she and JJ both stuck their heads out, their gaze falling on the cop running behind the van. 

“Hey, come on Gary,” JJ called out with a laugh. “Wait, slow down, slow down,” he ordered as he grabbed a can of beer.

“Poor guy, you're gonna give him a heart attack.”

“You're so close! So close,” JJ continued. “You can do it, there you go.” Eli watched with a laugh as JJ tossed the beer can, which Gary instinctively caught.

“They don't pay you enough, man.”

“JJ, stop.” Kie called as she pulled JJ and Eli back into the van.

“Oh, come on. That sort of initiative is just begging to be punished.”  

Eli pulled the door shut and sat down next to Pope, before lifting her feet and settling them in JJ's lap. 

“Don't worry Kie,” Eli continued. “We're just making sure he stays active, yanno? What if one day he loses a runaway criminal cause he was out of breath?”

“Yeahhh exactly,” JJ added, his hands situating themselves on Eli's ankles. “You get it.”

Kie rolled her eyes, but the large smile on her face betrayed her. 

“Whatever you say.” 

☀︎︎☀︎︎☀︎︎

The next few days went by fairly quickly, with the pogues doing what pogues do best. Partying, causing mayhem, sleeping, repeat. 

That was until there was a certain news broadcast that sent all residents of Kildare scrambling. 

“Hurricane Agatha continues its march towards Kildare Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.”

“Oh dear,” Eli let out as the broadcast continued, head turning to face her mother who was already moving around and packing any tools she could find.

“I should go and board up the windows of the cafe since it's closer to the shore,” Talia Valentine said as she made her way towards the main door. “Can you make a start here?” 

“Yeah, of course, mama.” 

She waved her mother off before pulling out her phone, dialling the blonde Maybank boy. 

“What's up, princess?” he answered after the third ring. 

“Hey, J. Are you busy right now?” 

“Uhh not really. Everything okay?” 

“Yeah! Yeah, I just saw the news about the storm. Do you think you can help me board up the windows of our house?”

“Hmm, I dunno, what's in it for me?” 

“Lemme see.” Eli pretended to ponder. “I pay you with a nice home cooked meal?” 

“Hmm I'm not quite convinced yet.”

“I'll throw in some dessert?” 

“It's a deal! I'm on my way.” 

With the help of JJ, the two of them managed to board up the house with enough time for JJ and Eli to head to the Chateau, with plenty of food to go around for the group. 

“John B?” Eli called out as she set down the bag full of food on the table. She moved to check all the rooms, only to realise he wasn't home. “Here's not even here,” she announced to JJ as he settled down on the sofa bed in the living room. 

“Now that I think about it, I don't think I saw Twinkie out front.”

Eli stared at JJ as the gears in her head spun.

“Wait,” she began as she moved to look out of the window, watching as the dark clouds continued to roll in at a terrifying speed. “You don't think.. he's trying to surf right now.. right?”

JJ simply gasped as he looked up at her.

“Wait, that's actually a great-” 

“Don't even think about it, dipshit.” 

“Wow, El,” JJ spoke as he clutched his chest in mock horror. “That was just straight up mean.” 

Eli raised her brows in response and pretended to crack her knuckles. “Mean? I'll show you mean.” 

JJ pretended to scream in terror as Eli launched herself at him, her arm wrapping around his neck as she pretended to cut off his oxygen supply. 

The boy pretended to choke before going limp in her arms, which caused the girl to laugh as she let go. 

Eli let out a yelp as JJ pulled her down onto the bed, using his arms to trap her head against his chest.

“This is revenge!” 

“JJ let me go!” Eli yelled, her voice muffled due to the way he trapped her. She slapped his upper arms, which simply made the boy laugh harder. 

“Alright, alright,” he said as he finally loosened his grip, but still kept his arms wrapped around her. 

Eli squeaked as the harsh winds suddenly rattled the not so stable structure of the Chateau, her head falling back against JJ’s chest and her hand blindly reaching out to grab his ringed fingers. 

“Hey, you're okay,” JJ gently spoke as he intertwined his fingers with Eli’s, his other arm holding her head in place. “I've got you.” 

Eli was never a fan of thunderstorms, having been scared of them since she was young. Her father used to be the one to comfort her, climbing into her bed to hold her close. But now that role belonged to her blonde best friend. 

No matter what he was doing, even if he was on the other side of the island, he would run over to Eli as soon as he saw signs of thunder. 

It's one of the reasons why Eliana Valentine was in love with him. 

~°•☀︎︎•°~

Yippee chapter one is here.

JJ and Eli are so cute, I love them your honour

Nova x