"Crackers, baked beans, and tuna, all right? And some sat and pepper!" Luke called as they pulled up at the little store. JJ hopped out. Pope looked back at a sulking Rio, glaring over at Luke and sat as far away from him.

"Got it." JJ hoped out, taking a look back at Rio and Pope. "You two okay here?"

"We're good." Pope nodded, glancing back at Rio.

"Here." Rio leaned out the window to give him some money. "Get me a coke."

"Will do." he nodded, taking the twenty from her hands, knowing she gave it to him to pay for his Dads things and not genuinely caring about the coke.

Luke looked over at her when she leaned back into the car, Rio glared. "What the hell are you looking at?"

"Never seen you before." he pointed out with a half smirk.

"She's not from here." Pope cut in. "Don't talk to her."

"I'm just making conversations." Luke defended himself.

"Well, don't." Pope said in return.

"Yeah, don't." Rio agreed.

"Aw, Pope." Luke spoke, leaning forward some. "Can't believe you've stuck around my son this long."

"He's my best friend." Pope rolled his eyes. "I love him. Unlike you."

"He's a thief." Luke corrected him.

"Probably because he has to be." Rio rolled her eyes. "Because he doesn't have a father to step up and be more then a waste of space in his life."

"Damn!" Luke laughed. "Tell me how you really feel."

He was cut off by her fist colliding with his jaw, Luke hit his head on the other window. Pope turned back with wide eyes, staring. Rio shook her head as Luke meet her eye. "That's how I really feel."

"Hey." JJ jogged toward the truck, passing the twelve pack to Luke.

"Let's just get this over with." Pope agreed when JJ got back into the truck, glancing back weary at his Dads bloody nose and Rio glaring out the window.

"I love that boy." Rio watched JJ lead his Dad toward one of the boats. "This is the dude that ruined everything for him and he's still helping him. He's the best person i've ever known."

"I know." Pope agreed as they watched him disappear onto the boat, helping set up. "Some nights were really hard on him. That's why he stays at John B's so much, got his own room."

"Yet was willing to give it to me when I got that stupid concussion." she smiled slightly, holding Popes shoulder. "I don't think I wanna leave you guys."

Pope turned his head to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Like, when we get your cross and everyone gets rich and famous." Rio explained dramatically as Pope smiled at her. "I don't want to get left behind and have to leave you guys."

Pope smiled, shaking his head. "You'll aways be famous, Rio."

It made her feel soft, happy, loved. She leaned in and kissed Pope, even after talking so highly about JJ, she kissed him instead. Pope liked that she kissed him, he liked that she still liked JJ too. Maybe because he'd liked them both too, maybe because two of them just wasn't as good at three.

"Look." Rio pulled back, pointing to the end of the docks as Luke rode off, leaving JJ at the end. The two had the same idea, crawling out of the truck and walking down the peer together. "Hey, Gorgeous."

JJ flashed a little grin over his shoulder as they sat on either side of him, all three of their legs dangling off the side of the druthers. Rio leaned her head on his shoulder as Pope wrapped an arm around him. "You doing okay over here?"

"Oh, yeah." JJ nodded with a violent clear of his throat. "Who cares, right?"

"It's okay to care." Pope reassured him, rubbing his back slightly. "It's just me and Rio."

"Yup." she hummed. "And, you too."

It was such a simple little saying. And, you too. But, it meant so much more. It wasn't just Rio and Pope, it was JJ too. The blonde had to smile, turning his head to look at Pope. The Hayward boy clearly had already been thinking the same thing as he leaned in and kissed JJ on the lips. JJ felt Rios head come off his shoulder as he kissed Pope, being the last to pull away. Pope leaned across JJ to kiss Rio, taking her just slightly off guard. She rose her eyebrows toward JJ, getting a large shrug before leaning in to kiss her too.

"Finally!" Kie called from the top of the Twinkie. "John B was nearly eaten!"

"Eaten?" Rio hopped out of the truck with a wild look. "What happened?"

"A gator!" John B yelled to her. "What took you so long."

"Run in with the Pops." JJ jumped out next as he held the winch in hand.

"Could you have taken literally any longer?" John B shook his head.

"John B could literally bleed out!" Kie called.

"Oh my god, a thank you would be nice." Rio rolled her eyes. "I did break into your house and all."

"And i'm grateful but look at the state!" Kie motioned toward John B.

"And i'm so severely sorry that he somehow got bite by a gator!" Rio gave a dumb look their way.

"That was so passive aggressive!" John B called in disbelief.

"Not my fault you took it that way." She tossed her hands up.

"W-" he began.

"Everyone, shut up!" JJ called, making all three of their arguing fall short. "Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore, all right? Everyone just cut it out for a second."

"Look, I just helped my dad leave this island for good. Like, he's not ever coming back. He straight up like the Spanish, just, Bon voyage." JJ waved his hands around, the pogues sharing a slightly odd look. Rio nodded her head to show her support.

"That's not the right language." Sarah whispered.

"All we got... and I know for a fact all I got is you guys, okay? You're it." JJ announced as he looked around at each of them, "And I've come too close to losing you, all of you!"

He pointed at Kie suddenly, "I mean, shit, like you almost drowned."

He glanced Popes way, "Pope, you were kidnapped."

He gapped a finger toward Rio. "You got a concussion in the process of nearly getting murdered."

His eyes set on Sarah, "Sarah, you've been shot."

John B next, "John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator."

"So, this blaming each other is some Kook-ass bullshit, all right? We don't do that. Okay? We're pogues." JJ announced before throwing his hands up, "Sorry, that was a lot right now."

They all shared a look, clapping their hands together for him as JJ scoffed in disbelief, flipping them all off with a shake of his head.

"That was the best freaking speech you have ever given." John B announced his way, "Also, you should think about, like, a Rosetta Stone because your spanish and french are flip-flopped."

"We should bon voyage out of here." Sarah nodded.

"That was a good one." Rio kissed the side of JJ's head. "It was good."

"It was good." Pope agreed, holding his pinkie and thumb up. "Just a little off."

•

kylie speaks

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