______________________________________

"Come on, baby! You got it!" JJ yells

Kie cheers as Estrella rides the wave with ease. She laughs as she rides the wave toward the shore. Bending her knees before she lands on her board. The teens clapping as she lays on her board and swims over toward them. She sits up as they turn toward Charlotte and Sarah who were swimming over toward a small wave.

"Come on, Sarah. You got this." John B says

"You got this, babe." Kie smiles. The two stand up slowly on the board as the wave takes them out.

"Oh my God. Oh my God." Sarah exclaims. Charlotte bending over slightly to keep her balance.

"Yes!" Estrella claps

"I'm doing it!" Charlotte says

"Yeah!" Kie yells

"Yeah, nice swell!" JJ calls out as they all cheer for them

"Yeah, girl!" Estrella chuckles as the two make it to shore

"Oh my god." Sarah chuckles, "We actually did it."

Charlotte giggles as the two walk with their boards onto the sand.

"Hey, Sarah, I like the longboard." Topper calls out, "You know, classic."

"Thanks." Sarah says simply

As the boy nods, Sarah turns toward Charlotte. Charlotte scrunches up her face, "Gross."

"Very."

•••

"What up, fools?" JJ says. Estrella, Kie, and John B turn as Topper and Kelce swim over on their boards, "How's it going, sunshine?"

"What's up, pal?" Topper says

"Oh, can't complain on a day like this."

"Right?"

"No."

"It's getting big out there, huh?"

"Sure is." JJ nods. Estrella frowns at JJ's friendliness. Kie turns to her and rolls her eyes playfully. JJ points, "See that one?"

Topper cheers as the wave builds up, "Oh yeah, here we go."

"Is that you?" JJ says before turning to his friends. By the look in his eyes, they already knew JJ's intentions.

"Yeah, baby, that's all me."

"Yeah, that's all you, Top." Kelce says

"Go, baby."

"Do it." John B smiles, "JJ."

"Don't mind if I do." JJ says swimming ahead of Topper

"Hey!" Topper yells

"Hey, Top. Mind if I cut in?"

"What are you doing?" Topper says as the two ride up on the wave, "Hey! What are you...?"

"Come on. Go, go!" JJ says getting closer to Topper. He laughs as Topper falls off his board. Estrella cheers as JJ rides the wave.

"So much for keeping the peace." Kie says

"What the hell, dude?" Topper says swimming over, "You oughta teach your boy to wait his turn."

"Yeah, we'll teach him." Kelce snaps

"Yeah, I'll text him real quick." John B says before pretending to type, "Hey, J, can you...?"

"Classic Pogue shit, man." Topper says

Estrella cackles, "It's not that deep, bro."

"I thought we were chill."

JJ cheers as he turns towards the other kooks. When Rafe flips him off, JJ simply shrugs. Estrella cups her mouth before cheering loudly again.

______________________________________

Estrella grunts as she lifts the board up, "Last board."

"Yeah, give me it." JJ says before lifting the board onto the top of the Twinkie

"You got the other bungee cable?" John B asks

"Thought that was you." Estrella says

"Guys, there's a turtle hatch." Kie exclaims

"What?" JJ says as they look over

Kie runs off, "There's a turtle hatch!"

"Oh my God." Sarah says jumping out of the car

"Yo." JJ says as they follow Kie

"Oh." Kie giggles. Estrella gasps as they all surround the turtles. The small creatures popping up out of the sand.

"Oh my God!" Charlotte gushes

"Whoa. Holy shit." John B says

"Oh..." Sarah giggles, "They're so little."

"Look at these little nuggets!"

"Wait, back up. Give them some space. You can't touch them." Kie says

"We gotta make a path, right?" Estrella asks

"Yeah." JJ says

"Clear the way." Kie says

"Get these footprints out." John B says

"Sarah, keep the gulls off."

Sarah looks up, "I don't see any. Ah."

JJ and Estrella quickly flatten the sand leading toward the water. Clearing out any footsteps made in the sand.

"We should make it like a highway." John B says

"I'm down. A turtle highway." JJ says

"A turtle highway. Come on, kids!" Estrella says

"Follow your human daddy straight to the ocean-ocean." John B says as Kie stands up hearing a truck accelerating.

"Hey!" She calls out waving her hands. Charlotte looks over to her, "Hey, stop. There's a hatch!"

The others finally look over realizing the truck wasn't slowing down. JJ stands up, "Yo."

"Hey!"

"Hey. There's a hatch." Charlotte yells

"Stop!" Estrella and JJ yells waving their arms

"Stop!" Sarah yells

"Go around!" JJ says pointing down to the turtles

"Stop!" Kie yells, "Stop!"

"Stop! There's turtles!" Kie yells, "There's a hatch!"

The teens jump out of the way as they honk at them. As the truck passes, Charlotte runs over to Kie.

"What the hell was that?" John B says

"Are you okay?" Charlotte asks

"Fucking assholes." Kie exclaims

"Are you okay?" John B says walking over to Sarah

"I'm fine."

"You okay, Star?" JJ asks helping her up

"I'm fine. What the hell is their problem?" She snaps. She looks up as the truck engine revs, "What the fuck?"

"What are they doing?" John B says

"No. Hell no." Kie says before waving her arms again, "There's a hatch!"

"Hey! Stop!" Estrella yells stepping up beside Kie

The truck rushes toward them again as JJ groans, "Oh my God. They're coming. Hey!"

"Stop!" Kie yells

"Go back." Charlotte says

"Stop!" Estrella shouts, "Stop!"

"Look out!" JJ yells as they jump out of the way. Estrella being pushed aside by JJ as the truck swerves.

"There's turt-" Kie's cut off by a drink flying out the window and landing on her chest

"Suck it, Pogues." Ruthie says as she drives off

"Oh my God." Sarah says

"Hey." Charlotte says rushing over, "Are you okay?"

"Kie, are you okay?" Estrella asks as she kneels down beside Charlotte

"Are you okay?" Sarah asks

"Kie." John B mutters

"Go back to The Cut, Pogues!"

"Let's go, baby!" Kelce cheers

The teens follow Kie as she walks over to the turtles. Her face dropping as she kneels down, "No, no, no, no."

Charlotte kneels beside her as she picks up a dead turtle. Fast breaths escape as Kie looked around at the other turtles. Estrella feels her anger boil over as she watched the Kooks cheer each other on. Her jaw clenches before she bends down beside Kie, "Let me see, Kie."

Kie holds up the turtle with tears lining her eyes. Estrella gently takes it placing it in her hands, "Stay here."

"Estrella. Wha-" JJ tries, but Estrella was already storming over towards the Kooks, "Estrella! Estrella, listen."

"No, babe." John B says stopping Sarah

"What?"

"Not today."

"Star, listen, I know I'm the last person to say something like this, but we need to be smart about this." JJ says

"I don't care." Estrella snaps

"No. All right." JJ says, "Just outnumbered in this situation."

"I don't care!" Estrella yells. The Kooks turn to her as she storms over holding her hand out, "Look what you did. Is this okay? No, look at it! There was a turtle hatch, you idiots! You drove right over it!"

"I understand you're upset, Estrella." Topper says

"I'm more than upset, Topper." She spits

"All right, but it was only one." Ruthie says, "I mean, look, there's so many more of them. A hatch is, what, like, 100 turtles?"

"I guess." Topper says

"Most of 'em don't make it anyway." Ruthie shrugs

"It's one in a thousand."

"Go throw that to the seagulls." Ruthie smiles, "Cycle of life, right?"

Estrella reaches forward pushing Ruthie back, "Cycle of life?"

"Oh!" Topper exclaims trying to push her back. JJ immediately steps up and grabs him by his collar.

"Getting flattened by a truck is not the cycle of life!" Estrella yells, "Are you fucking insane?"

JJ lets go of Topper as Ruthie chuckles, "Your move, Estrella. What are you gonna do?"

"You really wanna try that?" Estrella scoffs taking a step closer. A girl pulls her phone up from behind Ruthie.

Estrella looks around noticing a few teens had taken their phones out and started recording. Topper turns to them, "I would just walk away. Okay? We're not doing this."

Estrella breathes heavily as she stares back at Ruthie. The girl looking down at her with a condescending smile, "There's something seriously fucking wrong with you people. All of you."

"Let's go, Estrella. Come on." JJ says placing his hand on her lower back as she turns away

"Yeah, that's right. Get back to your side, Estrella!" Ruthie says

Estrella pushes down a speaker as she passes by, "Fuck you!"

"Really?" Topper says

JJ turns back to them as Estrella continues on to the Twinkie, "You come near her, or any of us ever again, and I'll come back and kill every single one of you."

"Was that a death threat?" Ruthie says as JJ turns away

"That was a death threat." Kelce says, "We've got you on video, bro."

"I have seriously never hated them more." Estrella says as JJ catches up to her

"I know." JJ says softly

______________________________________

The door slides open as John B shuts the van off. Kie steps out first, "Just every time, like, every single time we see them, something goes wrong. Like, we can't do anything without them getting triggered."

"Kie, Kie, they're Kooks. Okay?" JJ says

"Are you sure you don't wanna try following someone?" Sarah asks

Estrella looks over as Pope steps out onto the porch, "Hey."

"Yo." JJ says

"Hi." Sarah sighs. Estrella frowns at Pope's silence.

"How'd it go?" JJ asks

Estrella's eyes widen as she looks down at Pope's hands, "Pope."

"What is that?" Kie asks

"Is that blood?" Estrella says as she rushes over grabbing his arms. She looks up at him as his expressions stayed blank, "Pope, whose blood is this?"

"Pope." JJ tries walking over, "Pope, what happened? Pope, what happened?"

"Where's Cleo?" Sarah asks

"She's... she's inside." Pope mutters

Estrella rushes in the house, "Cleo."

"Cleo!" Sarah yells as they rush in behind Estrella

Estrella looks around before rushing into the living room, "Cleo-"

They all stop finally seeing the dead body on the floor. Sarah gasps as they stared down at him. Estrella looks up and walks over to Cleo who hadn't moved from her place in the corner, "Cleo. Hey, are you okay?"

Cleo stares ahead as tears fell down her cheeks. JJ looks out the window, "Oh shit."

The girls look out the window while JJ rushes out to Pope and John B. Charlotte's eyes widening as a cop car pulls into the yard.

"Oh my God. Oh my God." Sarah says, "Um, why's he here? He's just sitting in his car."

"Oh shit." JJ mutters

"Okay. Okay. Okay." John B says

"Shit. Shit. Shit."

"Okay. Okay. Okay."

"Um, what do we do? What do we do?" Kie stammers

"We have a dead body in our living room." Pope says, "What are we gonna do?"

"Shit, Pope." JJ says

"What do you mean? We have to tell the truth." Estrella says placing her hand on Cleo's shoulder

"Are you kidding me?"

"Are you? We did nothing wrong." She exclaims, "Someone broke into our house!"

"Estrella, it's Shoupe."

"And attacked us and stole from us."

"He's never gonna believe us." JJ says, "What we need to do is get out of here. We need to banana split."

"Go where? That never works."

"Okay. I don't know, but it's better than staying here." JJ says, "Number one rule, never trust a cop. Especially that one. Okay?"

The teens jump at the banging on the door, "JJ! Anybody home?"

"John B, what do you wanna do?" Sarah asks

"Are we being deadass right now?" Estrella asks looking around, "We did nothing wrong."

There's another knock as JJ walks over to John B and grabs his shoulders, "Okay. I need you to make a decision right now. What's it gonna be?"

"I know you're in there. Come on out."

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