CRUEL SUMMER
027, the cross

" OK ONE MORE STEP." Renee's hands held John B's right side, as she somehow managed to hold the boys weight up. John B's eyes rolled in semi annoyance at the blonde, as he shook his head.

" perfectly fine to walk on my own Ren." he said, as they walked into the abandoned church that that still stood there for centuries since its abandonment. Dirt dragged from the outside painted the floors, the pews made of rotting wood pushed to the side in no particular order anymore.

The red solo cups from parties that had rumours swirling around about held here for years sat lying on the floor — some crumpled and the plastic cracked. None of the parties Renee or any of the other pogues for that matter had ever attended.

And the altar — the place people once fell to their knees and begged and pleaded for help from whoever they believed resided in the Sky above tarnished. You would barely believe any religion was ever held here at all.

Renee nodded, stepping away as John B took a step she didn't follow. Losing his balance and stumbling to hit his left hip on the side of the pews. Regaining his balance as he looked at the girl whose lips curved into a small 'I told you so' smirk.

" really? you're gaining pleasure out of torturing your injured friend." he asked her, Renee walking forward and shaking her head.

" come on gator boy, I'll help you up," she hummed, taking the brunettes hand who scoffed at the nickname  and lifting him up to regain balance to walk (however slowly) himself.

Renee's eyes fastened to JJ who stood in the middle of the church. His eyes looking around as his fingers pushed on the material that covered his hips, " are you sure that Denmark hid the cross here, Pope?" he asked the other boy who was currently stood on the platform of the alter.

" like, are we at the right church?" JJ asked again, although it was unlikely that if Denmark were to hide his family heirloom in a church, it would not be the one he built himself.

Pope's eyes lifted to look at the group who looked less confident about the fate of this search than him — " it's gotta be here somewhere, guys."

Renee nodded, kneeling down to toy with any floorboards that looked intentionally loose rather than because of the rotting wood she balanced her weight on.

Hearing JJ's voice from the other side " What if we have to push a secret button..or..like.. a certain chord."  Renee looked up, noticing the way the others glanced at JJ without his knowledge " and then, all of a sudden the ground beneath us reveals the catacombs or something on which we stand?"

The blonde pushed the pads of her fingers against the wood "hope to god I'm not stood over the catacombs," she muttered to herself.

Standing up as she placed her hands on her hips looking for anywhere it could logically be.

Looking to Kiara and Sarah who shrugged their shoulders at Renee's silent attempts of asking where exactly she should be looking.

Renee looked to Pope who still retained the enthusiasm that the others seemingly lost the second they entered the church.

The breath she exhaled soft as she met Pope's gaze — his hopefulness and desperation clashing with the hopelessness that sat in her eyes.

His finger lofting at the blonde "no-no!" he rushed his words out before Renee could even get a word out " don't give me that look ren, it's here! I can feel it!"

The blonde exhaled and finally spoke out of the lips she parted " I just don't know where he'd hide a big cross made of gold in..here." her hands lifting to gesture to the church, " Pope, there's a chance it's-"

not real she wanted to say, but closed her mouth before her thoughts could verbalise themselves. Pope shook his head, growing more agitated

" no! no. there's no way he would set us up on a freaking goose chase," he attempted to sound definite, John B cutting in to try and calm him down " that would lead us to a church with nothing in it!" he spoke, his voice exasperated as watched Renee with bewildered eyes.

" I don't know what you want me to tell you." Renee called out to him "this is a setback, a huge fucking set back."

Her body weight leaning onto the wall, exhaling as her arms crossed — pope ignoring her attempts at initiating eye contact as he sat down.

John B breathed out " Pope it'll be alright, we've had setbacks in the past and we figured it out." he told him " we're gonna find it."

Renee kept her eyes trained on Pope watching as he looked through the spyglass — her eyes drifting to the wooden beam that his eyes landed on.

Pushing her weight off of the wall and shaking her head " don't even think about it Heyward."

The others catching on to whatever the two of them were silently communicating, Pope turning his head as he looked at Renee's downturned lips at the mere prospect of him trying to climb it.

" I gotta at least try." he hummed, her eyes squinting as Renee gestured up to the beams.

Scoffing " P, that wood has been sat there rotting for the last how ever many hundreds years!" she proclaimed " you're gonna get yourself hurt climbing that."

Pope shrugged, walking over towards the wall that Renee couldn't even begin to think how he was going to scale — the blonde shaking her head

"Pope I'm being serious! we can go and get a ladder or something and come back later!" she said, stepping closer although remained cautious.

He shook his head, not even turning to look back at Renee "later is too late." he says, although low enough that the others can barely hear anything but a whisper.

Pope began to climb, only then did the other people stood around decide to pitch in to try and stop him. Renee stood with her arms crossed, looking as Pope scaled up the church further, her fingers digging into her skin the higher he got.

" this one's solid wood." he announced over the calls of concern coming from below. Renee exhaling as she shook her head, keeping her eyes steadied on Pope.

Pope looked at his friend in some sort of assurance that he wasn't able to give her whilst his feet weren't touching the ground "I'm gonna try the other beam." he said.

Renee exhaled, her breaths sitting heavy on her chest — her fingers moving to pad over the metal of the necklace that the boy who stood only a few metres away made for her.

Watching as Pope hit his fist against the wood, the agitated look on his face only showing the further away he was becoming with leaving here with the cross.

"Pope, it's not there just come down please." Renee called out, JJ nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, Pope I hate to break it to you." he said, watching the same sight " but that's wood."

Popes actions grew sloppier as he began to cross to the other side of the beams — " Bro, just look out for that giant wasp nest right above your head." JJ's words drawing the girls eyes away from pope for the first time.

Renee's lips parting "holy shit." she whispered, only looking at JJ when she could see his head turn at the small gasp she hadn't realised she let out.

Renee stepped forward "Pope, please...just come down, slow and steady ok?" she said, although it was obvious the boy wasn't going to listen to anything she said that opposed him from getting the cross.

JJ's hand placing on her stomach as he pulled her back, the rotten wood Pope kicked with the toe of his shoe falling in front of them.

Pope called out "go get me a crowbar." to no one in particular, Renee hearing Sarah's footsteps pass her by whilst she continued to gaze at pope.

" what are you gonna do pope?" JJ asked, " I don't want this entire church to collapse on top of us."

His words causing Renee's head to whip around, looking at him " Really? can't you tell I'm already on edge with him becoming George of the jungle!" she scolded, lifting he hand to point out pope still clinging to the beam.

JJ shrugged " that's all I'm saying" He lifted his hands up in a mock surrender.

Renee shaking her head "Pope, come on I'm too pretty to be squashed by an ancient church." she hummed.

Sarah walked back in, Pope noting her more due to her current usefulness — " hey pope!" she said, walking past John B to stand in the middle of the church.

Pope gazing down on them, extending his hand "throw it." he said, Renee instantly taking a step back closely followed by JJ.

" okay? oh for real?" Sarah said, glancing to the floor to fix her posture. Her throw quick and seamless as it landed in Pope's palm.

Renee lifting the corners of her lips slightly as Sarah turned around "add that to your resume." she hummed.

They stood around, watching as Pope began to hack at the beam, " Hey, Pope pope, there's the wasp nest right up there ok?" John B lifts his hand to point it out, " so take it easy alright?"

Renee nods " and we lost your emergency allergy thing a couple summers ago remember?" hands cupping mouth as she calls to him, " so it's like pivotal to you not dying that you don't get stung."

Pope humming " take it easy and no allergy meds...got it!" although it was clear he was just repeating his friends to ease them slightly.

Renee watched, still anxiously toying with the pendant that hung around her chest — watching as the debris of wood fell to the floor.

The sun creeping in finding its new surface so scintillate from, Renee's lips parting as she watched in amazement as piece by piece. The cross revealed itself.

Renee's hand reaching out for the sleeve of JJ's jumper — tightening the material around her fingers. JJ turning his head to notice the mixture of relief and happiness that painted her face as she smiled up at Pope.

" he did it." Pride gleaned in her tone as JJ nodded his head and fixated his eyes back to pope " didn't doubt the son of a bitch for a second."

Whatever celebrations were commencing were short lived — if not by the buzzing of the wasps that began to sting Pope, it was the reverberation of the crow bar on the ground. And if it wasn't that, it was the sight of Pope dangling over the side of the beams which truly ended whatever relief or joy she momentarily felt.

" Pope! hold on ok!" she called absentmindedly, her movements sloppy but rapid as she grabbed the dust covered pillows and placed them on the floor.

Trying to cover all the surface area that he could possibly crash onto. Renee's mind going fuzzy as she looked to Pope who she could tell wasn't going to be dangling for much longer.

Her body hovering over his the second it hit the pillows — " hey, hey you ok?" she said, the concern parroted through the rest of her friends who watched him as well.

Pope remained silent, his eyes widening slightly as Renee shook her head " god pope please say something." her voice teetering on a plead.

Not focusing on anything other than the fear that presented themselves in Pope's eyes — that's until the harsh grip of JJ's fingers pulled her back, her back colliding with him. Her breaths laboured and heavy.

Watching as the cross crashed onto the floor, only a few inches away from where she was stood only moments ago, her head turning to look at JJ who unlike everyone else wasn't staring at the cross. But instead the blonde who somehow pushed her lips together to form a smile

"thanks."voice soft, watching as JJ swallowed dryly — the softness in his eyes more visible when he was looking at her.

head bobbing into a nod " yeah, I didn't think you'd like being squished." he said so casually.

It was a fake cough from John B which brought them back to the current climate of the situation — Renee moving forward to the cross, lifting her fingers to gently brush over the ridges of the gold.

She felt the nudge of JJ's elbow into her ribs "how much do you think she's worth?" he hummed, Renee continuing to trace her finger delicately on the gold.

Head shaking softly " I don't think any amount of money paid would be enough." her voice soft as she told him,

JJ continuing " like, if we melted her old bones down, dude, I'm talking like high billions." he then placed his hand flatly against John B's chest.

The blonde girl looking up to JJ with furrowed eyebrows, her force affirmative " J, we are not melting the cross!" she told him.

John B opposite her nods his head in agreement "No! this belongs in a museum." he once again tells JJ who's face screws up.

" what so no one sees her?" he proclaims,

Renee looks at him " I don't think those kind of museums exist." she says blankly, noticing the roll of his eyes at her sarcasm.

" hey!" the voice of Pope on the opposite side of the room called out to the three of them as Renee looked up "it's my ancestors cross."

JJ slightly flustered as his hands began to flail slightly " right, ok. All right, alright- well.."

Pope put his head down slightly " this is bigger than money and the world's gotta know the truth."  he says, Renee watching as John B nods his head.

" Yes, and if we don't get this shit out of here before Limbrey gets here." he tells him "nobody's gonna know, so saddle up."

Renee blew ann exasperated breath out of her mouth as they positioned themselves around the cross.

"is it a bad time to tell you guys that I flunked out of gym for the last two years?" Renee exhaled, crouching down to wrap her arms around a part of the cross.

Their attempt at carrying the cross to the Twinkie was futile, only making it a metre before dropping it to the floor. Renee watching as Pope collapsed into one of the pew seats.

"Guys! Guys, guys," he called out " I'm not okay, I'm not okay."

Renee stepping over the cross which sat on the floor to hover over her friend — who looks almost unrecognisable from the swollen features of his face. Growing more concerned at the strained breaths he barely managed to inhale.

Renee hitting John B's shoulder " we need to get him to the hospital!" she exclaimed, John B looking at the concern and fear which was beginning to swirl in her eyes.

Pulling Pope out of the church and towards Renee's car — opening the door as they carried Pope in. Her palms becoming sweatier, her breathing faster yet harder to inhale.

Panicking at everyone else's panic, almost stood frozen by the driver's door as everyone's moved erratically around her. This couldn't be happening, she couldn't be losing someone else.

It was the familiar touch of JJ's hands on her cheeks that temporarily brought her back into reality — turning her around to look at him.

JJ Maybank couldn't read many things confidently — but one thing he could easily understand was Renee Lowe. Always had done, he knows that the different degrees of her furrowed brow can mean completely different things. He could understand the panic in her eyes and the paleness of her face even more than he could three months ago.

Voice soothing and soft, " hey, hey." he ushered gently, Renee staring into his eyes and trying to find some comfort.

Instead she shook her head " I'm alright." she lied, and JJ knew that because she hesitated on each syllable that she spoke.

His free hand reaching for the car keys in her hand, " let me drive, I'll take him to Ricky."

Although she could barely hear anything he was saying, Renee's head nodded. Releasing the hold of the keys on her shaking hands — JJ nodding as he walked to the other side of the car.

Renee climbing into the passenger seat of the car,  her leg jittering. her other hand palmed over the necklace JJ had given her but she hadn't felt ready to give back yet. It was a comfort, although she was the one who ended things she still needed him to soothe her in times like this.

And that's what she felt as the car began for drive down the road towards wherever JJ's cousin lived — his hand moving to sit on her thigh. The nervous twitching of her leg soon becoming subdued by the power of his touch.

Renee remained silent, still looking forward as she placed her hand on top of his — intertwining their dirty covered hands.

A lot of things had changed for Renee. But despite his reputation and own actions, JJ being her pillar of safety was one of the things that hadn't.

ELLIE SPEAKS 🪄
need them to resolve their own issues immediately so they can be together ngl