CRUEL SUMMER
029, one last hurrah

" I AM NOT MOVING TO FRANCE!" Renee called out, with more force than the mumbles under her breath beforehand.

She was tired, and annoyed. Having been picked up by shoupe after finding out that Limbrey and Rafe had taken the cross before they could have gotten back to it. Being returned to her mom like dog with its tail between its legs.

Caroline Lowe had reached breaking point with her youngest child. Spending years tolerating the company she kept and she looked away from the nights Renee spent away, she ignored the secrets that were kept from her.

But finding out she had totalled her dad's car was a step too far in her opinion. Caroline had admitted defeat, once she realised herself that she couldn't help her daughter she tried to get her the help.

But with many missed appointments with her therapist, Renee blows another puff of air. Looking to her brother who leans against the bannister.

Her hand lifting to gesture to point their mom "Lennon, please tell her that she's gone insane!" she pleaded with her older brother who exhaled and bowed his head.

He pinched the bridge of his nose " it's not a bad idea Ren." he hummed, his sister letting out an exasperated groan.

"insane, this is actually insane!" she cried out, her arms flailing, looking to her brother " I thought you of all people would be on my side."

Lennon hummed, shaking his head. Not in anger with his little sister but genuine concern and confusion " you stole dad's truck and totalled it." he silently reminded her.

Renee huffed, turning her head away as Lennon sighed " it's not permanent, but too much shit has happened here in the last couple years." he tells "you're different Ren, and not in a good way."

Renee shook her head, running the dirty covered palms of her hands over her face " look, you don't understand," her eyes lifting looking at both of the people stood in front of her.

" but I had to do it, ok." she told them, "don't think it was a light decision for me to make, but at the end of the day I had to."

Caroline leant forward, her arms extended as her hands gripped the back of one of the chairs.

" why?" she asked,

Renee's eyebrows raised, looking at the older woman "what?"

Caroline shrugged " tell me why." she hummed, " I will call this whole thing off and let you off Scot free if you tell me what exactly was so important that you had to steal and then wreck your dads truck."

Renee leant back, slouching into the chair as her arms crossed — flicking her gaze to her brother for an interjection that she wasn't going to get.

She exhaled, " I-I can't." she whispered.

Caroline scoffed and even let out a small laugh as she straightened up, pointing to her daughter with a shake of her head " this, this right here is where my tether runs out." she told her.

Renee's eyes softening as she silently pleaded with her mothers not to do this, "one more chance, that is all your getting." she points.

Caroline exhaling " I will drive you to and from school, you don't miss any classes or forget any assignment." she stopped for a half breath of air "you stay here, on figure eight. no more running around and not coming home for days-"

Renee watched as her mom stopped and pointed at her " and no more pogues, no more sneaking out or sneaking them in." she told her.

" you'll hang out with Fletcher or that new girl." she continued " good, honest, company,"

And Renee knew this wasn't like before, this was a serious threat. This was fully planned exile not from only Carolina but from the country. Being sent to one of those camps for the youth was bad enough, never mind a whole eleven hour plane ride.

" if you wanna go out, Lennon goes with you." she tells her; Renee flicking her gaze to her brother who nods in agreement " but I swear to god if you mess this up, you're on the first plane out of here."

Renee watched as her mum began to walk away, her lip beginning to tremble as she exhaled a breath she didn't realised she held in my chest.

" I thought they were dead." she speaks out, Caroline stopping her movements as she turned around. Facing her younger daughter, who continued to watch her from the other side of the room.

" John B and Sarah, I-I thought they died." She tells her " and I spent three months blaming myself because I started the whole thing by finding that stupid boat in the marsh!"

The bottom of her chair scraping against the floor " I spent three months thinking my best friends were dead, and they come back and everyone just expects it to all be good again."

she huffs, arms flailing as she speaks " you expected me to just be fine." Renee told them, flickering her gaze between her brother and mom " but I'm not! I'm not fucking fine!"

Lennon felt his lips turn down into a frown as he watched the flustered nature of his sister intensify, " I haven't been fine since dad died, but no one seemed to notice-" Renee breathed out " except them, they noticed."

It was clear who she referred to. Caroline turning her head to look away from her daughter.

" for fuck sake! I spent three days living on John B's porch and you weren't worried then-"

Caroline whipped around " my husband died!" she shouts back, taking Lennon by surprise as she straightened his posture.

Renee with equal force " he was my dad too!" she called back "but you forgot that part, when you went awol and forgot you had two kids who were grieving too!"

Lennon stepping in, " Renee-" he warned.

But the girl shook her head, ignoring her brother " they took me in, and I don't care what you hear from your friends at the country club about them being bad kids." Renee tells them, the fierceness in her tone unwavering " they are my family, them. and they've been a hell of a lot more like one than either the two of you have."

Standing there for a few seconds, watching as it sunk in on both of their faces. Her lips parting as a sigh filled with disappointment slipped from her lips.

Walking towards the staircase, silence combatted by the sound of the squeaking of the old floorboards under her feet.

Lennon looking to his mom, who watched him with a shrug of her shoulders. The slamming of Renee's bedroom door making both of them jump slightly.

Caroline nodding her head, " it's what's best for her," she speaks affirmatively " even if she doesn't agree."

And Lennon stood there, not being sure if he agreed either.

THREE HOURS INTO EXHILE AND RENEE WAS ALREADY BORED. staring at the ceiling as one of her hands sat on her stomach, toying with the belt loops of the dungarees she had changed into.

The other gently stroking the fur of Benji who lied on top of the bed, yet another sigh escaping her lips as another moment passed where she rethought about her miserable the next year of her life would be.

No Pogues? that was entirely unfeasible. It was all she had known for the last two years, and although she wouldn't miss the life and death situations and the treasure hunts. That wasn't pogue life always.

No Pogues meant no working with Kiara at the Wreck, it meant no sneaking up to Sarah's window when she couldn't sleep.

It meant no sleepovers at the chateau, it meant no drives in the Twinkie. It meant no cooking dinner with John B and eating it on the dock.

It meant no sly looks at Pope when everyone had gone to sleep and they could watch dirty dancing without any judgment. It meant no more heart to hearts high in the hammock with JJ, it meant no more sneaking him in through the window and falling asleep beside him.

Renee already longed for waking up to see him asleep beside her, his arm somehow wrapped around her and their bodies pressed together. Something he'd deny all knowledge of doing.

" hey!" a whisper called, Renee feeling a chill in her spine as she sat up. Stroking the fur of Benji who began to growl, shushing him gently.

She slipped off the bed, walking towards the closed curtains of her bedroom windows " yoo hoo, Ren?" she heard the voice again.

Lips curving into a smile as she pulled the curtains back, revealing the figure of JJ Maybank leant against the window frame. His eyes drifting to meet the soft look of her face, unable to stop the shift in his mood almost immediately.

She didn't even think, opening the window as JJ stepped in " damn, go off the grid why don't you." he spoke, slightly too loud.

Renee covering his mouth and pushing him against the dresser swiftly. Too caught up on pushing her bedroom door closed to notice the slight light in his JJ's eyes begin to flicker.

Smirking under the skin of Renee's flat palm, as she began to pull it away " you can't be here." she told him. JJ furrowing his brows, shaking his head.

" and why not?" he hummed, his voice slightly rugged as the girl in front of him exhaled softly,

" it's my mom." she told him, keeping her voice low.

JJ dismissed her as he shook his head, " your mom has always known when I've snuck in, this ain't any different." he hummed,

Renee rebutting "yes it is." she stated " it's different when I'm being threatened with exile blondie."

JJ exhaled, part of him finding the whole thing a bit dramatic "so what? you'll live with John at the chateau-" he added, Renee cutting him off.

" no not like exile from the house." she told him, her laugh slightly mocking " like move in with my grandparents in saint tropez."

Watching as JJ thought about it for a second, before his lips turned downward " what? like France?"

Renee scoffing " no, the american Saint-Tropez." she said, seeing her sarcasm being lost on JJ "of course in France."

He lifted his hands up in mock surrender, Renee shaking her head as she bowed her head" I'm sorry- fuck I shouldn't be taking my shit out on you." she told him.

JJ exhaled, shaking his head. Watching as the panic and agitation teetered on her face. he moved his arm around her. Hooking her neck as he pulled her in, Renee sighing as her arms wrapped around JJ.

Positioning his mouth close to her ear " you ain't got to carry this all by yourself Ren." he whispered. Renee humming as she tightened her grip on him.

" with all the shit with Pope and his family, Kie and whatever is happening between us-" she sharply exhaled, moving her fingers to gesture between the small space between their bodies

" I don't want to burden you."

JJ laughed softly " you and burden don't go in the same sentence." he told her.

Renee pulling back slightly, looking at JJ — that same glimmer shared in both their eyes. The silence of the look, because they didn't need words to express what they were feeling. Never had done before.

He hummed, pulling away as he reached for her backpack. Beginning to throw things into it, Renee exhaling and watched him, mouth opening to repeat the whole exile thing.

" Sarah's been pinched, we gotta move quick." He told her, Renee's eyes widening as she steps closer.

" clarify pinched." she asked, JJ exhaling.

His hands beginning to make gestures " Rafe, Rose- the whole Cameron clan." Not noticing the ways Renee's eyes widened " Sarah said she was going in and she came out half conscious."

" and you're only telling me this now?" she hums,
JJ throwing her backpack over his shoulder. Turning to look at the panic on her face,

" look it's fine, John B followed them and I said we'd meet him there." He told her, beginning to move towards the window.

Renee beginning to slip on her shoes " What about Kie and Pope?"

" Pope is still cut up about the whole cross thing," JJ hummed, " and Kie is probably facing the same exile threat you were."

Renee nodded, standing up as she walked to the door and slowly creaked the door open. JJ looking at her " for Benj." she hummed.

Walking over to the dog who had perked up at the whole commotion since JJ had entered the house, kneeling to run her palm over his neck.

" be a good boy." she smiled, knowing once she was found out she wouldn't even make it back to the house before the airport.

Breathing out as she stood up, walking to the window and sliding out of it first as JJ looked at her " one last hurrah before I'm shipped away?"

JJ smiled, " with you?" he hummed, stepping onto the balcony of her room

"it would be my pleasure."