CRUEL SUMMER
014 | Reunion

" OH MY GOD, YOU'RE ALIVE!", stood on the boat after escape from both the Limbrey boy and whoever John B and Sarah had managed to piss off in their half hour being back in Carolina.

Renee's arms wrapped around John B's torso, fighting the tears in her eyes as they touched. Skin on skin — she could feel his heart against her chest. Holding onto him a little bit tighter than she used to.

He laughed to himself " yeah Ren, you've come to that conclusion like fifteen times already." he hummed, but like the fourteen other times she had hugged him, his arms still wrapped around her shoulders.

" uh..happy birthday by the way." he smiled as Renee choked on the happy tears as she pulled away and wiped her eyes. A chuckle leaving her mouth as she did so.

" you of all people didn't have to remember my birthday ." she sympathised as the brunette cheekily grinned with a humble shrug

" Well, I did promise I'd make your seventeenth better than the sixteenth."

Her heart swelled, he had remembered. She didn't say anything before hugging him again. Her chin sitting on the blade of his shoulder as her teary eyes glistened and lip had a subtle quiver to it.

Sniffling " I thought I was never going to see you again." Renee whispered, feeling John B's arms tighten around her once that words left her mouth.

A soft chuckle leaving his mouth "I bet you were relieved you wouldn't have to put up with my shit anymore."

Renee shakes her head, " it was the worse two months of my whole life." And she pulls back, now standing in front of John B who looks at her.

A few stray tears escaping her eyes as they trail down, Renee smiles sadly as she lifts a hand to wipe them away.

Before pulling away and turning around to face everyone who was watching the two interact. Sarah playing with Benji who had seemingly found a new favourite of Renee's friends as they drifted along the ocean.

She took the hand her boyfriend offered her momentarily , before sitting beside  the other blonde girl who looked up with a small smile on her face noticing Renee.

" hi." she spoke sheepishly. Renee positioning herself with her knees huddled to her chest as she turned her head.

Renee smiled, her hand reaching out for hers "hi." Sarah intertwining their fingers as she exhaled,

" I've missed you, you know?" Sarah told Renee who couldn't fight the growing of her smile, "I'm not surprised, you had John B's winey ass as your only company for the last two months."

Sarah chuckled, " I can hear you, you know!" John B called over to the other end of the boat, Renee rose her middle finger up to show him. Laugher came from the other pogues.

Her eyes lingered down to the blood stained jean shorts and poking gauze that sat on her lower stomach.

" Bahamas were crazy huh?" Renee huddled her legs to her chest as Sarah looked down acknowledging it as well with a small wince.

" We uh- tried to get the gold back." She told her, face falling slightly as she took a breath" and..my brother shot me."

Renee felt her eyes widen as she looked up and met Sarah's gaze with pursed lips.

" Rafe, did that do you?" she asked, getting a small nod from the girl.

Her hand reaching out to Sarah's, gently intertwining their fingers as Sarah smiled softly.

Her eyes lingering done to the small 's' pendant that sat on her chest.

" did you get a necklace with my initial?" she asked, slight sweetness in her tone as Renee looking down and hummed.

" I missed you too you know?" Sarah looked teary eyed as she smiled back at Renee.

"If I wasn't in so much pain." she laughed, although it still slightly struck Renee with concern "I'd hug you right now."

The girl hummed " so rain check on that hug?" watching as Sarah hummed, " definitely."

TWO THINGS HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED SINCE ARRIVING BACK IN THE OBX,

That they were going the party and they were going to party hard. Under JJ's philosophy of ' stupid things have good outcomes all the time' and mixed with Renee's pleading with the excuse of ' but it's my birthday'.

The group were soon driving the boat to the nearest liquor store which didn't even question the two blonde teenagers who lovingly strolled in, picked up a couple cases of  beer and flashed the local a wide smile when she passed over her id (fake..of course). Wishing her a good day before they strolled back onto the boat, the rest applauding Renee for her Oscar worthy performance.

And as it turned to night, the teenagers felt like normal teenagers for once. It felt like before the summer, before the gold, before everything was fucked up.

Renee sat on JJ's lap in the hot tub, her arms wrapped around his neck, her head thrown back as she laughed more in the few hours they'd been back in the chateau than the whole two months.

She'd open her mouth when JJ would offer her the blunt and she'd kiss him once the smoke exited her mouth. They played stupid games, splashed water at one another and drank (a lot).

Renee's arm folded over the edge of the hot tub as she watched JJ and Pope in their third round of wrestling, Kiara sat in the deck chair and Sarah stood close by. Laughter almost overpowered the music,

" Get it Pope!" Sarah called out, Renee playfully hitting the blondes arm who stood next to her out of support for her boyfriend.

Turning her head to face JJ " you can do this baby!" she called out to him, who turned his head and winked at the girl who was still half submerged in the warm water.

Pope taking JJ's distraction as time to tackle him, JJ almost allowing him to although once it was clear that Pope was winning he finally attempted to win back the game.

" with the single leg sweep." John B commentated, Renee giggling as she watched her best friend hold her boyfriend down for the allocated time they had decided beforehand, making him the winner.

" you have a strategy now huh?" Pope smirked at the blonde boy before throwing his towel into the makeshift ring.

Beginning to walk away from the group, Renee turning her head noticing Kiara shift from her position in her deck chair and begin to follow him away from the others.

" oh Carrera you're so slick!" Renee called out, The brunette turning her head and poking her tongue out at the blonde who grinned, amongst the other comments being thrown about by their friends " You kids be careful now!" she finished.

JJ walked towards his girlfriend, " you doing some double agent shit so pope would win?" he hummed against her lips when they kissed, Renee shaking her head adamantly as she pulled back.

" how can you accuse me of such a scandal!" her teeth on display with how wide her grin was, JJ liked this. Her happy, his girl with a smile back on her face. His hand lifted and rubbed her cheek.

" you planning on getting out anytime soon?" he asked, Renee exhaling " think I might just set up camp here for the night, it's nice." she replied.

JJ let his eyes linger on her for a little while longer "you had a good birthday?" he asked, getting a nod from the blonde who lifted her hand from the water to grasp the heart locket. Lifting it to her lips before gently kissing it.

" the best ever." she spoke, making JJ smile "thank you J." she thanked him, his smile only growing.

" now, how about you go inside and in about two minutes I'll come and meet you in John B's bedroom." Renee for some reason was oblivious to what he was suggesting, " why?" she chuckled.

" an extra birthday present." he said, slowing his words as he watched his girlfriend finally get it. She hummed and bit her lip. Renee rising out of the hot tub.

" don't take too long." she pressed a kiss into his cheek, before jogging into the house. Sarah mocking her with kissy noises as she ran up the steps back into the main house.

A smile on her face as she walked into the bedroom. Having enough time to throw one of JJ's shirts on top of bikini although she planned she wouldn't be wearing it for long.  It kept her warm whilst her body adjusted from the heat of the hot tub to the end of summer air, humid but it was beginning to turn cold again.

Renee hummed, bending over and taking note of the golden retriever who was in a deep sleep under John B's bed, not even being aware that the girl had even entered the bedroom.

Gently rustling his fur before leaving him be, turning as the door to the bedroom opened. A panting, disgruntled JJ stood in the doorway, his eyes scattered as the girl looked at him bewildered in what could have changed in less than two minutes.

" Ren, come on!" his voice rushed and panicked, Renee's eyebrows furrowing as she looked at her boyfriend who hadn't even stepped into the bedroom.

" what's going on?" she hummed, looking as JJ's hand reached for her own " someone's here, I think they're looking for John B." he told her, not wasting time before pulling her out of the bedroom.

Dragging her behind him out of the house and towards the tree that be known to Renee: Sarah and John B were hiding in. It was all too rushed for Renee to really comprehend anything, JJ lifting her up to she could reach a branch to hide behind, the curving of her legs around the tree trunk as she worried about JJ who was a few branches higher than her.

But it all made sense but her eyes fell to him. A Birds Eye's view of Rafe Cameron as he marched into the backyard of the chateau, a gun gripped firmly in his hand and before she probably would have questioned wether he would have used it or not. But after seeing what he had done to Sarah, Renee didn't want to be placed in the predicament where she would find out.

She could see Sarah, panicked and upset. Her gaze flickering over to her boyfriend multiple times, using him as an anchor of reassurance. It was a minute or two of just watching Rafe pace looking for some sort of recognition of their whereabouts, she could hear shattering of glass and further disruption from inside the house meaning that Rafe was not acting alone.

" Anything?" Renee's eyes flickering to the obstructed view of the patio from this height, watching as Barry exited the back patio.

" no, ain't shit in there bro." Barry grumbled, mostly likely believing Rafe had wasted his time ( it wouldn't be the first )

" No? Nothing?" Rafe questioned, weary with the reliability of Barry's answer, " No, nothing Rafe." He repeated, walking towards the boy who continued to glance around.

His hand lifted and pointed towards the still smoking bonfire " they were obviously just here based off the smoke." He stated, Barry clearly unamused by the ideas Rafe was conjuring up

"yeah, yeah, yeah, great observation Boy Scout." he mocked the brunette.

" they're not far, you know?" he was digging for some sort of support from Barry who honestly just wanted to go back to his trailer. " Smokey the bear! Look at you bro!" he commented, Rafe seemingly ignoring him.

Rafe's arm lifting as he pointed his gun clutching hand towards the small memorial dedicated to John B which sat engraved in the tree the four of them were camped in. " well, shit." Rafe laughed,

" so your sisters a Pogue for life huh, Rafe?" Barry inputted " Now who would've thought." he jested.

" Shit!" Rafe's shout came out like a roar, Renee ducking behind the trunk when she heard the ringing of her ears as consequence of multiple bullet shots. The blurriness of her hearing couldn't exactly make out Barry's shouting at Rafe.

But they were soon gone. And it was even more evident that it wasn't safe for them here. So much for not running any more.

AUTHORS NOTE
Idk how I feel about this chapter, but it's here anyway🤷🏼‍♀️