"You did that without me? Stupid ass holes!" Layla yelled as she shoved JJ and slapped John B making the two let out dramatic howls.

"What did you expect us to do, Layla? Wait until you come back before searching a hotel room?" John B asked her with a knowing look, only having her mock his look in return.

"Yes, I do, especially so I could, oh I don't know, knock some sense into your asses! Did you wear gloves?" Layla questioned, the two shared a look as she groaned, "Dumbasses! Now your fingertips are everywhere."

"Would you just chill, Nancy Drew? We're gonna be fine." JJ sing songed his words as he pulled her into his side making Layla roll her eyes and pinch his nipple.

"Look, it doesn't matter. I'm calling it off. Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS." John B said as he looked around at his small groups of friends all sat on the porch, the segues loud. Layla forgot about the sound while she was up in the city, usually it would annoy her but now it seemed to comfort her.

"And you believed her?" JJ asked with a look of disbelief.

"Yeah, I believe her, JJ." John B said as if he was a idiot, which was hard to argue with sometimes.

"And actual cop, John B. You believed a cop." JJ said with a small laugh, chunking the stick in his hand across the yard.

"Yeah, ACAB, motherfu-" Layla began before she was cut off quickly, having Pope look at her with disbelief in his eyes, telling her it was not the time.

"All I gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple day, and she'll help me out." John B argued, cutting Layla off quickly, "And it doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting a gun."

"Or trying to force drinks onto girls." Layla added in with a annoyed expression.

"Are you defending her right now?" Kie asked in disbelief as Layla gave her a stupid look.

"No, Kie, i'm defending the whole woman community." Layla said with a cross of her arms.

"You know what I should have done? Just let Topper drown your ass." JJ spoke with a knowing look toward John B.

"Yeah, because Topper was gonna drown me?" John B asked, getting a crazy look from Layla.

"Are you high? He wasn't just playing mermaids with you." Layla spoke to him with a annoyed expression, taking a drink of the lemonade Pope threw to her.

"They always win, don't they, man?" JJ asked as he leaned on the porch to stare at John B, "Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win."

"Not true, remember when I ran Rafe over with his golf cart?" Layla asked as Kie held back a laugh at the memory.

"And then you had to do community service for six months? I remember." JJ said with a knowing look, "They always win! Goddam!"

"It's okay!" Kie yelled, trying to calm him down.

"No, it's not okay!" JJ argue annoyed as he turned back around, "It is not! They don't want us to go down into the marsh. That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it."

"Maybe your dignity." Layla mumbled under her breath, too quite for anyone else to hear.

"And I understand why you don't wanna go." JJ said as he looked down at Pope, "You're the golden boy. You got way too much to risk. And then you, Layla."

"If you're about to guilt trip m-" Layla began angrily toward him before he cut her off.

"You just had to go to a subtle gay conversion camp in the city and could be sent back with a minor slip up." JJ stated her way as Layla sat up better with a shrug.

"It wasn't a conversion camp, it was just church." Layla said as JJ gave her a know look, "Which is pretty much the same thing."

"And you-" JJ began as he looked to Kie who frowned her eyebrows back at him, "I mean, you're already rich as fuck anyway. Why would you bother?"

JJ turned to John B again with a knowing look, "But you and me, man? We got nothing to lose! We really don't, all right? And I know it didn't use to be that way for you."

"I don't wanna talk about this." John B said in a low, depressing voice as he turned. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"So thats it?" JJ asked as the two collided.

"Just get out of my way, bro." John B spoke annoyed as he shoved JJ away.

"John B, listen to me. I have a plan." JJ called out to him.

"Oh, that's comforting." Layla said with a look of disbelief, downing the rest of her lemonade.

"You got the keys to Cameron's big boat, right? There's scuba gear inside it." JJ said, ignoring John B's protest, "We borrow that, and then we go down to the wreck this afternoon, and that is whats gonna save you, man. You don't see rich kids go into foster care, do you?"

"You think a shark will eat me if I just jump in the water right now?" Layla questioned as the boat came to a stop, Layla missed the water horribly and wished she would have taken up the chance to.

"Well, i'd hope not considering i'm going down right now." John B said with a look of disbelief her way, only having Layla throw her arms up in surrender in return.

"This is empty? You took empty tanks?" Kie asked in disbelief as she looked at the tanks John B had brought from the boat, "Wait this ones a quarter full, it's enough for one of us."

"Not it." Layla said as she threw her arms up, messing with the neon bikini top that looked stunning against her skin.

"Love it when a plan comes together." Pope mocked from where he leaned in the seat.

"Does anyone know how to dive?" Kie asked with a huff, eyeing each of her friends, "Anybody?"

"It's kinda a Kook sport." JJ shrugged while scratching the side of his neck.

"I heard about it." Pope said as Layla hummed.

"Some hold nitrogen that can get into your brain and kill you." Layla confirmed with a nod as the four of them look at her crazy, causing her face to fall, "Just some."

"Great, Pope read about it and Layla heard it can kill you, somebodies gonna die." Kie spoke annoyed with a huff.

"Look, you put the thing in your mouth and breath, how hard can it be?" JJ asked as he motioned toward the tanks.

"Then you come up slow so the nitrogen doesn't get into your blood and brain." Layla added in with a nod to her head.

"Yeah, then you get the bends." Pope added in to her words.

"Bends? Like bend over?" JJ asked with a smirk.

"Bends kill you." Pope said as JJ's smile fell off his face as he cleared his throat quickly.

"I-I can dive." John B said quickly as he rose to his feet.

"No you can't, you lying sake of shit." Layla said to him with a eye roll.

"I can!" John B defended himself quickly.

"Since when can you dive?" Kie asked with a annoyed expression, not buying it either.

"I'll do it, it's fine." John B said with a huff.

"Let me do some calculations real quick." Pope said as he rose to his feet.

"Oh god, everyone get comfortable, we're gonna be here until dawn." Layla said as she laid back on the seat, propping her arms behind her head.

"Layla, would you just-" Pope began before she flipped him off and jumped into the water.

"Welp, saw that one coming." John B said over Popes calculations.

"Hows it feel?" Kie asked as Layla came to the surface.

"A fucking breath of fresh air." Layla moaned as she floated on her back, "The city is not for me."

Kie jumped in moments later as Layla looked over and saw her disappear under the water, waving her off and continuing to float. The Winters girl let out a scream as she felt hands wrap around her waist and yank her under the water. When she came back up she was met with Kie laughing.

"You stupid whore." Layla complained as she splashing water at her, only making the girl laugh more.

"I tied my tee shirt to the ankle chain about ten feet down. It's where you need to do your safety stop." Kie spoke to John B knowingly as she attempting to shove Layla under the water.

"Cool." John B nodded as Pope began to hook him up to the tank.

"Be safe, John B, I love you." Layla called out as John B repeated it with a smile, getting a kiss on the check from Kie that made Layla eyebrows shoot up from where she was in the water. Listening to the muffle of her friends, she waiting under John B went under the water to rest on her back again.

"JJ! Did you bring my wine cooler?" Layla called out as JJ stood quickly.

"Could only grab one without getting caught." JJ answered a she chunked her the pink drink, thankful she'd caught it quickly before continuing to float. Within a few minutes she heard the sirens going off.

"Layla, get in the boat." Kie hurried her over as Layla tucked the drink into her waist band of the bikini bottoms, pulling on the large tee the second she got onto the boat.

"Evening officers." Pope greeted kindly.

"Evening." The said back to them, Layla stopped herself from rolling her eyes.

"We're not doing anything wrong, are we?." Layla rose an eyebrow.

"Ignore her, JJ, tie this off." Pope said as he took their rope so the two boats wouldn't float away from each other.

"What are you kids doing? You know the marsh is closed?" Shoupe asked the four with a knowing look.

"It was my idea, I just got home and didn't know it was closed." Layla said to him with a nod of her head, pulling at her curls to drain them slightly.

"Why is it closed?" Pope questioned, going on with her words.

"Well, we're conducting a search out here. Boat went down." Shoupe spoke with a nod as the four acting dumb, "Seen anything?"

"Just a few fishermen going that way." Layla lied as she pointed east, "Guess they didn't know it was closed either."

"Where's your friend you always hang with? He here?" the man questioned, seeing as though John B wasn't around.

"He's working." Kie said with a small smile. The woman deputy eyed her suspiciously.

"I'm gonna check your little boat out." Shoupe said as Layla rolled her eyes yet again.

"Mind telling us why? We haven't given you a reason, have we?" Layla hated the police, everyone knew that. She hated them for many reasons, this being one.

"Just checking." he said with a fake smile, stepping onto the deck of it with a small bounce.

"Got another one of these?" he asked while looking at the life jacket.

"Yeah." JJ answered with a nod of his head, "It's ugh, it's in the hold."

"Show him." Kie said as she stood to her feet quickly, pulling Layla with her. JJ nodded as he pulled the life jacket out to show with a nod of his head.

"Ugh, be carful right there, you don't wanna slip." Pope said quickly as he went toward the rope that was keeping the boat in place, where John B went down at. Kie looked to Layla with a slightly worried expression on her face as Layla nodded her head, hoping she'd keep her cool.

"All right. Beautiful day, isn't it?" he asked while turning away to get back on his boat.

"Very beautiful." Pope answered with a nod.

"You let us know if you see anything on your way out." he said while staring the boat up again.

"Will do." Pope nodded as the four offered a wave to the two.

"We'll be gone soon, sir." JJ spoke as they drove off, making the four fall to the side of the boat worried.

"He's definitely out of air." Pope spoke in a panic. John B suddenly swam up from under the water as they all sighed in relief.

"John B, I almost had a heart attack." Layla said as she hurried to the side of the boat to help him up quickly.

"Did you find anything?" JJ asked as Layla reached her arms out.

"Did I find anything?" John B asked out of breath as he threw the bag on the boat making them cheer before the boy was back into the boat.

"You okay?" Kie asked with a worried look.

"Yeah, I ran out of air." John B said as Layla laugh.

"Yeah, no shit, dude." she said to him while rubbing his back and giving him the rest of her drink.

"Yeah, the cops were up here, but took care of em." Pope nodded his head proudly.

"Hey, guys? Guys, boddy , two o'clock." Kie said as she looked out at the boat.

"Damn, I was just lying about those fisher men." Layla said as she put a hand over her face to block the sun.

"Do you recognize that boat?" Pope asked slightly worried.

"I've never seen it." Kie answered honestly, "What are they doing back here? The marsh is closed."

"I don't know, let's not stick around and find out." JJ said as Layla nodded in agreement.

"Kie, sit down." she said quickly while pulling the taller girl down on the seats.

"JJ, hurry up." Kie spoke worried.

"Guys, don't wait for me, don't wait for me." JJ said as they got closer, John B started the boat as Layla grabbed JJs leg when John B turned to drive off.

"What the hell is their problem?" Layla asked as she saw they were following close.

"Dude, you gotta go faster!"

"I'm going!"

"Gun it!"

A shot suddenly went through the air as they let out yells, telling the others to duck down as John B took off, more shots going through the air.

"Shit, Pope, move." Kie said as she grabbed the net.

"Stay close down, Kie." Layla said worried as the girl threw the net off the boat before ducking back down. Their boat hit it and came to a slow stop.

"You're such a badass." Layla said as she hugged the girl tightly.

"Pogue life man!" JJ shouted in joy as John B speed away.

•

kylie speaks

sorry there
isnt much
sarah x layla
yet but we'll
get there soon!
x