FIFTY-TWO

❝ P4L ❞

*ೃ༄

AVA'S EYES FLY OPEN AS HER PHONE'S ALARM RINGS. Cuddled into her side, with one hand slipped up her shirt resting on her boob, JJ groans in annoyance, pulling her closer to him once she's flicked her phone off.

"We shouldn't go today," He hums quietly, eyes still closed peacefully.

Ava laughs, combing a hand through his hair, "JJ, we have to. I really do not want to look like a coward by not coming to school. Plus, if Kiara and Pope are going, so are we. We're a group, remember? I'm not leaving them to deal with all the rumours alone."

JJ finally opens his eyes, raising his head to meet her gaze and he smiles softly, "God. I love you."

Most people think that no teenager enjoys school, and most people are correct. It's the bane of children's whole lives. Having to wake up early, go to bed late, spend hours on end sat in an uncomfortable chair is no one's idea of fun. But Ava fully believed that after last summer, this school year would be her escape. She'd be with her friends again and there was no reason to worry about anything. Oh, and how she was wrong.

After downing the remains of JJ's alcohol from his flask, Ava steps out onto the grass slamming the car door shut behind her. Immediately she's met with a million whispers and a hundred prying eyes. She clenches her jaw, slinging her almost empty backpack over her shoulder.

Pope and Kiara walk beside one another while JJ and Ava walk behind. Trying to ignore the other teenager's murmurs, JJ grinds his jaw and slips his hand into Ava's, almost squeezing the life out of it. She glances over at him, but he refuses to meet her eyes.

The group for four come to a stop at John B's memorial outside the school. Ava's eyes sweep over the photos stuck onto his surfboard, and the flowers littering the ground beneath.

"I feel like people are staring at us," Kiara whispers.

"That's because they are," Ava whips her head over her shoulder, glaring around at their crowd of spectators.

Pope begins to rush off, "I can't be late."

Kiara steps after him in a hurry, holding her hand out, "We gotta stick together."

With a deep breath, Pope takes her hand and Ava pulls JJ after their friends while he grumbles, "Stick together. Pft." He lets go of Ava's hand and throws his arm over her shoulders, pulling her body close to him.

Stepping into the school after the most eventful summer of their lives, the Pogues wander through the middle of hallways, having every single student stood to the side staring at them. Ava and JJ have got used to hearing people mutter and hiss rumours to one another, but the other two friends beside them are very clearly not so used to it. Kiara stares at the floor while Pope bites his lip anxiously.

Shoving their way into their first class of the day, they all take their seats, apologising quietly to anyone they hit with their bags while passing. Pope places himself down on the front row, Kiara and Ava in the second and JJ in the very back corner behind his girlfriend.

Half an hour into the most boring history lesson ever and JJ is leaning forward across his desk, fiddling with Ava's hair, carefully braiding it without pulling her attention away from her doodle covered notebook. Suddenly, her phone in her back pocket vibrates, and through the room three other notification noises sound.

"Who's phone was that?" The teacher whips around, "Nobody? You will be tested. Now, to recap, who was Diocletian?"

Ava zones out his words, raising her phone up from below the desk so she's able to read the message on her lock screen.

UNKNOWN NUMBER

Her eyes narrow and she whips around, staring at JJ while he reads the text from his own phone. His head snaps up quickly, meeting her gaze. Reaching forward, he grabs her wrist, pulling her down and they both rush around a few tables to between Pope and Kiara, their bodies hunched over.

The four of them click open the message, holding their phones side by side. It's John B and Sarah, the two supposedly dead teenagers, side by side in a selfie. Ava's mouth drops open, and instantly she's sprinting out of the classroom with JJ close on her heels and Pope and Kiara following soon after.

Heading whipping over her shoulder at the sound of a crash, Ava snorts while JJ's bodies flings over a cleaner's bucket, sending him skidding along the floor. In a hurry, he rushes to stand up once more and soon enough he's by her side again as they exit into the courtyard.

"I mean, is that even possible?" Kiara gasps, jogging down the stairs, "I mean, Shoupe said that they didn't make it. He said that."

"Okay, but I— I think we're overreacting, cause we can't rule out the possibility that this could all be some kind of weird, curls hoax." Pope rushes.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ava notices as JJ pushes the heel of his palm into his chest, his other hand rolled into his fist. She smiles over at him and makes her way over to him. She stands in front of him while he leans against a brick wall and she rests her head back on his chest, flicking her phone back on.

"Has he responded?" Pope asks, turning his phone on.

"He's typing," Kiara's head snaps up to Ava, "He's typing."

UNKNOWN:
is JJ there?

Over Ava's shoulder, JJ reads the message and in an instant he is typing a reply on his own phone, sending the message as fast as possible.

J:
I'm here, Bree

UNKOWN:
did you pimp my short board?

Nearly dropping her phone, Ava laughs, pushing away from JJ so she's able to turn fully to him, their eyes meeting while bright smiles spread over their lips.

"It's him," He says.

Suddenly, a sob wracks Ava's body and JJ shoves his phone into his short's pocket, pulling her into his chest while the pair of them laugh happily, tears streaming down their cheeks.

"He's alive," Ava whispers.

JJ hums into her hair, his hand cradling the back of her head, "He's alive, baby."

Laughing, Ava gently pushes away, soaking her body around so she's able to encase Kiara in a tight hug, the two girls giggling into each other's shoulders.

JJ throws his arms into the air, "YEAH!"

While Ava's hugging Pope, another message flies through and the group is quick to open their phones once more, eager to know more.

UNKNOWN:
Laying super low in Nassau

"How the hell did they get to the Bahamas?" Kiara questions.

JJ shrugs, "You can't kill a Pogue, dude."

Ava throws her head back, staring into the sky as tears pour down her cheeks, "Especially JB."

UNKNOWN:
Can you clear my name?
Wanna come home
A, r u managing to survive
without ur darling brother?

Ava rolls her eyes.

AVA:
you're a dickhead

UNKNOWN:
love you too
i'll be in touch
P4L

"P4L, man." JJ laughs, pulling Ava right into his side with his arm wrapped around her waist, "That's what I'm talking about. P4L, BABY!"

Ava turns to the other two, holding her arm out wide and their step forward quickly. The four engulf each other in a hug, sobbing into shoulders and soaking t-shirts. JJ lowers his head, pressing a shaky kiss against Ava's scalp, his cries vibrating her body.

They're alive.

❦

The Pogues stroll through the newly furnished Wreck, with bright smiles on their faces as they swerve around crowded tables and delivery men.

"Kiara, I do need those setups done by five!" Anna calls, watching as the teenagers make their way onto the dock.

"You know, there are other people that work here!" Kiara shouts back.

"None of 'em my children!"

Dropping his bag onto the bench, Pope hums quietly, "I feel that. On a deep emotional level, I understand that."

Ava slides down onto the seat, laying her body across the wooden bench with her arms rested behind her head.

"Are we going to the Bahamas or what?" JJ asks, leaning against the beaming.

Pope shakes his head, "Dude, there's no way we're getting to the Bahamas."

"John B will get nabbed sooner or later, so if we're gonna clear his name, we need to have done it yesterday," Kiara sighs.

"I'll tell you how we do it," JJ declares.

Pope raises a brow, "Oh, so you've got it all planned out?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," JJ hums, gently lifting up Ava's head and slipping down onto the bench before lowering her head back onto his lap, "We kidnap Rafe."

"I'm sorry, what?" Pope tilts his head.

"We kidnap Rafe," He repeats, "Tie him up, and stick the gun in his mouth and just wait till her starts squawking."

Ava snorts from below him, pointing up at him with a smirk, "I like it."

"You know, torture's a war crime," Kiara mutters at the pair in utter shock.

"Yeah, but—"

"So how exactly do you plan on clearing John B'e name from a prison cell?" Pope glares at JJ and Ava, "Because that's a felony."

Ava rolls her eyes, swinging her legs around and sitting up straight, "Well, what do you have, Pope?"

JJ hums, "I was tryna keep it simple. You know, one stop, and we're done."

"Guys, all we need is a material witness. We saw Ward's plane fly right over our heads with the gold inside of it. He didn't fly it. If somebody else flew, they were there on the tarmac," Pope explains, "They saw Peterkin get murdered. Ava, do you remember seeing a pilot?"

She shakes her head, "I was slightly occupied."

He purses his lips, "We just have to find whoever that was and get them to confess on record. How do we do that? A little light espionage."

JJ and Ava exchange a smirk, "A little ghost recon."

"Woogity-woogity, baby!"

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not at all proof read