𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄
30:10- 35:00
𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣 »𝙘𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣

∞

On the dock, JJ, Pope and I are watching the drone monitor carefully while John B and Kie pull faces in the camera, checking if it's working correctly and their friends are receiving the correct image.

JJ eyebrows shoot up as he reaches forward to touch a button the computer, "What's thi—l

Pope smacks his hands away harshly, "Don't touch that. I'm trying to work out how to use this thing."

"God bless geeks, Pope. Truly, man." JJ sighs, ruffling his hair, "What would we do without you to control the drones?"

"It's not a drone. It's an ROV." Pope mutters, his mind mainly focussed on the most important task at hand.

"Shut up. Just shut up." JJ snaps, waving his hand at his argumentative friend, "It's too early for that right now."

"Did you not just say we needed him?" I cock an eyebrow at the blonde, smirking when he turns to face me a straight face.

"Don't you start too." JJ swallows, "And
yeah, we need him, but I didn't need him to correct me."

"Hey, look," John B says from the surface of the water, "once we get the footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim."

"That's suck bullshit." JJ grumbles, resting on the beam, "Why do we have to do that?"

"Well, there is a maritime salvage law. You can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a shit ton of stuff up," I explain, standing beside him with my arms crossed over my chest.

"I know, I know. It's just lawyers aren't exactly the cheapest," He shrugs.

"As soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp," John says, running a hand over his soaked hair as water droplets fall onto his face.

Kie raises an eyebrow at the boy in confusion, "How do you know all that?"

"Cause my dad said it like, a million times." He answers.

"The tether is like really long. In the wrong weather, it could get pushed around," Pope explains while I offer my hand to Kiara, helping her up onto the deck.

"Then we'll go at dead calm," John B purses his lips, nodding.

"So now, we just gotta wait around for the right weather," Pope squints his eyes, looking at the dark gloomy horizon.

I grimace, "And today is not that day."

There's a thunderstorm and a thick grey, ugly cloud rolling right our way. It would be too dangerous to go until it's passed. Meaning we could be waiting for days.

While walking back into the Chateau, I jab a finger at my brother, "You jinxed it."

He raises his arms in surrender, shaking his head defiantly, "I didn't. Just coincidence. Actually, if anything, it was Pope who jinxed it."

Pope swirls round on his heels, "Don't blame it on me. JJ and Ava, you're coming with me to deliver groceries."

"Since when?" JJ and I ask in unison, our faces screwing up in disgust at the thought.

"Now."

Groaning, JJ begins to follow after the boy, "Sure, fuck it. I don't have anything better do," He shrugs,"Come on, Ava. If I had to do this shit then so do you."

"Bye," Kiara beams teasingly, waving at me as I trudge down the porch steps. I shoot her a glare over my shoulder before JJ drags me between him Pope.

❦

Hopping onto the boat, we begin to set down the grocery bags on a table while Heyward passes us more from his position on the dock.

"You guys get these groceries over to Figure Eight. Get straight back here when you're done. No fishing," He instructs, "I promised delivery by this afternoon."

JJ holds out both his arms, waiting patiently for bags to placed on them. I chuckle slightly at his posture and he turns his head to smirk at me, and I roll my eyes at his childishness.

"Rich folks don't wanna wait for you lazy sons of— Oh, JJ, thank you— sons of bitches." Heyward sighs, sending the blonde Pogue a small smile as he rests more bags on his arms.

"Right," Pope nods, starting the boat up, "Okay. See you later, dad."

I sit on the seat with my legs crossed while JJ jumps up to sit on the counter beside Pope, flicking a knife around in his hands.

"Doesn't even look like the storm hit there." Pope points at the Cameron's house, pulling up to the long delivery dock outside their house.

"That's because they got generators, bro. Get used to it," JJ mumbles, "And then they say the juice will be out all summer at the cut."

"It must be nice to be a kook," I hum, picking at my finger nails, "The true definition of paradise."

After a few more minutes, JJ jumps out of the boat, tying it down to the wooden dock. Quickly, the boys take two bags each, whereas I'm only left with one. I shoot them both a glare before stepping out onto the wooden decking.

"I'll go with Pope because there's more deliveries that way," I raise an eyebrow at the blonde boy opposite me, "J, you good by yourself."

"I'll suppose I'll live," He smirks, jumping off the boat and nudging me gently while he walks away, slowly breaking into a jog towards the Cameron household.

Making our way up the sandy path surrounding the golf course, Pope glances down at me, "How are you and JJ?" Pope asks.

I furrow my brows, "What do you mean?"

"Kie told me," He states.

I roll my eyes, chucking, "Of course she did. But, before you saying anything, we aren't dating."

"JJ keeps saying that too, but it's fairly obvious he wants more," He sighs, "Ava, JB's gonna be beyond pissed when you tell him," His eyes widen and his head snaps down to her, "You are gonna tell him right?"

"There's nothing to tell him, Pope," I hiss, "We aren't dating."

"Yet," He coughs, trying to hide his words while a smirk plays on his lip.

I shake my head, shooting him a glare, "Don't you start too."

Cutting our conversation sort, a certain pair of Kook best friends rush down the sand embankment to the side, causing Ava to curse under her breath.

"Hey, what's up, man." Rafe nods at Pope, his eyes floating over to the girl next to uim, "Hi, Ava."

"Rafe," I sigh, "just piss off."

"That's not a very nice way to speak to your ex boyfriend," He fake pouts, striding over with Topper close on his heels.

"You've spoken to me worst," I spit.

Ignoring me, he turns to Pope, his eyes flicking down the groceries, "Hey, how much for one of those beers?"

Pope clenches his jaw, "They're not for sale."

We go to walk past but Rafe stops us with his golf club, pressing it into both of our stomachs firmly, "Oh, wait, wait, wait. You can just give us one, then, right?" He continues to try.

"Or you can order one, like everybody else," Pope snarls through gritted teeth.

"Listen. You're not listening to me," Rafe chuckles, "Uh, you've got so many, bro, and we've got. . . nothing."

Topper nods in agreement, "Nothing."

"They're already paid for," Pope tells them, his breathing starting to falter slightly.

Rafe leans forward, peering down inside the other bag in Pope's hand with pursed lips.

I throw my head back in annoyance, "Rafe, fuck off. You're both rich as fuck, you can buy your own fucking beers."

Rafe glances up at me for a second before ripping the bag from Pope's hand, throwing it to the ground and smashing the products inside.

"What the hell?" Pope shouts, "You owe me for that!"

Rafe whacks the other bag away with his hand, "Dude, I don't own you shit, Pogue."

"Rafe, I swear to god, just piss off!" I yell as he pushes Pope to the ground. My eyes grow wide at the sudden outbreak, "Pope, are you okay?"

"Hold her back, bro," Rafe orders Topper who hastily wraps his arm round my torso, forcing me to drop the bag in my hand.

"Get the fuck off me, Top!" I struggle, slapping his arab and kicking my legs as I watch the fight break out.

Pope and Rafe begin to roll around on the floor. The kook winning by far as he uses the golf club as a weapon, smashing it down onto Pope's weak body.

Tears spill down my cheeks, "Rafe, please stop! You crazy motherfucker! Get off him!"

Realising what his best friend is doing, Topper releases me in shock and rushes to push Rafe away, realising that he went too far this time.

I stumble down to Pope's side to see him covered in blood, "Oh my god. Holy shit. Pope, can you—"

Suddenly, Rafe grabs my wrist and I'm yanked up into his chest. I smack my palms against his chest, "Rafe, let go of me!"

He ignores me, looking over my head at Pope on the floor, "We don't want you here. Got that, man? Stay off Figure Eight, Pogue."

"Rafe, I'm a pogue too!" I yell, wriggling my wrist to loosen his tight grip, "Let me go!"

He looks down at me, smirking, "But we all know you preferred it when we were dating and people actually respected you."

I shake my head, "You wish."

He doesn't reply and just laughs so I raise my knee, kicking him in the nuts, making him push away and shout out in pain, hunching over as his hands cup his aching groin.

"You bitch," He mutters straightening up slowly, "Fine but you'll miss me."

I roll my jaw, flicking him off as he begins to drag his best friend, "Fuck off, psycho."

Once they're finally out of sight, I drop back down to Pope's side, my hands hovering over his body, unsure of what to do, "Pope, oh- oh my god. Shit." I stammer, moving my free arm under us armpits, lifting him slowly off the ground.

"I'm sorry," He coughs up more blood, quickly wiping it away.

I shake my head, beginning to walk back along the sand path, not bothering with the groceries, "Don't apologise. It's their fault. I fucking hate them."

"I'm so glad. . . that you're not together . . anymore." He groans as we walk a bit further, getting closer to the boat and his hand presses against his aching side, "JJ's gonna be pissed."

I nod, helping him step into the boat carefully, "Probably."