EDEN can't help but smile as the face of JJ Maybank appears behind the grate. 

JJ's eyes widened in shock, clearly not expecting to see the Bexley in front of him. He knew Eden was on the ship, but he hadn't expected to see her so abruptly—let alone for her to find them. Looking back at his friends for a split second, the Maybank can't help but guffaw, "Eden?" 

"Hey," Eden manages, greeting the blonde like she hasn't been away from the group—as if she hadn't been kidnapped away from them. JJ hops off of whatever he'd been standing up on to reach the grate, outstretching his hand to help the Bexley down. She takes it, peeking her head in to ask, "Got room for one more in this container?"

John B. steps forward, sighing in relief when he saw the Bexley peeking in, "Jesus Christ, Ed'." He'd be lying if he said he hadn't been worrying about her as he sat in the container. His girlfriend was on this ship, but so was Eden—he promised he wouldn't leave her again, but he couldn't help but fear that she had left him. "I thought we lost you for a minute." 

Eden hands JJ the grate she was holding before climbing inside of the container, using the blonde's helping hand. "I thought I lost you guys." 

Stepping into the contained space, she's quick to feel the difference in temperature. The salty sea breeze disappears, and a wave of humid air is quick to stick to her skin, warming her figure uncomfortably. 

"One down, one to go." Pope mutters in reference to the two girls they'd come to retrieve from the ship.

Kiara comes forward, giving her friend a quick once-over before unexpectedly wrapping her arms around the Bexley. "Are you okay?" While she hadn't been there at the estate, JJ and John B. had filled her in on Eden's disappearance, and she couldn't hesitate from asking the question on everyone's mind. "What the hell happened?" 

Eden relaxes within the embrace, appreciating the sign affection—she had her friends back. As she hugs Kie, the Bexley bluntly answers, "Isla drugged and kidnapped me." 

Pope's brows furrow, "Drugged you?"

"Uh, yeah." Eden nods, pulling away from Kiara as she started to explain herself. "I found Sarah passed out inside the estate and Rafe caught me and then he locked me in the liquor cabinet. I started to have a panic attack and Isla came in to try and calm me down. She injected something into me....." She pauses for a moment before wearily stating, ".....and I woke up here."

"Jesus." JJ mutters, before scoffing, "That's messed up."

"Yeah, well, there's Isla Bexley for you." Eden manages to smile at her words, though it truly doesn't meet her eyes. Before any of the Pogues can comment, she returns with, "How did you guys get on the boat?"

John B. explains, "Well, me and JJ saw you and Sarah get dragged out of the house unconscious and just followed the car here. Didn't really think before climbing into this container to try and find you guys."

"We were actually about to come find you when you found us." JJ adds, 

"I'm touched." Eden hums before adding, "But we should probably get going with trying to find Sarah. Rafe called for the crew to start looking for stowaways. I saved you some time buy 'searching' this container, but I wouldn't risk it." 

"Eden's right." JJ heaves himself back towards the open grate, "Let's roll."

"JJ, hold up." Pope's voices interjects, the blonde looking down to see what his friend wanted. "I don't think we should all go out there. It's too risky." 

JJ's brows furrow, "Why?" 

"Okay, I gotta to be honest, I think you should stay here." John B. voices, trying not to displease the Maybank with his words as much as he could. If there was one thing JJ Maybank didn't like, it was being on the bench. 

JJ's brows raise, "What?" 

"I have Sarah that I'm gonna go after. And Pope has..."

Pope nods along, agreeing with the Routledge, "....The cross." 

JJ looks between the two boys like they were crazy—why wouldn't he go on this mission? "Yeah, let's go get it, right?"

John B. offers another reason, "Also, if you go out there, there's one hundred percent probability that you're gonna do something stupid." 

Eden can't help but agree with the Routledge. While JJ had the clear motivation to find Sarah and the cross, it wasn't unlikely that he would end up doing something that ended with everyone caught by the captain or Rafe. "Okay, he has a point, J."

"Okay, first of all, I think the correct terminology is 'ballsy'. That is it—" JJ begins to correct, unappreciative of the way Eden, Pope, and John B. had all voted him out of leaving the container. 

"Okay, okay, okay—" Pope rushes, before firmly stating, "Okay, get down here."

John B. grabs the blonde and begins to pull him down, JJ defending himself as he reluctantly steps down, "I'm a field player!"

John B.'s voice is in a tight whisper as he tries his best to get through with the blonde. "If we get in a bind, we need somebody to look out for us. That's what we need." 

"Okay, I get it." JJ huffs. The brunette opens his mouth to continue, but the Maybank cuts him off, "I get it, I get it. I'll be on the B team."

John B. retorts, "I never said B team—"

"Nah, it's cool." 

Kiara comes in between the two boys, "Sorry, are you calling me B team?"

JJ turns towards the curly haired teen, "Didn't mean to offend you."

"Did B team not just, like, find our way out, or am I, like, totally tripping?" 

Eden looks at the trio before glancing up at the open grate. While she would love to find Sarah and reclaim the cross, being on the B team didn't sound terrible—she'd just gotten her friends back, she didn't want to separate with them within the unsafe perimeter of the ship again. 

"Hey, Kie, you can take my spot and go out. I'll stay with JJ." Eden speaks up, reserving her own spot within the B team. The group falls quiet at her statement, listening as she added, "You guys can do all the glory work and we'll stay here for back-up." 

Kiara sends the girl an appreciative expression, "Thank you."

JJ still seemed awfully sour about his current position, and Pope comes towards him to remind him of the three simple things he needed to do "JJ, look, just hang back. Hold down the fort. And for the love of God, just listen to Eden if she tells you to do something."

"Great. Looking forward to it." JJ huffs, glumly walking further into the container. "You guys have fun. It's your funeral—your game. I'll be in here, on the bench....." He pauses before adding, "....chilling." 

John B. nods towards the blonde, "Have fun with his moping."

"I'm used to it." Eden sighs, before switching her attitude to a more firm tone. Looking between him, Kie, and Pope, the Bexley enters her more motherly persona as she states, "Don't get caught. Don't get shot...." Her face cringes as she adds, "Be safe." 

John B.'s face lights up, "You said it!"

"And I want to pitch myself into the ocean for it." Eden grimly states, still cringing at the fact she'd said John B.'s all too familiar phrase. Shaking the feeling away, the Bexley ushers the teens away, "Get out of here."

The Routledge and Heyward start climbing, squeezing through the opening to escape the container. Kiara grabs the cover of the grate, handing it over to Eden before climbing it herself with an, "We'll be back soon."

"Find us if you need help." Eden nods, following Kiara up. 

The Carrera girl climbs out the grate, pushing herself forwards upon the barrels below. Eden watches as her three friends disappear down the ship for a moment before shutting the grate, closing off their escape route for the time being. 

Now all she could do was wait. 

Eden moves her gaze to where JJ was currently sitting. Dryly she comments, "Are you just gonna sit here and sulk the whole time, or...."

"We're the B team, Eden." JJ huffs, crossing his arms like a toddler who wasn't getting his way, "Freakin' B team." 

"Personally, I'm all here for sitting and doing absolutely nothing." the Bexley states, walking towards where the blonde was sitting by himself.  As she travels further into the container, it feels as if the sickly humidity grew worse—all she felt was heat. Eden takes and seat across from him and brings her knees to her chest as she sourly comments, "The last thing I want to do is walk through this stupid ship."

At the mention of not wanting to walk through, JJ can't help but ask one of the many question's he and John B. both had ever since last night. They knew how Eden ended up here, but they didn't know why.

"Why are you on this boat?" The Maybank asks, generally curious. "Like, Isla drugged you and kidnapped you to get you here, but why?"

A humorless chuckle falls from Eden's lips, "She wants another chance to be a mom."

"Another chance?" JJ echoes.

"Yeah, apparently we're leaving Kildare for good, without my dad. Moving to Guadeloupe with the Cameron's and restarting there as a family—if you can even call us that anymore. Total bullshit." Eden scoffs, recalling what her mother had said to her earlier that morning. "Had to drug me because she knew I wouldn't go with any of it."

"That's actually.....insane." JJ breathes, glancing at the Bexley, "I mean, taking you out of the country without your dad? Wanting to restart after all of this shit?"

"Y'know, sometimes, I think I can trust her again. That I can stand to have a civil conversation without wanting to slap her across the face—maybe try to genuinely hear her out." Eden states, not meeting the Maybank's gaze. "But she pulls shit like this every single time. She wants me to trust her, but then she just gives me another reason not to." 

JJ shrugs, "I think your Mom is actually crazy."

"Yeah, well, this is the same woman who cries if you get mud on her floor, so....." Eden  tries to sound humorous, but it doesn't hit the same as her usual sarcastic comments do—this was genuinely bothering her. "Maybe she's been crazy since day one."

JJ notices the way her mom seemed to be internally eating at her, and decided to try his best to try and reassure her that it would be okay. She may have Isla Bexley as a mom, but she had the Pogues as her family—that's all that mattered. 

"Hey, you know we're not gonna let her take you anywhere, right?" JJ voices, voice cutting through the stuffy atmosphere of the container. "We got on the boat to get you and Sarah, and we're going to leave it with you guys. No matter what happens." He manages a smile, "Pogues don't leave Pogues behind."

"Thanks, J." Eden murmurs softly, appreciative of his words. She knew the Pogues wouldn't go anywhere without her, but it felt nice to hear it. However, the Bexley discards the topic of herself and starts to ask about the Maybank's situation, "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What happened with your Dad when the Twinkie was sinking?"

JJ clearly doesn't expect the question, "Oh, uh....he left."

"For good?" Eden raises a brow. In her eyes, Luke leaving the island forever was good news, but she wouldn't let JJ hear any sort of excitement in her tone. JJ saw Luke in the same way that Eden saw her own mother—he was a terrible man, but he was dad. There would always be that connection, abusive or not.

 Eden had a different feeling of emotions while picturing Isla locked up for good, who's to say JJ wasn't feeling the same about his father's departure? 

"Mhm." The blonde boy gives a curt nod, looking down at the floor, "Yucatán." 

The Bexley tries to read his body language and hums, "Wanna talk about it?" 

JJ hesitates a moment before shaking his head, "Not really."

Eden knew JJ had a habit of hiding his emotions, but she wouldn't push him. Luke Maybank was a sore subject, and if he didn't want to talk about it, they simply wouldn't. "Okay." 

The Maybank echoes her reply, "Okay." 

The two teens fall into a small pool of silence, leaving the conversation of their shitty home lives behind. 

Heat. 

That's the only thought that runs through Eden's head as she sits within the storage container. 

For the past twenty minutes, Eden Bexley had been sitting in silence within the container, waiting for a sudden knock on the grate to signal that John B., Pope, or Kie had returned. Not only to see if they'd been successful with finding Sarah or the cross, but so she can feel a hint of air that wasn't fully humid.

Beads of sweat sit upon her forehead, every ounce of her skin feeling sticky as her body tries to reflect the sickly heat of the container. The humidity makes her entire figure feel heavy, and she stares hard at the grate to try and keep herself from falling asleep.

For living in the OBX, Eden was growing tired of heat. 

"God, it's hot in here." Eden manages stiffly, shifting uncomfortably in her spot. She can't help but start to feel restless as she only feels heat. She leans her head back, eyes squeezing shut and hands gripping her jeans as she tries to fight the discomfort growing in her chest—why couldn't her friends get back already?  Why was she stuck in the ungodly heat; in this cramped container? 

"Tell me about it." JJ dryly chuckles, agreeing with his friend—it was fucking hot. He turns his head to look at her, expression faltering when he notices the discomfort her face was twisted into; her tight grip on her jeans, the way her eyes were squeezed together. 

With this, he offers, "You okay?" 

"I'm....I'm fine." Eden forces the words from her lips—she was fine. She just happened to be stuck in a tiny, humid container thanks to her mother trying to kidnap her from her friends and father to live with two murderers. No problem. "Just really hot." 

JJ doesn't trust her. "Eden."

"I'm fine." Eden reaffirms more forcefully, as if she was trying to remind herself that. An all too familiar tightness starts to bloom within her chest, and she mentally curses herself; not again. As she feels her panic start to seep in she can't help herself from rambling, "Just stuck in this tiny, tight, humid container because I was kidnapped by my mom away from my friends and my dad, and....." Her breath hitches in her throat, and as can feel herself growing overwhelmed as she realizes she can't breathe anymore.  "And....and I can't breathe." 

That phrase is all it takes for JJ to get up, figure moving towards Eden before he could think twice. He's quick to crouch down in front of the Bexley, however, that's about as far as he can get before his brain wracks to find something to help her—why couldn't he think right now? 

He'd seen Eden have panic attacks throughout their years of friendship, but he suddenly realizes that he's never had to deal with them first hand. It was always John B. who took charge of the situation; even when they were younger kids. In every attack, John B. was always the one who got her to breathe while JJ stood to the side, helping with whatever was asked of him. 

But John B. wasn't here. Now it was up to him. 

"I'm sorry—" Eden claws a hand at her sternum as her figure starts to slightly shake. Her chest rises and falls unevenly as she struggles to breathe—it feels like all the air has been sucked out of the container. "It's too hot, too tight. I can't—" Her words come out in more sporadically as she panics, "I can't breathe." 

"Hey, hey, Ed'—Eden..." JJ began, voice soft yet concerned as he tried to get through to her. He tried to picture certain things that John B. had done for her over the years, but his mind blanks on him. "Eden, I need you to look at me."

Eden's shaky hand rubs over her  sternum, JJ's words meeting deaf ears as she just lost herself to a sudden panic. She's hyperventilating, she can feel tears prickling in her eyes instinctively; she's scared and she doesn't know why. 

"I need—I need John B." the Bexley gasps. Her brain wracks for something that can make her feel better, and all she thinks of her best friend—he'd always been able to calm her down. Desperation is clear in her voice as she repeats, "I need him." 

JJ can't help the pang of helplessness that runs through his mind as Eden asks for John B.

He wasn't the person she needed right now, and JJ couldn't help but fear that no matter what he tried, no matter how hard he reassured her that she'd be okay or that he was there, it wouldn't be enough—that he wouldn't be enough for her. 

He could be JJ, but he couldn't be John B.

"Eden, look at me. Look at me." JJ pushes back all his doubts aside and tries his best. This time, his words seem to register in Eden's head and the Bexley meets his gaze, eyes wide with panic as she hyperventilates, a shaky hand still on her sternum. "I need you to breathe."

Shallowly, she chokes out a, "JJ—"

"I'm right here, okay? Right here." JJ keeps eye contact with her, outstretching his hand to take her free one.  He tightly grasps it, trying to signify that he was there. "I know you need John B., but he isn't here right now. I am. JJ's here." 

Eden hears the Maybank's words and tries to focus in on him despite all the struggle in her body. Chest still rising and falling rapidly, she clings to the boy's hand like it was her lifeline, trying to get a grip on herself.  

"You....you have to breathe, okay? It's too hot in here, you're gonna pass out." JJ doesn't let go of her clammy hand as he spoke, trying to use a soft yet affirmative voice to get her attention. "Can you do that, Ed'? Can you breathe for me?"

The tightness in her chest seems to be getting worse, and  Eden shakes her head, "I can—can't."

"You can. Just focus on me, okay? We're gonna get through this together." the Maybank takes the hand he was holding and presses it to his own chest so she could feel him taking in a breath. "Breathe with me—in through your nose, out through your mouth."

Eden closes her eyes to try and focus, feeling the steady rhythm in which JJ's chest rose and fell evenly beneath her hand. 

"In." JJ takes a deep breath, eyes locked on Eden, waiting for her to do the same. It takes a few attempts, but after a moment, the Bexley manages a decent breath in. The Maybank then instructs,  "Out."  He waits for her to do the same before nodding, "Just like that, okay? Can you keep doing that with me?"

Eden shallowly nods, keeping her eyes closed.

JJ repeats his words over and over again, Eden matching her breaths to his instructions. Slowly but surely, her breathing starts to become more controlled once more. 

Breath by breath, the tightness in Eden's chest seems to lift. The panic that was eating away at her started to disappear with every rise and fall of her and JJ's chest, and eventually, she wasn't struggling to take a breath anymore. 

"That's it." the Maybank nods as she watches his friend regain some sense of control over her breathing. He feels a relief being lifted off his shoulders—he'd done it; he'd helped her. "You're doing good. Just a few more with me."

JJ continues to help her until Eden finally opens her eyes, seemingly calmer than before.

"I'm....I'm okay." the Bexley whispers lightly, taking in a breath of her own. She keeps her hand on her sternum, but she slowly takes her hand off of JJ's chest, repeating herself, "I'm okay."

JJ watches her carefully. He trusts that she is finally okay, but still wants to stay cautious. "You sure?" 

"Yeah," Eden shallowly states, nodding lightly. "Just distract me. Please." 

"Okay, uh...." JJ gives a weary nod at her words, trying to think of something he could change the topic with. He pauses a moment before returning to her, "I've been thinking. When all this is over, and we're just rolling in the dough. I'm gonna get a new board. I'm gonna deck it out, and I'm gonna go on a surf trip." He shrugs, "I don't know where, but, like, the world's calling." He pauses again, almost trying to figure out where he'd go. "I don't know—name a place." 

Eden quietly states the first place she thought of, "Spain." 

"Then, after Spain, South America or South Africa—one of the South places." JJ continues with her answer, explaining the way he'd spend his life after everything was over; away from his dad, surfing the world. "Then Micronesia maybe, and then......and just ride. Wherever the wave takes you, you know?"

His words manage to bring a light smile to Eden's lips. She loved the idea.

"Ripping jungle break all day long. Bamboo hut, cooking a fish on a fire, and after that, you go back out and just hit the waves again." the Maybank genuinely smiles as he finishes, "That's the dream." 

Eden meets his gaze with a hum, "That sounds perfect, J."

JJ nods, "Yeah." 

"I don't know what I'm doing when we're 'rolling in the dough' so.....got room for one more?"  Eden asks, a light smile toying on her lips. Truthfully, she was unsure  what she'd do with any more money but going on a surf trip with one of her best friends didn't sound that bad. 

JJ looks at her with a shrug, "Got your passport?"

"Do you?" Eden retorts. She'd had a passport since she was young, but JJ certainly didn't have one at all.

"Hell no, I don't got a passport." JJ replies, the Bexley letting out a light chuckle at his words. "Kookiest thing ever."

Eden smiles, looking at the blonde boy fondly. She was calm now—he'd gotten her there. She isn't sure how long she would have been trapped within her panic attack if she'd been alone. "Thank you, J."

"Always, Eden." JJ offers a smile.

"Hey!"

The two teens look towards the grate, conversation being cut off as another voice enters.

"Hey. Open it! "

JJ is quick on his feet, maneuvering to pull the grate away from the wall. Eden stands up too, slowly making her way beside him. The Maybank hands her the grate, to which she takes, eyes locked on Pope as his head pops into the small entering.

"Oh, thank God." Pope whispers, sliding through. 

"Long time no see." Eden offers a hand up to the Heyward boy as he slides through, "Didn't get caught?" 

Pope takes her hand, breathing, "No, we're chill."

After the Heyward slides through, John B. climbs inside the container once more, slightly struggling to get through the small space. Behind him is Kiara, who comes through with more ease, glancing behind her.

The Bexley pushes past her friends to put the grate back on the opening, but is quickly halted by the Heyward, "No, wait. Hold it."

Eden opens her mouth to question but she's met with an answer as another girl's head pops up through the grate opening.

"Jesus Christ!" A girl with dark skin and a cap covering her head scans over the teens in the container. She begins to climb through the grate, her voice is thick with a Caribbean accent as she exclaims, "I kill you, John B!"

Eden's brows furrow and she turns to the Routledge, "Who is she?"

"Just relax. Just relax, okay?" John B. ushers.

Eden wants to laugh at the comment after the anything but relaxing she'd done within the container, but keeps it to an, "That is the wrong thing to say to me right now."

"I told you I had a surprise, right?"

"Who the fuck is she, John?" Eden asks again, glancing between John B. and the new girl. 

Based on how the only passengers on the ship were Isla, the Cameron's, and herself, Eden has to assume that this new girl is a worker. And with that, the Bexley can't help but think that she's someone who could rat them out to Rafe or the captain—who could get them in trouble with people on board who could care less what happened to them. 

John B. puts his hands on Eden's shoulders, "Remember I told you about the girl we met in thee Bahamas that saved us?"

Eden's brain thinks back to the boat ride back to the OBX where John B. and Sarah retold their Nassau adventures. She recalls the stories about a certain girl and turns to look at the new face who sits within the container, "You're Cleo?" 

"That's what they call me." The girl—or Cleo, as Eden supposes—replies.

John B. nods, "She's gonna help us, alright?"

Cleo shakes her head with a light scoff, "Next time, ask me."

Eden hopes John B. isn't lying. 

mara's misc!!

WE FINALLY GET CLEO!!!!

fun fact i actually didn't like cleo originally. i'm never a huge fan of newly added characters in shows, but she's grown on me sm. her and eden will definitely be a duo and john b will be shitting his pants bc of them being together on poguelandia.

also i'll just say eden's panic attack was 95%  kensie's idea so you can yell at her not me <333 

hope you enjoyed <3 see you back with chapter 61