chapter 16, i wanna be with you.

"2020 Malibu, 24-MXC," Pope said as the three teens stood eyeing Topper's boat. "The world's finest wakesetter. Number one in quality, luxury, and performance." Pope continued. Reese stood next to JJ as she watched the two boys. JJ's eyes locked with Reese's as he sent her a soft smile calming her anxieties.

"This is war, Pope. They hit us, we hit them." JJ voiced grabbing a face covering, pulling it so you could only see his eyes. Reese watched the boy carefully, it was as if causing mayhem fueled his existence.

"How am I supposed to hide who I am?" Reese asked sassily looking at the two boys. JJ reached into his pocket pulling out a pair of sunglasses and placing them perfectly on the girl's face as his index finger trailed down her cheek and left a burning trail of blush along the her face both of them quickly shaking off the feeling.

"Do it," JJ said. And with those words, Pope made a very unattractive and terribly formed dive into the water.

"What if someone sees us?" Reese said turning her body towards JJ. His eyes met hers sending her a soft glance.

"No ones gonna see us, Angel," he said snaking an arm around her waist. Her anxieties drifted away once again as her body fell closely into JJ's.

The two watched as Pope made his way to the Thornton's boat, eventually, Pope climbed onto the boat looking around for what JJ had explained to the boy would sink it. The boy leaned down grabbing the plug and pulled it out as it started to sink, hissing and bubbling. Pope quickly left making another failed attempt at a dive, he swam rapidly towards the boy and the girl. JJ's eyes met Reese's as a devious grin pooled across the Maybank boy's face. Pope climbed into the boat as JJ started to praise the boy.

"Wow, you did it. I'm so proud of you right now. Holy crap." JJ started to hype up the boy looking at the plug in his hands. Reese had a bright smile placed across her face as she watched the boy next to her so happy. Although fear bubbled from her toes but quickly dispersed as JJ traced shapes on her side.

"JJ?" Pope spoke frantically, grabbing the boy by the shoulders pulling him away from Reese.

"Yeah?" JJ responded.

"You can't tell anybody." The Heyward boy desperately stated. He turned to Reese as well, "You either."

"Oh, no, yeah. Totally, dude." JJ said nonchalantly. Reese looked at the boys carefully nodding along with JJ.

"No, I'm serious, guys. Not Kie, not John B, nobody." Pope said frantic, "And especially not your death squad Reese."

"Of course Pope I got you," Reese said placing a hand on the boy's shoulder hoping to ease his anxiety.

"Yup, my lips are sealed." JJ said as he reached for the plug "Give me that. Give me that." he said taking the plug from his hands and throwing it as far as he possibly could. "Okay! Let's get outta here." JJ said as Pope walked to start the boat. Reese sat in the stern of the boat, eyeing the two boys having a conversation.

"So, you and Carmichael?" Pope asked looking at the boy hushing his voice so he was hopefully out of the girls hearing.

"Shut up," JJ responded very quickly, denying any accusations of being involved with the girl.

"I see the way you look at her dude, and I saw you guys almost kiss last night," he said giving the boy a questionable look.

"Okay, well maybe I like her," he said quietly and of all the things Reese hadn't heard that was the part of the conversation that she did. A smile grew across her lips as she watched the two boys converse JJ's eyes drifting towards the girl every once in a while. He eventually made his way to the stern of the boat sitting down next her.

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"Angel," he said softly placing a lazy arm around her shoulder.

"Loverboy," she said placing her head into the crook of his neck as his arms rested more comfortably around her.

"Do you wanna go home?" he asked.

"Do you want me to go home?" she responded her eyes becoming soft.

"I want you to be where you wanna be," JJ said softly, but there was more behind his words. He truly didn't know if the girl was just using him and the Pogues for an escape from Kook life or if she genuinely wanted to be around them.

"I wanna be with you," she said softly her eyes finally finding his. A soft pink fell over the two teens faces, JJ's fingertips finding themselves at the edge of her chin lifting it up softly so their lips were only inches away. Reese's eye fluttered open to be met with JJ's a soft smile creeping upon her lips. The softness of each other's lips slowly was apparent as his lips connected with hers. JJ smiled into the kiss knowing this was what he had always wanted.

"Let's go," Pope said walking off the boat and heading to his car. JJ and Reese pulled away a sense of disappointment that their kiss had been so short slowly their eyes fluttered open as they stared peacefully at each other.

"Uh, we should probably follow him," JJ said standing up and grabbing the girl's hand. JJ ran into Heywards grabbing a surfboard for the girl as the Pogues were apparently going to surf and of course, Reese, surfing was her thing after all.

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"Hey, where you been?" Kie called out as the three ran towards the ocean, paddling towards John B and Kie. "Why is she here?" Kie asked anger behind her tone as Pope, JJ, and Reese finally were in hearing range.

"Ask JJ," Pope said hinting at towards the girl and the boy.

"What? No. Don't ask me anything." JJ defended watching Reese closely, her cheeks turning a bright pink remembering the kiss they had shared.

Once the group had finished surfing they made their way back to the Chateau where they all positioned themselves comfortably. JJ and Reese curled up in one hammock while John and Kiara laid in another and Pope sat in a lawn chair next to them. A storm thundered in the distance as the sun had faded away leaving a shade of muted blue dispersing in the sky. The North Carolinian bugs sounded throughout their ears bringing a sense of home into the air. Reese found herself thinking how strange it was that she laid in JJ Maybank's arms as he drew figure eights on the soft patch of her back.

"You really think it's out there? Like, no bullshit?" Pope asked breaking the silence of the group.

"My father thought it was." John B stated.

"But do you?" Pope challenged the curly brunette. Thunder rumbled in the distance causing Reese to shudder closer into JJ's arms he pulled her close smelling the lavender shampoo radiating from her hair.

"After hearing his voice on that tape...I think I do." John responded confidently. Reese took into consideration that the boy may have been concocting to deal with his grief but she knew that if she'd been in the same position she would've done the same.

"Only one way to find out." Pope said his hands making their way toward John B's as they did what looked like a group handshake as Reese had observed Kie and JJ do before.

"Look, we're gonna find it, you know? Even JJ believes." Kie spoke from next to John.

"Oh, my God, JJ, do you really believe?" John asked sarcastically.

"Totally. Wait. Are we talking about four mil?" JJ asked his voice echoing inside of his chest underneath Reese which sent chills down her spine.

"Four hundred mil." Kie and Pope said as Reese's eyes widened at the vocalization of the actual gold price being stated. Reese never worried about money, being a kook and all had its privileges and worrying about money was not one of them.

"Jinx," Kie said smiling softly toward the Heyward boy although you couldn't see much just the shadow of each other.

"I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks," JJ said readjusting his position beneath Reese as his hands gripped tightly around her never wanting to let go.

"Good night, Bird!" JJ said making fun of John's nickname.

"Good night, bird shit!" John replied cause a giggle to escape from Reese's lips.

"Goodnight Angel" JJ said smiling softly as he placed a soft kiss on the top of her head bringing a smile to her face as she drifted off listening to the breathing of the boy under her.

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(1509)

hi!!!!

okay i'm sorry i'm the worst
i haven't updated in so long
but here is an extra long chapter
just to make up for it

i promise i will try to update more
make sure to read my conversation
board for updates.

i love you all tremendously