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○ 〇 ○

○ 𝟎𝟎𝟔 ○

○ nothing but a secret between friends ○

○ 〇 ○

The next morning Juno woke up to the sun peeking in through the open doors of the boat. Juno groaned, pulling a pillow over her head to block out the unwelcome light. The boat creaked gently as it swayed, the sound almost hidden beneath the water lapping against the side of the vessel.

From the other end of the cushioned bench, Sarah stirred. "Juno, shut up," she grumbled, lazily kicking her foot out toward her friend.

"That wasn't me," the girl said through a tired sigh as she readjusted how she was lying.

When there was a loud metal clang, they both sat up in shock. Juno blinked the sleep from her eyes, sourcing out the cause of the noise. Standing awkwardly in the middle of the room was John B, scuba gear strewn over his shoulders and oxygen tanks in his hands.

"Told you it wasn't me," Juno said with a tired smirk, throwing a glance at Sarah.

"Sorry," John B said to them both as he set the oxygen tanks down, trying not to cause more noise.

Sarah groaned heavily as she laid back down, a hand to her head, the aftereffects of all of the wine starting to settle in. "What are you doing?"

"Uh, I'm just dropping off some scuba gear," John B explained, his tone betraying how nervous he was about getting caught.

Juno's gaze drifted to his face, noticing how much the bruise from his fight with Topper had bloomed since the night of the bonfire. It encircled his whole eye and looked dark and painful. Her brow furrowed as she glanced at the clock on the wall, confused. "At five in the morning?"

"Yeah," John B nodded, though his hesitation undercut his confidence. "I've got a busy day," he added, as if it was enough explanation. "What. . . ah, what are you guys doing here?"

At this, Sarah sat up, her expression twisting in perplexion. "It's my family's boat. It's also the only place with air conditioning."

"Right," he nodded again as if he'd somehow forgotten this.

Sarah wasn't about to let him off, though. "Did you, um. . . top up the tanks?"

"Uh. . ." John B dragged, his eyes lowering to the tanks before he looked back at Sarah, shaking his head. "No. No, power's down, so the compressors were off."

Sarah nodded slowly, eyeing him carefully. "So, you're sneaking onto our boat at five a.m. with empty tanks?" She gave him a moment to respond but he couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation in time. "I'll make sure to tell Ward," she smirked.

There was a twitch of panic in his face but John B was quick to bury it beneath a forced smile, trying to play it cool. "Okay. Okay. Cool. Cool. Just drop these off."

"In the middle of the room," Juno noted as she watched the boy. "I'm sure that's exactly where you found them, John B."

"Yeah," John B said, his tone defensive as he continued to pile the gear. "This is pretty much what he told me to do."

The girls said goodbye to him when it looked like he was leaving, turning to each other with pinched brows. It was almost a relief when they both saw their confusion mirrored.

But John B hadn't left just yet. "Actually, you know, what- what exactly were you gonna tell your dad, Sarah?" he laughed, trying to be casual.

Sarah looked away from Juno with a shrug, leaning against the couch. "Nothing much. Just that you poached our scuba gear."

"Okay, fuck," he muttered beneath his breath, turning back to her. "I borrowed it for a few hours. Okay? And then I brought it back intact and unharmed."

"And minus air," Juno tacked on with a small, satisfied smile.

John B shot her a glare, his frustration bubbling to the surface. Had he been expecting her help?
"I didn't realise that you were a Cameron all of a sudden."

Juno's smirk deepened, her tone laced with faux innocence. "Nope, just an observer observing a poacher."

The boy's cheeks flushed, turning his attention back to Sarah. "Look, please don't tell him. Okay? He'll fire me."

"So, what are you gonna do? Pull a gun on me?" Sarah retorted, her words dripping in sarcasm.

Juno was almost surprised by the comment, especially after what they had spoken about. Sure, Juno didn't like John B, but she had felt like they had taken a step towards burying the memories of the bonfire and yet here they were.

John B threw his hands up slightly, "Look, I didn't know JJ would do that."

"That's convenient to believe." She looked at Juno before going back to John B, "Maybe you should get better friends."

"Well, maybe you should get a better boyfriend," John B shot back with a smug smile.

Sarah chuckled coldly, unamused. "Like one who doesn't poach?"

The tension in the room was thick, but John B was clearly tired of the back-and-forth. "Look, please," he said, his voice a lot more serious. "Just don't tell him. Okay?"

"Relax," Sarah laughed, enjoying toying with the boy. "I'm not going to tell him anything. Your secret's safe with me, John B."

When the boy turned to Juno and raised an eyebrow expectantly, the girl scoffed. "What makes you think I care enough to tell anyone?"

John B smiled at them both, seemingly happy with the outcome. When Sarah told him to leave, he awkwardly apologised again before saying goodbye and leaving the boat.

"He's so weird," Sarah mumbled as she laid back down rubbing her temples.

"Maybe he likes you," Juno teased, mimicking Sarah's comment to her the previous night.

Sarah groaned, throwing a pillow at her friend as they both fell into laughter, the lingering tension from John B's visit finally breaking.
"Yeah, whatever. I'm going back to sleep."

○❂○

Hours later, Sarah and Juno were walking towards the water behind the Cameron mansion. The morning air felt fresh, the sun warming her skin as they walked, chatting quietly amongst themselves.

The aftermath of the storm was still evident even though a lot of it had been cleaned up. The power still wasn't back on across the majority of the island but everyone was making do; this wasn't the first time they'd experienced a storm.

"Sarah! Juno!" a young voice called out, breaking their moment of peace. The two turned to see Sarah's neighbour Gracie racing towards them.

When the girl reached them Sarah knelt in front of her to ask what was wrong. The young girl had apparently lost her teddy in a boat. 

"Oh, so you left her in the boat? Okay, can you tell us what she looks like?"

"She has a trunk and blue ears," the young girl said softly, clearly worried about the safety of her teddy as tears brimmed in her eyes.

Juno exchanged a glance with Sarah, only to see that the girl was already scanning the waterline in search of the boat. The small fishing boat was wedged beneath a fallen telephone pole just off the shore. "Okay. I'm gonna get her for you."

Juno's brow furrowed as she glanced at the boat and the precariously draped power lines. "Be careful of the electricity, yeah?" Juno said as she instinctively held Gracie back.

Sarah looked over her shoulder and flashed her a cheeky grin as she climbed onto the fallen pole, "Aww, Junebug, you care."

Juno rolled her eyes, "Don't flatter yourself. I just don't want to have to get through this summer alone."

Cautious yet balanced, Sarah started to walk along the pole toward the boat. Juno winced as she heard the wood creak beneath her weight but Sarah didn't seem to notice, focused on the teddy in the boat.

From the porch, Rose appeared, her voice showing both concern and exasperation. "Hey, there's 14, 000 volts in those wires."

The warning made the blonde falter briefly, yelping as her foot slipped slightly. Thankfully, she was quick to regain her balance, waving Rose off as she continued to walk. 

Juno shook her head as she laughed lightly, watching Sarah as she got closer to the boat. "It's fine, she's almost there," leaning into Sarah's teasing.

Rose, however, was far from amused. She stormed down the steps and stood by Juno and Gracie. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me. Sarah, get down now!"

Sarah just laughed as she kept moving closer to the boat, arms outstretched for balance. "Rose, calm down. I'm an athlete. I got this," she insisted.

Juno looked over to the woman and noticed that they had more onlookers. Rafe, Sebastian, Topper and Kelce stood nearby observing the rescue. While Rafe looked like he couldn't care less, Topper appeared to be on the verge of an aneurysm. 

Rose was beginning to lose her patience, ripping her sunglasses from her face in frustration. "You're gonna get electrocuted! Get down!"

"Don't you worry," Juno said gently as she knelt down to talk to Gracie. "Sarah's gonna be just fine."

Gracie didn't remove her eyes from Sarah, both wide in concern as she watched her move along the pole. "What about the electricity?"

Juno put an arm around the girl with a small smile. "You heard Sarah; she's an athlete. She's not coming back without that little elephant. I promise."

Seeing everyone watching her, Sarah danced a little to show how at ease she was. When she reached the boat, she looked back at Gracie. "I see her!"

The young girl giggled excitedly, applauding Sarah. They all watched as Sarah leaned over to reach for the toy. Just as she was about to reach it, she slipped and fell in with a sharp scream. The sound was abruptly cut off as she collided with the boat, the loud thud echoing across the water. 

"Sarah!" Juno shouted, leaving Gracie with Rose to sprint to the edge of the water. Topper joined her, shouting Sarah's name with a pain-stricken edge. 

Rose didn't move, her hand covering her mouth as she kept the other on Gracie. Kelce and Sebastian followed after Topper with wide eyes, both concerned but curious. Rafe strolled along after them, his indifference clear.

As they reached the water's edge, their worry was immediately dissolved when Sarah's laughter erupted from the wreckage. Her hand shot up, holding up the frayed end of the cord from the telephone pole. "It's disconnected," she chuckled, brushing her hair away from her face.

Juno gave a relieved laugh, shaking her head as she spoke to her friend. "Sarah Cameron, you almost gave me a heart attack, I hope you know that."

Rose swore under her breath, putting her sunglasses back on before retreating back to the house as she muttered something about irresponsible children and liability. Kelce and Sebastian were doubled over in laughter, even more so when they saw the dumbfounded look on Topper's face.

"Absolute suckers," Sarah laughed as she stood up holding Gracie's teddy. "Topper, you should see your face."

"Yeah. Okay, yeah, I'm sorry that I care," he scoffed quite overdramatically. "All right, guilty."

Rafe, who still showed no sign of caring that his sister looked dead, put a hand on Topper's shoulder, "Congrats, pussy, you're officially her bitch."

"Real mature, Rafe," Juno scoffed as she reached her hand out and helped Sarah back onto the shore. "You think you're funny, don't you?"

"I think I'm hilarious," she grinned as she handed Gracie her toy back. The little girl thanked her before running back home. When Sarah turned and saw the look on Topper's face, she sighed. "I should talk to him. We'll catch up later?"

After Juno agreed Sarah jogged over to Topper who was already stalking towards the house with stiff shoulders. As Juno started to do the same, Sebastian was by her side and slipping an arm around her waist comfortably.

"Hey, beautiful. How are you?" he greeted, kissing her cheek as they started to walk together. His tone was smooth, the kind of tone that reminded her why she fell for him in the first place

"Hey. I'm good," she smiled softly, allowing herself to lean into him. "Sarah and I spent the night together. I really needed that."

"That's good," Sebastian said, genuinely sounding relieved. "I'm glad you're feeling better. I was worried about you after the bonfire. That was. . . a lot."

Juno responded with nothing more than a hum, trying not to fall back into thoughts of that night. Of how Sebastian had spoken to her.

Sebastian, clearly eager to move on, smiled as he changed the subject. "Listen, I'm gonna go and play a round of golf with Rafe and the guys, but I'll be at your place tonight for dinner, okay?"

Juno's smile faltered slightly, "I mean, sure, but I-"

"Great," he interrupted, not allowing her the chance to finish. "Thanks, babe. I'll see you tonight." He kissed her again, this time on the lips, before jogging off to catch up with Rafe. "Hey, man, wait up."

Juno stood there for a moment, staring as Sebastian disappeared down the path. Her chest felt heavy, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. She had been hoping for a quiet night alone with some snacks and a book, but that would clearly have to wait.

With a light sigh, she began to walk in the direction of town. Since she didn't have her bike, the journey was longer than usual, and the heat got stronger as the sun rose higher.

By the time she reached the Wreck, not only did she need food, but also water. Nearly all of the tables in the small restaurant were already full and the wait staff were rushing around. With the electricity down it was a popular spot to get a hot meal.

"Juno!" Mrs Carrera beamed when she spotted the girl. Walking out from behind the counter she wrapped her niece in a warm hug. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm good thanks, Aunt Anna," Juno replied, her tense shoulders softening as she returned the hug. "Just on my way home, but thought I'd grab some things for lunch for Dad and me."

Anna drew back, still smiling as she did so. "Let's get you sorted, then. I'm sure he's working hard." She went back behind the counter, already retrieving a loaf of bread and deli meat to prepare sandwiches.

"He said he was going to be clearing out the yard so that mum could get back to work. They're trying to get things back to normal," Juno informed her as she slid onto one of the stools at the counter.

"Just like my sister, straight back to it even after a storm. Good to see you, Juno," Mike Carrera chuckled as he approached, setting a towel down on the counter. His greeting was warm but Juno could see that he himself was tense.  

"Hey, Uncle Mike."

"You haven't seen Kiara today, have you?" he asked, brow furrowed just enough to be noticeable.

Juno resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the mention of her cousin. "No, sorry, I haven't."

Mike turned to his wife, his frown deepening. "She's probably with those Pogues again," he muttered, reminding anyone listening just how much he disapproved of her friends.

"Not now, Mike," Anna said gently, not wanting to argue about their daughter in front of the girl.

Juno shifted uncomfortably, choosing to focus on the menu board while they argued with their glances. It wasn't like she hadn't heard this argument before. Her cousin and her Pogue friends weren't just spoken about in the Carrera household, though. Juno's parents weren't exactly fans of the girl's choices, either.

"I'm sure she'll turn up soon," Juno said in hopes of diffusing the tension. 

Anna gave her a grateful smile as she placed the finished sandwiches in a bag with some drinks and sat them on the counter. "Here you go, sweetheart. Tell your dad we say hi, and let us know if you need anything. You know where to find us."

"Thanks, Aunt Anna," Juno responded as she grabbed the bag by the handles. "I'll see you guys around."

Juno could hear the muttered arguing continue as she walked away, but she chose to leave it. That was Kiara's issue, as far as she was concerned.

The walk back home was exhausting, the girl dripping in sweat as she walked through the door. Juno ended up opening one of the drinks and sipping at it, finishing the bottle by the time she reached her porch. 

Hugo Sinclair was hard at work in the yard, working with their gardeners to clear the debris. It was looking a lot better today, but was still a mess.

"Hey, Dad," Juno called, setting the bag down on the outside table.

Hearing his daughter, Hugo looked up with a smile. "Hey there, Junebug. You have great timing, I'm starving."

Juno started to unpack the bag, pulling out the sandwiches and drinks. "Aunt Anna says hi. She made us lunch."

"Remind me to thank her," he chuckled as he sat down, unwrapping one of the sandwiches. "How was your morning?"

Juno thought it over, selecting what she actually wanted to talk about. Not Sebastian - maybe she'd still be able to get out of dinner. "Quiet. Hung out with Sarah and then went to the Wreck and spoke to Aunt Anna and Uncle Mike. They're worried about Kie."

Her dad sighed, shaking his head. "That girl is always up to no good. I just don't get it - her parents do so much for her."

"I don't know, Dad," Juno mumbled as she opened her own sandwich. 

"Well, you know what I think?" he asked before taking a sip of water. "I think maybe she needs to be a bit more like you. You're so resilient and always make the right decisions. Hell, I'm sure half the island wishes their kids were as incredible as my perfect Juno," he chuckled.

Juno forced a smile but she just felt sick. Keep it to yourself. Trophy girlfriend, trophy child - that's your role and you're good at it. Stick to it.

——————————

(A/N)

longest chapter so far, mainly because the last was pretty short. Hope you liked it. We're going to get into more Pogue stuff very soon

I know it's been a bit of a slow start but that's mainly because she's not really in the group yet. Thanks to everyone who has chosen to give this story a chance, it means a lot x