chapter 28.
tapping the rudder.

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"And like, even after he was down, john b still kept hitting him." sarah hurriedly gets dressed in kiara's bedroom while kie and max lounge on her bed.

the former props herself up with an elbow, "yeah, i've never seen him like that."

as sarah heads into kie's bathroom to change her shirt, maxine chimes in, asking the older girls, "you actually think he's gonna get arrested?"

"he can't get arrested." sarah worries as she comes back around the corner, "not now. if he's locked up, he can't help his dad." the blonde looks up at maxine as she begins to pack up her backpack after having slept at kie's. "or your mom, max."

the younger girl only shrugs, leaning back against the wall. "and that's supposed to worry me 'cause..."

sarah lets a hint of a smile creep onto her face before getting serious once again. "i have to fix this." she looks up at kie, "can you give me a ride to toppers? please."

"you don't think this plan could make things worse?" the brunette questions.

"i don't know." sarah pulls on her white sneakers, "and i don't know what's gonna happen with me and john b, but what i do know is that i can't just sit by and watch him get arrested while his dads abducted." she exhales, hoisting her back over her shoulder and heading towards kie's door, "i have to try."

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"Wait, your dad's staying here?" kie remarks in surprise as sarah steers the boat up to an old fishing shack off the side of the dock. maxine scoffs at the older girls expression, shielding her eyes from the sun as she follows the brunettes gaze, "it's where i'd stay if i were him."

"are you sure you wanna do this?"

sarah sighs, turning back towards kie. "i don't know. but i gotta help john b and his dad."

"if i hear bloodcurdling scream i'll make sure to go in and document the crime scene." max calls after the blonde as she starts down the dock.

"you're the best." sarah states wearily.

kiara salutes the blonde, "hey, good luck!"

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Max and the pogues wait in the châteaus yard later that night when sarah joins them. "hey, thanks for waiting." she greets, jogging down the back steps. "look who decided to come home." she turns back towards the door at the same time john b joins them in the yard, fresh out of jail for punching topper.

"welcome back!" "good to see you, man."

jj shakes his head in amused disbelief, "you gotta be kidding me."

"i have something i want to share with you guys." sarah admits. "i can get us down to the orinoco."

"are you serious?" pope gawks.

"yeah."

"okay...and how's that gonna happen?" max asks.

"my dads gonna let us use the plane." sarah answers.

this understandably shocks the group.

"ward?"

"your dad?"

"yep." sarah nods in confirmation, "we lay low tonight, then wheels up first thing in the morning."

"okay, that's a lot to process." pope responds honestly, "your dad, actually helping us."

the cameron girl nods. "i talked to him. he'll do it."

"so we trusting ward now?" cleo chimes in.

kiara looks to the blonde and back at cleo, "trust sarah."

"all right."

"well great." pope shrugs, "that's all i needed to hear."

"but wait." sarah pauses the celebrations, "i also just have one more thing to say." she takes a breath, "since we've gotten back from the island, i've done some things that i regret. a lot." she briefly glances over at john b, who remains silent.

max rolls her eyes, obnoxiously clearing her throat until john b speaks up. "yeah, uh...i feel like we've all done a thing or two that we regret."

"and i don't...poguelandia, guys." sarah continues, "it's all i've been able to think about. we were all together on that island and it was a good thing, and i don't want to ruin a good thing. and i just want know, are we still all in? are we still all together? because i am."

"yeah." kiara steps forward, pulling sarah into a hug.

maxine beams widely, hugging the blonde next. "hell, you know i'm always on your side, sare." and it's true, she was—this was the first time she had seen or spoken to john b or jj since the one sided fight at the carreras party.

"i love you," sarah grins as the girls break apart.

"we pon road!" cleo exclaims, embracing the blonde next.

"i still can't believe you got the plane." pope admits as he hugs sarah next.

she laughs, "i know!"

"that's actually insane."

"let's go get big john, all right?" jj joins the other five teens, who drape their arms around each others shoulders. he looks at john b, who still stands off to the side. "what do you say there, shit bird?"

"i think this deserves a woogity." pope chimes, "how long are you gonna pretend like you're not coming over here?"

"you in?"

cleo pipes up, "come over here, funny man."

john b finally relents, joining the group hug just as kie quips, "we don't bite."

jj snorts, "eh, pretty sure max does."

maxine rolls her eyes, sticking her middle finger up from its spot around cleo's neck. "real funny."

pope speaks up before the two can fight further, "now we woogity!"

"oh, we're really doing this, aren't we?"

"we're doing it, man!" pope laughs at john b.

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"So, what kind of plane is it?" maxine looks up from her spot on the couch next to kiara at cleo's question. "well, it is ward cameron we're talkin' about."

"yeah, so i'm guessing it's something lit." pope agrees, playing his turn against cleo in mexican train.

"that's what i'm talkin' about!" the brunette exclaims proudly, "flyin' private, baby!"

max lets out a laugh as she pulls out her phone, not missing the way a pacing jj eyes kiara; the carrera girl, however, is too engrossed in strumming her ukulele to notice this.

however, it isn't long until pope and cleo disappear deeper inside the château and jj not-so-subtly gestures for maxine to leave him alone with kiara.

as both bedrooms are currently occupied, max makes her way into the kitchen, not at all surprised by its lack of edible items. she begins to smell the familiar scent of smoke and furrows her eyebrows, following the stench to the back kitchen window. there, on the wooden exterior of the château, is a rapidly rising fire.

eyes widening at the flames, max calls out to the teens in the living room. "uh, guys? jj, kie!"

"what, max?" jj groans with irritation evident in his tone.

"fire! there's a fire!" max rushes into the next room, pointing towards the kitchen widely. jj follows after her, noticing the flames.

"oh, no." kiara breathes out as she too sees the fire.

jj swipes a hand forward, yanking max behind him. he points for her and kie to go warn john b and sarah, "tell 'em, tell 'em, tell 'em!"

as the girls rush down the hallway they hear jj behind calling out for pope and cleo, "hey, fire! yo!"

kiara bursts through john b's bedroom door, "guys, guys! oh, sorry!" if it weren't for the serious circumstances, max would have definitely pointed out what sarah and john b we're obviously in the middle of, however she manages to bite back that urge. "there's a fire!"

"fire?" sarah sits up rapidly, "wait, what?" she races out of the room, brushing past the other two girls and not bothering to pull her shirt back over her sports bra.

"wait, max, what are you talking about?" john b exclaims, follows after kiara and maxine as they rush back out into the living room where jj had just gotten pope and cleo.

"fire? where?"

"the house is on fire!"

"oh, shit!"

"sarah, get away from the door!"

the blonde is warned too late as she reaches for the front door, pulling away instantly as she burns her hand. "ow!" the teens frantically scramble about, desperately trying to find a way out until jj finally says, "fuck it," and quickly rips open the back door, ignoring the way his hand burns as the group leaps out of the burning building and gather in the backyard, watching solemnly as their beloved château goes up in flames.