chapter seven, KOOKS VERSUS POGUES

The Pogues sat around the chateau, Kiara and Emelia allowing strings of giggles to flow out of their mouths every moment or two as they both created stupid rhythms, Kiara strumming the ukulele, and Emelia hitting some beats into some small bongo drums, a smile on her face. Her head was resting against the couch, the one in which Pope was laying down, reading an awfully thick book.

"We could become famous if we start going down the music path," Kiara says jokingly to Emelia, who giggles quietly. "We'd become rich, and we'd be the richest Kooks on the island," Emelia fantasizes.

After a moment of silence of words which had the rhythmic tones of the two instruments, was soon invaded with John B's sudden words. "I'm calling it off, okay?" He said, causing everyone — even Pope, who hadn't averted his eyes from his book — to look up at him.

"Peterkin said if I stayed out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS," John B further explained, allowing the curiosity in the group's mind to flood away. But John B's words only gained a small but meaningful scoff from JJ.

"And you believe her?" He asked, shaking his head, and John B nodded. "Of course I do JJ!" John B responded, exasperation lacing his undertone. "An actual cop? You believe an actual cop?" JJ asked, a smile growing on his face as if this was all a stupid joke.

Emelia's head knocked back, resting in the sofa cushion as her brunette hair was pulled back in a light yellow bandana. The bandana turned slightly crooked, so she lifted her head back up to fix it, but couldn't stand the meaningless fight coming from the two boys in front of her.

"Listen, all I have to do is stay out of the marsh for a few days and she'll help me out!" John B, slightly shrugging. "That's all I have to do," he continued, finishing off his simple explanation that he owed to no one.

"And it doesn't help that you were the one shooting the gun," he continued, rolling his eyes. The blonde teenager rolled his eyes. "You know what, man? I should've let Topper drown your sorry ass," he retorted.

"Yeah because Topper was going to drown me," John B said, offering a slight snort to accompany his response. "Sure looked like it to me," JJ said. Emelia slightly nodded, agreeing with JJ.

"That's really funny—" but before John B could finish his sentence, JJ snapped back at him. "Have you looked  in the mirror recently?" He asked, using his finger to go around in a circle in front of his eye, pointing out the prominent black eye on John B's face.

"Tell me more," John B said, encouraging his best friend to continue with very clear annoyance in his words. "Guys, please don't," Emelia and Kiara said to the two, knowing either of the two continuing would only result in a bad ending.

"They always win, man!" JJ said, a sarcastic smile growing upon his features. Kooks versus Pogues, they always win. They always win!" JJ said, getting worked up in the final few words of his small angry rant.

"JJ, it's okay," Emelia said, trying to calm down her friend, who shook his head. "It's not though! It's not okay! They don't want us in the marsh because there's something valuable down there!" JJ said, looking at his friends as if his words were obvious, and the situation had crystal clear intentions.

JJ turned to John B, raising a finger. "And you know it. I know you know it, and I do understand why you don't wanna go, man," he says, turning to Pope, who let out a small sigh from between his lips. "You're the smart dude, way too much to risk!" He said. He turned to Kiara. "You're rich as fuck, and your parents are asshole, so I see why you don't want to go," JJ said, then turning to Emelia. He stayed silent. "But us—," he gestured to himself, Emelia, and John B, "—We've got nothing to lose!"

"J—" John B started, but JJ shook his head. "I know it hasn't always been like that for you. Either of you," he says, also turning to Emelia. John B had a good life waiting for him, until Big John went missing at sea nine months ago. Emelia also had a good life ahead of her, until her mother left her and she left herself, too. But JJ never had anything looking back at him with a smile. He never had that big of a future waiting for him.

"I don't want to talk about this," John B said sternly, not wanting to remember his father. "So that's it?" JJ asks, looking at his friend.  "Just move, man!" John B says, shoving him out of the way.

"John B, wait! Listen man, I have a plan!" JJ shouted, and Emelia rolled her eyes. "Is it a good one?" She asks, a slightly harsh tone in her voice. He gave her a targeted look before speaking up. "You got the keys to Cameron's big boat, right?" JJ asks John B, who immediately shuts down the  completely idiotic idea.

"No. No, JJ," John B says, shaking his head. "There's scuba gear inside, dude!" JJ says, voicing out his plan. "We can just borrow  it, go to the wreck this afternoon, and that's what's gonna save you, man! Not some cop!"

John B shook his head, still not wanting to do the idea. It just got more idiotic the more JJ tried to voice it out. "You don't see rich kids in foster care, do you?" JJ asks, still trying to convince him. Emelia and Kiara rolled their eyes slightly. But John B nodded and stepped back.

"Hold on— you're actually listening to JJ? Even I can come up with a better plan!" Emelia says. "And we all know how that went last time I tried to create a plan." JJ rolled his eyes. "Okay, then what's your plan?" JJ asks the girl.

"Listen to the most trustworthy cop there is, stay out of the marsh for like two days, and then continue our search after John B is helped out with DCS," Emelia says, and JJ shakes his head. "God, Pope is really rubbing off on you," he responded, leaving the two teenagers to roll their eyes at his comment.

"JJ's right — they're lying to us," John B said, falling into JJ's stupid but awesome manipulation tactics. "How could you not trust Peterkin though? If we just allow her to get DCS to stop riding your ass, then our plan — I swear even JJ's plan — would go a lot smoother!" Emelia says.

"But we don't trust the police, Em," JJ said to her. "Well Peterkin's the sheriff, not a police officer. And we have every right to trust her, J," she responded.

"It's a sunken boat! Are you really willing to risk John B being taken away for something that may or may not be on a damn sunken boat?" Emelia asks, and JJ nodded his head. "Yes! Of course!" Emelia rolled her eyes.

"God, I can't wait to see how bad your gambling addiction is when you're older," she said, her head in her heads. "Are you in or out?" JJ asked the three. "In," Kiara answered. "I guess I'm in," Pope sighed, risking his whole future for his friends. Emelia sighed. "I'm only in because you're my friends. But as soon as we get arrested, I'm bailing Pope out and we're gonna live your dream in Yucatan," Emelia said to JJ as she got the drums back out and her and Kiara went back to playing.

( NOTES )

literally got so scared bc
i got writer's block and i
was like 'of course it's 
right after i start publishing
this book.