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❝ maybe she's still into sylvie ❞
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𝘚𝘺𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝

I'm abruptly woken up from my short nap when the van breaks and I roll off the seat, hitting the floor with a thud.

"Ow" I croak, sitting up and rubbing my eyes sleepily "How come it's always me who gets hurt?"

"Because you fall asleep in the stupidest places all the time. You're like a cat" Kiara laughs at me and I roll my eyes.

"A cute cat" She adds, pinching my cheek and I slap her hand away with a groan.

I make myself comfortable in between Pope and JJ, putting my legs over the Maybank boy's lap while laying my head on the Heyward boy's thigh. Pope pats my head and I grin up at him before closing my eyes and tuning them all out as they start to argue.

"Pope, we're not stealing the drone. We're borrowing it" John B assures him as I tune back in.

"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality" Pope says smartly.

"Wait, did you come up with that?" John B asks.

"No, Albert Bernstein came up with that, but it applies to this whole treasure hunting thing" The boy tells John B.

"Oh" John B mumbles.

"So, which is it? Fantasy or Reality?" Pope asks as I watch JJ roll a blunt.

"Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ asks.

"Shut up, JJ" I huff, kicking his stomach lightly and he glares at me as I look up at the Heyward boy "Ignore him, Popey. He's just jealous that he's not as smart as you"

"As if" JJ retorts.

"You wanna fight?" I ask him seriously and he scoffs, making me angry "That's it"

I snatch his blunt and put it down safely before tackling the blonde to the floor. He yelps as he hits the carpeted floor and manage to pull his arms behind his back, sitting on him so he can't move.

"Say sorry" I demand.

"No!" He retorts.

"JJ, so help me God, I will break your arm" I warn him and he gulps.

Although I'm bluffing, I pull it back slightly to scare him and he squeals like a little girl.

"Okay, I'm sorry! Pope, I'm sorry!" He rambles out, making us all laugh.

"As funny as that was, you can let him go now, Vie" John B tells me.

"Okie dokie" I chirp, climbing off the blonde who glares at me.

He jumps up and grabs me, making me squeal loudly. I feel his hands start tickling me and I freak out, thrashing around and giggling like a maniac.

"Now, you say sorry" He tells me and tears prick at my eyes as I laugh.

"O-Okay. I'm sorry, J!" I giggle, making him grin happily.

He lets me go and I sit up on my elbows, watching as he finishes rolling his blunt.

"It's fantasy, but possible reality" Kiara answers Pope's question, gaining all our attention.

"Reality" John B counters making Kiara smile.

"Virtual reality" JJ grumbles, lifting his lighter to the blunt between his lips.

Pope plucks the blunt from JJ's grasp and I giggle at the look on the blonde's face.

"Keep the signal clear" Pope tells him sternly.

"You know what your problem is?" JJ snaps as Kiara hops out the van.

"You?" Pope asks making me laugh again.

"No! It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense!" JJ huffs.

"I'm not too tense!" Pope argues, turning to me "Am I too tense?"

"You can be kinda tense" I shrug and he rolls his eyes at me.

"Hey, don't worry. You got this" John B assures Kiara.

"It's not me that I'm worried about" She says in disbelief before walking away.

"Got it" John B mumbles "Let's hope this works"

We all hop out the van and I follow behind the brunette as we hide to wait for Kiara's signal.

"How's it going with Kiara?" JJ asks the Routledge boy who is on the other side of me.

"It's not awkward, weird or anything" John B says sarcastically and JJ snorts.

"Wait, what do you mean?" I ask in confusion.

"She didn't tell you?" John B asks in surprise and I shake my head.

"John B kissed her and she totally swerved him" JJ laughs "Gave him the 'No Pogue on Pogue macking' line"

I let out a laugh and John B elbows me with a huff.

"Honestly, I didn't think you were gonna actually listen to me" JJ chuckles.

"What?" John B asks.

"I was 100 percent sure she was into you, bro. Pope would agree" JJ states.

"Ehh" Pope replies.

"So, like, Kie, she definitely gave you the Heisman?" JJ asks in amusement.

"Oh, no question. Yup" John B replies.

"Gotcha" JJ smirks.

"Maybe she's just into somebody else" Pope suggests and I look at the boy suspiciously but he doesn't look back at me.

"Maybe she's still into Sylvie" JJ adds and I roll my eyes.

"She's not into me" I argue.

"That's hard to believe" The blonde retorts.

"Why's that, JJ?" John B smirks and I frown in confusion but before I can ask anything, the boys jump up.

"Go, go, go" JJ suddenly mutters.

I run behind the boys towards the gate and we slip through it before it closes, sprinting through the salvage yard. I come to a stop as we reach the impound lot and JJ starts trying to unlock the door. He starts yanking on the padlock aggressively and I roll my eyes.

"Do you have the right numbers?" Pope asks.

"All right, so I might have the wrong numbers" JJ says turning to us.

"Of course you do" I retort sarcastically.

"Ah, damn it!" Pope curses.

I hear barking and I spin around to see a large dog running towards us.

"Oh!" JJ snaps, pulling me backwards.

"That's a cougar. Never mind" John B states before running away from us.

"You coward!" I holler at him as he runs away.

"Hi! No, stay there! Good boy" JJ speaks to the dog as it aggressively barks at us.

Suddenly JJ grabs my wrist and starts running, tugging me along. He stops, making me run into him and I turn to see Pope trying to fight off the dog with a metal pole.

"Pope, run!" JJ shouts.

"Back off! Back off! Back off!" Pope repeats as he waves the pole at the dog to keep distance between them.

"I got a toy boy!" JJ declares, waving about a red handkerchief.

The dog runs at us and I almost scream in fear, my heart dropping to my stomach like a sack of bricks.

"Oh, hell no!" I shriek.

"Wait, no! I was just kidding! Shit! Okay, sit!" JJ panics, grabbing my hand as we run for our lives.

We make a sharp turn around an old ship and stop at a set of ladders.

"Quick, quick, quick" The blonde rushes out, pushing me towards them.

I start rapidly climbing and JJ follows right behind me as the dog barks up at us, unable to follow. We both hide behind a large crate and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"What's that, huh? What's that, Tebow? What you got, huh? What you got?" I hear a voice ask the dog and I mutter a few curses.

"Whoever's up there better come on out!" The man screams.

"I mean it! Don't make me go up there and get your ass!" He adds.

"Wait, Bobby! Don't shoot!" JJ starts and my eyes widen.

"For fuck sake, JJ!" I groan quietly.

"It's me, JJ" He continues standing up fully "Luke's kid?"

"What are you doing?" Bobby asks in confusion and I stand up too, smiling down at the man apologetically.

"I swear, okay? I didn't want to, okay? My dad made me" JJ tells the man.

"Don't you lie" Bobby warns him.

"He told me that Captain Leo kept his cutting torch. You know, after he got fired. He said if I didn't get it for him, he was gonna...He was gonna hit me again" JJ explains sadly, tears rolling from his red rimmed eyes and although I know this is a just a story to get out of here, I remember all the nights where they weren't just stories.

"Son of a bitch!" Bobby curses.

"I'm sorry" JJ cries and I bite my lip to stop myself from crying too.

"Come on down, you two. I almost killed you" He scolds us.

"We know" JJ nods and I climb down first.

"Here, come on. Come on" Bobby sighs, helping me down the last couple steps.

"I'll just come up with something. Tell him I couldn't find it" JJ says to the man and I grab his hand.

"Mmhm. All right" Bobby nods.

We get about a couple metres from Bobby before JJ grins down at me mischievously and I try to smile back but it's weak. As we pass the gate and near the van, JJ grabs my arm and I turn around to face him.

"What's wrong?" He frowns, grabbing both my hands in his own.

"Nothing" I shrug.

"I know when something's wrong with you, angel. Just tell me" He pleads.

"I just don't like seeing you cry" I mumble, my eyes watering.

"But it was just for show" He assures me.

"I know. I'm sorry" I choke out pathetically.

He sighs and pulls my arms around him before wrapping me in a tight hug. I hide my face in his chest and he leans his chin on my head.

"Don't be sorry" He hums, rubbing my back "It's okay not to be okay"

"Thank you, JJ" I sniffle.

"Anytime, angel" He tells me.

"You guys ready to go or what?!" John B hollers.

"Shut up, John B!" JJ and I shout unison.

I look up at the blonde and he grins widely as we both let out laughs, turning to make our way to the van.