Strawberry Sunscreen - JJ Maybank - Outer Banks

Chapter 31 - The Gold || Part 2

School was a rough spot for each of the pogues. Due to her living situation, Elizabeth had enrolled herself at the Kildare County High School with the rest of her friends. Now that she was with the pogues, she knew she could never show her face at her old school ever again. As if she wanted to.

The four of them rode together, Kiara and Pope in the front with JJ and Elizabeth in the back. Both JJ and Elizabeth had been taking turns with the flask filled to the brim with alcohol. As Elizabeth walked out around the back of her car, she noticed JJ hiding behind the car door as he took another swig.

"No fair," stated Elizabeth. "I thought we were pacing each other!" JJ just gave her a smug grin.

"Hey, chill out," Kiara stated as she watched the two of her friends drink at seven in the morning.

"If I black out, just don't remind me," JJ stated, causing Elizabeth to laugh.

"That's not funny," Kiara deadpanned.

JJ stuffed the flask in his backpack as he turned around. Elizabeth grinned at him, holding out a mint. The boy took it graciously. As the group began to walk towards the building, they noticed every pair of eyes staring back at them as if they were part of a zoo exhibit. Mumblings of how people weren't sure that they'd show up among others saying that they had something to do with the killing of the sheriff all blended together. Everything instantly felt real again as they walked towards the school memorial for John B.

"I feel like people are staring at us," Kiara said as she looked around.

"Oh yeah," agreed JJ. Nobody was trying to hide it.

"Guys, I can't be late," stated Pope as he began to walk away. Elizabeth had learned that this was normal behavior for Pope.

"Hey. Hey. We gotta stick together," Kiara rushed up towards him, holding out her hand. The boy hesitantly took it.

"Stick together. Yeah," JJ mumbled, stepping forward. Kiara wrapped her arm around JJ's bicep as they began to walk into the school. Despite being with them, Elizabeth couldn't help but suddenly feel left out. And she couldn't help but become jealous of JJ and Kiara's closeness.

JJ, Pope, Elizabeth and Kiara had found themselves in the same history class. They all looked around at each other, noting that they all looked like they could fall asleep. Unlike Pope, who had been scribbling down the entire lecture into his notebook.

The teacher continued, "and the slave becomes the new ruler. Now, Diocletian -splits the sprawling Roman Empire into four separate kingdoms." Popes phone was the first to ding. Then, Kiara, JJ, and Elizabeth's vibrated on the desk. "Whose phone was that? Nobody? You will be tested. Now, to recap, who was Diocletian? An ex-slave who became the ruler of the Roman Empire. His reign began..." The group drowned out the teacher as he lectured, all staring at their phones. Each of their texts came from the same unknown number.

"Did you get it?" Kiara asked them. They all nodded. Elizabeth held back a laugh as JJ snuck around the back of the desks, peering over at Kiara's phone.

"...following the murder of the emperor. Now, before his reign, he served as commander, the first ruler to create a state budget based on tax revenue, and he built a large palace in Aspálathos, modern-day Split. These emperors were..." the lecturer's voice went in and out.

Each of them opened the message at the same time, revealing a picture of the lost John B Routledge and Sarah Cameron. And they were smiling.

"Oh my God," they all mimicked each other.

JJ, Kiara, and Elizabeth instantly stood up, JJ leading the way out the door.

"Um, can I be excused to help them in the bathroom?" Pope asked as he sat still at his desk, raising his hand. Pope didn't wait for a response as he got up with his bag and ran out the door.