The Pogues

Chased

Pope scoffed, "'Course I can handle a plan right now. I'm-- I'm Plan Guy. I'm-- I'm Mister Plan-o-Matic. Hey, I'm-- I'm always..." He didn't even pause before he started rapping, his volume slowly increasing, "Thinkin' of a master plan, aye 'Cause there ain't nothin'--"

Both Kie and Cassie shushed him as Kie took a step further and covered his mouth. She kept shushing him, "Look, this is a quiet plan. Okay?" He nodded and made a coherent noise. She took a deep breathe, "Can I move my hand?" He nodded again and she slowly took back her hand. She then turned to walk away.

"I love you, Kie."

Cassie almost screamed right then and there. JJ poked her with a beaming smile as they both giggled together. Although, they're celebration came to an abrupt stop. It stopped as Kie turned around with a face that didn't paint happiness, "What?" 

"I love you. I'm in love with you."

She brushed it off, "You're wasted." 

She turned back towards the house, only for him to lunge for her wrist, "No, I know I'm wasted, and that's why I'm saying this now. I really feel like this. I love you. I've been meaning to tell you, I love--" "Are we doing this right now?" She tried to pull away but he brought them closer, "I'm trying to tell you how I feel."

There was a moment of back and forth, Kie trying to shush their best friend while he kept saying I love you. Finally he quieted and she started, "First of all, I need you to be quiet." "Okay, yeah. Quiet, I mean--" "No. Stop talking, like, now. Starting now. Second of all... thank you for saying that. Now, that's very sweet, but it's-- Look, it's not gonna happen."

Cassie closed her eyes, almost cringing as JJ's hand slipped into hers, possibly for no reason at all or just to let her know that he was there. 

"Okay, well, why not?" Pope asked. Kie huffed, "Because Pogues can't mack on other Pogues." "That rule doesn't make sense, and nobody follows it. Literally Cass and JJ are a couple, that just doesn't make-," Pope blabbered but Cassie could almost feel it coming.

"Look, I-- I want something different." There it was. "I-- -I-- I wanna go to Antarctica, and I wanna ride camels..." "I want to do those things with you," Pope tried but she shook her head. "No. Pope, it's not gonna work." "I want to be that person."

And then her voice raised, "No. It's not gonna happen! Do you understand what I'm saying? Like... Look, I know that that's really hard to hear right now, but we don't have time for this, and this is a really bad place to do it."

Cassie's heart broke. It wasn't Kie's fault, in any way, but Pope stood there for a moment and it made Cassie want to just hug him and tell him it would all be alright. JJ's hand slipped out and his arms snaked around her waist from behind, just to comfort her. It was sad for the both of them.

Kie looked into his eyes, "Are you okay?" ""Yeah." "Are you ready for the plan, or..." "Yeah."

Kie didn't meet Cassie's eyes, "Okay."

Because even in the darkness, they could all see the tears dripping from Pope's eyes.

~~~

After a failed attempt at getting Sarah, the Pogues crashed at Kie's parent's restaurant. It wasn't very comfortable but JJ had found her a spot and took off his sweatshirt to drape over her. They secluded themselves and JJ had held her while she silently cried for her best friend on the run.

That morning, JJ and Cassie woke up early and were waiting for the others. It was late enough that the sun was in the sky and breathing into the patio. Pope had groaned and rolled over on the table.