Unhinged [Rafe Cameron]

[parcel 9 pt. 1]

JJ hands a cup of beer that he stole from the kitchen to Kie, who frowns at him in disappointment. "What about those golf carts they drive around? You get one of them?"

"Does it come with a sweater vest, or do you have to buy one on your own?" Pope adds in.

I try and fail to not snort in laughter, despite the seriousness of the situation. John B recovered just fine after the fall, and right after got adopted by Ward Cameron, Sarah's rich Kook dad.

Kie leans onto the table with her fists. "Look, you promised. You said you weren't with her."

JJ butts in, as usual. "Bro. Just own it, she got you."

"Look, if you want to hang out with her, that's fine." Kie continues. "But I'm letting you know right now that I'm not doing anything with Sarah."

"Do you see her here right now? No, alright? So let's focus on what's important." John B snaps.

Kie narrows her eyes before turning her attention to the map on the table in front of us.

"We have to look for landmarks that haven't changed." Pope says, tracing the eraser of his pencil against the yellow paper.

"Old forts?" John B suggests.

Kie looks up in realization. "Battery Jasper."

Pope's finger points at the collection of ancient forts clustered next to Parcel 9.

"If this is Parcel 9," He points at it, "Then it's northeast of here. So, we're just looking for an old stone wall."

We leave the restaurant and hop into John B's dingy mom van, making our way over to Parcel 9. But it soon dawns onto me that the direction that we're driving just so happens to be.. the Crain house.

"Not the Crain house." I groan as we reach the stone wall right outside the house, getting out of the car.

"Worst case scenario." JJ agrees, standing next to me and gazing beyond the tall overgrown bushes and into the house.

"Here, out of all places." Pope says.

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"...Parcel 9 has been in the basement of the Crain house this whole time." JJ concludes, summarizing everything that we found.

It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about that place, the rotting smell and the stories that I've heard about the woman who lives there. It wasn't a very enjoyable place, that's for sure.

"So what, now she's in on it?" Kie relents, pacing the front porch. She motions to Sarah, who sits on the John B's couch.

"Look, all I care about is that your cut comes out of your share." JJ says, pointing at John B. He rolls his eyes in response.

"I don't remember taking a vote!" Kie yells, getting angrier by the second.

But I have to admit, her anger is for good reason. John B can't just pop Sarah into our lives as if she isn't the Kook princess and expect us to trust her. It's unfair for all of us, especially Kie.

"This is our thing." Kie adds on, "A Pogue thing."

I nod in support.

"I gotta say, I'm just a tad uncomfortable with all of this." Pope comments.

"Thank you!" Kie says.

"When are you not?" John B snaps back at him.

"You know, we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her here." I say, waving my hand lazily at Sarah who death glares me.