Lost At Sea 2 ⋆ JJ Maybank

𝖝𝖛𝖎. A Philosophy

But Sarah came back married to John B, and Kathryn loves Pope, she does, but she can't find it in herself to blame Kie.

It's easier to pretend you're fine with someone who doesn't know you're not.

"Hum?"

"Really?"

"Oh yeah. Way to be discreet!" JJ screams after her.

Kathryn sticks her foot in his cheek from the chair she's sitting on, opposite to him. "Shut up, leave them beeee." Her last vowel is elongated and she giggles.

"Present and accounted for." John B holds up a hand, and shakes his head at them with an endeared smile. "I leave, and this is what happens."

His best friend gapes. "Are you blaming us?" The nerve he has.

"Just a little bit." He stands up. "Your boy's out. Beer time."

JJ scoffs. "You guys are the one that died, okay?"

"That was a lot to handle."

Sarah smiles. "Literally one job, guys."

"Okay."

"No Pogue-on-Pogue macking!"

Kathryn snorts. "A rule ignored since like, 2011."

"There's been a lot of almost Pogue-on-Pogue macking."

She goes bright red, staring at his shit-eating grin. "Shut up!" She turns back to Sarah, who's holding back laughter. "Well, who got you the Phantom, yeah? It was us. You left thanks to us, see? Be more grateful."

The second the words escape her mouth, Kathryn stares in the void. They did, didn't they? Left thanks to them. To her. It was her fault.

Still, Sarah shakes her head. "One job. Only one, ya know..."

"You weren't there. I looked up..."

"No. No excuses, you're a Pogue, you should know this."

Kathryn zoned out of their little argument for a second, looking back at John B. He's standing by the cooler, right under the tree on which they carved his name. The canva she stapled to it is dirty, the colours already washed away by the sun.

She stands up, staggers a little, and joins John B. She sets down her beer next to his, and stays there silently for a second. Then, she looks at him, and realises he has tears in his eyes.

He sniffles. "It's a cute art project."

She lets out a breathy laugh, which is difficult around the lump in her throat. For someone who isn't used to expressing emotions aside from violent murderous tendencies, she got there quickly. But she's drunk and she's had a long day.

"Well the bee is me, but JJ's carved the tree," she says, crossing her arms and pretending like she doesn't want to cry. "I thought it was dumb, at first... but maybe it's cute."

He smiles softly. "Killed the tree though."

She chuckles. "Yeah, definitely. Don't tell Kiara."

They hear the sound of a boat and turn to look to the right. Pope and Kie are on the HMS Pogue, leaving god knows where, but they know exactly what for.

"Oh, okay!" JJ lets out.

"Have a good time," Sarah adds under her breath, smirking.

"I think Pope stole your boat," Kathryn tells John B.

"Pope's poking on the Pogue."

Kathryn snorts. "That sounded good."

"I know I had it for a while there."