Always and Forever (sequel to The Heart of a Pouge)

Chapter 10: The Coastal Venture

'I've been thinking. When all this is over, and we're just rolling in the dough, I'm gonna get a new board.
I'm gonna deck it out, and I'm gonna go on a surf trip. I don't know where, but, like, the world's calling. I don't know. Name a place' JJ tells me and I sigh
'Spain'
'Then after Spain, South America or South Africa'
'You'll go to South Africa?' I laugh
'One of the South places. Then Micronesia maybe,
and then... and just ride. Wherever the wave takes you, you know?'
As JJ tells me his dream I can't help but let my heart swell. Despite it being a dream I couldn't help but love the plan he had, it sounded like paradise. It made me miss him even more
'So that's the plan if we were to get a ton of cash That's the dream? Surf trip?' I ask him
'Ripping jungle break all day long. Bamboo hut, cooking a fish on a fire, and after that, you go back out and just hit the waves again. That's the dream'
'Sounds perfect' I breath looking up at the roof, imagining that future in my head. There's a moment before JJ speaks and I look over at him to see him staring at me.

'But, it would get pretty boring by myself you know' he says
'Probably' I chuckle
'Do you want to do it with me?' JJ asks and my eyes widen in shock
'Really?!'
'Yeah, I mean, your really important to me Sky and if I got the chance to travel the world with someone, I would want it to be you-' he paused for a moment before continuing
'As my best friend OR something more' when he finishes I couldn't help but smile at him. I never stopped loving JJ. He was my rock and I couldn't believe how stupid I was dumping him. Yes JJ was a lot to take on sometimes but thats just his flaws, everyone has them and if I had just communicated to him about everything we probably wouldn't be single right now. The breakup was equally both of our faults and I wanted to fix that.

'You got your passport?' I joke even though I knew he didn't.
'Hell no, I don't got a passport. Kookiest thing ever' JJ laughs and I start to laugh with him. Then when I turn to face him JJ he's looking back at me with a serious look on his face. Subconsciously I start to lean in and so does JJ. Just as our foreheads are about to touch
TAP TAP TAP
'Hey. Hey. Open it' Pope voice echoing through the window causes JJ and I to jump away from each other. JJ clears his throat and I can see his face his beat red.
'Okay. Here' J groans as he opens the window
'Thank God' Pope gasps as he climbs through the window, he's quickly followed by Kie.
'You need help?' I ask my friend
'I'm good' Kie says
'I thought Rafe got you guys for sure' I tell them
'No. We're chill' Pope says as John b climbs in behind him
'All right. Okay, let's put the grate back on'
'No, wait. Hold it' Pope interrupts me and another head pops up. She has dark skin and a hat on her head

'Jesus Christ! I kill you, John B!' She says with a thick accent
'Who is this?' I ask getting worried, we can't trust this girl
'Just relax. Just relax, okay? I told you I had a surprise'
'Who is she? What's going on? John B!' I protests but he just grabs me
'Hey, hey. Sky, relax. Relax. Remember I told you about the girl we met in the Bahamas that saved us?'
'Uh... Cleo, yeah?'
'Cleo. She's gonna help us, all right?' He says and I turn around to look at the girl
'Next time, ask me' she says and I share a look with Kie.

'You seriously didn't grab nothing, not one single gun?' JJ groans as Pope and Kie tell us what happened on the boat
'We tried, okay? I got attacked' pope says
'This is why we should've gone with' JJ says
'Let me get this straight. You five, with no weapon, decided you were gonna hijack this tramp steamer on your own?' Cleo says, clearly thinking this plan was stupid
'Do you have any idea who these people are?' Eberhimi, if he catch you, he's gonna kill you. Dead. Cut off your fingers'
'You don't think we know that, you clearly don't know John b at all, the thing about us Pouges is it's ride or die' I snap at Cleo, a little frustrated that she thinks we're stupid

'Okay......What about waiting until we get to port?At least then, if something goes wrong, we have a place to run' Kie changes the subject, clearly sensing the tension I was creating in the room.