𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝚬 𝐒𝚬𝐂𝐑𝚬𝐓, ʲᵒʰⁿ ᵇ ʳᵒᵘᵗˡᵉᵈᵍᵉ

xxxii. this is ruining you

"nah. on three, pope," the boys used the crow bar to pull open the storm drain cover. "one, two, three."

"or, like, the oldest goes?" kie kept her ideas going.

"in the sewer, there's this worm that you get when you're down there," jj began. "it gets into your blood, and then it has to come out your pecker. so, uh. . . that would be a hard pass for me."

"that's gonna be a no for me," pope agreed.

"i'm a no for obvious reasons," briar shrugged and pointed to her growing bump where pear resided.

"no, i get it," kie said carefully. "you boys are scared."

"i'm not scared," jj scoffed.

"it's kind of cute," kie smiled and laughed.

"it's a pecker thing," pope defended.

"i'm not scared," jj repeated.

"you should've just led with that," kie said, stepping closer to the drain. "you don't have to be scared. i'll do it."

"okay, just, you know, be careful," pope said.

"i'll be so careful," kie said sarcastically.

"i deserve that," pope nodded.

"just. . . uh, holler if you need anything, okay?" jj yelled as kie crawled into the drain. "we'll, uh. . . we'll holler back."

"very helpful," kie's voice echoed from the drain. "thank you.

a few moments passed. "kiara, you find anything yet?" pope hollered to the carrera girl.

"yeah, kie, do you see the gun?" jj asked.

"nothing," she yelled back.

"it's probably at the bottom of the catch basin," pope informed her.

"can you shut the fuck up?" holly snapped. pope turned to the valentine with wide eyes. "kie, be so careful. kie, i'm not scared. i just proactively protected the environment! kie, this. kie, that."

"well, i like her, so, uh. . ." pope stammered.

"yeah?" holly asked, feigning sympathy. "well, fuck you, so do i! that's my fucking girl, heyward. and i don't care if i have to throw you into the marsh, i'm gonna get her back. and by the way, you bringing trash bags is cute, but i started using a menstrual cup because of her. so, um. . . fuck you."

"cheers," jj laughed.

"damn, holls," briar chuckled. "didn't know you had it in you."

"you good, kie?" holly called into the drain pipe.

"guys, i think i found something," she called back.

"wait, you got it?" jj called back in shock.

"is it the gun?" pope asked.

"holly! holly! oh my god!" kie screamed. "you guys, there's something dead in here!"

"what?" briar screamed.

"like a person?" pope asked, brows knitted together. kie let out another loud scream.

"oh my god!" kie cried again. "there's something dead. i repeat. . . there is something dead in here!"

"like a person?" pope repeated.

"kie, are you okay? yes or no?" holly yelled down the pipe.

"kie, don't touch it," jj warned. "that's how you get worms."