𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒, 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴

𝐱𝐱𝐱𝐢𝐯. paradise

"Ok, so these are arranged alphabetically so whatever the last name of who booked is it would be going from A to Z."

Red gave the hallway a once over, picking a door that she hoped would be in the C-section and busting through it.

Sure enough, Wheezie appeared behind it, playing what looked to be a game of war by herself.

"Wheeze!" Red exclaimed, happy she chose the right door. She approached the girl quickly. "Where is Bennie?"

"Um... she followed some guy out."

"What did he look like?"

"He had some colorful jacket on... he had brown eyes, dark hair-"

"Pope!" Red snapped. "Do you have any idea where they went?"

"No, sorry."

"Thank you so much, Wheezie."

With that Red, stormed out of the room, turning to Louie, who looked shocked about how fast things were moving. "Lou, where are the storage containers?"

"Down those stairs, turn the corner and you'll be out," Louie replied, letting out a shaky breath. "I don't know how much time you have, but good luck. I'll try to hold my dad off for as long as I can."

"Louie, thank you so much." Red gave Louie a quick hug before nearly running in the direction Louie had pointed her over.

Little did she know that when the door opened, she would bang into something hard with a large bang. It was indeed a crew member, now unconscious, but still alive.

She poked her head around the door, spotting Kie and JJ not far from her fighting the captain. Now, where was Louie when she needed him?

Red sprinted over towards them, immediately spotted by the captain and having no time to process anything else.

But as soon as the captain laid a finger on Red, JJ approached from behind, putting the man in a tight headlock until the captain elbowed him in the stomach, pushing him back and flying off the ship.

"JJ!" Red yelled, turning over towards Kie. "Hold him off as long as you can!" She demanded, not thinking twice before jumping off the ship after JJ.

The second the water touched Red's skin, it was almost pure adrenaline. She swam over to JJ, who lie unconscious, and immediately took him into her arms, fighting to stay above water.

"JJ! JJ, wake up!" She yelled. Red Shoupe was then reminded of the first day she met her now boyfriend. Except for this time, he wasn't faking it when he was unconscious and floating in the water. Teardrops burned Red's cheeks as she clung to JJ, hoping that he'd wake up. She knew she wouldn't let herself go under. Not a chance if it meant giving JJ's life. "JJ, please! Please wake up! Till the sun burns out, please! Stay with me, okay!"

It wasn't long before Kie jumped in the water after her, helping her keep JJ afloat as they waited for John B and the rest of the pogues to approach.

"John B, help!"

"Hurry, please!"

The lifeboat carrying multiple pogues soon approached them, all of the teens inside shouting for JJ.

"Here, take him first!" Red shouted, pushing JJ up towards the pogues and into the boat, following soon after.

The small boat soon sped away from The Coastal Venture, JJ still unconscious inside. The boat stopped working, but it was as if Red's ears stopped working. Her only focus was JJ as she begged and begged for him to wake up.

Red tapped rapidly on his chest, still not getting a response. Until Bennie slid her way over to them.

"Red, don't cry. Your embarrassing me in front of JJ's dead body." She half-jokes, trying to numb her worries with sarcasm. "I think he's dead. JJ, are you dead? God, we gotta wake him up." Bennie thought for a minute, punching his chest. "Okay... um... Red kissed... um- Pope." She lied.