Carson Keller used to think her biggest problem was their rivalry against the Kooks, but that was until buried secrets rose to the surface. Now her biggest problems included a dangerous treasure hunt and a hot-headed teenage boy.
✰ season 1-3 ✰
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UNFORTUNATELY PENELOPE was not home when Carson got there to inform her about South America, but she also didn't have enough time to find her either. Instead, she just wrote her a quick text reading:
headed to South America to rescue Big John, don't worry I'll try not to die & if I do, you have my permission to take JJ in and torture him for life
It probably wasn't the best message to send, but it would take too long to explain. Either way she was going to South America, so it was better to at least leave a note.
She was now standing with the others by the plane, waiting for everyone else to show up so they could get going.
"Dude, where is everybody?" JJ said, clearly getting impatient waiting for the Pope, Cleo, and Kiara to show up. "We should get in the Twinkie, and we should just get 'em. That's what we should do."
"Five minutes. Just give 'em five minutes, alright?" John B said in an attempt to calm him down.
"Guys, guys, there's Pope and Cleo right there," Sarah informed them.
"Were you guys waiting for us?" Cleo joked.
"Yes, and thank God you showed up or else JJ was about to have a heart attack," Carson said.
"You're late," JJ said, ignoring her comment. "Now did you actually convince your pops this time or?"
"Cleo convinced him," Pope said.
"My girl, that's what I'm talking about!" JJ said as him and Cleo did a small handshake in celebration. "I thank you for being a part of thy crew."
"No Love Club, huh? Maybe should rethink that one, Pope," Carson said quiet enough so that just he could hear.
"Shut up," he said. She laughed. "Hey, where's, uh, where's Kie?"
"I don't know," Sarah said. "It's gotta be her parents, dude. They've been up her ass."
"They must've said she couldn't come," Pope said. "We're gonna have to do this without her." JJ and Carson looked at each other for a moment, silently having a conversation about what they knew needed to happen. Carson gave him a short nod and that's when he turned to John B.
"Give me the keys," JJ said.
"It doesn't really seem like a good idea right now, JJ," John B said.
"Just give me an hour," JJ said. "It'll be like a black ops mission. In and out. Surgical removal type shit."
"Give him the keys, John B," Carson said. John B looked at her, clearly a bit surprised that she was on board with this after the awkwardness that had ensued and the fight that it had caused. "We're not leaving a Pogue behind. Not again."
"Fine," he said. "Just an hour. Hurry back." He placed the keys into JJ's hands, but before he got into the Twinkie, JJ turned to Carson. He went to open his mouth to speak but she stopped him.
"I trust you," she assured him. "Now go." He pressed his lips firmly against hers, as if to solidify the unspoken, before he ran to the Twinkie to retrieve Kiara. Now they just had to wait.
✰
That waiting turned to bite them in the ass when JJ called to let them know that Kiara was at the wilderness camp. Carson knew that her parents were strict, but she didn't think they would actually go to those lengths to keep Kiara in.
Then, the waiting got even worse when Topper's truck pulled up. Carson stood up out of her protective nature and kept close to Sarah's side, not trusting what could potentially go down with Topper there.
"Hey, Sarah, what are you doing?" Topper said. "You just seeing John B off or what?"
"I'm sorry I, uh... I didn't call," Sarah said. "I meant to call you last night."
"Oh, you meant to call me last night?" he said. "Okay. No, it's all good. I was actually asking around myself and heard your dad's plane was here, and I was like 'oh, that's... that's interesting.'" Sarah directed her gaze to the ground. "Yeah, so are you leaving with him?" She looked back up and just stared at him in silence, not seeming to know what exactly to say. "Are you leaving with him? Yes or no, Sarah."
"I don't see how this is any of your business, Topper," Carson said. She knew she shouldn't have interfered but she couldn't help it when she saw how uncomfortable Sarah looked.
"And I don't see how this is any of yours," Topper responded. Carson folded her arms across her chest to try to keep in her annoyance, but luckily Sarah jumped in to diffuse the situation.
"It's okay, Car," Sarah said before looking back to Topper and nodding her head to confirm the answer.
"You're just... a damn liar, Sarah Cameron," Topper said. "You've always been a liar. After everything we've been through? This is what you're gonna do to me? I'm done. Okay? You literally just promised John B would go away, you would stay here with me. I can't keep doing this to myself anymore, man."
"Hey, Top. You got a little something right here, man," Pope called out, motioning a circle around his eye to indicate the black eye that John B had given Topper.
"Why don't you shut up? How about that?" Topper said, taking a few steps closer to clearly try to intimate or provoke John B. "Oh, and John B, you better be glad I didn't swing back at you at the Wreck 'cause I think you know what would've happened."
"I'm not taking the bait, Top," John B said simply. "You're right. You would've kicked my ass." Carson knew that John B was only trying to keep the situation from getting worse, and she was proud of him for not letting Topper get to him because even she was finding it hard not to want to punch him right then.
"I, um, heard they're remodeling the Chateau," Topper said. "That's tough, man. How'd that happen?"
"What did you just say? No, Topper, what'd you just say?" John B said.
"You're a real piece of shit, Topper," Carson said. Her blood was boiling at what he was insinuating and she was close to throwing hands, but she just had to remind herself that they had bigger problems to worry about than a spoiled, rich jock. The fact that he might have had something to do with the Chateau burning down though was a whole other level of fucked up that they would eventually have to deal with.
