Hot Summer Nights, Pope Heyward

Forty Six. always running for the thrill of it

"So you're telling me I did all that work for nothing?" Said JJ.

"Oh, the most elaborate escape plan of all time?" Pope sarcastically replied.

"'Foolproof'." Kiara air quoted.

"Yes, it was, actually."

"Wait, does my dad know? Does my dad know?" Dylan repeated.

"Yeah, yeah, he knows." John B answered but his eyes wondered around. "Wait, where's Sarah?"

Their faces dropped.

"No, no, no. Where. . . Where. . . Where's Sarah?"

"She went to go meet Wheezie last night," Kiara explained.

"And she didn't come back. We haven't heard from her." Dylan finished.

John B's eyes glazed over. It went quiet. "But you're back, okay? Look, we'll find her. Can we just enjoy this moment, please?" Dylan changed the subject and her own eyes glossed over. She hugged John B again. "I'm so happy you're safe."

He hugged her back but his eyes still distant as he thought about Sarah and if she was okay or not.

John B was freaking out. Dylan was just ecstatic that he was free and she wished that he was too. But all he could think about was Sarah. "So, Sarah just dips and doesn't call?" He asked them, trying to rack his brain.

"Yeah, man. She just left her bag. Didn't tell anyone." Pope explained.

"Okay, dude, I-I-I really think Ward got to her," he stammered and stepped closer to the boat. "I mean, the dude tried to have me killed in jail."

"What?" Both Dylan and Kiara said. "What do you mean killed?"

"Yeah. He sent somebody to the prison who yoked me up and almost killed me." He explained further and demonstrated with his hands.

"I'll kill 'em." Dylan declared when she started to feel angry.

"That's what your dad said."

"Do we know who this dude was?" Asked JJ.

"No, I have no idea. Dude, I swear to go, one day I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch." John B declared.

"It's okay." Said Kiara.

"No, Kie, it's not okay. We gotta find Sarah."

"We will, B. I promise." Dylan assured him.

"No, I mean literally, it's okay. She's right there." Kiara continued and pointed her finger behind them.

She turned her head with everyone else and saw that she was right. Sarah and Topper came their way on his boat, which made Dylan feel very confused.

"John B?" Sarah said when she saw her boyfriend very much out of jail. "John B!"

"What the hell is she doing with Topper?" Kiara voiced, just as confused as they were.

Dylan scooted closer behind Pope and wrapped her arms around his torso. "Ooh, I do not have a good feeling about this." She muttered.

He nodded his head. "That makes two of us."

With a big smile on her face, Sarah jumped from Topper's boat to theirs. "Hey!" She laughed and fell into John B.

"Oh my god. I'm so glad you're okay. Hi." He said back with a soft voice.

"I didn't know if I'd see you again." She pulled out of the hug. "What happened?"

"Uh, they dropped all the charges." He told her.

She smiled wide. "What?"

"Yeah, no, yeah, I'm a free man. Yeah."

The two of them embraced again and Dylan looked over Topper, the jealousy very clear all over his face.

"Listen, Sarah, they're coming after Rafe." Said John B, growing more serious.

"Good. He's completely unhinged." Sarah responded and her face fell subtly. "He jumped me last night."

Dylan gasped. "What?"

"What?"

"That's why I didn't come back."

"Yeah, man. Rafe has lost his mind. Literally almost drowned his own sister." Topper expressed to them. "Thankfully, I got there. . . got there just in time."

Dylan gave him a weird look and looked back at Sarah. "Sarah, are you okay?" She asked, completely concerned.

Sarah quickly nodded. "I'm okay, DJ."

By his statement, John B looked conflicted. "Well, uh, I guess I owe you one, Topper, don't I?" He asked almost bitterly.

"It's all good. I mean, somebody had to rescued your girlfriend right."

Dylan felt a level of secondhand embarrassment. So did everyone else. John B laughed. "Uh, that's funny because she's not actually my girlfriend, right?" He said to Sarah, referring to their marriage.

Topper laughed slightly. "Uh, well, what is she then?" He questioned.

All eyes were on Sarah at that point, waiting for her to answer. Sarah looked between her boyfriend and Topper with hesitation. "I'm. . . I'm with him."

"Oof." Dylan mumbled and laid her head on Pope's shoulder, the second hand embarrassment very high.

John B's face dropped. The rest of the Pogues felt the embarrassment. Topper laughed again. "Gotcha. You're with him. Okay. Yeah. I just, like, needed. Little clarity there. You guys clear on that?" He asked the others.

"I think it's clear you gotta go now." JJ stated bluntly.

"Yeah, think I'll head out. It's about that time."

Dylan wave him a sarcastic finger wave. "See ya."

"Good to see you again, DJ."

Pope sent him a glare through his sunglasses.

"Topper. Thank you." Sarah said and stood in front of him. She gave him a hug and Topper looked even more smug.

Dylan glanced at JJ and she rubbed her nose, practically feeling the anger that John B was feeling. She tightened her grip around Pope again.

Topper took off on his boat and there was an awkward silence after that. Dylan looked up at John B, expecting him to be holding his girlfriend seeing as he hadn't seen her in God knows how long. But he wasn't. Even after learning that Rafe tried to kill her.

Dylan stood up and made her way around Pope and JJ. She smiled at Sarah. "I'm so happy you're okay."

The two of them hugged. "Thank you." Sarah muttered into her hair.