𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

FORTY| four little pougesies sitting in a tree

AFTER the small moment at the tree, the three Pogues returned to Sarah and were once again lost to chatter and conversation. 

Slurred words and drunken laughter were expressed through the remaining teens, the four situated in front of the fire. The two boys were standing in front of the fire, beer cans dangling in their hands as they conversed, while Eden sat backwards in a chair, Sarah sitting behind her, the former getting her hair braided by the latter. 

Feeling Sarah's fingers easily gliding through her hair, crossing each strand with the gentlest touch was rather relaxing to the Bexley. She was finally at peace, though she knew that peace would only last for the night—tomorrow she'd have to face her parents, the judging of the OBX, the fact that John B. was still wanted man and if found, would be put in a jail cell or worse......

"Oh! Alright." JJ's exclaim takes the Bexley from her small train of thought. She looks out towards the marsh and her lips upturn in a smile as she notices the boat moving through the calm water—the HMS Pogue—with none other than Pope Heyward and Kiara Carrera inside of it. 

Sarah takes one hand away from the brunette locks in front of her and drunkenly waves, "Have a good time!"

The Maybank lightly slaps John B.'s chest, "There he goes. He jacked your boat, dude."

John B.'s eyes are locked on the boat, an incredulous expression on his face—things really had changed since he left. Pope and Kiara disappearing on a boat? The Heyward didn't have the confidence mere weeks ago.

"Pope's poking on the Pogue." the Routledge boy bluntly comments.

"Honestly? Good for him." Eden salutes towards the boat, staying still so the Cameron could continue braiding her hair. "I am not on clean up duty tomorrow, though." 

John B. slightly groans at the thought of having to clean up if they did anything on his boat.  Sarah let out a small yelp with a grin towards the vehicle, "Ow-ow!"

JJ spoke up, "You should probably—"

John B.'s expression falters at the sound of car doors being shut, and he quickly hushes his friend, "Wait, wait, wait, wait."

"What?"

"What was that?"

Eden's brows furrowed. She hadn't heard anything, nor was she now—other than the obvious clucking of the birds within the coop.

JJ also seems to have not heard what John B. did, and stares at the chicken coop, "Your chicken?"

The Routledge shakes his head, "I heard a car door."

The group all paused for a moment, the relaxed atmosphere growing tense as they tried to listen for any sort of sound revealing that someone other than the four Pogues was present. Eden's eyes trailed over her surroundings, trying to see if she could see any suspicious movement. 

Suddenly, JJ began clucking like a chicken, which earned him three pointed glares and a hand over his mouth from John B., clearly urging him to shut up. 

Sarah, Eden, and JJ stayed quiet as John B. peered into the distance, breath audibly hitching in his throat as he turned back towards his friends. Within minutes, his demeanor changed from relaxed to slightly panicked, the boy beginning to quickly toss dirt into the fire. The action raised fear in both the Cameron and Bexley.

"What?" Sarah was quickly on her feet, braid falling out of the Bexley's hair at the loss of grip—not like she cared, at the moment. She looked at the Routledge with wide eyes, "John B., what is happening?"