Can't Stop Smiling • Pope Heyward

Seven

"I've been looking everywhere for you." I hear Pope say as he sits next to me on the sand.

"How'd the rest of the talk go?" I ask still not looking at the boy but knowing he's looking at me.

"John B said he can't chose between Kie and Sarah so now Kie is pissed and Sarah might break up with him." He sums up.

"Wait what?!" I say in shock looking at him. "They're dating?" I question in disappointment.

"Yep." He says in worry. "I think she's gonna hurt him."

"I shouldn't be defending her right now but, when she gets close to people she gets scared. She won't purposefully hurt him but it might happen."  I defend Sarah feeling sorry for the girl.

"I don't think you should leave the hunt. We need you." Pope says as he started ahead. He turns to look at me as he opens his mouth to speak up again. "I need you." He says with hesitation.

He needs me?

He stands up to walk away as I watch in confusion. "Pope wait!" I yell standing up and jogging up to him. "I'm in." I say confidently.

"Awesome, let's go." He says as we walk back to the Chateau.

•

JJ, John B, Pope and I sit in the kitchen as John B explains his amazing plan.

"I have work so I don't wanna be stranded with them. I'll just stay out of Sarah's way. How does that sound." I ask John B.

"Your gonna have to talk to her you know." He says with sass.

"Putting us on a boat behind forced tk hangout is not going to make me forgive her. Nothing will and that's that." I say shrugging my shoulders.

"Fine just. Meet us in two days here so we can pick them up together and get on with this hunt." John B explains as I agree to meet here.

•

"How you doing Julie?" Heyward asks as I enter the store.

"Good." I say shrugging my shoulders while putting my bag down behind the counter. "How are you?" I ask being polite.

"Doing fine, would be better but the boys stole my boat. Said they'd bring it back once they're done but I got places to be and orders to deliver." He rants as I grab the buckets of fish.

"They'll be back soon." I tell him in hope.

I go out to the dock and start working waiting for the boys to be back.

"I need you."

The words Pope said are still running through my brain. I couldn't sleep last night. What did he mean by that?

Does he like me?

No, he's JJ's bestfriend I can't be with him.

Are we just friends?

No, we look at eachother in a different way and longer than what "just friends" do.

"Sup Jules." Pope say walking up to me.

"Hey." I say slightly smiling up at the boy as we start working.

"What's your middle name?" He asks breaking the silence.

"Jane." I say not taking my eyes off the fish.

"JJ." He says thinking about it. "You guys have the same initials."

"Yea I guess so." I say having not really thought about it.

•

I walk into my house after a long day of work. I look into the living room to see my dad passed out on the couch, beer bottle in hand.