✓ 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐑, 𝘫. 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬 ¹

✓ THIRTY ONE

"I'm so proud of you right now," JJ stated, lightly tapping John B's cheek.

John B smiled towards his slightly taller best friend, "Thank you, that's very sweet of you."

"Okay, so, guys," Pope spoke up after giving everyone a second to process what John B had just told them — even though they would certainly need more than just that. "What's the plan?"

"Good question," John B pointed towards Pope, and he moved so he would be standing in the middle where everyone could see him. Not in the fire, of course. "So, Sarah Cameron's coming tonight. She'll bring an original survey map—"

"—Wait, wait, hold on. Sarah?" Kie interrupted, and Lynn switched confusingly between the brunettes. "W-Why Sarah?"

"This is gonna be good..." JJ muttered under his breath, returning to his spot on the log, next to Lynn. She tilted her head at him, wondering how he already knew what John B was talking about.

"Sarah, um, she got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and that's where I got the letter," John B explained while he sputtered on the fire words, and both Kie and Lynn shared an almost betrayed expression.

"You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?"

"I'm sorry, you what?" Lynn questioned as her jaw went slack, glancing from Kie to John B, shock written all over their faces. She couldn't believe it, that's what started the argument previously and when John B admitted to their kiss — he couldn't just come out with the fact he was with her? "You were with a Kook?"

John B scratched the back of the neck sheepishly, and his eyes were hovering towards the ground instead of his friends, "Yeah, um..."

"He was mackin' on her," JJ quickly interrupted, and Lynn's gasp only grew. How in the hell did John B go from kissing her to macking with a Kook? It wasn't even that her feelings were hurt, hell, she's with JJ now — but why did he lie?

John B and JJ bickered for a moment over whether or not John B was actually macking it with Sarah Cameron, while Lynn and Kie were trying to process the whole thing.

Kie spoke throughout the air to interrupt their stupid words, "Did you tell her about the treasure?"

"I was trying to get into the archives," John B defended, and Lynn just glared harshly at the boy — her blue eyes had formed into sharp slits.

"Is that a yes?"

"I-I left out key details," John B replied, but this only seemed to make Kiara more angry with each passing second. It made sense though, although Lynn didn't know what exactly went down between the girls, it was unfair to bring her ex best friend into the treasure hunt without asking.

"Yo, what?" Kie scoffed, her eyes widened as saucers, she was trying to keep her vexation under control. "You let a Kook in on our secret? What about Pogue Life? What about the t-shirt company, bro?"

"The t-shirt company, JB!" Lynn commented, throwing her arms up in the air, nearly whacking JJ in the face who was still seated beside her. He tucked his arm around her waist, his fingertips brushing up against the skin of her back — she couldn't be angry with JJ was touching her like this.

"I was just using her for information!"

"Why don't I believe you?" Kie questioned sarcastically, bobbing her head to each word.

"I'm trying to make us filthy rich here," John B stated dryly, and then he started flying his arms like Lynn previously did a second ago. "Okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or-or send you to autopsy school to study dead bodies. Look, you guys know me. Do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?"

JJ perked his eyebrows up with amusement, "Do you want us to answer that, or.?"

"Look, you don't know her yet! I do!" Kie argued, her voice was strained. But because it was dark and Kie was several yard away, Lynn couldn't tell if the girl was on the verge of tears or not. "You can't trust her!"

"Her brother did hit me in the back with a golf club," Pope added, and then Lynn pursed her lips as she thought about Rafe — regrettably, of course.

"He did drug me, so," Lynn shrugged her shoulders sheepishly, not really caring much in the long run, but she could feel JJ's entire body tense up beside her at the mention of Rafe and Lynn together.

"Rafe and Sarah are two different human beings," John B pointed out, and Lynn only rolled her blue eyes — true, but she was still agitated. "What did she do to you, exactly?"

Lynn peered from beyond JJ sitting next to her to Kie, mostly interested because not a single other person seemingly knew what went down between the two girls her Kook year. Lynn shivered at the thought, hating it.

"She's like a-a, like a spitting cobra," Kie started, but Lynn scrunched her face pathetically. There had to be a better way to describe the relationship, Kiara. "First, she blinds you, and then..."

"That's a bad analogy."