{ LIVING THE POGUE LIFE }

{26}

She would have to try and keep hidden most of the time, to avoid Rafe and Topper mostly. Part of her was worried that Danny might be there and that she would have to deal wit him again. She wasn't worried that Danny would try something with her, more the fact that she would most likely end up punching the guy again if he tried any more of that grovelling, apology bullshit.

All Brie knew is that she had to keep as much of a low profile as possible. Keep away from any psycho Kooks, try not to get recognised by anyone that she knew, and try not to do anything that would get her ass thrown out. She wasn't really hopeful about any of that given her track record with the Kooks so far. She hoped that Kiara didn't lend her an outfit that drew too much attention.

Brie started up the engine, setting off towards Figure Eight. The cut off between Pogue and Kook territory was startlingly obvious. All of a sudden the tiny weather-beaten shacks turned into huge houses painted a brilliant white with huge gardens and multiple sports cars in the driveways. The division of wealth between the two social classes was sickening enough without the constant visual reminder of just how unlucky the Pogues had been in their lives.

Kiara's house wasn't much different to the rest of the houses Figure Eight either. When Brie first visited Kiara's place, she was shocked to find out that her new best friend was technically classified as a Kook.

I mean, the girl spent nearly all of her time on the Cut, hanging out with kids from the brokest of broke families, and wiping down tables in her parent's restaurant. Not to mention the fact that Kiara was also a massive socialist and environmentalist, and so it wasn't really a surprise that Brie wasn't expecting her to live in a five bedroom house on Figure Eight with a Jeep that didn't in fact belong to her parents, but was actually her own.

Brie pulled in as slow as possible and left her bike by the side of the garage, quietly making her way around front and knocking on the door. She held her breath in anticipation, dreading having to face Mr Carrera right now after he had just had to bail her out of police custody. Brie really had some explaining to do if she wanted to keep her job which she so desperately needed.

Thankfully it was Kiara who answered the door, quickly ushering her inside and sneaking Brie up to her room.

Brie quickly filled her in on her and JJ's time at the police station and about the people watching John B's house, leaving Kiara with her mouth hanging wide open.

She also told her about how Rafe and Topper had jumped her and JJ on the golf course, and then how they didn't tell her or John B about it because of what she did to Topper's boat. She was pretty sure that Kiara understood that.

Brie deliberately left out anything to do with Danny. Kiara may be her best friend, but Brie wasn't sure that she wanted anyone else to know about that yet. It was hard enough that Pope also knew about it.

Kiara's jaw only slackened more when Brie told her about a a possible homicidal maniac that was after the gold.

"And Peterkin thinks that this guy could be after us next?" Kiara whispered, "Shouldn't we be in, like, protective custody or something?"

"No, Kie, look," Brie tried to calm her down before she started spiralling, "We don't know that yet. Anyone could have killed those squaregroupers; it doesn't mean that there's anyone coming after us. We're so close to finding this gold that we can't just give up now."

Kiara nodded, breathing out a shaky sigh. Brie leaned over she took her hand, giving it a small squeeze of reassurance.

"Hey, we're gonna be okay," she soothed, "We've got each other. And John B already has a plan for our next move towards finding the gold."