The rush of adrenaline that was racing through my body made me happy, even though I didn't even really know the four in front of me apart from Sam and unfortunately Rafe, I didn't know anyone on the island.
"Elaine?" Sam called out. "oh shit" I let out, whipping around to find Sam approaching us. "What do you mean oh shit," JJ said, not even paying attention to the fact Sam had shown up.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" He asked and I smiled, my famous innocent smile. "I came to find you, they were just boating and noticed I was lost. They helped me get here" I said, lying through my teeth, an action I'm sure each of the pogues noticed, though maybe not JJ.
"Thanks, John B" Sam said, looking behind me to the boy. It was temporary but I froze, not realizing that John B and Sam knew each other.
"no problem Sam, is this, wait this is your sister?" He asked Sam, looking down at me with a look I couldn't explain.
"yeah she got in a few days ago, anyways cmon, I'll take you home in the truck. I'm all finished for the day." Sam told me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
I looked back at the group with a confused look and when I did JJ looked up, a smile on his face waving goodbye like a kid which caused me to laugh although I tried to keep it in.
"One of the rooms was searched by the cops like 10 minutes ago, crazy shit," Sam said and I pretended to act surprised. "really? why?" I asked, looking up at Sam as we separated, getting close to the truck. "no clue"
The drive home was quiet, although a good quiet. The windows were rolled down and the light wind felt amazing on my skin. "So how do you know John B?" I asked curiously, turning my head to look at him.
"I buy him beer, and he lives pretty close to us. He's a good kid," he said, his eyes watching the road. I hummed, looking back out my window, wondering how my brother would feel if he knew how he and I had actually met.
When we got to the house, Sam went to take a shower and I went to sit in the back. I cleared a few of the smaller branches and cleaned up what I could, leaving the heavier stuff for Sam to take care of.
I couldn't help but replay the day. I had only been in the motel room a short time. And yet when I thought about it, it felt like we had been together for at least an hour. I loved that feeling, the feeling of being infinite. Having no cares in the world, making a small moment feel like forever.
When I finished cleaning up, Sam had come outside too. "Can I go ride around?" I asked, helping him carry one of the larger branches over to a pile. "yeah, go ahead" He said, smiling at me as I quickly walked to the house. The board was soon tucked under my arm.
I didn't even make it down the street before getting stopped. "Laney!" John B called out, I slowed and turned on the board, making my way over to him. Outside the house next to Sam's.
"We are throwing a kegger, you in?" He asked. I smiled and it hit me how close John B lived to us. When Sam said he lived close I didn't expect he meant next door. The two houses practically shared a yard.
"yeah one sec," I said, moving past John B and going in between the two houses. "Sam!" I yelled to my brother, who soon was peeking around the back of the house at me.
"what's up?"
"they're throwing a kegger," I said, sending him puppy dog eyes that had worked since I was a toddler. "Hey, you're invited too big guy," John B said laughing. "yeah, I'll be done in a bit." He said, picking up another branch.
"boneyard?" Sam asked, his head now turned away from us. "Yes sir" John B said.
"you in?" John B's eyes looked like golden pools of honey and I seemed to melt into them. "yes sir" I mocked, moving towards the front of the house and to my bedroom window. I could feel John B watching as I got the window open, slipped the board through and then closed it.
"let's go"
The pogues and I were currently goofing off, spraying each other with beer foam from the keg. I was finally having fun even though I had to dunk my hair in the water to make sure it didn't get sticky and gross. After I rang out my hair I took a second to stand back and look at the group. I wasn't sure why the Pogues wanted me around, we had just met.
"So what are you gonna do with the money JJ?" I quietly asked as he walked over, the two of us apart from the group. "oh it's chill, they know" He laughed, pointing with his head to his friends.
"Okay, but what are you gonna do with it?" I asked again, my gaze falling on Kiara who was jumping onto John B's back.
"C'mon, Elle, how do you think we paid for the keg?" JJ told me and I tilted my head, squinting my eyes in slight confusion. "Elle?" No one had given me a nickname since I was little. Sam had given me Laney.
"Yeah, Elle," JJ said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and bringing me toward the group again. It didn't take long for people to show up and John B explained to me about the Kooks, Pogues, and Tourons, and who to avoid at the party. His finger landed on a group of Kooks walking up to the boneyard.
"That's Sarah Cameron, definitely stay away from her" Kiara said, leaning towards me. I nodded, but kept my eye on the group, watching as they seemed to think they were on top of the world.
"Cameron?" I said, thinking of why the name sounded familiar and then as a blonde boy walked behind Sarah the pieces connected in my head. I got up, telling Kiara I was going to get something to drink and walked off towards the keg.
"hey" A voice caught my attention and I turned, meeting a blonde boy staring at me. He looked vaguely familiar but I couldn't remember if he was one that John B and Kiara warned me to stay away from.
"hi?" The words fell from my mouth easily, I never had a problem with that. And I definitely didn't have a problem with confrontation, which is what I felt this was. "Can I help you?" I asked, looking at him as I waited for him to tell me why he came over.
"you're the chick that punched Rafe Cameron, right," He said, with no emotion in his words. I wondered if that sentence was supposed to make me feel something, so I shrugged. "yeah and?"
"Excuse us, Topper," JJ was next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I could tell in the tone of his voice and the fact that I could now place this boy's face that 'Topper', was a kook. "You punched Rafe Cameron?" He asked, "yeah, and?" I repeated.
"I love you," He said and I laughed.
"John B, our girl here, punched Rafe," JJ said as John B walked over to us. "okay this is a beautiful moment. '' The brunette joked, handing me a red cup filled with beer.
A bit later, when Sam had finally shown up and walked over to the pogues. JJ, Kiara and I sat on a log by the fire talking. Kiara was explaining the environmental issues with the new reno on figure eight and she had my full attention. "hey guys" Sam said, I leaned back and smiled at the boy.
I was quite tipsy at that point, JJ and I chugged a few beers. Trying to see who could out-drink the other, I won but not by much. Most of it was hitting me now, all at once. I wasn't paying much attention to things around me so I didn't seem to notice when JJ had gotten up and left.
Several repeated taps were placed on my arm, Kiara trying to get my attention. When she finally did I looked over to see the boy who talked to me earlier and JJ, the two shoving at each other. Kiara and I got up, rushing over to stop the fight.
"C'mon JJ, drop it," Kiara said, pulling him back and trying to calm him down. Things seemed to be moving in slow motion but also incredibly fast at the same time. There wasn't much we could do when Topper yelled out "dirty pogues" and John B went after him.
"Get off of him you cunt" I let out, moving forward and jumping on Topper's back, trying to use my arms to choke him enough for him to back off of John B.
"Laney!" Kiara shouted, moving forward.
"Yes, Elle! Fuck yeah" JJ cheered.
"Oh, Jesus fuck" Sam groaned. "Laney!"
My attempt worked at first but he shoved me off. I hit the sand and before I could get up Topper was back on John B, the two now in the water.
In the seeming blink of an eye Topper was holding John B's head underwater. "don't make me drown you like your old man" His comment seemed to affect John B as he jumped up and tackled Topper into the water.
I went to move forward but Sam's arms were holding me back. I fought against him at first.
The pogues and some of t
he kook's protests were drowned out, The fight began to look in John B's favor, he had the upper hand on Topper but I couldn't tell if it were confidence or Topper's anger that gave him the strength to flip them around, John B under him now.
Topper's hand laid on the back of John B's head, holding him underwater. The screams from everyone not seeming to faze Topper. He glazed over with rage, nothing breaking him from his little world. It seemed like his grip got tightened, shoving John B's head harder as the boy fought against Topper's strength.
"Topper stop, you're gonna drown him!"
When JJ made it to Topper first I stilled in Sam's arms, I didn't know what to expect. One second Topper had all the confidence in the world and the next he was stunned, a gun pressed to the back of his head.
Maybe the sight should have made my knees weak, but I had seen shit like this before. When I stayed with my friends for a summer in a bad part of Arizona, fights often ended with the threat of weapons.
Eventually, Topper had let go of John B, the boy now coughing up water.
JJ shot the gun twice in the air and Kiara and Pope moved forward to yell at him. "fuck sake" Sam let out, his grip on me loosening. Although I had seen something like this before, it was definitely not what I thought a party on the island would be like.
I stood still, trying to process in my head what happened while also trying to decide if I should go over to John B. Ultimately, I could feel an arm grab onto mine and I was being pulled away.
What the hell did I get myself into?