~~~
the five ducked down secretly taking a look at the house when John B called them over, "so here's the plan. we need to look for the wheat near the water like it said in Denmark's letter."
"okay, like, what kind of water? like, pond water?" Pope asked, JJ chuckled turning to the four.
"bong water?"
"no. it- it just said look for water, okay?" John B said.
"that's the shittiest secret message ever." Kiara went ahead, "come on, Belle." Belle looked at the boys and shrugged following Kiara.
"you wanna complain a little more, Kie? nobody said it was gonna be easy." John B argued with the Kook.
"on a scale of one to ten how pissed are you at him?" Belle asked looking around for what John B said to look for.
"a thousand. you guys don't know how she is, i do! please tell me you agree with me here?" Kiara turned to Belle who froze up not knowing what to say.
"i-"
"you're on his side. are you kidding me!?" she spat, Belle shook her head.
"i'm not on anyone's side, Kie! we just don't know what happened between you and Sarah so we can't really say who's side we're on and John B only spent a day with her and i don't know her at all but-"
"just forget it. i should've known you would've taken his side, same with JJ." Kiara walked off leaving Belle alone.
"what the hell just happened?" Belle asked herself running her fingers through her hair.
"psst! Bells, over here," Pope called out to her, she turned her head seeing the four walk into the bottom part of the house.
JJ let Belle crawl in first so he could be the last one in, "down came Mrs. Crain and cut off all our heads. up came the sun and dried up all the blood." JJ sang.
"can you stop?" Pope scolded JJ shining his flashlight.
"eyes Pope!" Belle held out her hand blocking the light.
the three reached the ground looking around the creepy basement, wafting away mosquitos Belle looked around trying to find water but everything was dry.
"see any water?" Kiara asked, "another dead end?"
"there's bit even water on the pipes." JJ inspected the pipes.
"no puddles either." Belle walked around being careful with the spiderwebs.
"there's no water here." Pope said.
"not a dropamino." JJ added.
"know why we didn't find it? bad karma." Kiara stated.
"oh, God. here we go." John B sighed.
"you know, we had a good thing going. and then you decide to rope in Barbie, and now the trail's gone dry. coincidence? probably not." Kiara argued with John B.
"this is exactly why i didn't tell you about Sarah. maybe this is why JJ and Belle haven't told you about them being together either." John B went over to Kiara, Belle's eyes widened at what John B had said.
"what?" Kie snapped turning to the brunette.
"i- you told him already!?" Belle turned to JJ who was next to Pope the two standing with their eyes wide.
"sorry." JJ whispered.
"yeah." John B told Kiara.
Belle sighed walking away not believing what was happening, first her best friend thinks she's on the others side when she's on neither side, then her basically brother exposes her and her boyfriend of not even twenty four hours yet and there was no trace of water anywhere.
"what the hell's the deal with you two?" John B confronted Kiara.
"nothing." she spat back at him.
"nothing? is it because i kissed you? is that the problem?" John B spat.
Belle sat down fighting away the mosquitos listening to her two friends argue when a slap was heard, her head shooting up seeing John B facing another way.
"oh!"
"oh, shit!"
"ouch."
"that echoed, dude!"
"JJ, shut up."
"stop treating me like i'm some girl that's obsessed with you instead of being your best friend who's actually trying to look out for you." Kiara confronted the boy.
"did you, uh.. hit me?" John B asked her.
"skeeter." Kie held up her hand showing the dead bug.
"skeeter?"
"yeah, you see it?"
"yeah." John B slapped Kiara next.
"woah!" Belle snapped standing up.
"oh, hey!" JJ added.
"okay.."
"where's your proof?" asked Kiara when John B raised his hand showing the bug.
the two started smacking each other as more mosquitos came out of no where, Belle smacked her arms waving her arms around.
"why are there so many fucking mosquitos down here?" Belle snapped getting annoyed with the bugs.
"why are there so many mosquitos in a basement?" Pope repeated Belle's words.
"dude. i know, seriously. tiny vampire bats, just leave me alone." JJ smacked the bugs off his arms.
"if these bugs don't leave me alone i swear i'm gonna set them all on fire." Belle grew annoyed starting to feel itchy.
"oh, my gosh! okay, can we leave? 'cause i'm already itchin' to leave. hah? punny." JJ chuckled at his own joke.
"Pope?" Belle walked over to JJ watching Pope tap his foot on some wood.
"i just found Mrs. Crain's voodoo doll, guys." JJ helped up a doll.
"put that back." she scolded him which he listened.
"all right, can we leave this? 'cause this is getting-"
"did you hear that?" Pope turned to Belle.
"i did." she grinned helping him move the wood away from the floor.
"hey, Pope! Belle!"
"oh!"
"sh!"
"help us move this stuff." Belle looked at John B and went back to moving the wood.
"okay, just quiet" John B whispered.
everyone cleared the clutter of wood as Belle and Pope moved the bigger pieces revealing a huge well, the five looked down flashing their flashlights down.
"well, well, well." Pope smirked.
"that was a good dad joke." John B looked down at the well.
"they built this part of the house right over it." Kiara looked down at the well also.
"this is where she hid the bodies." JJ looked at the four who rolled their eyes.
"JJ." Belle sighed rubbing her forehead.
"oh, dude, come on." Pope nudged him.
"stop." Kiara says.
"no, i'm dead serious. it was never an outhouse." JJ continued looking down amazed at the well.
"stop it, she probably doesn't even know it's here." Kiara told him.
"so.. we found water." Belle smiled up at John B.
"we're gonna need a really big rope." he smiled keeping his eyes down at the well.
~~~
"just talk to her she can't be that mad." JJ said parking his bike in his usual spot.
"she didn't even look at me on the ride over here or speak to me and i'm on nobodies side either and when did you tell John B about us?" Belle asked leaning against the tree.
"before you got to the wreck, i slept at the château last night and i woke up to his face right in front of mine." he explained taking her hands.
"you mad?" he asked.
"at you? no, at him for exposing us to Kie when she's pissed? definitely."
"i'm sorry if you wanted it to be special when we told them, i was just excited." he turned her so she leaned against the tree.
"i know, baby." she intertwined their fingers when he grinned hearing the nickname.
JJ smiled leaning in kissing her softly, his hand went to her cheek as he rubbed his thumb against her cheek, the two heard a gasp which caused them to pull away to see John B pulling Sarah inside with the biggest smile on her face.
"well now Sarah knows." JJ said, Belle laughed as they followed the two to the front porch.
JJ lead Belle towards the recliner passing by Sarah who was still shocked catching JJ and Belle.
"since when?" she mouthed.
"last night." Belle mouthed sitting in front of JJ on the floor when Kiara walked in.
"no effing way! you brought her here? so what? she's in on this now?" Kiara spat motioning to Sarah.
John B looked at Pope, Belle and JJ for help but the three stayed silent.
"i dunno." Pope shrugged shaking his head.
"i can't help you out sorry, JB." Belle said spinning her ring.
"look, all i care about is her cut comes out of your share." JJ pointed to the new couple.
"you know, i don't remember taking a vote. this is our thing. a Pogue thing." Kiara argued with John B who stayed silent.
"i gotta say, i'm just a tad uncomfortable with all this." Pope mentioned to the boy.
"thank you!"
"when are you not uncomfortable?" John B asked Pope.
"i dunno. i rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably." Pope argued to John B.
"it's true. most relaxed i've ever seen him." JJ agreed with Pope.
"he should take you bike riding more it's very nice." Belle whispered to Pope who gave her a thumbs up.
"that's cute, guys."
"you know we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her." Kiara snapped looking at Sarah.
"stop talking to me like i'm not here!" Sarah snapped at Kiara.
"then leave." Kie spat back.
Sarah scoffed turning to John B, "i told you."
"told him what, exactly? that you're a liar?"
"no, that you're a shit-talking bitch. Kiara, when have i lied?" Sarah snapped at Kiara.
Pope, Belle and JJ sat up gasping pulling out money betting on who would win, "i got ten bucks." Belle pulled out her money.
"my money's on Kie." JJ whispered.
"everybody shut up!" John B yelled silencing the group, Belle shoved her money back in her pocket turning around.
"Kie, you are my best friend, right?" John B asked her as she just nodded.
"and Sarah, you're.. you're my.."
"say it." Sarah smiled.
"you're my girlfriend." John B said.
"see that would've been a good way to tell them." Belle looked at JJ who nodded.
"i agree."
"shut up, Belle. now is not the time to talk about your relationship." Kiara snapped catching the girl by surprise.
"i didn't even-"
"were you even gonna tell us or did you decide to keep you two a secret since you can't handle relationships?" Kiara told her, Belle opened her mouth going to say something but Kiara spoke again.
"i thought you told me everything." she finished.
"i was going to! but i couldn't tell you when you're upset about them because i know you would be upset about this also!" Belle snapped catching everyone by surprise, they've never ever heard her snap at anyone before even if was her best friends.
"and like you would know i could handle relationships giving that JJ is my first ever boyfriend, so thanks for that, Kiara, really. not embarrassing at all." Belle spat standing up making her way out of the château and to her house slamming the door open.