"Coral," came a whispered voice the next morning, shaking her awake. Groaning she buried her head in her pillow, "Go away."
"Coral, we have school."
Rolling over she opened her bleary eyes, "You go and learn and then come back and teach us."
Glancing at the lump next to her that was JJ, Pope sighed, "Fine, but Friday there's a test. You guys have to go for that," he told her.
"Deal," she mumbled already rolling back over to go back to sleep.
Hours later Coral woke to JJ still snoring next to her and what seemed like a quiet house. Walking down the hall she poked her head into John B's room to find it empty.
Not knowing where her brother was she decided to see what was edible in the kitchen. Frowning at the bare cupboards she contemplated going into town and begging food from Heyward, or seeing if she could work for a few hours in trade.
"What's got you looking so unhappy?"
Turning Coral smiled at the tousled haired boy in the doorway, "We have no food or money. Well that's not true I do still have one gold bar left. Maybe Heyward would take it so we can eat."
"You still have a bar?"
"Yeah, from the safe in the Bahamas. I had it in my hand when the security came so I shoved it in my pocket when we we're running from them. I was kinda saving it since it's, like, part of my dad, you know?"
"Well then you save it," JJ told her, "Besides I have most of the squirrel fund hidden in your room."
"You do? I thought you spent it."
"No, I went to pay the rent on this place with it only to be told that Ward paid up for an entire year for you guys. Apparently he was feeling guilty when he was pretending to be your concerned guardian."
Blinking Coral cleared her throat, "That kind of hurts my soul. Like, am I supposed to feel grateful to the man who murdered my dad?"
"No, which is why I wasn't gonna tell you. You don't owe that piece of shit anything. He only did it out of guilt," he responded as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
Leaning into him Coral sighed, "Well, since we didn't go to school you want to go grocery shopping?"
"Yeah, about that. I heard Pope waking you up this morning. Why didn't you go?" he asked pulling back to look down at her.
"I'm not sure if I'm ready for something as simple as school. I mean just a few days ago we were in the Bahamas running from the police, saving Sarah's life, and people literally thought we were dead. Then to come back here and JB getting arrested and then what Ward did yesterday. I need a minute to breathe," she admitted.
"Maybe going back to school will be good. It'll feel normal and we can forget all of the crazy especially the part about thinking you were dead. You know the annual bonfire is this weekend. One whole year," he reminded her.
Smiling she giggled, "One whole year since I decided I had to have you in my bed."
"God, that night I thought for sure this was gonna be a one time deal. So glad it wasn't," he whispered before kissing her.
They spent the next three days together, practically inseparable. She and JJ spent their days fishing, surfing, and just taking the time to be normal teenagers.
Kie and Pope would bring their school work home for them to do and then take it back the following day for them. She caught glimpses of her brother on occasion.
Sarah hadn't come back since deciding to stay at Tannyhill with Wheezie and John B wasn't taking it well. He'd disappear in the mornings and not return till late.
It wasn't until Thursday afternoon when she walked out onto the back porch that it seemed Sarah had finally come back.
Watching her brother and Sarah talking on the dock Coral knew from their body language it wasn't going well.
"Hey, what's going on?" JJ asked stopping beside her. "She finally came back," she responded.
"Doesn't seem to be going well," JJ commented as Sarah untied the piece of bandana John B had given her from around her neck and handed it back to him.
"I feel like we're gonna need some alcoholic help," JJ declared before kissing her head, "I'll be back."
As JJ left out the front door Coral headed out the back after Sarah walked away.
Walking down to where her brother sat on the dock she sat down next to him, "You wanna talk about it?"
"No."
Nodding Coral sighed, "JJ went to get alcohol. He thought it might help."
"Mind numbing drunk sounds pretty good," he acknowledged.
With JJs return came both Kie and Pope too. After swearing they were going to school the next day John B talked Pope into joining the festivities and the two disappeared down towards the HMS floating at the end of the dock.
"Did he talk about it?" Kie questioned after Coral filled her in about Sarah returning the bandana.
"No, he's probably down there talking to Pope," she replied, taking the offered joint from JJ.
"Well let's go break up the crying session," JJ told them heading out towards the dock.
"Hot potato, hot potato!" JJ called tossing beers over the railing to John B and Pope. Hearing a splash Coral laughed, "Oh, you fumbled that one."
"Throw me another one," John B said as the boys stood up from where they'd been laying in the Pogue.
"What are you guys doing down here? Having a good cry?" JJ snickered.
"Cry? What are you talking about? We don't cry," John B scoffed.
"Yeah okay," Coral snorted.
"You know it's not your fault, right?"
"Do you think she'll come around?"
"Yeah, dude, she's one of us," Kie responded.
Smiling John B nodded, "Yeah, Sarah's a pogue. She'll come around. She'll come back to me," he stated confidently, "You know I was just thinking about it. I'm gonna do a backflip!"
"Oh, dude, that's probably not a good idea," Coral said as the others egged him on.
Rolling her eyes as her brother back flipped off of the Pogue and into the water she sighed, "You're lucky you didn't break your neck."
"You should come in the water's refreshing!"
"More like freezing!"
"I don't know, Baby Girl, let's go find out," JJ said scooping her up.
"Put me down!"
"Okay," he told her before dropping her off the dock and into the water.
"Coral. Coral. Come on you promised," Pope shook her awake the next morning.
"No, I lied," she whined.
"JJ, man, wake up. Is he alive?" Pope questioned.
"Alright, I got John B up. How's it coming with these two?" Kie asked from the doorway.
"How does it look like it's going?" Pope responded as he slapped JJ lightly in the face, "Come on, man, we have an english test in thirty minutes."
"Coral, come on," Kie was now shaking her.
"For fucks sake," Coral moaned, "I'm up," she said flopping onto her back.
"Okay, well come on," Kie said pulling her up by her arms, "You know this would go a lot smoother if you opened your eyes," she said getting Coral to her feet.
"It's bright out," she responded as Kie led her down the hall and out to the Twinkie where John B was already laying across the floor.
Five minutes later Pope came out of the house dragging JJ behind him. Shoving him into the Twinkie Pope slid the back door closed before going around and getting into the drivers seat.
Keeping her eyes closed Coral leaned her head back on the seat and continued dozing as Pope drove them all to school. Feeling the van jolt to a stop her eyes popped open when she heard something slam against the front seat.
Giggling at the sight of JJ with his face smashed up against the front passenger seat Coral reached out with her foot and kicked him, "Baby, get up. We're at school and you're blocking the door," she laughed.
Groaning he pushed himself up as Kie slid the backdoor open, "Come on you three. We're gonna be late," she said tugging on JJ's legs and practically rolling him out of the van. Yawning Coral jumped out of the van followed by John B.
After making sure that JJ was upright and walking Coral linked arms with Kie as the group headed for the front doors of the school, "You never told me how you got your parents to agree to you switching from the kook academy to Kildaire high."
"Well, that would be me using your death against them. I begged and pleaded that I needed to be there for Pope and JJ after you and John B died. Pulled such a guilt trip my mom had no choice but to switch me over," Kie answered as they walked inside together.
"I feel like her throwing you out is our fault. Maybe I should go see them and try and smooth things over. Your parents were always nice to me."
"It's okay. I told you before none of this is your fault," Kie assured her, "My mom just doesn't get that this is who I am. So I talked to Principal Adams and she gave me your schedules and stuff," Kie told her digging around in her bag and pulling out the twin's school schedules.
"We all pretty much have all the same classes," Pope said, "We've been using your death and resurrection a lot lately to get our own way. Adams agreed with me that it would be for the best so that we can help each other with the school work."
"I ever tell you you're a genius," Coral smiled kissing his cheek.
"Pope, you hitting on my girlfriend?"
Sputtering Pope shook his head, "No!" Laughing Coral rolled her eyes, "He's just fucking with you," she told the boy as she looked over her schedule, "So guess we'll see you after homeroom."
"Don't forget first period is the english test," Pope reminded them as they all separated for their different homerooms.
Walking into homeroom the twins were immediately stopped, "Principal Adams wants to see you two," their homeroom teacher told them. Sighing they turned around and headed down to the office.
As soon as they stepped foot inside they were ushered into the principal's office, "Well, I've been waiting for you two to return to school," Adams commented as they walked into her office.
"Yeah, I took a couple personal days," Coral responded, sitting down.
"And I would've been here but, you know, I was in jail for a day. It was a bit traumatic," John B added as he sat down next to Coral.
Tapping her fingers against her desk Adams pursed her lips, "So I see nearly drowning hasn't changed your personalities," she stated, "So I'll get right to it. I spoke to Shoupe and I know you two are attempting to be emancipated. I have a say in that so your grades are important," she told them smiling.
"I mean we passed last year so...." Coral trailed off.
"True, you both passed. However, John B you made it by the skin of your teeth and Coral your grade point average dropped significantly last year. Now I know you two were dealing with the death of your father, but we need you to get your focus back on school. Especially if you want a judge to see you as adults."
"Got it," John B said shooting finger guns towards her.
"Well, I've been told there's a test first period so if you're inspiring speech is done we should get to that," Coral said with a smile.
Sighing Adams nodded, "Very well. You're dismissed."
"So your emancipation is in the hands of Adams?" Kie questioned as the girls sat together in the outside courtyard during lunch.
"Apparently," Coral responded, popping a fry into her mouth, "Where the hell are the boys?" she questioned looking around.
"I don't know. They left class together and said they'd meet us out here. Did you see Yvonne pass John B that note?"
"Yeah, talk about desperate," Coral laughed.
"Baby Girl!" JJ called from across the courtyard as he, John B, and Pope came out carrying their lunch trays. "Where were you?" Coral asked after kissing JJ hello.
"Mr. Sunn stopped us. He had some old as fuck diary for Pope to look at," he answered.
"A diary?"
"Yeah, from Denmark Tanny," Pope said with his nose buried in the diary, "Holy shit. Look it's the Cross of Santo Domingo," he told them turning the diary to show them the picture of the cross inside, "It was on the Royal Merchant."