𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝
"Where the hell were you guys?!" Pope shouts at us in disbelief as we climb out of the truck.
"Paternal complications" Kiara says vaguely.
"Luke was at the Chateau" JJ says bluntly.
"Oh, great! While you were having family time with your pops, John B got bit by a gator" Pope declares.
"Like, for real?" JJ asks in surprise.
"Holy shit" I mumble.
"Does it look like we're joking?" Sarah retorts.
"Okay, what the hell happened?" Kiara snaps.
"What happened? I got bit by a gator!" John B shrieks.
"He got bit by a gator!" Pope says in unison with John B.
"I dunno why I'm being yelled at, because I put my ass on the line!" Kiara sasses them.
"You're being yelled at because it was 20 minutes-" Pope starts but he's cut off.
"We got here as fast as we could!" Kiara yells.
We all start shouting at each other to the point that our words jumble together and I can hardly hear myself think anymore.
"Shut up!" JJ screams and we all pause, looking at him "Seriously, guys, I can't take it anymore, all right? Everyone just cut it out for a second"
My brother leans against a tree and runs his fingers through his hair in frustration while we all stay silent, taking a breather.
"Look, we just helped our dad leave this island for good. Like, he's not ever coming back. He's straight up like the Spanish. Just, 'Bon voyage'" JJ explains.
"That's not the right language" Sarah mumbles under her breath and I smile in amusement.
"All we got... And I know for a fact all I got is you guys, okay? You're it" JJ declares "And I've come too close to losing you, all of you"
"I mean, shit, like you two almost drowned" JJ points at Kiara and I "Pope, you were kidnapped. Sarah, you've been shot. John B, you were almost dinner for a freaking gator, bro!"
"So, this blaming each other is some Kook-ass bullshit, all right? We don't do that. Okay? We're Pogues" JJ tells us all sternly "Sorry, that was a lot right now. I didn't mean to..."
We all start clapping, smiling at the blonde boy proudly and he grins, relaxing.
"Yeah. All right" He laughs.
"Well done" Pope congratulates his boyfriend.
"I gotta be honest. That was the best freaking speech you have ever given" John B declares "Also, you should think about, like, a Rosetta Stone because your Spanish and French are flip-flopped"
JJ flips his best friend both of his middle fingers and I let out an amused laugh, wrapping my arm around the boy who presses a kiss to my head and hugs me tightly.
"We should bon voyage out of here" Sarah announces.
"All right, let's get this damn Twinkie out of here" JJ agrees, leaving my side to go get the winch set up.
It's not long at all before we're successfully towing the van out of the swamp and back onto the road.
"Keep it coming. Keep her coming. She's almost out" JJ directs "Keep it going. Easy! Easy! Easy!"
"Sarah, to the right. Straighten out" He warns her.
"I am!" She retorts.
The van is fully pulled onto the road and Kiara holds her hand out to me so I slap it with my own, the both of us grinning triumphantly.
"Whoo! The Twinkie lives!" JJ hollers.
"Whoo!" Sarah cheers.
"The Twinkie lives! Let's go, boy!" JJ screams, making Sarah laugh.
☼ ☼ ☼
JJ pushes open the doors of the church and bird flutter away in fright as we stand at the entrance, looking around the decrepit building.
"Okay, you're telling me Denmark Tanny decided to hide the cross here?" JJ questions as we enter the church.
"Mmhm" Pope chirps.
"Everybody, just spread out" Kiara orders and we all listen, heading our own ways.
"Okay, well, if I was a cross and wanted to be hidden in an old church, where would I hide?" John B asks, more so to himself than us.
"Are you sure that Denmark hid the cross here, Pope? Like, are we at the right church?" JJ asks the Heyward boy curiously.
"It's gotta be here somewhere, guys" Pope assures us.
"What if we have to push a secret button or, like, play, like, a... a certain chord, and then, all of a sudden, the ground beneath us reveals the catacombs or something on which we stand?" JJ suggests.
"How about we try to find obvious clues?" John B counters.
"It's not an escape room" Kiara scoffs.
"It's gotta be in here" Pope mutters.
"Sorry. I'm sorry" JJ says softly, moving away from the piano.
"I can't see where they'd hide a giant cross here" John B points out.
"Maybe it's not here, Pope" I say hesitantly.
"No, no. There's no way he would set us up on a freaking goose chase that would lead us to a church that has nothing" Pope fires back defensively.
"Yes, I get it. I don't know what to tell you, man" John B replies.
"The clues led us here. The cross is in this church" Pope declares firmly, sitting down on one of the pews.
"Pope, it'll be all right. We've had setbacks in the past, and we figured it out. We're gonna find it" John B assures the boy.
"He's right" Kiara adds.
"We've just gotta think about this logically, all right? Where else would you hide a seven-foot-tall cross made of gold?" John B explains.
"What?" JJ asks when we notice Pope staring upwards in awe.
The Heyward boy gets up and slowly takes steps forwards while we all look up, trying to figure out what he's seeing other than wooden beams.
"Oh my God. Look at that" Kiara breathes out.
I finally notice the shape of the beams and my eyes widen in disbelief. They are huge wooden crosses.
Pope hurries over to the wall and starts scaling it with an impressive strength I wasn't sure he had.
"Pope" Sarah frowns.
"Hey, no!" JJ scolds his boyfriend.
"Now Pope's climbing the wall" John B narrates.
"Wait. Pope, wait. This is crazy" Sarah declares.
"Pope, this church is old" Kiara warns him.
"Like really old" I add in concern "Will you please be careful?"
"This isn't safe" Kiara snaps.
The wall crumbles as Pope climbs and I feel queasy with worry, grabbing onto a pew to steady myself.
"Yo! This church gots to be at least 200 years old" JJ informs him.
"He's right, Pope. It's too dangerous!" John B shouts.
"Yo, let me just be real. You're not the most coordinated person on planet Earth" JJ points out.
"Pope? Pope!" Kiara tries to get his attention.
"You hear me? What are you doing?" JJ demands as Pope slams his fist against the wooden beam he's clinging to.
"All right, this one's solid wood. I'm gonna try the other beam" Pope tells us.
"This is a terrible idea. You're gonna get yourself hurt!" I holler.
"Pope, that's rotten as shit right there, okay?" JJ says in concern.
"Hey, easy!" Kiara warns him.
"Pope, I hate to break it to you, but that's wood" JJ says to the boy knocking on the wooden beam.
"No, no. It has to be here. I know it" Pope argues, trying to pull himself around the middle beam.
"Oh, dear God" I groan, watching him climb around above us.
"Bro, just look out for that giant wasp nest right above your head" JJ shouts, causing Pope to look up at the wasps buzzing above him.
"Yeah" Sarah agrees.
"Hey, just... just move slow, all right? Nice and easy, all right?" John B advises him.
Pope kicks a piece of the rotting wood away and it comes flying at us, making us all have to dodge the wood before it hits us.
"Whoa, hey! Yo!" JJ snaps.
"God!" Sarah huffs.
"Look! It's hollow" Pope shows us "Go get me a crowbar!"
Sarah runs out to the van to get a crowbar and move from the pew to stand between JJ and John B.
"What are you gonna do, Pope? I don't want this entire church to collapse on top of us. That's all I'm saying" JJ questions.
"Sarah!" Pope shouts as the girl enters the church with a crowbar.
"Hey, Pope" She replies.
"Throw it" He tells her.
"Okay. Oh, for real?" She nods, swinging her arm as she readies to throw it.
"Watch your heads" John B warns us.
"Wait. Ah!" JJ panics as Sarah throws the crowbar, but Pope catches it easily.
"Got it!" Pope grins.
"Not bad" Kiara smiles.
"Nice throw, princess" I compliment her and she shrugs with a proud grin.
"Hey, Pope, Pope, there's the wasp nest right up there, okay? Just move slow, all right?" John B explains.
"Got it" Pope nods.
The Heyward boy starts hacking at the wooden beam with the crowbar in his hand and I hold my breath in worry.
"Hey, uh... What is that?" Sarah asks.
"Do you guys see that?" John B adds.
"Shit" Kiara gasps out as the cross is revealed "Holy shit"
"I think I'm going to pass out" I breathe out in awe.
"It's here. Oh my God" Sarah grins widely.
"You did it, baby" JJ smiles proudly.
"Holy shit! Holy-" Kiara repeats.
"Oh my God! Oh!" Sarah squeals, wrapping her arms around Kiara and I as the three of us jump around with joy.
"We did it!" JJ and John B holler.
"Ah! Yeah!" Pope screams happily.
"Oh my God!" Kiara laughs.
"Keep going!" I cheer him on.
"Yeah!" Pope whoops.
"Holy shit! I thought you were crazy!" Kiara admits.
"We did it! We did it!" Pope shouts before waving his hands in front of his face with a frown "Okay, they're stinging now. Ow!"
The wasps start swarming around the boy and he drops the crowbar, causing us to scatter to avoid being hit by it.
"Take it easy!" JJ shrieks.
"Ow!" Pope howls in pain.
Pope loses his grip on the beam and tips to the side, falling from the wood.
"Hold on, Pope!" Kiara hollers as he dangles from the wooden beam.
"Wait!" Sarah panics.
"Cushions!" John B snaps and we all scatter.
"Move the pews! Move these!" Kiara shouts at me, the two of us moving the pews from under Pope.
"John B!" JJ shouts, throwing him more cushions.
"Pope, hold on!" Sarah pleads.
"I can't hold!" Pope cries out, one of his hands slipping and we all scream.
"Hold on!" John B hollers as we fasten our pace, running around frantically.
"Pope, you're going to be okay!" I assure him.
"Hang on!" JJ begs in fear.
"Hold on!" Kiara shouts.
"Hold on!" John B repeats, as though repeating the phrase itself will stop him from falling.
"I'm slipping, guys" Pope stresses.
"Hang on! Hang on!" JJ protests.
We throw a few last cushions down before Pope's other hand slips from the beam and he is sent sprawling onto the old dusty cushions we've piled on the floor, causing us all to scream again in fright.
"Pope, are you okay?" Kiara asks as we rush to his side.
"Are you good?" Sarah questions.
"You feeling okay, bro?" I ask, checking him over for injuries.
"Anything broken?" JJ queries in concern.
"Do you feel good?" Kiara adds.
"You okay?" John B questions.
"You did not tuck and roll, for sure" JJ states.