"Tell me, did you sail
Across the sun?
Did you make it to the
Milky Way?"
AS THE MINUTES WENT BY after JJ and Red's brief dance, Red interacted with people from all over the island. Saying hi to acquaintances and mutual friends.
The night couldn't get any better.
Until Red Shoupe's deep blue eyes landed on Sarah, John B, JJ, and Topper, all bunched together.
When you see those 4 together peacefully, it's the end of the world.
Red rushed over to them, wondering what was going on.
"You know what? You know what? I'll take it. Thank You!" Red overheard. Topper didn't sound mad or mean, he just sounded playful. That's what people didn't realize about Top, he wasn't what he made himself look like. He was a great brother to Bennie, and really, really sweet.
"Well thank you Topper, but I didn't ask you." JJ said. Topper's smile didn't fade, he assumed JJ was just playing along. "Maybe if you said pretty please."
"Oh okay, Pretty please?" Topper asked.
"Yeah but you didn't. So..." JJ continued offering it to Sarah until then, Topper's smile faded as he looked over at Sarah, seemingly uncomfortable.
"She said she didn't want it!" Topper yelled, splaying the beer in JJ's face.
JJ and Topper broke out into pushing each other as Sarah and John B tried to stop it. "You're so funny man!" She heard JJ yell.
"Dirty Pogues." Muttered Topper, causing John B to charge at him, continuing JJ's work.
Pope and Red exchanged a quick look before joining in trying to break them up alongside Sarah, who begged Topper to stop as he shoved John B to the ground.
Topper kicked John B, who was now laying flat on the floor into a shallow area of the water.
"Hey John B! Don't make me drown you like your old man, alright?" Topper said.
Red wanted to run over there and pull Topper aside, He had such a short fuse that he'd say things he'll regret.
Now, the crowd started to chant "Fight, fight, Fight!"
Couldn't they see that that was what they were already doing?
John B looked up at Topper's words, hurt in his eyes, but he refused to let a kook see him cry.
As Topper looked between Sarah and Red, John B jumped up to his feet and pulled Topper down to the spot on the ground the blonde boy had previously put him in.
The two rumbled it out, refusing to let the other win. Topper was trying to 'protect' Sarah, and maybe try not to bruise his ego. And John B was doing it for his dad.
Kicking and punching and pain was all Red could observe between the battle.
Soon, John B brought Topper to the water, begging him to try it again.
Topper did so, He brought himself onto his feet and went harder than before on John B, Sarah's voice became shaky and nervous as she begged him to stop.
Topper was looking for more than just injuring the Routledge boy, he was trying to drown him now.
"Topper stop!" Red finally yelled after minutes of dreadful silence.
The blonde didn't even acknowledge her. He had gone too far into the battle by now.
But neither of them made Red's blood freeze over.
JJ brought himself over to Topper with a gun in his hand. He clicked the safety off, and put the gun to his head.
The crowd began running, scared, But Red along with Pope and Kiara rushed over to JJ, still holding a gun to the kook's head.
Red couldn't stay there any longer, she exchanged looks for a split second with the boy, unaware of what he was going to do, and ran into the bathroom located on the beach, not far from where the kook lay at gunpoint.
All Red could hear, all Red wanted to hear, was two gunshots and faint JJ yelling.
She sat on top of the toilet in the nasty bathroom and covered her ears, sobbing in fear.
What did JJ do?
Before she could think, her stall door swung open, revealing Kie, who probably saw her leave.
She bent down in front of the girl, still on the toilet.
"What- What did he do?" Red's voice shook.
Kiara shook her head, "He didn't hurt him."
Red let out a relieved breath. "Thank God."
"You okay?" Kie asked. "You should really be careful."
Red looked up, "Why?"
"Around JJ, you never know what's gonna happen." She explained. "He wouldn't hurt a fly, unless he had to. But He likes you. Like a lot."
"How do you know that?" Red asked, she was still scared, but she felt relieved that Topper was alive and that JJ apparently liked her.
"Please, I've seen the way his face lights up even at the mention of your name, including the color itself." Kie smiled. "He also stopped flirting with me since you came along."
"So today?"
"Yeah, not even a flirty comment." Kie's face fell. "Which brings me to something I want to let you in on. You can't tell Shoupe."
Red laughed slightly, "Don't worry. I've been around Bennie her whole life, I pick some skill up when it comes to not snitching and going with the flow."
Kie sighed, "We found a boat." She started. "Like... underwater. It used to be Scooter Grobes. There was a duffel bag in a cabinet, where we found a key to a motel room with lots of money in it... and the gun."
"The gun JJ used?" Asked Red, Kie nodded.
"John B... he found his dad's compass in the compartment. He thinks his dad is trying to tell him something."
"Why are you telling me this?" Red asked. "Is it 'cause you need something from my dad?"
Kie laughed, "No. Believe it or not, I think you're a really good influence on JJ. And I trust you. I don't say that often. And... I guess you're my friend."
"We're... friends?" Red asked with a smile.
"I mean, I'm a Cancer, you're a Libra."
"Don't water and air signs hate each other?" Red asked, confused.
"No, Air signs hate Nature signs most of the time." Kie corrected. "Why don't you stop by the Chateau tomorrow? We're gonna go get a closer look."
Red smiled, "Okay."
Kiara stood back up, lending Red a hand to get off the toilet, which she accepted.
"Oh, by the way, do you think you could give me a ride home? Rafe probably left already." Red asked.
"Sure, we can probably drop you off in the Twinkie."
"The what?" Red furrowed her eyebrows.
"It's a minivan type thing. John B named her Twinkie." Kie explained. "But won't your dad see us?"
"Judging by the fact that there was a dead body in the marsh, my dad probably won't be home till morning. And our Bennie broke our Ring doorbell." Red laughed at the last part.
"How did Bennie break your Ring doorbell?" Kie asked with a wide smile of concern.
"Good question!" Red ended that right there and walked out of the bathroom with Kie.
A honk of a horn told Kiara that her friends were still here, parked uphill in a green minivan.
The pair approached and got in the minivan. Pope opened the door for Red, moving out of the way to get in.
The twinkie had a certain... scent to it, but Red couldn't put her finger on it.
Red was crammed in the back with JJ and Pope, as John B and Kiara sat in the front.
"What's your address, Red?" John B asked, he sounded tired.
"366, St. Margaret St." Red told him. "Are you feeling okay? You got a couple good blows on Top, but he also got you."
"Yeah... just feeling a little drowsy." Said John B.
Pope looked over at Red for some context, "He fainted, by the way."
Red nodded her head in understanding, "Gotcha."
"What about you? Not even a little tipsy?" JJ asked from the back.
Red shook her head, "I don't drink."
"Figured... You're the deputy's daughter so, makes sense." JJ responded.
Red put her head back in annoyance, "Why does everyone always describe me as, 'the Deputy's daughter' instead of saying, 'Hey! That's Red Shoupe. She's this, and that.'"
"Sorry..." JJ muttered, seemingly sorry.
"It's okay." Red looked back up. "That's probably why I don't have many friends... or a boyfriend at this point."
"Your dad is the reason you don't have a boyfriend?" Pope asked. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?"
"Oh yeah, plenty." Red chuckled. "But every time they come over for dinner or to meet my dad, he gives them the same look. You know like the look that tells you you better go away, or he'd make you."
"Yeah. He's probably just protecting you." Kie reasoned. "What about friends?"
"I don't know. I mean, someone I just considered my friend just tried to drown another person I considered my other friend." Red sighed. "I mainly have you guys, Topper, Bennie, Rafe... most of the time, and... don't kill me Kie, but on some days, Sarah."
"I don't care if you're friends with Sarah." Kie responded, not turning a head.
"At least you have us and Bennie all the time." JJ said, leaning forward.
"I guess." Red smiled. "No more Lucas."
"Who's Lucas?" Asked Kie.
"My ex." Said Red, turning all heads in her direction.
"Why'd... you break up?" Asked JJ. "You don't have to answer that."
Red shrugged, "He was my best friend like forever, but he moved away on some fancy basketball scholarship and didn't bother to tell me."
"His loss." JJ muttered.
"What was that, JJ?" Kie grinned.
"I said 'I really need to floss.'" JJ lied, causing Red to giggle.
The Twinkie came to a halt as Pope yet again, reached over and opened the door for the Kook.
Red walked out and stopped in front of the door.
"Thanks for the ride. I'll see you tomorrow." Red said. "Oh and John B." She reached into her purse and got five dollars. "Penny for your thoughts? I'm pretty easy to talk to."
"Thanks Red, I'll think about it." He grabbed the bill and Red walked into her house, waving them goodbye as the drove down the driveway.
Narrating JJ
John B smiled as Pope closed the door and drove out of the hallway. "Red really is cool. She almost tops Bennie."
"Nuh, Uh. Nobody tops Bennie." JJ disagrees.
"You're just mad that Red liked me better than you." John B smirked.
JJ grinned, ear to ear. "Well last time I checked, I was the one who kissed her. And slept in the same bed as her. And-"
"YOU WHAT?!" Kie almost made John B stop the car from her sudden yelling. "JJ!"
"Relax Kie, it's not like we macked or anything." JJ explained. "Well... we might've." He lied.
"No you did not! Red wouldn't let you." Kie called him out. "I told you not to get with my friends."
"We're not!" JJ put his hands up in defense. "Yet..."
"JJ!" Kie yelled again.
"Alright. I'm done... I'm done now." JJ smirked.
it is too fun to narrate in honestly.
I can't imagine the things going
through that man's mind sometimes.
red is actually mother tho so I'm happy.