"did you finally get your
chance to dance along
the light of day?"
THAT NIGHT, BENNIE SLEPT OVER AT RED'S HOUSE. Not because she was scared of her brother. She was smart enough to know that Topper wasn't himself, but instead to feel more comfortable and maybe get some sleep.
That was just the type of person Red was to Bennie. She was like a big sister, but somehow more. And it was easy to tell everyone of the pogues were fulfilling that role alongside Red.
It especially warmed the girl when she saw JJ acting as a brother to Bennie. She couldn't explain it, but it was something about JJ getting along so easily with everyone- or mostly everyone- that did something to her.
Red was able to convince Bennie's hysterical state to pretend to be asleep so Victor wouldn't suspect anything execpt that maybe Bennie fell asleep while hanging out because that had happened before.
Pope promised to wait in the Twinkie for JJ to get out, as Bennie was now too big for Red to carry her like she once had when Bennie was a toddler.
The van pulled into the sideyard again, this time containing Pope, who would stay low-key as JJ and Red were in the house.
It might not have been the best idea for Red to bring JJ in the house too, but she couldn't carry Bennie, and if she had a good excuse and stayed quiet, maybe she could get away with it.
She was sure her dad wouldn't be thrilled with the fact of JJ being in the house, but it was a good reason.
Red quietly opened the door to the house and shooshed JJ one last time as he held the girl like a child in his arms.
Red closed the door, checking to see if her dad was there, and Lo and behold, there he sat on his phone on the couch.
Now she had to be very quiet sneaking Bennie up the stairs that lay not far from where her dad sat.
Just as the three were climbing up the stairs, Deputy Shoupe's head popped around the corner, glaring in confusion at them.
"Care to explain?" He placed his hands on his hips as he stood not 10 feet from them.
Red's head flipped, but she tried her best not to seem spooked by his arrival, "Yeah."
Victor raised his eyebrows at JJ, whose head still faced the wall behind him. "Boy, look at me."
JJ obeyed, turning his head to face the older man.
"Thank you." He mumbled, "Anyway, you're explanation for having a boy and a passed out Thornton in the house at 9:32 at night?"
"Um..." Red looked at the two of them. "Bennie... she fell asleep and... Topper and Cynthia aren't home. And JJ... I couldn't carry Bennie anymore... so I needed help."
"Right." The Deputy scoffed, surprisingly not sounding angry. "Do you know about the rule about not filling up the gas tank of the Mercedes when you take it out without permission?"
Red shrugged, being punished for something she had done days earlier, "No, dad."
"Well... now you do." He shrugged, smiling slightly. "I don't care. You're a teenager."
"Really?" Asked JJ, confused that he let him being in his house go.
"Yeah. Just be out by 10:00," Victor told him, Red having a surprised expression on her face. "Oh, and tell you're friend not to park in the flower bed."
Red's face turned out of the window, to where Pope tried to escape the dirt he had gotten the Twinkie in.
"Gotcha. Sorry about that... sir." JJ apologized, just as starstruck as Red was. "And I'll be out by 9:30. I promise."
"You best be." Victor removed her hands from his hips, then proceeded to walk out of the room.
Red nudged JJ back farther up the stairs and into her room, where she closed the door and JJ set Bennie down.
"Oh. my. God." Red exclaimed. "I can't believe he let you in!"
"Does he do that often?" Asked JJ.
"He didn't even do it for Lucas, and he liked Lucas," Red explained happily. "And he... doesn't like you, but he still let you in."
"Maybe he does like me."
Red scoffed, "I highly doubt that. I bet he's only being nice because he somehow found out about John B and doesn't want me to be alone."
"Well, what are you gonna do with Bennie?" Asked JJ, sitting down next to the girl. "Don't worry, you can stop pretending to be asleep now."
Except Bennie didn't wake up, she was genuinely asleep, curled into a ball on the edge of Red's bed.
Red chuckled, "She actually fell asleep."
"Probably 'cause she was in my arms. The ladies dig it." JJ winked.
Red smirked, moving over to Bennie, sliding her up on the bed, and laying covers over her.
JJ sat down next to the sleeping girl and glanced between her and Red, before patting her head and standing back up.
"Well, thanks for you're assistance." Red layed her hands infront of her, taking a step closer to JJ with a smile.
"Thank you for your assistance." With that, JJ planted a kiss on Red's lips, and turned around, through the door, and out of the house.
Red let out a sigh, changing into night clothes, then lay next to Bennie in her queen-sized bed and underneath the blankets that Bennie had already been hogging.
It was the next morning, and Red was surprised to see Bennie wide awake laying on the bed with her eyes open, glaring at the ceiling.
"Morning." Red greeted, and Bennie turned her head to the girl. "How are you feeling?"
Bennie shrugged a small smile present on her face as she spoke. "Like my brother just got pushed off a balcony by my other brother."
"No kidding." Red returned the girl's smile, and swung her feet over the edge of her bed, "Want some breakfast? I make a mean pop tart."
Bennie scoffed, "Thanks for the hospitality, but I have to pass on your pop tart. I think I should get home, I'm sure Topper has an excuse ready."
"'I didn't even push him that hard!'" Mocked Red, making Bennie chuckle, "Well, I'll let you know if I find anything out about John B. But I'll ask my dad about it."
"Thanks, Red." Bennie smiled, side-hugging the older girl before walking out of the room, and lightly shutting the door behind her.
Maybe it was sad to say that Bennie was her best friend, considering the two were three years apart, but Red really did feel she could talk to Bennie about anything.
Red picked up her phone and placed it on the nightstand next to where she slept where it charged.
She thought about sending JJ a text but decided against it because it was A: Still early in the morning, and B: JJ probably knew just as much about John B's situation as Red did, aka nothing.
Nevertheless, Red continued on with her day until her dad walked into the room, dressed in uniform.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed as he straightened out his uniform.
"What do you mean?"
"I thought you'd be visiting your friend." He responded, watching as Red's face lit up.
"Wait, John B's okay?" She asked, standing up from her spot on the chair.
Again, The deputy's face curled up in confusion. "What do you mean? As far as I'm concerned he broke his arm."
"Oh my God." Red face plamed, a small smile creeping it's way onto her lips. "I thought he... died."
"No." Victor shook his head, "but, maybe it is best you stay here. Just for today. A whole day away from people won't kill you."
Red rolled her eyes, "I guess not, but I was actually gonna head to The Wreck for lunch... if that's okay."
The deputy sighed, taking a look at his watch before back at her, "That's fine. But be home for dinner. I feel like I barely see you."
Red approached her father laying a soft kiss on his cheek, and then hugging him tightly, "Maybe you're just not looking hard enough."
Victor scoffed, "I'm a cop. Remember? I'm looking plenty hard."
With that, a small chuckle escaped the teen's lips, and she pulled away from the hug, and out the door.
To Red's surprise, she wasn't the only one who had the idea of heading to the Wreck, because when she arrived, all six of her friends were waiting there at the table, slightly surprised to meet Red's eyes at the restaurant.
The girl made her way over to where they sat, happy to see John B, but confused that everyone was invited but her, "Hey... guys."
"Red, hey!" JJ got up from his seat and swung his arm around her shoulders, lightly kissing her cheek, and making her blush. "You're late."
"I wasn't... invited," Red muttered, looking between everyone.
"Wait... Nobody told you?" Asked Pope, looking around to see everyone shaking their heads and saying things along the lines of 'You didn't tell her?' or 'I thought you told her!'
"Sorry about that, Red..." Bennie apologized, seeming genuinely sorry for the misunderstanding.
Red sighed, "It's okay." Except, it wasn't completely 'okay'. It killed Red that she was bothered by the inconvinience, and it was truly no big deal, but why did she still feel so... unimportant. Or at least not important enough to check up in when late.
She brushed of the thought and smiled, returning to the seat next to JJ.
"It's... good to see you, John B." Red grinned, glaring at his arm laying on the table in a cast. "How'd you're arm doing?"
"Doesn't hurt as much." John B responded kindly, looking between his arm and Red.
"I know I've said it before... but I am really sorry-"
John B cut his sister off, putting his finger to her lips, signaling her to shut up. "You don't have to apologize for him, Bennie."
"I know... He should do it himself." Bennie sighed, "But I don't think he will... so I guess I just have to do it for him."
"You're not obligated to do anything for him, he's a big boy." JJ teased, a smile dancing on his lips.
"Anyways, it doesn't matter. We can talk about the reason we're all here?" Asked Red, turning to face John B.
"Yeah, So you're staying where?" Asked Kie.
"Uh... Tannyhill." John B responded, seemingly proud of his new residence.
Kie's smile dropped, "So your living... with Sarah Cameron?"
"Okay, Look, the only reason I'm living there is because her dad bailed me out, right?" John B explained, frustrated with Kie's antics. "And It's way better than foster care, which by the way is where I would go if Ward didn't-"
"Hey, so do you have a membership to all the clubs now?" Asked Pope, popping up from the booth the four had just moved to, away from John B and Kie's bickering.
"I don't know, Pope."
"What about those golf carts they drive around? Do you have one of those?" Added JJ, following Pope's actions.
"Does it come with a sweater vest, or do you have to buy your own?" Pope teased, patting the material of the vest Bennie had on.
"Hilarious," Bennie responded, her voice laced with sarcasm as she smacked his hand out of the way.
Kie rolled her eyes at the two, now arguing with their eyes, then turned to JB. "Look, you promised. You said you weren't with her."
John B sighed, looking at JJ who now had a teasing smile spread across his face, "Bro, just own it. She got you."
John B held the bride of his nose in annoyance.
"If you wanna hand out with her, that's fine," Kie said, clearly not certain about what she was saying. "But I'm letting you know now that I'm not doing anything with Sarah Cameron."
John B threw his hands on the table, "Do you guys see her here? No? Right. A little focus would be fantastic."
"Right. So we have the map?" Asked Red, leaning closer to the two seated in another booth so nobody would hear.
"It's out of whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it." Responded JJ for his best friend.
"It's cause the coast has changed." Added John B, finishing what JJ had started.
Pope sat up, "So we just have to look for the landmarks that havent changed."
"What about the old forts?" Asked Red.
"Battery Jasper." Responded Kie, looking over at Red.
The group looked at eachother, coming to some mental agreement that they would soon have to make their way to the Crain house, where Mrs. Crain lived.
Red was well aware of the rumors that took place where she stood, in the front of the Crain house.
Of course, She wasn't one to fall for silly rumors, especially ones that involved murder.
All over the island, almost like an oral traditon, but they said that Mrs. Crain murdered her husband with an axe, and buried his head in the very yard the group stood.
"Boo!" Bennie popped up from beside the blonde, making her jump and pulling her out of her thought.
"I heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husband's head on the property." JJ smiled, resting his arm around Red's shoulders.
"I heard that too." Red looked up at the blonde with a small smile. "My dad told me stories all about this place. He'd have an aneurysm if he found out I was here right now."
John B walked over to the stone wall that lay in front of them, offering a hand to his sister, "Ladies first."
"Yup, great. Youngest is the first to die, right?" Bennie scoffed, a smile playing on her face, then stepped onto her brother's knee and hopped over the fence, and sitting there.
"Doe sit look safe?" Asked JJ, seeing the uneasy look on Bennie's face.
Then, Bennie screamed and disappeared behind the wall, almost like she had been pulled there.
"Bennie!"
"Bennie, are you okay?!"
"What happened?"
"Answer us!"
"Are you dead?!"
Bennie's giggles were clear as day, even on the other side of a stone wall. "Yeah, It's fine. God, I wish I saw the looks on your faces."
"That was so not funny." John B breathed, laying his hand on his forehead.
"Is there any husband's head lying around anywhere?" Asked JJ.
"Not that I know of."
After everyone climbed the fence behind Bennie, Kie made sure to stay close to Red.
"You guys know whose house this is, right?" Asked Kie, slightly uneasy, as she should be.
"Oh, yeah. No, I do." JJ responded.
"Honestly, I never believed the stories of this place." Admitted John B, still examining his surroundings.
"Yeah, I guess you don't always hear about people killing their husbands with axes, and being holed up ever since." Red agreed.
"We used to sneak in here." Bennie explained. "All the older kids like Topper and Rafe, and even Sarah would always come in here to talk about 'big kid things' and they tried to scare me away. They said that some nights when the moon is full, you could see her glaring down at you from the window." She smiled, looking at JJ's scared expression. "Nights just like these!"
"NO! It's not funny. Cause it's all true!" JJ jumped, nudging Bennie, who was now laughing.
"Really?" Asked John B, cracking himself up.
"I swear to God guys, it's all real. I knew Hollis." JJ defended. "Jeez."
"You knew Hollis Crain?" Asked Pope, rolling his eyes in unbelief.
"Yeah, dude!"
"Dude, how do you know Hollis Crain?" Asked Bennie, chuckling in disbelief.
"She was my babysitter, she told me all about it."
"Some bedtime story." Teased Red, a smile laying on her face.
"So as a kid, she heard all the stories about how her mother killed her father... and how she was a murderer in all. Hollis didn't believe it... until that night."
"What night?" Asked John B, crowding up beside JJ as if he was telling a campfire story, as was everyone else.
"It all came back to her when Hollis was six years old. When she heard her parents arguing downstairs So she goes downstairs to see her Mom washing her hands in a sink... full of blood."
John B wasn't fazed, and neither was anyone else, but they looked at each other and chuckled.
JJ continued, "So her mother says she cut her finger. The next morning she says that her father and her split up. But then, Hollis noticed something, his mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out, in and out with plastic bags. Weeks pass and Hollis decides to use the outhouse, and she's using it, she looks down, and there, in the outhouse, is her father's head looking straight at her."
Bennie chuckled, elbowing JJ. "Man, you're so full of crap."
"I swear to God, man!"
Bennie shook her head and began walking where John B had been leading them, towards the house.
"Did she call the police?" Asked Pope.
"She didn't have time..." JJ then realized everyone was walking ahead of him, "Wait!"
"What?" Asked John B.
"You're sure you wanna go first? She's an axe murderer and you... Got a cast on." JJ explained, looking down at his cast.
"I don't care if she's an axe murderer. I got nothing to lose." John B explained, approaching closer to the house, "You coming or what?"
"Come on," Red says softly patting the blonde's shoulder.
The group then huddled around a row of untrimmed and unkept bushed staring at the house as John B looked over to the group adjacent to him.
"So, here's the plan. We need to look for water like it said in Denmark's letter."
Red's eyebrows furrowed as she tilted her head, "So... what kind of water? Like pond water?"
JJ chuckled, making everyone face him. "Bongwater."
John B shook his head, "No. It just said water, okay?"
"That's the crappiest secret message ever." Kie scoffed, facing down towards her hands.
"You wanna complain a little more, Kie? Nobody said it was going to be easy." John B snapped, making Bennie stifle a laugh.
"No one ever said it would be this hard..." She sang quietly, referencing a Coldplay song that John B's words were even the slightest bit similar to, causing him to roll his eyes.
Pope turned his head towards Red and JJ, "Alright, I'll search the Northeast quadrant with Bennie, you two search the Northwest."
"The decapitation quadrant." Red joked, facing JJ teasingly, earning an eye roll.
"Alright." Bennie clapped, standing up. "Let's split like my Mama's legs for Big John."
"Wow, Bennie." Pope scoffed, a smile spreading across his face.
"What? That was funny." Pope and Bennie then split up, leaving JJ and Red to go to where Pope had instructed them to.
"So we're looking for water?" Asked Red before being pulled over underneath a tree by JJ.
JJ briefly looked around in the direction they were in before pressing his lips against the girls in front of him.
"JJ-" Red pulled away with a chuckle. "We're supposed to be looking for water."
"I don't see any." JJ gave Red a cheeky grin, looking around one last time, then retrieving his antics.
This time Red happily wrapped her arms around the boy's neck and played along until pulling away about 20 seconds later.
The two began walking through the yard hand in hand, this time more or less searching for a small body of water.
"So..." Red started, coming to a halt behind a bush. "Are we gonna... like tell the rest of the group about... uh..."
"Us?" Completed JJ, a smile still dancing on his face. "I don't know... what do you wanna do?"
"You'll learn rather quickly that I never know what I want, JJ. So it's up to you." Red chuckled, fiddling with the ring placed on JJ's finger.
JJ hummed happily. "Hmm... what do I wanna do? I want to tell them. I just don't know when that'll... take place."
"Yeah... I mean there's a lot going on all the time, so we gotta actually do it when it's the right time."
"Hey!" A voice whisper-yelled from across the yard, seemingly belonging to John B. "JJ, Red! Come on."
JJ immediately grasped Red's hand, offering her a sly smile which she gladly accepted before jogging off to where the rest of the group stood. In front of a downward door leading to a basement.
"This is the only place we haven't looked at yet." John B explained. Bennie let out a low whistle, assisting her brother in opening the hatch. "Oh, crap." John B breathed, glaring down into the dark undergrounds of the old house.
Red squeezed JJ's hand slightly tighter as she went approached the clearing, "Here we go."
Kie and John B were the first to enter the door, then followed by Bennie and Pope, and finally JJ and Red.
"Down came Mrs. Crain to cut off all our heads... and out came the sun to dry up all the blood." JJ sang the tune of 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider' close to Red's ear.
"Can you please stop?" Asked Pope, annoyingly facing the blonde.
"Yeah." John B joined, pulling Bennie to him. "You're scaring my kid."
"Papa." Bennie teased in a high-pitched voice, causing John B to snicker.
"See any water?" Asked Kie, focused on John B who walked ahead of her as Bennie crowded her way back over to Pope as she was scared to be first.
"Any... dead bodies?" Asked Bennie, sincerely curious.
"Bennie!" Kie groaned.
"What?! I'm freaking out over here." Bennie pushed Pope in front of her lightly. "Why don't you go first, Pope?"
"How kind, Bennie. Thanks." Pope teased, then facing his attention from Bennie to the basement. "There's not even water on the pipes."
Red shined her flashlight she kept handy in her backpack at the walls, "There's no water here."
JJ crept behind Red, "Not a dropamino?"
Red slightly jumped, grabbing onto his arm by instinct. "Don't... do that."
As the group stood in the basement, they all searched their surroundings before Kie let out an airy sigh.
"You know what we didn't find it?" She asked rhetorically. "Ban Karma."
Pope groaned, "Oh God. Here we go again."
"You know, we had a good thing going." Kie complained, turning to fake John B. "Before you roped in Barbie and now that trail's gone dry. Coincidence? Probably not."
John B groaned annoyed, "This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you about Sarah."
"Yeah?" Asked Kie, increasingly more agitated as the topic of Sarah Cameron carried on.
"Yeah." Responded John B, sighing again. "What's the deal with you two? Nobody else has a problem with her."
"Actually." Bennie stepped forward with cation. "I'm not super thrilled to let her in on this, but I'm willing to look past it. And I know that you'd tell me if there was anything going on."
John B gulped, "See, now what's going on?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?" John B's eyebrows rose in annoyance. "Is it because I kissed you? Is that the problem?"
Almost in a blink of an eye, Kie slapped John B in the face, putting everyone else crowded in the basement in confusion.
"Oh- Oh crap." Pope's eyes widened.
"Oh, My Lord." Bennie grinned, leaning towards JJ. "Did that or did that not echo?"
"It did," JJ responded.
"Stop treating me like I'm some girl that's obsessed with you instead of you're best friend, that's trying to look out for you." Kie scolded.
John B held his hand to where Kie had slapped him as he blinked his hazel eyes matching Bennie's in shock, "Did you uh... hit me?"
Kie shook her head, "Skeeter."
"Skeeter?"
"Yeah, you see it?" Asked Kie as she held up her palm.
"Yeah." John B slapped the girl back as she bit her lip in anger.
"Alright."
"No!"
"Okay, no."
"Don't do... that."
The group around then voiced.
"Where's your proof?" Asked Kie, a smile rising on her tanned face.
"Skeeter." John B copied, a cheeky grin spreading across his face as the two began slapping each other.
Bennie chuckled, Slapping JJ across the face as she wheezed.
JJ's mouth flew open as he faced the younger girl, "Now why did you do that?"
"That was for putting a gun to my brother's head, bitch." Bennie tilted her head in laughter.
"Ha, she got you." Pope grinned before Bennie copied her actions on JJ on Pope.
"Ah- what did I do?"
"That was for sinking my boat."
Pope tilted his head in understanding, "Fair."
As Pope and Bennie began having their own slapping session, red turned to face JJ.
"You're not going to slap me, are you?" Red asked, a grin spread across her face as she already knew the answer.
"Nah. I would never slap my girlfriend."
Red nodded, pretending to walk away and then coming back. "Then I will." She slapped him playfully.
"Wow, even Bennie slaps harder than you."
Red pretended to be offended, slapping him one more time, making JJ laugh as the group continued hitting each other randomly until putting their game faces back on and caught their breaths from laughing so hard.
As Pope made his way over to a small lump in the ground, the rest of the group continued goofing off until Pope's voice could be heard in a hushed tone.
"Hey, Guys!"
JJ's head rose from where he had been previously paying attention to, and over to the dark-skinned boy, "Hey, Pope!"
Pope rolled his eyes, then pointed at where he was looking on the floor. "No!"
"Oh..." JJ breathed, watching as his friend began trying to lift the wooded part off of the floor.
"Guys, help me lift this."
"Hey! Sh! She's probably right upstairs!" Kie pointed out, pressing her finger to her lips.
Just as soon as Pope, JJ, and John B managed to get the wood off of the ground, the rest of the flustered teens crowded around the large hole in the ground that probably held water hundreds of feet below.
"Well, well, well." Pope smiled, watching as Red shined her flashlight through the dark hole.
"That was a good dad joke." JJ snickered, slightly elbowing his friend.
"We are just full of puns today, aren't we?" Added Red, facing up to her friends again.
John B marveled down at the deep hole, "They built this part of the house right over it."
"That means they were trying to hide it, right?" Asked Bennie, facing her brother, whose hazel eyes didn't break contact with the well.
"This is where she hid the bodies..." JJ sighed, actually sounding serious.
Bennie slapped his arm, "Dude! Come one."
"No! I'm dead serious."
"Stop it!" Bennie whisper-yelled, her face curling up in agitation. "Before I push you in the damn well."
"Oh, so you're gonna push me down the well?"
"Damn straight. And I'll smile as your body hits the cold water."
"Shut up!" Pope called, breaking the two of them up.
Red-faced the well again instead of the two teenagers, "It was never an outhouse. She probably doesn't even know it's here."
"So... we found water." Pope breathed, hope filling his veins. "We're going to need a big rope."
The six exchanged looks again in some mental agreement before splitting ways to go to the Chateau.
Whilst arriving, Red was met by JJ, Pope, Bennie, and Kie on the front porch belonging to a certain brown-haired boy.
Red took a seat next to Bennie, where she sat juggling a hacky sack rather sloppily.
"So, we all got called here?" Asked Red, clearing the silence with a bright smile and clear tone.
"As far as I know," Bennie replied, too focused on the hacky sack to face the blonde. "Maybe now that we've found the gold, John B will kill us and take all the money for himself. That's what happened at The Mizpah Hotel. One robber killed his accomplices and took it for himself. He got away with it too."
JJ snickered, "Nerd alert. You've been spending way too much time with Pope."
"You can never spend too much time with me, JJ." Pope replied, elbowing the boy.
Kie laughed slightly, but her smile was quick to fade as a familiar blonde kook entered the porch, all the attention going to her, as always.
Kie scoffed and leaned further against the pillar, "No effing way. Did you bring her here? So what? Is she in on this now?"
John B looked in between his best friend, Kiara Carrera, and his... Well, can anybody be too sure what they are, Sarah Cameron, then over to Pope, who held his hands up in defense. Then over to Bennie, who slowly blinked at him before shaking her head and going back to the beat-up hacky sack. John B then turned to Red, who shrugged, symbolizing she didn't care.
Finally, John B looked at JJ who openly voiced, "Look, All I care about is the cut that comes out of your share."
Kie shook her head, "You know, I don't remember taking a vote. This is our thing. A Pogue thing."
"To be fair, me and Red are technically not pogues." Bennie cut in, sounding slightly unsure of her words. "But I don't think we count."
"I gotta say, I'm a tad bit uncomfortable with all of this..." Pope voiced, sounding just as his words said.
"Thank You!" Kie cheered, happy that someone was on her side.
John B beamed at his friend, "Dude, when are you not?"
"I don't know! I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably." Pope defended, a smile crawling up to his face as he turned to JJ.
"It's true. It's the most relaxed I've ever seen him."
"That's adorable." Bennie squinted her eyes at the two. "Especially since I had to walk here..."
"You know, we were all extremely comfortable before you brought her here." Kie complained, tilting her head at John B.
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Sarah demanded, also angry by Kie's antics.
"Then leave."
Sarah let out a cold scoff, turning to John B, who stood in confusion. "See, I told you."
"Told him what? That you're a liar?"
"No, that you're a crap-talking bitch."
Then JJ and Pope began placing bets about the two arguings.
"My money on Kie." JJ bet, holding up a five-dollar bill.
Usually, Red would never find herself in a situation cutting into an argument on purpose, but if there was anything that made her blood boil, it was talking about the people she cared about in a negative manner.
Red quickly stepped infront of Kie at her defense, "You know what, Let me stop you right there, sweet cakes."
"Wow. Really? You too, Red." Sarah asked, turning to John B. "Careful John B. This one's on her flow."
"That was really funny. How about I make your next period come out of your nose?!" Threatened Red, taking a step closer to Sarah before being pulled back by Kie who continued yelling at Sarah.
"Oh, my money's on Red." Pope bet, smiling widely.
"Everybody shut up!" John B yelled, breaking the chaotic argument. "Kie, look. You're my best friend, right? And Sarah... you're... you're my..."
Sarah gently took John B's hand, offering him a smile, "Say it."
"You're my girlfriend." John B completed, sending everyone else into a frantic haze.
JJ dramatically gagged as Pope's eyes widened, "Well that's new."
Bennie threw her hands in the air, "Great. Now you're on a roll with dating my siblings. Keep it up, really."
"Wait, wait, wait. Siblings? Since when are you, siblings?" Asked Sarah looking in between her boyfriend and his half-sister.
"Since July 9th, 2009," Bennie responded, smiling cheekily.
"What? Is that you're birthday or something?" Sarah squinted, crossing her arms.
"Wow, you're quick." The girl retorted in sarcasm.
Kie held her hands out as if to stop the ongoing conversation between Sarah and the youngest Thornton girl, "Wait, so she's your girlfriend now? What was all that talk about using her for information? Get a map? Cut her lose?"
Sarah looked at John B in confusion, "You said you were using me?"
"No..." John B quickly lied, shaking his head rapidly.
"You kinda did..." Red muttered, not really wanting to get too invested in the argument before she got ahead of herself.
"You did say those things." Kie crossed her arms.
"Look- love just... walked in. Okay?"
"Oh- vomit." Pope gagged at the boy's words, pretending to be more grossed out than he actually was with the situation.
"It... just kinda happened. And I'm not gonna deny it."
"Oh- that's corny..." JJ muttered feeling his girlfriend jab him in the rib.
"Sh- it's sweet."
Kie crossed her arms on her chest, "Look, cut the BS, John B. If she's in, I'm out."
"Kie- you can't just-" Bennie interrupted.
"No! I'm not doing this. I can't." Kie told her, stubbornly facing John B. "You are gonna decide. I'm very interested actually. Me or her?"
John B smile faintly and shrugged his shoulders as if it was an easy option, but it wasn't valid. "Both."
Bennie cringed at her brothers words, "Wrong move, bro."
"He went straight for the hail mary." JJ streached, leaning further over to Pope who seemed unimpressed.
Sarah hummed in annoyance, looking at John B in sarcasm, "It'll be cool, right? I'm just gonna leave."
"Sarah, Don't!" John B held out for her, but she seemed done with everything, and stormed out of the porch followed by Kie, who was going the opposite direction.
Bennie looked at her brother with a tight smile, "I gotta give it to you. You handled that with such grace."
Red let out a bretahy sigh, standing up and stopping to rest her hand on John B's shoulder and nodding to him as if saying 'good luck' before heading out to Kie who hadn't left long before Red decided to follow her.
As Red approached the dock where Kie was sitting with her feet in the water, almost as if trapped in thought, she made her presence known by clearing her throught before leaning against the door frame waiting to the tanned girl to speak up.
"I hate John B right now." Kie finally cleared the silence, facing out towards the open water infront and beside of her.
"That's... understandable." Red agreed, slipping her shoes off and sitting nect to Kie on the dock, dipping her feet into the warm waters of The Outer Banks.
It was easy to tell why Kie liked her position so much. The water was warm, the sky was clear, and the wind was light.
"Look, It's just because I know how it ends." Kie explained, slightly looking down at her hands. "I've seen this movie. I starred in it."
"Mind if I ask for a quick preview?"
Kie sighed, as if getting her story straight enough for the Shoupe girl to understand. "It was my freshman year, it was my first year at the Kook academy. I mean, I didn't have anything in common with anyone, and just as I'm about to slit my wrists, the queen asks me if I wanna go save baby sea turtles." She explained, earning a small nod of understanding from the girl seated beside her. "On our first day together, We walked on the beach. We waited for the hatch, and we kept seagulls off so the turtles could get to the water. It was the best day of my life, then she turned on me as she does with everyone."
"So that's why your mad at her?" Asked Red. "because she left?"
Kie nodded, "Look, I'm not doing this with her. He's going to have to choose."
"You know he can't do that..."
"Why not?"
"Because... It's just not that simple. And he's an idiot... or- a boy." Red explained, Kie chuckling at her words. "Do you wanna know what I remember about your short-lived days at the infamous kook academy?"
Kie smiled, nodding. "Enlighten me."
"Well, I remember spending 90% of my time in the library. And every day, you'd come with by the librarian and talk about sea life because she was a marine biologist. And I would think to myself... 'wow, what a nerd'" Red half-joked. Listening as Kie scoffed beside her.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah." Red bit her bottom lip in thought. "Yet somehow... I admired you beyond measure."
Kie turned to the girl, "Why didn't you spend more time with me? I mean- I know we hung out a few times, but you never seemed too interested."
Red let in a breathy sigh, "Because I was anti-social. I was so used to being hidden and concealed by my dad, that I didn't know what it felt like to be free. But now I do. And It feels great. And I know I should've, but I was too worried about my own popularity status that only remained because I was dating Lucas."
"I'm... really glad you came to the Chateau with JJ that night, Red." Kie smiled, sounding purely honest and sincere. "I honestly can't imagine this without you."
"I'm glad that you feel the same way, Kie." Red agreed, gazing out into the distance again. "I never really thought I'd find my best friend, a fellow geek, the most trustworthy person ever, and the most special boy on the planet, all in one night."
"Let me guess. I'm the best friend, Pope is the geek, John B is the most trustworthy, and JJ is the special boy?"
"Right on the money."
Kie smiled at her again, "Well, as long as I'm your best friend."
"Always." Red responded.
"Good." Kie grinned, laying her head on the girl beside her's shoulder and taking in a deep breath. "Sleepover?"
"Hell yeah."
red and kie are such an
iconic duo tbh.
And Bennie is actually my
favorite character ever sooo
way to be biased, El.