Twelve. set the world on fire
Dylan swam in the water with John B and Kiara while Pope and JJ were watching the drone screen from the dock. She swam in front of the camera and blew a kiss, bubbles coming out of her mouth.
Pope smiled. "She's so cute."
JJ looked down and slapped his arm. "Look at you. You're getting bolder and bolder every day." He teased.
"Shut up."
"Don't think I didn't see that moment you two shared last night," he smirked. "You're welcome, by the way."
Pope gave him a look. "You're the one that asked her to dance in the first place."
"I saw an opportunity and I went for it. Take my advice."
Pope scoffed. "Yeah, that'll never happen."
Dylan's head appeared over the water and she shook her head to get the water out of her face. Kiara and John B came up as well.
"Hey, water bug!" JJ shouted at her with a cute smile.
She chuckled. She looked at Pope and wiped her face again. "How's it looking, Pope." She called out.
Pope was too busy paying attention to the way the sun beamed down on her, making the water droplets on her skin shine. "It's looking good. Very good. . ."
John B smirked. "Think she meant the drone, Pope."
He snapped out of it and shook his head. "Oh! Yep, perfect. Looks, uh . . . Looks great."
Kiara snorted a laugh and Dylan smiled to herself.
"Hey, once we get footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim," John B explained.
"That's such bullshit. Why do we have to do that?" JJ asked.
"Well, there is maritime salvage law. You can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a bunch of stuff up," said Pope.
"I know. I know. It's just lawyers aren't cheap, bro."
"Why don't we just have Dylan's dad do it?" Kiara asked, remembering that the girl's dad was a lawyer.
John B shook his head. "No. We're not involving Logan. We'll figure something out." That's when he noticed that Dylan wasn't around. "Uhh, where is Dylan?"
They looked around and saw that she wasn't around them. "DJ?" John B called out. "DYLAN?"
Pope's hands clutched the wood anxiously. "DYLAN?" He called out her name, his voice dripping with worry.
"DJ, where are you?" JJ shouted and cupped his hands around his mouth. "DYLAN!"
As their worry started to grow from not seeing their friend, a head suddenly poked out of the water, far away from them on almost the other side of the marsh. Dylan waved at them. "Hey guys!"
They all exhaled in relief. "Dylan, you scared the shit out of us!" Kiara shouted at her.
Pope put a hand over his heart. "Don't do that!"
They heard her giggle from far away. "Sorry!"
"Come back here, water bug!" John B urged with his arm. "Crazy lady!"
She started to swim back. One thing about Dylan was she didn't get tired easily. She could stay in the water for hours. "Jesus," Pope muttered and shook his head. "Anyway, this tether is, like, really long. In the wrong weather, it could get pushed around."
"Then we'll go at dead calm." John B declared.
That's when they heard thunder rumble. The sunny sky was beginning to dim with dark clouds. "I don't mean to alarm anyone, but it's thundering!" Dylan shouted when she swam closer to them.
"So now, we just gotta wake around for the right weather," Pope stated. "And today is not that day."
She finally joined them again and gripped the handles of the steps. Dylan pulled herself up and water dropped all over the dock. She inhaled and exhaled deeply.
JJ whistled. "You really are God's favorite, DJ."
She pushed his face with her hand. "You'll be joining him in a minute if you don't shut up."
Pope rolled his eyes and handed her towel. She took it and smiled at him. "Thank you." She started drying her curls.
He smiled back, forcing his eyes to stay on her face.
Dylan's parents were having a dinner at the country club and Braxton was with Wheezie, which meant she had nothing to do. After getting a call from Heyward and asking if she could help deliver groceries, she happily accepted. She rode her bike through the cut and met him by the boat.
"You boys get these groceries over to Figure Eight," Heyward started to say to the boys when Dylan arrived on her bike. "Get straight back here when you're done. No fishin." He turned around and smiled wide. "Dylan!"
Pope's eyes widened like saucers when she approached them, smiling like usual. "Dylan, what are you doing here?"
"I invited her," his father answered. He smiled at the girl again. "Thank you for coming, honey."
"Always a pleasure Mr. Heyward."
JJ held his hand out for her and helped her into the boat. Dylan started helping load in the groceries. "Rich folk don't wanna wait for you lazy sons of. . ." Heyward continued and paused when turned and saw JJ holding his arms out. "Oh, JJ, thank you. . . Sons of bitches."
Dylan giggled. "Don't worry, Mr. H. I'll keep them in line," she promised.
Heyward handed her a couple bags and smiled. "And that's why you're my favorite, DJ."
She beamed and walked off the put the groceries with the rest. JJ patted Pope on the back. "Aww, see, she's already good with the family,"
Pope glared at him. "I will throw you off this boat."
"Let's go boys!"
Pope started up the boat they began heading across the island to Figure Eight. Dylan sat in one of the chairs and rested her feet next to JJ's legs. "Doesn't even look like the storm hit there," he commented while looking at other side of the island.
"That's because they got generators, bro. Get used to it." JJ stated. "And then they saw the juice will be out all summer at the cut.
"It's nice to be a Kook."
Dylan frowned and looked down at her bracelets. She tried not to get upset whenever they took jabs at Figure Eight but sometimes they forgot she lived there too. She wasn't a kook but she had a life on Figure Eight as well.
JJ saw her frown and immediately felt guilty. "Oh shit, Dylan, I'm sorry."
Pope's eyes widened. "Sorry, DJ."
She only shrugged.
When they arrived at the doc, they started gathering groceries. "DJ, lovely, why don't you go with Pope? I can handle going myself," JJ started and winked at the boy when she wasn't looking.
Pope narrowed his eyes.
Dylan titled her head. "Are you sure?"
He nodded quickly. "Oh yeah, absolutely. Right, Pope?"
Pope glared at him but smiled when Dylan turned his way, playing it off. "Yep. Absolutely. 100%."
She smiled too. "Okay, yeah."
She bent down to pick up more bags of stuff and JJ winked at him okay. "Thank me later." He mouthed.
Pops flipped him off.
Dylan glanced at the bright blue sky. "It's a pretty day."
"Definitely." Pops responded, glancing at her occasionally.
She smiled. "Pretty enough to go searching for a ship wreck?"
Pope rolled his eyes and laughed. "Do you actually believe any of it?"
"I grew up hearing about The Royal Merchant. It's all Big John ever talked about. I feel guilty if I don't."
He tilted his head. "Yeah, but what do you think?What's your own personal thoughts about all of this?"
Dylan frowned slightly and looked at him. "I hope he was right and the ship's there. Maybe then everything he's put John B through will be worth it in the end. Maybe my dad can finally be at peace."
She knew there would be never any justification for what Big John but his son through. John B was constantly worried about his father and he would never have peace until he knew everything he did was for the right reason. And her dad. Her poor father. Since Big John disappeared, Logan didn't know how to handle it. They were best friends since forever. He'd known of John's obsession with the Royal Merchant to the point it scared him. The only thing Dylan wanted was for the two of them to finally have peace.
Pope smiled softly. "We're lucky to have a friend like you, Dylan. John B especially. I don't think he wouldn't made it this far without you."
She blushed red. "Oh, stop."
"No, I'm serious. You're the heart of this group. You keep us from falling off the deep in. I mean, you kept John B from going to jail. We need you, DJ." He said very seriously.
Dylan glanced at him with soft eyes. She would never ever get tired of looking at him. "You're sweet, Pope Heyward. Too sweet for this world."
It went quiet for a minute. Pope continued to look at her, trying to grow the courage to ask the question he desperately wanted. "Hey, Dyl?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you like JJ?"
Dylan almost choked on her own breath. She came to a stop. "What?"
His eyes grew wide. "I-I just mean. . . Y'know he flirts with you all the time and. . . I-I really wouldn't blame you if you did. Half the girls on this island do." He stuttered uncontrollably.
It was a question that had been rattling in his head forever now. He was just too scared to ask. But he needed to know. He was desperate to know before it was too late. The more silent she was, the more embarrassed he began to feel. Of course she likes JJ. She could never like someone like me.
When she started laughing, Pope looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you serious? No, absolutely not. He only flirts with me to get on my nerves. He's like a brother to me, Pope."
"Oh." Said Pope and he thanked God in his head.
She hinted a smile. "Why are you asking?"
Hope started to bubble in his stomach. He stood in front of her as she smiled at him and he would forever think she was the prettiest girl in the world. He got his answer. That's all he wanted to know. "Dylan, I—"
"Hey, what's up?" Rafe Cameron suddenly said when he and Topper made an appearance. A golf club was rested in his hand.
Dylan's smile washed away at the sight of him.
"Hey, Dylan, how are you?" He asked the girl with an obnoxious smile.
"I'm good, Rafe." She replied and tried to be as polite as possible.
Rafe stood in front of them and stopped them. "Hey, how much for one of those beers?" He questioned.
"They're not for sale." Pope answered darkly.
"You can just give us one, then, right?"
"Back off, Rafe." Dylan snapped.
"Or you can order one, like everybody else." Pope stated firmly and stepped in front of the girl to block her from them.
When he tried to walk past again, Rafe stopped them. "Listen. Wait, wait, wait. You're not listening to me. Um. . . You've got so many, bro, and we've got nothing."
"Nothing." Topper agreed, just as smug.
Dylan glared at them. "Don't act like you don't have a thousand of them at home."
"They're not even ours. They're already paid for." Pope snapped.
"Already paid for?" Rafe repeated and peeked into the bag with the golf club. "You probably stole em, right?"
Dylan's eyes went wide when he ripped the bag and all the groceries fell to the ground. "Rafe, stop!"
"What the hell? You owe me for that!" Pope shouted at him.
Rafe swung the bag of groceries out of his hand with the gold club. "Oh! I don't owe you shit, pogue."
Pope put his arm in front of Dylan and they backed away. Fear flashed on the girl's face. "Rafe, just stop!" She shouted again with her voice wavering.
Pope shoved him back. "Buy your own shit!"
Dylan felt Topper grab her arm and she spun around, shoving him back. "Don't touch me!"
Pope glared daggers at him. "Don't fucking touch her!"
"Hey, whoa, we just want one off these beers! Just give us one of these—"
Topper started trying to take the case of beer from Pope's hands. "You guys are freaking crazy!" Pope shouted.
Dylan started trying to pry Topper off of him. "Topper, get off of him! Stop!"
Topper shoved her back with full force and he spun Pope around, causing him to roll onto the dirt.
"Pope!" Dylan shouted in fear and ran to his side.
"Shit!" Topper exclaimed with a laugh. "Shit, my bad, man."
"Just fucking go!" Dylan shouted them and stood in front of Pope protectively.
But Pope wasn't giving up without a fight. He stood up from the ground and without meaning to, he pushed past Dylan and swung at them.
Dylan let out a scream when Rafe swung the club into Pope's stomach and then hit him over the back with it. "No!" She screamed tearfully and tried to push Rafe back. "Stop!"
Rafe was blinded by rage and he swung the good club again, hitting her across the face with it. She fell to the ground with a pained cry.
"Hey! Rafe, Rafe! Come in, man!" Topper tried to stop him.
"Stay down, bitches!" Rafe shouted at them.
"Hey, let's go! Let's go, man!"
Dylan held her face in her hands and could already feel the swelling. Her hands were wet with blood.
"Knock it off, Rafe! Come on!" Topper shouted again.
Rafe let out a crazed cry and slammed the golf club onto the ground beside Pope. He leaned over the boy. "We don't want you over here. Got it?"
"Let him go, man."
"Stay off Figure Eight, pogue." Rafe sneered.
Topper kept trying to stop him and the boy stood up. He walked over to Dylan and laughed crazily. "Oh shit! My bad, Dylan—"
Dylan got up from the ground and charged at him. "You fucking asshole!" She shouted at him. She hit her fist on his chest.
"Hey, hey, Dylan!" Topper shouted at her. "Dylan, stop!"
Rafe's fist collided with her face again and it sent Dylan back onto the ground. He let out another cry and kicked his foot into her stomach. Hot tears fell down Dylan's face and they mixed with the blood.
"Hey! Rafe, no!" Topper shouted and shoved Rafe back.
"Top, let's go!" Rafe shouted at Topper when he walked away from them.
Topper looked between Pope and Dylan like he couldn't believe what just happened. His eyes lingered on the crying girl that now curled herself into a ball. Dylan was a sweet girl. She was never not kind to him. What the hell did they just do?
"Hey, let's go!"
They sprinted off and left the injured pair. Moaning in pain, Pope managed to sit up. Blood coated his teeth and poured from his mouth. His eyes found Dylan across from him, curled into a ball on the ground. Her body was shaking. "Dylan?" He said with a mouth full of blood. He pushed through the pain to get over to her. "Hey, Dylan. Dylan!"
Dylan let out a string of cries, both from pain and heartbreak. Blood poured from her face and mouth and she felt her stomach cramp with pain.
Pope quickly got to her and put his hand on her back. "Dylan. Hey, hey, it's me."
He helped her roll over and that's when he saw the damage. There was a gash by her eye from the force of the club. Her lip was busted as well from the lunch. Blood poured from the side of her face and it dropped down her chin. Her face was already starting to bruise. Dylan covered her face and sobbed. "Hey, hey," he spoke softly and gently grabbed her face with his hands. "I'm so sorry, Dylan."
"I'm sorry." She choked out through her cries.
Tears fell from Pope's eyes and he helped her sit up. She cried in pain and he pulled her into him. She cried against him and he closed his eyes, crying himself. There was so much hate in the world. It was one inevitable to people like him. They weren't blind from it. But Pope would set the whole goddamn world on fire before he let anyone get to her.