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"here you go, baby." Belle made her way towards JJ handing a bit more of wax for his surfboard.
"thanks." he sent her a small smile grabbing the wax from her hands.
"that's a lot of wax on your board. put too much wax, it's gonna be slippery." Pope informed the blonde who turned to him.
"are you telling me how to wax my board, Pope?" JJ looked at him already annoyed.
"just saying that's a lot of wax." Pope says.
"no, no, no, you're telling me how to wax my board. are you kidding me?" JJ argued with him.
Belle and Kiara looked at each other wondering how fast the two had started to argue so early in the morning.
"that's a colossal waste of wax." Pope shrugged.
"guys, really?" Kiara looked at the two.
"good morning to us all." Belle said when the honking of a very familiar van was heard, "what the hell?"
"did you hear that?"
the four looked over seeing the twinkie pull up the château as smiles immediately formed on their faces.
"no!"
"hold on. am i dreaming?"
"guess who's out the clink, boy!" John B jumped out of the van skipping over to his friends.
"holy shit!" Belle screamed running over to John B jumping into his arms, "no way this real right now." she laughed as John B hugged her tightly spinning her around.
"i'm back home, Bells." he laughed setting her down.
Kiara screamed running over to John B hugging him followed by the boys as the five hugged each other laughing and smiling.
"we missed you." Kie says.
"i missed you guys too." John B said with relief in his voice.
"how'd you do it? you bust out?" JJ asked John B.
"uh, they dropped the charges." John B says.
"they- holy shit!" Belle cheered loudly jumping up and down hearing laughs from her friends as JJ wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
"dude that's phenomenal." Kiara smiled.
"you're telling me i did all that work for nothing?" JJ asked John B.
"oh, the most elaborate escape plan of all time?" Pope sarcastically asked JJ.
"oh, 'foolproof.'" Kiara did air quotes.
"yeah, it was, actually." JJ says.
"okay, you know what i'm proud of him even though it was scary as shit but i'm very proud." Belle leaned back against JJ sending him a smile.
"thank you." he smiled back at her.
"wait, where's Sarah?" John B asked looking around for his girlfriend, "no, no, no. where.. where.. where's Sarah?"
"she went to go meet Wheezie last night. she didn't come back." Kiara tells John B who looked more worried.
"it's okay, she'll be back." Belle assured her best friend sending him a small smile.
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"so, Sarah just dips and doesn't call?" John B asked his friends leaning up from the railing.
"yeah, man. she just left her bag. didn't tell anybody." Pope tells John B who started walking towards the boat.
"okay, dude, i.. i.. i really think Ward got to her. i mean, the dude tried to have me killed in jail." John B says making the four Pogues turn to him in shock.
"what?"
"yeah. he sent somebody to the prison who yoked me up and almost killed me." John b said, neither of the four Pogues couldn't believe what they were hearing.
"you serious?" Kie asked.
"yes."
"do we know who this dude was?" JJ asked John B.
"no, i have no idea. dude, i swear to God, one day i'm gonna kill that son of a bitch." John B moved onto the boat sitting next to Belle.
"it's okay." Kiara said.
"no, Kie, it's not okay. we gotta find Sarah." John B tells her.
"no, literally, it's okay. she's right there." Kie pointed behind him making everyone turn around.
"John B!" Sarah yelled standing up.
"what's she doing with Topper?" Belle stood up making her towards the end of the boat meeting Sarah halfway who already had the rope in her hands.
Pope joined Belle at her side helping her tie up the boat so Sarah can greet John B which in a matter of seconds she was in his arms. Belle smiled at them standing besides JJ who stood silently besides her as everyone watched John B and Sarah's reunion. Belle was worried about JJ, he'd barely spoken a word or even looked at her since the night before.
"i didn't know if i'd see you again. what happened?" Sarah says to John B.
"uh, they dropped all the charges."
"what?"
"yeah, no, yeah, i'm a free man. yeah."
"John B, that's amazing." Sarah laughed hugging him once again.
"i know. it's great, but.. but listen, Sarah, they're coming after Rafe." John B explained to his girlfriend.
"good. he's completely unhinged. he jumped me last night." everyone's eyes widened hearing what Sarah was saying.
"what?" Belle asked the blonde.
"that's why i didn't come back."
"yeah, man. Rafe has lost his mind. literally almost his own sister. thankfully, i got there.. got there just in time." Topper spoke as Belle leaned against JJ's chest now sitting down looking up at Topper.
"yeah, he did."
"uh, well, i guess i owe you one, Topper, don't i?" John B looks at Topper.
Topper scoffed, "it's all good. i mean, somebody has to rescue your girlfriend, right?"
"uh, that's funny because she's not actually my girlfriend, right?" John B smiled at Sarah.
"uh.. well, what is she then?" Topper asked.
"why do you have to know everything?" Belle looked at Topper.
"tell him."
"i'm.. i'm with him." Sarah says making Kie and Belle look at each other with wide eyes.
"well shit." Belle mumbled looking at Kie.
"gotcha. you're with him. okay, yeah. i just, like, needed a little clarity there. you guys clear on that?" Topper asked the Pogues.
"it's not really your business to know any of that." Belle rolled eyes sitting up from her position.
"i think it's clear you gotta go now." JJ says.
"think i'll head out. it's about that time." Topper says earning a wave from Belle.
"Topper. thank you." Sarah gave Topper a hug.
"yeah, of course. i'm glad you're okay." Topper stared right at John B before pulling away from Sarah driving away.
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Belle was laying on the couch in her back porch scrolling through her phone while playing music when she heard the screen door open, she tilted her head back seeing JJ walking in seeing her on the couch. Belle tossed her phone onto the chair next to her sitting up sending a smile.
"was lookin' for you." he says sitting besides her resting his arm besides her on the couch.
"Zale called so i was updating him on some stuff." she twisted her bracelets around.
"tell him the good news?" JJ asked noticing her fidgeting with her bracelets and held her hand.
"yeah," she smiled laying her leg over his, "he can't wait to come back home from school to see him."
"heard from your parents?" Belle looked at him shaking her head not wanting to remember seeing her mother just the night before.
"you okay? you haven't really said much since last night." she asked always wanting to make sure he was okay.
JJ nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "fine."
Belle knew he wasn't fine. she had no idea what happened when he went to visit John B or what had happened the night before, whenever she mentioned it he'd change the conversation or just show her funny videos on his phone.
"J? i'm worried about you. you can talk to me you know that right?" she asked him as he kept his eyes on her hand.
"Bells, i'm fine. there's really nothing to talk about."
"i don't believe you," she says as he finally looked at her, "JJ, you're distancing yourself and it's worrying me-"
"Belle, there's nothing to talk about!" he snapped at her making her stay quiet.
JJ mentally cursed to himself knowing he shouldn't have snapped at her and should just talk to her about everything he was thinking. the truth? JJ knew that she deserved way better than him. ever since they were kids Belle had always cared for the blonde, always. that was a reason JJ fell in love with her and yet he still had no idea how he was with Belle. his phone began to ring as he let go of her hand reaching into his pocket grabbing his phone looking down at the screen seeing Guffy calling.
"hey, Guffy. what's up?" JJ says as his eyes widened quickly sitting up, "where is he? we'll be right there. "
"what happened?" Belle asked sitting up straighter.
"it's Heyward." JJ stood up making Belle jump up from her spot in the couch slipping her shoes and sweater back on as JJ rushed out the back porch, Belle followed him out of the porch towards the shed where Pope and Kiara were.
"Pope! Pope! just got a call from Guffy. something happened to your pops." JJ says watching Pope pull away from Kie's hug as the four started running to the twinkie.
"Sarah! John B, let's go!" Belle yelled out to the couple.
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"let me know if i'm hurting you." Belle says to Heyward placing the bandaid on his forehead.
"you're doing just fine. thank you, darlin'." Heyward tells the girl as she nodded patting his shoulder starting to clean everything up.
"Pop, what happened?" Pope asked his father.
"oh, i should've known better. he came in just as i was about to lock up. caught me by surprise. once he had me down, he put his knee in my chest, and he asked me about that.. that.. that key from that.. that drawing you showed me. and in case you're wondering, i ain't tell him nothing." Heyward explained to the six teens who looked at each other.
"now did you track it down?" Heyward asked his son.
Pope reached into his pocket pulling out the key handing it to his father, "i found it in Mee-maw's old apartment above the pharmacy just like you said."
"shit, boy, you should've gave this to me. i wouldn't have had to take a beating. what's the big deal? it ain't worth anything. why they want it so bad?"
"i don't know. first, i get this letter telling me that i need to go to Charleston. and then i meet a rich lady who wants me to give her a key that i didn't even know was in my family." Pope explains to his father.
"none of it makes any sense." Kie added.
"well, don't y'all just here whining about it. figure it out!" Heyward encouraged them.
"no. i'm just gonna give the key to that lady. it's not worth-"
"no, no, no. did i raise you to back down from a fight, boy?" Heyward asked his son.
"no, sir."
"well, all right. now, i.. i didn't think about it before. i admit that. but now.." Heyward pointed to his forehead, "now? i'm interested. well, did they say why they wanted it?"
"something about an old cross. i think it might be some kind of lost treasure." Pope says.
"you know who you should talk to? your great-grandmother, Mee-maw." Heyward handed his son the key back.