Thirty Nine. pretty like the stars
Dylan's arms were rested on the edge of the ferry. Her amber eyes settled on the rippling water. Her stomach wouldn't settle and the smell of salt and fish wasn't making it better. She couldn't understand why she was so nervous about going to Charleston. It was a feeling she couldn't shake.
The rest of the Pogues were gathered around the truck. "My parents are so paranoid of me being a Pogue, like it's the worst thing that could ever happen," Kiara complained from where she was sitting on the edge of the truck bed.
"Hey, I hear they got good weed at boarding school, though," JJ tried to lighten the mood.
"I'm not going to boarding school." She scoffed and shrugged. "They're gonna have to kidnap me, tie me up, and throw me in a van."
"I read this story once about a girl who's parents hired these people to kidnap her in the middle of the night and they flew her to a wildness camp in Utah," Dylan spoke out loud after hearing the conversation. She still continued to look at the water. "She was there for three months and then transferred to a boarding school." When she was done and nobody responded, she turned around and saw them staring at her with bewilderment. "Oh, sorry. Not making this better, am I?"
Kiara shook her head. "Not really, no." She turned her body slightly to the side so she could face her. "How come your parents are so cool with you being a pogue?"
She titled her head side to side. "Well, my dad was. Pogue before he married my mom. He knows what it's like. And John B and I have been friends since we were born, so, that was pretty inevitable. JJ came along and we knew there was no chance he was ever going to leave—" He sent her a wink. She threw her boyfriend a sweet smile. "And we all knew I wasn't ever going to get rid of that one."
His face went red uncontrollably and he smiled back, his eyes shifting away from them out of shyness.
She looked back at Kiara and squinted her eyes from the sun. "My mom loved them straight away but my dad had to take some time to warm up to them. He really just loves how happy you all make me. Your parents will think the same. I promise." She assured her best friend.
"Doubtful," Kiara muttered in disappointment. "You're really the only one they like and that's just because of your parents."
Dylan wasn't sure if she should find that offense or not. JJ hopped down from the top of truck roof. "Well, I say. . ." He started to say and took a drag of the joint he had rolled. "We just crumble some herb right now." He handed it out to her and the girl took it instantly.
Dylan rolled her eyes briefly and turned back around to face the ocean. She leaned against her arms.
"Hey, Kie, have you tried to hit John B back on that number yet?" Pope asked the girl.
"Like, twenty million times." Kiara responded dramatically.
"That's quite a few times." JJ chuckled to himself.
"Some random lady at a hotel keeps responding."
"Do you think he stole it?" Dylan questioned and looked over her shoulder at them. "Sounds like a JB thing to do."
Pope nodded. "I wouldn't doubt it. Until we hear from them again, we gotta try and clear his name." He held up the letter in his hand. "Right now, this letters our best bet."
"Right. Stay on task." JJ said with a hum. "That's why I love ya, Pope."
Kiara stood up and held out the joint. "What Pope are you gonna be today?" She teased.
He looked at the lit joint briefly but shook his head. "I'm good. I'm gonna try to focus." He declined.
"Good Pope. Boring Pope." She muttered and sat down next to JJ, the two of them sharing the joint.
Pope's shoulders slumped at her words. He turned his head to the side and saw Dylan still leaning against to the side of the ferry. The wind was blowing through her curls and even when he couldn't see her face, it was the most beautiful sight to him. He walked around the truck and walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She physically relaxed under his touch. "You're really starting to worry me," he spoke with a slight smile. "You've barely said a word since we left."
Dylan sighed in defeat. "I know, I'm sorry. You know how I am when I get in my own head." Her hands touched his arm that was around her and his hand.
He nodded at the words. "Fortunately, I do." It got quiet until he felt pressure on his fingers and he looked over her shoulder to see hers wrapped around his. "Hey, what are you really worried about?" He asked softly.
The brown eyed girl tore her eyes away from the water and looked at him. "Why did they ask for you specifically? Just you. If this Limbrey person is related to who we think, that means—" she quickly stopped and her face went still. She could tell by the look in his eyes that he understood where she was going. "I'm just saying that I'm scared they want something from you and we're leading you to a trap."
"Dyl, nothing is going to happen," he continued to try and ease her mind. "I'm sure someone from Kildare tipped them off about what happened. But as long as we stick together, we're all going to be fine, okay? This is about getting John B and Sarah back. I'll do whatever it makes to make sure it happens."
She stared at him with admiration. His loyalty and dedication is what separated him from so many people. It didn't matter the situation, Pope would always put his own life at risk if it meant his friends were safe. Dylan grew a soft smile. "Well, if this whole thing goes South, I'll be right by your side. I'll beat the shit out of anyone who tries anything." She declared truthfully.
Pope smiled with his teeth and chuckled. "I know you will. Thank you." He said adoringly.
She leaned her forehead against his and their noses touched. "And just so you know, there is no good Pope or boring Pope. There's just Pope and I love you." She asserted and squeezed his hand so he would know how honest she was being.
There was absolutely no doubt in his mind. "I love you more." He responded and kissed the side of her head right where her birthmark was.
They stood there and and stared at the water together.
Charleston was beautiful. There was no other way to put it. Though she was anxious, Dylan couldn't stop staring at the scenery she passed by as they drove down the street, the moss from the trees hanging above them. "Guys, I've read this thing like a thousand times. It makes no sense." Kiara told them as she repeatedly read the letter. "I mean, the Limbreys own, like, half of Charleston. What do the Kook kings of Charleston know about a murder on Kildare Island?"
"Yeah, why you specifically? That's the other creepy thing." JJ asked the drive.
Dylan motioned to him sharply. "That's what I've been saying this whole time."
"'Please come alone', that's hella sus."
Pope agreed with her. "I was thinking the same thing. It thinks it's because—" he was cut off by the truck rattling and it began to smoke. "Oh, come on!"
"Really? Right now." Dylan groaned and threw her head back.
"Pull over. That's a lot of smoke, even for your dad's truck." Kiara ordered and they became clouded by the huge amount of smoke.
JJ let out a loud cough. "Pope, I got sensitive lungs, man!"
"Babe, pull over!" Said Dylan and the driver quickly pulled off the side of the road to the grassy area.
"Pope, slow down!"
"What are you doing?"
"Oh, come on!"
"Shit!"
Dylan sighed exasperatingly. "We literally have the worst luck out of any teenagers in the world."
"You can say that again." JJ coughed as Pope started to freak out.
"No. No. No. No."
"It's gonna blow up!" Kiara panicked.
"No, it's not gonna blow up. You probably unhooked the radiator, Pope," JJ lectured.
She and Dylan climbed out of the truck and Kiara touched her forehead in distress.
The two boys lifted the hood of the truck. "I haven't seen this before. You knocked the entire hubcap off!" JJ exclaimed and sarcastically clapped. "Whoo! You might wanna reschedule your meeting tonight, Pope."
"JJ, please shut up." Dylan begged as Kiara asked about a plan B.
"We could, um. . . public transportation." She suggested. "We could hitchhike. We could rent bikes."
"Do you know how dangerous hitchhiking is? We won't make it to the meeting if we're dead!" Dylan panicked and started pacing on the road.
"Yeah, it's the radiator." JJ confirmed.
Pope stood stoic with his face full of dread. "My dad is going to kill me."
"Yeah, he might. He might."
Dylan threw him a glare and put her hand on the boy's back. "You're not helping." She hissed under her breath.
"What would you like me to say, Dylan?" He threw his hands up.
"Anything but that!"
Dylan's parents were pissed. That's what she was thinking, anyway. It frightened her to think about what they would say when she returned home. It was dark outside and they were still in Charleston, which caused all of the excuses she was going to give to her parents in her head to vanish. There were many reasons why she couldn't sleep. She stared at the stars in the midnight sky and envisioned it was snowing. She had gotten used to living in scorching heat but she had a clear memory of when her family took a trip to Aspen for spring break. It was freezing but it was beautiful. She twisted her ankle trying to snowboard but it was beautiful.
She thought about what her life was like before they started looking for the Royal Merchant. They were regular teenagers. They were the Pogues. They got into trouble and nobody ever blinked an eye. Now, John B was wanted for murder.
At what point did time pass by them like a waving hand? At what point did they got from being young, wild kids to now trying to keep their best friend from going to jail? They can never go back to what they once were.
"Hey," Pope whispered when he saw that she was still awake. He rolled over on his side, which was uncomfortable, seeing as they were in the back of the truck. "Can't sleep?" He tucked his hands under his head.
Her amber eyes still stared at the stars. "Do you remember when we were kids and you would come over to my house? We would go up to my tree house and watch the stars." She asked in a whisper.
He smiled at the memory. "Yeah, of course I do."
"I use to always say we were like stars. We're bright, beautiful, and we glow because that's what we were," she continued. Her voice was light, like she was pulling onto a memory. "What if we can never go back to those kids again?"
Pope stared at the side of her face, unable to say anything. She always spoke deeply when she would overthink. The way she spoke was beautiful. It was moving. But it scared him sometimes also. "Why are you thinking like that?" He murmured.
"Because I'm scared," she admitted and turned her head so that she was looking at him. "What if everything we do to help John B isn't enough? What if it's all for nothing?"
When her eyes glistened, Pope took one of his hands and put it on the side of her face. "I think we're doing exactly enough," he responded honestly.
She let out a shaky sigh. "Sometimes I wish we never found that key. I wish we never went looking for the Merchant. We could still be free like we always wanted. You would still have your scholarship—"
"I lost my scholarship because of me. I walked out on my interview," he interrupted but kept his voice quiet. "I can't change what happened but the least I can do is try and make everything better. If I get this evidence, we will prove that John B's innocent and everything can go back to the way it was." He made promises to her that he didn't know if he would be able to keep. But he loved her and all he wanted to do was put her mind at ease. "Don't give up on me now, DJ."
Dylan scoffed lightly. "Never."
He grinned. "You're a star, Dylan Jennings."
No, you're the star, Pope Heyward. She said in her head.