—
"He said it looked something like this."
Kiara and Sarah's conversation fell deaf to Evelynn's ears as she turned to look over at Kirsten,
"So..."
Kirsten looked up, "So, what?"
"Are we gonna talk about it?"
The Carrera looked genuinely confused.
"Okay, so you aren't picking up what i'm throwing at you."
"That's not the—okay." Kirsten waved a dismissive hand, "What were you talking about?"
"We were talking about JJ."
At the mere mention of his name, the girl felt her heart speed up, "What about him?"
"I heard from Luca how he was freaking out because you kissed his cheek last night."
Kirsten lifted a brow, placing a hand to her heart while giving her a teasing smile, "Awe, you guys gossip about us?"
"Of course we gossip about you. It's like watching a reality show at this point, begging through the screen that your favorite non-couple couple finally kisses."
"Ew, stop it!" She smacked her arm, "Look, they're here. Let's go."
"Trying to turn the conversation in a different direction." Evelynn rolled her eyes dramatically, skipping over to her boyfriend. The Antonio teen smiling softly as soon as he saw her.
JJ and Luca walked up to them, the former speaking up, "Kie! This better work. We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it."
"Must you be so pessimistic, JJ?" Kirsten teased, brushing off the look given to her by Evelynn.
Kie raised a torch, "It's gonna work."
•••
"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein."
"Like you could've done better."
"I could have. I took a welding class."
"Did you really?" Luca asked, genuinely interested. His question was left unanswered as he got interrupted by John B putting himself in between them.
"Whoa, whoa. Hey. Sh! Chill out, okay?"
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off. How did I get this job anyway?"
"Cause you're the best liar."
His face dropped, sending an obvious look towards Evelynn. Evelynn was one of the best liars in their friend group. She, personally, felt like she came in second between her a JJ, but the Maybank had insisted otherwise. They've even had challenges before where they'd talk to strangers and see how long they could string on a lie.
She raised her hands to mock defense, "They said it, not me."
•••
After fifteen grueling minutes of listening to JJ rambled on about how much the gold costed, even bringing up his nonexistent mom with alzheimer's, all they got from the woman was a note and an address.
Luca had voiced his concerns to Evelynn about how risky and weird it was that the lady had even suggested that they go get the money themselves. Not only was it odd, but it was completely unprofessional.
"So they keep money out here?"
"That's what she said." JJ nodded, quietly laughing to himself, "That's what she said—"
"Stop."
Kirsten chuckled, shaking her head at the way JJ's face dropped at Pope's immediate response.
"I've never even heard of Resurrection Drive." Sarah admitted.
"Cause you're rich."
Kie quickly came to Sarah's defense, much to Evelynn's confusion as she thought it was little weird how they hated each other like twenty four hours ago, "You've never heard of it either."
The Connor girl felt a hand snake to the back of her neck, moving towards her face to cover her mouth before she got the chance to say anything. Looking up at Luca in confusion, she watched him raise a brow before shaking his head.
"Thank you."
"There's nothing but weeds back here." Kirsten mumbled, leaning over JJ's body to look out the window. She was too focused on what was happening outside to realize she was balancing herself on his thigh.
Pope and Evelynn, however, shared a look as they watched his cheeks turn red at the contact.
"All right, just 'cause it's just weeds, doesn't mean it's, like—"
The sound of police sirens have the teens' hearts racing.
Luca let out a low groan, "Shit."
"Cops? Out here?"
"God! Are you kidding me?"
"What did we do?" Kirsten looked around in panic.
"Maybe Johnathan's ugly ass van is it's own crime." Evelynn laughed, trying to diffuse the tension.
"Why are we getting pulled over?"
"Stash that." John B told JJ.
"Chill, guys. Put it..."
"I hate cops."
"I don't think any of us are a fan of them." Kirsten whispered softly.
"Did you bring the gun?" John B turned in his seat.
JJ shook his head quickly, "No. Everybody told me to leave it back at the place."
"Thank God." Luca mumbled, tightening his hold on Evelynn's hand, if that were possible. He looked down at her to her a good look at her face, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She nodded, adjusting her skirt, "Are you?"
"I'll be okay."
"Hide your shit, JJ." Kirsten nearly snapped. She didn't want to be rude towards the boy but the fact that she could possibly get arrested freaked her out.
"I am! I am, all right?"
Kie looked at him in disbelief, "How much weed do you have on you, bro?"
"He's walking up." Pope told them, he spoke so fast that if it weren't for the sound of a gun cocking, they probably wouldn't have realized what he said.
"Why don't I go ahead and see them hands in the air?"
"Oh, fuck."
"All y'all's hands up in the air now!" The man shouted, pointing the gun at John B's head. "You, out of the car! Let's go! Out of the car! Let's go! Hurry! Let them out!"
"Stay close." Luca whispered to his girlfriend, jaw clenched as he watched the man shove his friends out the car.
Kirsten let out a soft breath, shaking slightly as he gripped her wrist, tugging her out.
"Don't touch her, man!" JJ snapped, which, in turn, got himself looking directly at the barrel of the gun.
"Shut your ass up! Go!"
Luca went next, refusing to move his hand from Evelynn's.
"Let's go, pretty boy." He chuckled, brown eyes turning to the girl behind him, "You too, sweetheart."
"Can you give me a second?" Ev scoffed under her breath, using her free hand to pull her skirt down so she wasn't showing anything.
Luca silently thanked God that the man hadn't heard her comment.
"We're broke—"
"Shut the hell up!"
"Chill!" JJ yelled, putting everyone behind him so he was facing him.
"Blow your damn head off!"
Luca squinted. The safety wasn't even off. What also caught his attention was the pony tail hanging at the back of his head.
"Lay down in the ditch! Lay down in the ditch! On your goddamn hands and knees! Down!"
"Excuse me, I'm wearing a skirt."
"Ev, please." Pope whispered to her.
"I don't give shit."
"This is also really expensive material."
He stepped forward, gun down as he got in her face, "I said I don't give shit. Lay down in the ditch!"
Luca stepped up, forcing Evelynn behind him.
"Evelynn, just listen to him!" Kirsten pleaded, tears filling her eyes as she held tightly onto her sisters hand.
"Yeah, okay, whatever." She rolled her eyes, reluctantly doing as she was told.
"Stay here just like that! Put your head down! Don't let me see you look up! All right? That's all y'all gotta do."
"It's a setup, guys."
"Whaaat? Could've fooled me."
"That old bat shanked us." JJ snapped, punching at the ground, "Fuck! goddamn it!"
"JJ." Kirsten looked at him.
"Wait. No, no, no, no." Sarah began to whimper, tears running down her cheeks, wetting the grass below her.
"John B. Don't be a hero, man." Pope whispered harshly.
"All right, y'all stay like that. Unless you want your brains blown out all over this road, don't move your goddamn heads, okay?"
"His damn safety isn't even off." Luca grumbled. JJ turned to him at his words, slowly beginning to stand up.
"JJ, no." Kirsten tried.
"I'll be fine, don't move."
John B shouted, making JJ move quicker, "Guys, I got the gun!
Kirsten gripped tightly onto Evelynn's hand as the others continued to jump, who they now knew as Barry. He was Rafe and Luke's drug dealer.
Kirsten was full on crying by the time they were done. Watching the blood drip from Barry's mouth while the others caught their breaths.
John B looked around, "Come on, let's get outta here."
JJ hummed, flipping Barry's ID between his fingers, nodding for Kirsten to follow,
"We got one last stop. Let's go see where this son of a bitch lives."