Sunflower || JJ Maybank/Cassandra Routledge

14: Expected Turbulance

The Forbidden Zone 3.03

He loves that he is now seeing a side of her that he hasn't seen before. A side that he's not sure anyone has ever seen.

As soon as the Pogues get outside, the group starts to come up with ideas. They need a solid, risky-free plan to get the camera and not bring the cops down on themselves. "All we have to do is sneak in and get it." JJ tells them. "I know exactly where it is and I even know the code. So, in and out. It's easy."

"Alright, Mr. Huidinni, how are we going to get in? Isn't there a security guard and a fence?" Casey asks as she opens the back door and sits down on the bench. "I'm pretty sure that thing is at least twenty feet tall and as athletic as you are, there is no way you are climbing a chain link fence without getting caught. Meaning the rest of us have no chance of getting over it."

"Well," JJ starts but then stops immediately. He hates to admit it, but she has a point. Climbing the fence is not going to do them any good. They can possibly get in, but they also need to get out. And with their hands full, climbing out is going to be ten times harder. "I have nothing." He finally says, pulling out a small bag of weed and a wrap out of his pocket as he sits on the floor next to the door. "Anyone else?"

"We could simply go in?" Kiara tries but gets shot down instantly.

"You need identification and a slip from either a collection agency and/or a repo man to even get inside." Pope informs them. "Asking to go in is also off the table. Which is exactly why I don't like this. The only legal way inside is already..."

"Damn." Kiara mumbles under her breaths, thankfully interrupting Pope's negativity.

For a few minutes, sitting in silence, all except for the Twinkie creaking from potholes, the five are stumped. They are trying to come up with something that will work, but no one can find a way that is an almost guarantee in and out. Every plan that they come up with either involves someone practically offering themselves up, taking the blame, or all five getting caught. But, as the Pogues start to drive through the streets of The Cut again, a plan pops into Casey's head. One that might actually work. Although she immediately hates it, the odds of it working are almost perfect. "I have an idea." She says, bringing everyone out of their train of thoughts. Well, except for JJ who is not thinking about the salvage yard at all. All he is focused on right now is making sure not to spill his weed as he tries to roll a blunt. "Kie and I can distract the guard and you three can sneak in. We pick up the HMS Pogue and deflate one of the tires. The security guard will want to help two lonely teenage girls, thinking we are stupid, and the boy go in as he comes out. He'll open the fence and since he'll be looking at us, you three sneak in."

At first one says nothing. The plan is actually solid. If they can distract the guard while also opening the door, boom there they go, they have an in. They can figure out how to get the camera out once they get in. If that involves climbing, so be it. At least all three will be in there and they can figure it out. "That might actually work." John B finally says. "Kie, isn't your car still at the Chateau?"

"Yeah. I haven't been home since yesterday morning, so it's still at your place."

As soon as a plan starts to get set in place, and the Pogues head toward the Château, Pope starts doubting everything. Which is not surprising to anyone. He is never on their side when it comes to doing something illegal. He will still do it, because he never leaves the Pogues behind, but he hates it and will tell them every second of the way. Which is what he is doing right now. "This is not smart. We should figure out a better plan."

"Pope, we're not stealing the drone. We're borrowing it." John B tries to reassure him. He knows Pope is not believing him. He's not dumb, but at least he is trying to make it sound like they are not currently on the way to steal an over thousand dollar piece of submarine equipment. That, if they get caught, all five will most likely be arrested and charged with felony robbery.

Pope huffs. He hates that no matter what he says or how hard he tries to convince his friends that this plan is not smart, they will not change their minds. They are dead set on stealing the drone. "Humans are the only animals that can't tell fantasy from reality." He mumbles under his breath.

"Damn, Po, that's really deep." Casey jokes, her eyes falling on JJ next to him. Although she came up with the plan, her focus is now being tempted by the boy finishing the blunt. Whenever weed comes into play, she is immediately distracted.

"Wait, did you come up with that?" John B asks.

"Albert Bernstein came up with it, but it applies to this whole treasure hunting thing." He answers, leaning his head back on the side of the van, officially over all of his friends. For once, he would like to do something logical. Something that will not get him in trouble with the police and more importantly, his parents. "So, which is it? Fantasy or reality?"

"Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ asks, his focus still solely on the blunt.

Pope doesn't respond to JJ's jab. Instead, he sits there and waits for the rest of the Pogues to answer his hypothetical, non-hypothetical question. But no one does, at least not at first. They are still trying to figure out what the hunt for the gold and Royal Merchant mean for themselves. Kiara and Pope are still trying to decide if they believe the siblings. Well, more so, if they believe their father. They will always follow John B and Casey, no matter what, but it doesn't mean they believe what Big John is saying is true.

Eventually, after a few excruciating long seconds, Kiara replies, a small smile on her face as she looks over at John B. "It's fantasy, but possible reality."

"Reality." John B whispers instantly. He knows what he believes and what he believes is true. There is no changing his mind that the Royal Merchant is real and they are going to find it. They are going to finish what Big John started. They will find the gold. A smile appears on his face when he looks over at Kiara. Besides Pope, she has been the one to doubt the entire thing. From the beginning, she has made small comments about it not being real but her saying there is a possibility fills him with excitement. Now, they just need to get Pope on board.

"Virtual reality." JJ smiles as he holds the blunt in front of himself, admiring his work. He doesn't really care if it is real or not. All he cares about is going on an adventure with his friends. They said this summer is going to be different, and from the looks of it, he can't wait for it to really start picking up. Hopefully, with less injuries than the last few days have had.

Casey shakes her head at JJ's answers and leans back into the seat, getting comfortable. "Reality." She says and immediately catches John B looking back at her from the rear view mirror. It doesn't surprise her that the smile on his face grows. As long as she is on his side, nothing else matters. If they have to, they can go off on this hunt alone and he wouldn't care. As long as they have each other. She playfully rolls her eyes at him, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of winning, but her eyes find JJ as he places the blunt in his mouth and flicks his lighter open, seconds away from smoking it. "Sometimes Virtual reality."

At Casey agreeing with JJ's plan of getting high, Pope gets officially annoyed. Knowing he is not going to stop the group from stealing the drone, he grabs the blunt out of JJ's hand and throws it to the floor. "Keep the signal clear." Immediately, JJ sighs and closes his lighter as his perfectly rolled blunt hit the floor. He just spent a good ten minutes making sure the weed was distributed correctly, the wrap was tight, and perfect to smoke but now, it is on the floor like garbage.

Before Pope can do anything else to piss JJ off, Casey quickly grabs the blunt from the floor and minuvers her way to the trunk. The boys watch her surprisingly make her way to the way back rather smoothly and Pope feels the need to say something snarky to her as well. But, before he does, he stops himself, knowing arguing with her is way different than arguing with JJ. She will send digs at him that will actually hurt his feelings. The girl sarcastically smiles, knowing she won, and starts searching the back, looking for a lighter.

After a few seconds, she actually manages to find one of JJ's zippo lighters. The only way to distinguish it between any other zippo is a small 'JJ' carved into the back. "You know what your problem is?" JJ sarcastically asks.

"You." Pope snaps back.

"No." JJ pushes himself up to sit up normally and turns to face the boy, getting more irritated as the seconds tick by. "It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense!"

"I'm not too tense." Pope argues back, but before the two can get too far into an argument, John B pulls up to the Château. The five immediately get out and JJ, Pope, and John B head to the boat. They get it out of the water and onto the trailer while Kiara gets in her SUV and reverses into the backyard. Casey slowly follows Kiara, lighting the blunt and watching off to the side while the boys hook the boat up to the jack.

It takes less than five minutes to get the boat hooked up, mainly because they have done this about a hundred times within the last year. Once they secure it, and let out air from the back right trailer tire, the boys head back to the van, leaving Casey to stand in the yard. She takes a few hits of the blunt before making her way to the van, stopping at the side door next to JJ on the floor again. "There ya go big boy." She teases as she gently nudges him with her hand, giving him the blunt.

JJ grabs it and takes a hit but before she can walk away, he blows the smoke out and locks eyes with her. "I don't like this."

Casey furrows her eyebrows for a moment, confused as to why JJ is the one against the plan. Well, except for Pope, but that is for a completely different reason. It finally hits her that since things between them have escalated, his concern is now going to be ten times worse. He is going to worry about every little thing she does. If it's dangerous or not. "Come on JJ, we'll be fine. It's not like either of us are going to be alone, so you can relax."

"But, what if." He tries to say, but before he can finish his sentence, he gets interrupted by her closing the door. Not hard enough that it seems like she is mad at his concern, but forceful enough that he doesn't yell through the door. And thankfully he doesn't, and simply watches as she makes her way around the van, meeting Kiara by the driver's side. Right as she is about to say something to her brother, JJ's head pops into the front seat. "Seriously, not a fan of this."

John B sighs at his concern as well and pushes his head back. They need to go through with this plan, no matter what. They need the camera and if it means splitting up for a little bit, then so be it. It's not like they are leaving either girl to fend for themselves. And even though he hates the thought of Casey having to defend herself, he knows she can. If anything happens, they will be able to get themselves out of it. Casey laughs when the boy thuds loudly onto the ground and a grunt echoes the van. "Andy, are you sure you're good with doing this?"

"Really, you too?" Casey sarcastically asks and rolls her eyes. "I was the one who came up with this damn plan. You think if I wasn't okay with it, I would say it. Or put myself in it? I could have come up with about five different plans that don't even involve me, just so you know."

John B shrugs his shoulders, actually agreeing with her. He may not like Casey putting herself in the plan, but she has a point. They can handle it. He quickly turns around to make sure JJ didn't actually get hurt, and when he sees the boy sitting on the bench he laughs and turns back to the girls. "Hey, don't worry. You guys got this."

Casey smiles at him, silently thanking him for not pushing her but Kiara shakes her head. "It's not me that I'm worried about." She says, nodding her head toward the back of the van. John B doesn't say anything and shrugs his shoulders, knowing he got the short end of the stick. He is now stuck with JJ and Pope on the verge of fighting over the blunt. Casey laughs as she grabs Kiara's hand and pulls her away from the van and back to the SUV. She knows exactly what John B is thinking and deep down, she is glad she is no longer trapped in the back with the two boys. Yes, she loves a good JJ and Pope argument, but it doesn't mean she wants to always be a part of it. Which seems to happen more than she would like.

John B waits until the two girls are inside Kiara's car, with the HMS Pogue hooked up to the back, to drive away. He wants to make sure the tire isn't too deflated so that they can't drive, and thankfully, as they pull away, the trailer looks fine and the girls wave at him as they pass, heading toward the salvage yard. "So," Kiara starts, breaking the awkward tension already growing. "JJ was really protective of you doing this..."

As soon as the words leave Kiara's mouth, Casey rolls her eyes. She knows what Kiara is trying to do and immediately hates it. The girl is trying to get any information out of her, but the only problem is, she has no idea what happened this morning, meaning she has no idea why JJ feels the need to protect her like she is going to die every two seconds. It's complicated, that is the best way of putting what she and JJ are right now. "Kie, you're making this so awkward."

"What?" The girl laughs. "I'm curious."

"It's..." Casey starts but then stops herself. She can't even begin to understand what she and JJ are. She knows she has feelings for him, and it is blatantly obvious to everyone, but she also knows JJ. She knows he doesn't really do relationships. Hell, he doesn't do more than just a one night stand. He does not settle for one girl. "I don't know." She laughs, trying to hide the obvious heartbreak starting to grow within her. She wants him to pick her. She wants him to settle for her, but she will never admit it. "It kinda just happened. It's not like we had sex or anything."

Kiara's head snaps toward the girl, a smile across her face. "Well, do you want to?"

"Kiara!" Casey yells, feeling her face get bright red from embarrassment. She quickly looks away, hating that the idea of her and JJ having sex is now in her head. She hasn't thought about it before, hell, this morning was the first time they have really done anything, but she would be lying to herself if she says she doesn't want to. Having sex with JJ feels like a far reach, but one she could possibly grab onto.

"What!?" Kiara laughs again. "It's just a question."

"Seriously, Kie." Casey says, running her hands through her hair. She thinks for a second before continuing, trying to make sense of what is happening between them. "It's probably nothing. He probably just wanted to see if I was down, just in case one of his one night stands back out." She pauses, deep down a part of her hurting at that being the reason for all of this. He wanted to see if she was finally reciprocating his flirtatious jokes. She is his plan B. "He knows I'm there, a back up plan."

"I wouldn't say that." Kiara says genuinely as she turns into the salvage yard driveway. She puts the car in park and moves in her seat so she is facing Casey. "The way he looks at you. The way he is always there to protect you. I wouldn't call that a backup plan. I think you mean more to him then you even realize. I've never seen him act the way he does around you, around anyone else."

Casey doesn't say anything for a few moments. She wants to believe Kiara with every bone in her bone. She really likes JJ and she wants it to be like a fairytale but she also knows the reality of the situation. She knows the odds of her and JJ getting together are slim to none. With JJ past habits, and more especially her brother. Whatever she wants or whatever JJ wants, it doesn't matter. The odds are against them. But, she tries to push the negativity out of her mind. She really tries to believe what Kiara is saying might be true. Maybe she does mean more to the boy than she thinks. Before she lets herself get her hopes up too much, she rolls her eyes and takes off her shirt, revealing her bikini. She looks down at her boobs for a moment and adjusts them so they are more out than she would necessarily like. "Whatever. Let's just do this." She fakes a smile and gets out.

Kiara smiles as she gets out as well. She recognizes Casey putting up a front but she can also see that deep down the girl realizes what she's talking about. That finally, she has gotten through Casey's stubborn mind and explained that the feelings JJ has for her are different than any other girl. That she is different. Although Kiara is proud of herself, she doesn't let the small ego boost consume her as they make their way toward the tall chain link fence. "Hello?" She yells. "Excuse me?"  She waves her hand in the air toward the small control room to the left and after a few seconds, a man with his back to the driveway turns around.

As soon as the rugged, bald man sees the two, he quickly stands up and exits the small room. "Can I help you?" He asks as he walks toward the fence, his eyes trailing up and down Kiara's body for a moment before they shift and find Casey. The girl can't help but cringe as his eyes fall to her chest for a split second. This man is clearly double their ages and she is starting to really hate that he is looking at her like this. He seems like a friendly person, since he didn't come out rude or defensive, but he is definitely on the creepier side.

Kiara notices the man not taking his eyes off of Casey and it's starting to creep her out as well. Even though they signed up for this, it doesn't take away from the awkwardness and uncomfortable feelings. "Hi! Um." She coughs, purposely getting the man to look at her again. "Yeah, we uh, actually have a flat tire. We were wondering if maybe you could help us out?"

"Uh," The man hesitates for a second before looking at Casey again. As if the sight of her erases any doubt in his mind, especially when she follows Kiara's lead and forces a smile, falsely spelling out that they are two innocent teenagers in need of some assistance, he nods his head. "Yeah." He finally says, a smile tempting his lips as he walks back to the small building.

As the fence begins to open, and the man grabs his tool bag from the security post, Casey feels the sudden urge to look to her left. Right when she does, her fake smile turns to a genuine one when she sees JJ, John B, and Pope duck behind a wooden structure, similar to a workbench but for boats. JJ notices Casey looking right at them, but the longer he stares at her, the easier it is for him to realize her eyes are glued to him in particular. He quickly, but carefully waves his hand at her, a smile on his face. But, the moment is quickly interrupted by John B pushing his arm down so he doesn't draw the security guard to them.

She tries to keep herself from laughing, but it is almost impossible when she watches JJ's head shoot over to John B, obviously pissed about getting shushed. Thankfully, Kiara notices the boys as well, in addition to Casey's sole focus being on them instead of the security guard, and she lightly nudges the girl, getting her to focus on the task at hand. "It's too easy." She whispers, referring to the man opening the fence and walking toward them.

Casey laughs at the comment and changes her focus from the boys to the security guard in front of them as he eyes her up and down once again. She hates how he keeps looking at her like she is a piece of meat and it is really starting to make her panic. She is good at hiding her true feelings and doesn't want to draw too much attention to it, but also doesn't want it to go unnoticed. So, to hopefully help calm her nerves, she shifts closer to Kiara, hoping to get across how uncomfortable she is starting to feel. "I don't like the way he keeps looking at me. Do not leave me alone with him."

Kiara nods and slightly nudges the girl, not knowing Casey is telling the truth. Yes, the man is not doing anything extremely bad, he's just looking, but Casey can feel the same fear she felt right before Rafe assaulted her. She knows Kiara will never let anything like that happen, especially with the boys off to the side, but it still doesn't take away the on edge feeling she is being consumed by. "It's just this back one, right here." Kiara says, bringing Casey out of her thoughts. The girl follows but as Kiara continues to the end of the boat, showing the man the tire, Casey stops by the back of the SUV and leans against the door. "I mean, it must have been a slow leak or something."

"Probably just been sitting in the yard too long?" The security guard asks as he stops next to Casey.

The girl immediately tenses at the man being only a foot away from her but she hides it as best as she can. "Yeah, probably." She laughs. "I always forget to move it every once and a while. You know how it is, boys and shopping, and you know, more shopping."

The man turns to her and smiles, surprisingly falling for her blatant lie. But, similar to every other time he has looked at her, his eyes trail up and down her body. Instead of simply checking her out this time, his eyes stay on the stab wound on her stomach and then bounce up to the gunshot wound. "What happened to your arm and stomach?" He asks as he finally moves past her to the tire.

Kiara's eyes immediately lock onto what the man is talking about, but she isn't surprised by it. She saw it a few hours ago when Casey was napping, but since the girl was sleeping, she couldn't question it. "Oh, I, uh," Casey stutters as her eyes bounce between Kiara giving her the 'lie' look and the man. She tries to think of the most believable lie that will not initiate any conversation about either wound but the longer Kiara gives her the 'mom' look, the harder it is to come up with something. So, she says the first thing that pops into her mind. "I'm super clumsy and tripped while I was surfing. I fell off my board and landed on a bunch of rocks."

"Oh. Gotta be careful. Surfing can be really dangerous for someone who doesn't know how to ride the waves." The man says as he smiles up at her once again and starts rummaging through his bag. As if JJ's spirit takes control of her, all Casey wants to do is defend her surfing abilities and tell the man what really happened so he stops thinking that she is some helpless little bitch that can't take care of herself. But, she knows if she back tracks at all, he will get suspicious and the plan fails. Thankfully, before she loses the battle to hold her tongues, the man looks over at Kiara. "I got this."

Casey can feel Kiara's eyes on her and when she looks over at the girl, she confirms what she is feeling. Kiara knows something is off and her stomach is new and not a surfing accident. But, instead of trying to have a silent conversation, she looks to where JJ, Pope, and John B are and watches as they get up and run past a line of cars toward the closing gate, barely making it inside. "Thank you." Kiara says, making Casey look back down at the man to make sure he did not see her blatantly look over at the boys. Thankfully, the man is too focused on getting the tire fixed and doesn't say anything and nodes.

After a minute of awkward silence, Casey and Kiara jump at the sound of a dog barking. At first the man doesn't hear it, but eventually he does and he quickly looks up toward the two girls and then his head shoots back to the salvage yard. "Do you hear that?"

Immediately, Casey tries to play it off, pretending to be stupid at the same time Kiara has the same thought process. "Nope." "Hear what?"

"Oh, Tee-bows got something." The man says as he stands up.

"It's probably just a racoon, maybe." Kiara lies. She knows JJ, John B, and Pope have to be the reason for the dog barking. Deep down she hopes the three are okay, but she can't think about that right now. She needs to keep the man preoccupied so they can get the camera and get out. "You know? Nothing to worry about."

The man looks between the two girls, debating if he should go check it out or not, but after a few seconds he lets it go and smiles. "Yeah." As he slowly squats down again and gets back to the tire, the girls can feel the anxiety building. He is almost done and they need to come up with a plan to keep him occupied. Casey lets a deep breath out and glances back into the yard, hoping to catch any of the Pogues running, but of course she doesn't see them.

As she worries about JJ, Pope, and John B getting out, Kiara comes up with a plan to give the boys more time. She slowly makes her way around the security guard and lightly puts her hand on Casey's arm, pulling her closer. "Stall him."

As soon as the words leave Kiara's mouth, Casey already wants to disagree with it. That is the one thing she told her not to do. Do not leave her with the man. But, before she can come up with something different, or question what the next play is, that is exactly what happens. Kiara slips away to the other side of the vehicle and leaves Casey alone. She silently curses her friend, hating that she is now the one to solely distract him, but she knows she has to do it. She has to pretend to be interested and spark up a conversation. "So, you've been working here for a long time?"

"Uh, yeah." The man replies as he messes with the pump connected to the tire. He looks back at her for a moment, his eyes of course finding her chest before he looks up at her face. "For a couple years."

"Doesn't it get boring?" She asks, turning so she is facing him. She doesn't want him to look at her, but she needs him to stay focused on her instead of realizing Kiara is no longer around. The longer he fantasizes about her, the longer Kiara has to execute her plan.

"Yeah," He replies, struggling to tighten something on the tire. "Sometimes. But every once in a while interesting things happen to walk up the driveway." He smirks, his eyes scanning the girl's body again.

It takes everything in Casey's power to not absolutely lose it on the man for a few reasons. One, looking at her the way he is and two, for calling her a thing. She is not an object. Although she wants to kick this man between his legs, she forces another smile. She glances behind herself for a moment, hoping Kiara is coming back but even looking through the car windows, she has yet to see her friend.

Once the tire is completely filled, the security guard detaches the hose and looks over at Casey, a smile on his face. It takes him a moment to notice Kiara is no longer standing next to her but when he does, he also registers his dog still barking. Without saying anything, he collects his things and starts to walk past her. She follows him around the SUV, hoping whatever Kiara is doing will keep him from leaving, but when the two find her kneeling by the other tire, she knows it didn't work. "What are you doing?" He asks, but almost instantly puts it together. He knows they are up to something.

"This one looks a little low too." She tries to convince him as she hides a Bobby pin in her hand but immediately he knows that his dog did find something and these two are trying to hide it. He doesn't even try to question them and darts back to the salvage yard. "Wait. Wait!" Kiara yells, jumping up, but it's no use. The man is long gone with no chance of convincing him otherwise. "Shit. Shit. Shit." She yells and quickly rounds the SUV. The two girls jump into the vehicle and reverse out of the driveway. As soon as they are back on the road, Kiara floors it and sends them barreling down the street, leaving John B, JJ, and Pope to figure it out on their own.

As soon as the two girls are a few blocks away, in the direction of the house, they stop. "I hope they didn't get caught." Casey manages to say through her laughter.

At first, Kiara doesn't say anything back, having trouble finding the words as she also loses it. She knows the boys will be fine, but the close call is really going to put the three on edge. Instead of sitting in the car, she gets out, making Casey grab her shirt from the back seat and get out as well. "Nah, they're good." She replies as she closes the door, turning around when Casey is behind her. The two try to hold in their laughter again but when they lock eyes, it's almost impossible. The plan was a total failure. At least from their side. They did distract the man, but for a total of five minutes. "At least I hope they are."

"Yeah, hopefully. As long as John B and JJ don't split up and Pope can make sure they stay on target." Casey mumbles as she shakes her head, leaning her back against the car. "That guy was so weird. I was getting the heebie-jeebies from him."

"I know." Kiara replies, leaning against the car as well. "He kept looking at you so weirdly. It was honestly extremely uncomfortable."

"Right!" Casey exclaims. "Trust me. Not a good feeling watching a forty year old man eye you up. I legitimately wanted to throw up the entire time. All I'm saying is it did not help with the shit I already have to deal with."

As soon as Casey finally tells her the fear she was feeling, Kiara knows she is trying to make it sound like a joke but deep down it was really uncomfortable. She starts to feel bad when she realizes how much it could be affecting the girl. After everything with Rafe, unwanted attention could send her back down a dark path of constant panic attacks. As she looks back over at Casey, her eyes find the girl's stomach, and she knows it's the perfect segway out of this conversation. "So, what really happened with that?"

"Oh," She starts, completely losing her train of thought about the man and Rafe. She looks down at the now scabbed over wound for a moment before continuing. "After your dad bailed John B and I out yesterday, we were on our way home and the Square Groupers found us. I'm now one hundred percent sure they have actually killed someone because I think they were gonna kill us." She pauses. She doesn't know why, but the way she is saying it so nonchalantly is weird to her. Before, she would panic when she had to think about what had happened to her, but ever since yesterday, when she was seconds away from watching John B get hurt, it's like it all changed. Now, she doesn't care what has happened. It happened, whatever. Why hold fear to it. All she can do now is learn and be more prepared for something else to come. She quickly puts her shirt on to cover the wound as she continues. "Or at least I'm pretty sure they wanted to kill John B, but Peterkin found us. One of the guys pinned me against a wall and held a knife to my stomach."

"What the fuck?!" Kiara asks loudly. Casey can see the shock on her face and it's not surprising. She knows she is not sugar coating it at all and it definitely comes across a lot worse than it actually is. "Please tell me you did not get fucking stabbed?!"

"Uh, let's just say, this is not just a scratch." She smiles, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder. "We're fine. I'm fine. John B got electrocuted and I got this small little thing, nothing bad. The Square Groupers can't take us."

Kiara immediately shakes her head at Casey being so nonchalant about the whole situation. She got stabbed and John B got electrocuted. The way she is talking is insane because it sounds like it means nothing. Like it is just something that happens to everyone, when in reality, no one ever gets electrocuted, unless they are stupid and stick a fork in an outlet. "Casey, you are literally crazy."

"Yeah, I know." She laughs, but before she can make another joke about what happened, the sound of yelling down the street catches their attention.

As the girls turn to see what is going on, they are met with the Twinkie flying down the road with JJ and John B hanging out of the window. Somehow, John B manages to slam on the brakes and skid to a stop next to the two, without sending him or JJ out the front window. "So, you hot mamas need a ride?" JJ asks the two, but his eyes are locked onto Casey.

"You are so weird." Kiara says as he gets out, shortly followed by Pope and John B.

"Nah. I'm good" Casey teases once JJ is standing in front of her. She folds her arms in front of herself and tries to hold the smile from forming on her face. Anytime all five of the Pogues are together, no matter what they did, or what they have to do, it all disappears. When they are all together, all is well. "I don't like getting picked up by weirdo thieves."

JJ hides the smile forcing its way onto his face, but when he hears John B and Kiara laughing, he loses the battle and it appears. He raises his eyebrows at her but before he can say anything back, she takes a step away. The smile on the girl's face turns from a playful one to an almost devilish smile as an idea pops into her head while John B, Kiara, and Pope hook the Pogue up to the Twinkie. Right now is the perfect time to mess with him, since everyone else is distracted. JJ tilts his head at look on her face, but after a second of staring at each other, Casey lightly pushes him and starts running down the street.

He quickly catches himself from falling and turns to watch her run. Not wanting her to think he has gotten soft, he quickly fixes his hat so that it doesn't fall off and makes a b-line for her. Casey can hear his footsteps behind her and erupts with laughter, picking up her speed as she gets further and further away from the van. "You'll never catch me!" She yells. She quickly stops after running for another block and turns around to catch her breath. She watches as the boy gets closer and closer but right as he is about to grab her, she dodges it and bursts out into a full sprint back to the group. "Told you!"

JJ laughs as he slows down and catches his breath. He waits at the end of the street for a few moments as she runs further away but right as she gets to the van, he fully sprints toward her. As Casey passes the group, who are actually doing something, she can hear John B and Kiara laugh, which makes her laugh even harder. She quickly ducks behind the boat as the group finishes getting it hooked up and waits for JJ to pass.

She hopes the group now getting into the van and SUV is enough of a distraction that JJ won't follow her and she can actually execute the plan brewing in her head. She sits there, calculating the time it should take JJ to run from down the street to the van and pass her. She waits for him to show but he doesn't. She doesn't even hear his footsteps anymore. She can only hear the distant mumbles of John B and Pope in the van. She starts moving toward the other side, thinking she is going to scare him as he follows the boys inside, but as soon as she turns around, JJ is right there and he wraps his arms around her waist, lifting her over his shoulder. "JJ!"

"Got you!" He laughs and starts carrying her toward the van.

"Put me down!" She yells as they get near the door. She tries to shimmy her way out of his hold but he has an iron grip and she can't get out. JJ smiles at Pope as he opens the back door, surprised he is playing along. Normally, he sits out while they go at it, but not today. He wants to be a part of whatever nonsense the two are up to right now. "JJ, come on. I swear to god, if you don't put me down right now." Casey tries to threaten but the smile on her face continues to grow, defeating any sort of intimidation she is hoping to show. After realizing she is not getting out of this, she places her hands on the small of his back and props herself up right as JJ leans into the van. "I am legitimately going to kill you."

He tries to put her down gently but from the angle he has a hold of her, it is almost impossible and he drops her on the floor. Thankfully, she lands on her good side so she doesn't get hurt, but as soon as she turns around, JJ feels like he is going to get hurt. Her eyes are narrow and he can see her planning her revenge. Before she can do anything though, John B turns the van on and JJ takes it as his chance to jump into the back, practically over Casey. "You guys are idiots." Pope mumbles from the seat behind John B.

Casey lighting pushes the boy's shoulder as she gets up and sits on the bench. She may hate running with every fiber of her being but she has to admit, that was fun. As JJ runs his hand through his hair and takes the seat next to her, he stretches his arm around her shoulder, pulling her toward him. Casey's eyes immediately shoot to the rear view mirror, just in case John B is watching, and thankfully he's not. He's too focused on following Kiara to pay attention to them in the back and Pope is in his own world of despair staring at the camera box sitting in the front seat. JJ catches Casey scanning the van and he quickly does as well, coming to the same conclusion as she is. No one is paying attention to them. So, to take advantage of everyone's oblivion, he leans over and whispers in her ear. "Thanks for that. I had..." He hesitates. There is a reason he is thanking her for making him run, which he hates just as much as she does, but he doesn't want to say it. He hates talking about his feelings, but when she glances over at him, he knows she is the only person he truly feels comfortable talking about them to. "I had to use my dad as an excuse to get away from security."

Casey slightly pulls away from the boy as soon as the words come out of his mouth. She knows how much talking about his father affects him when he's surrounded by people he knows would never do anything, so using it as an excuse to a stranger had to be hard. She can see the sadness flowing through his eyes and she hates every second of it. She hates his father more than she has ever hated a person before. Although she is letting her anger toward Luke Maybank grow, she forces a smile, wanting to show him that he is okay right now. That she is never going to hurt him and it is okay to feel the way he does. To prove it even more, she scoots herself closer to him so their entire sides are touching. JJ scans the car one more time, making sure no one has turned their focus on them, and when he is certain no one cares what they say or do, he leans over and kisses her on the side of the head. "You don't know how bad I wanna kiss you right now." He whispers.

Casey's cheeks immediately flush red and a smirk appears on her face. She knows they can't do anything too serious right now, but since John B and Pope are oblivious to them, she knows they can get away with little things. She quickly looks back at her brother before leaning up and kissing JJ's cheek, slightly overlapping his lips. JJ's smile grows even more as she shifts and leans her head on his shoulder. He loves that even though they are in a small space with Pope, and more specifically her brother, who absolutely hates anything happening between them, she is still willing to risk a fight to help him feel better.

The sun begins to set as the Pogues pull up the Wreck, John B and Pope still oblivious to the two in the back. "Stealing drones makes you hungry?" Kiara jokes as she opens the back door, letting JJ, Pope, and Casey out.

"What I'd do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now?" JJ jokes as he takes his arm from around Casey. As if their sweet little moment never happened, he is the first one to get up and jump out. He may be head over heels for the girl, but nothing gets in between him and a plate of hot food.

"It would not be pretty." Pope quickly adds to JJ's outlandish comment.

Casey rolls her eyes at the two as she gets out. She knows the Wreck has good food, but she wouldn't fantasize about it, that's for sure. JJ, John B, and Pope fantasizing over food is like a dog begging for a treat. It's nonstop and tends to get annoying after a few minutes. "You guys are so fucking weird, I swear to god." She teases, looking between the two as John B finally rounds the van. "I feel like if you would have to choose between a girlfriend and food, you'd choose food in a heartbeat."

"Hey, you are probably right." Pope smiles and puts his arm over her shoulder. "But you can't lie, you love us." Casey rolls her eyes at him once again and lets him pull her toward the restaurant before an overwhelming feeling of doing the wrong thing floods over her. The Pogues are her family, so Pope swinging his arm around her means nothing, but her mind is telling her something different.

As the two walk toward the building, Casey turns her head and finds John B, JJ, and Kiara walking behind them. Her eyes immediately lock onto JJ's, and instead of a normal teenage boy looking pissed that someone else has their arm around the girl he is crushing on, he smiles at her. She smiles back, but gently grabs Pope's arm and takes it off of herself. She doesn't care if Pope is all touchy and friendly, she has always loved it, but right now, she wants it from JJ and only JJ. So, to get what she wants, she stops walking and waits until the three are next to her and as they pass, she grabs onto the boy's shoulders and jumps on his back. JJ stumbles for a moment, not ready for the unexpected backpack, but he easily catches her and hoists her up.

Since Casey decided she wants to be a monkey and not tell him, the two are left alone outside, while the rest of the Pogues head inside. They stand in the middle of the dark parking lot for a few moments, both enjoying the alone time together. As soon as JJ turns his head to look at her, Casey leans in and kisses him. If they are going to be left alone, she is going to take advantage of it, even though she is still dealing with her doubt. Of course, JJ reciprocates the kiss but after a few seconds, his carving for food kicks in again. He breaks away from her, with a smile on his face, and hoists her up again, making her laugh as they head for the door.

He manages to climb the steps of the Wreck, without dropping her, and easily catches up with the Pogues as John B and Pope make their way toward the back of the restaurant, while Kiara stops by her father behind the bar. John B immediately hates JJ and Casey acting how they are, but his negative thoughts are quickly interrupted when his eyes find the table closest to them filled with delicious looking food. As he looks around at his friends, all seeing the same thing he is, his eyes find Kiara and her father. The four are too far away to hear what they are saying, but he knows the man does not seem happy right now.

As if John B silently tells the rest of the Pogues to look over at Mike, Pope, JJ, and Casey's heads turn toward the Carreras and they all notice the same thing. The three boys wave, but Casey smiles at him, hoping to make their chances of getting free food even better. The man sees the four trying to pursue him but he doesn't smile or wave back at them. Instead, he whispers something to his daughter resulting in her pulling him in a hug. The four watch in anticipation and after the two break apart, Kiara heads in their direction. Once she is close enough that she doesn't have to yell, the smile from her father's decision drops and she motions to the large table in front of them. "Sit down."

Immediately, John B, JJ, and Pope cheer in excitement and Casey jumps down. They knew, no matter how irritating they can be, Kiara's father always seems to have a soft side for them. If it's because Kiara has mastered the art of persuasion, or if it's because the man secretly likes them. Either way, they are not going to complain. They are getting food and that was the mission. First the camera, now the food. They are on a roll.

Once the four sit down, and spread out little, practically taking up an entire eight person table for themselves, Kiara starts bringing out food. The boys practically inhale everything, while Casey eats like a normal human being and Kiara grabs a quick bite before going back to get something to drink. When she finally joins the group, with a pitcher in hand, Casey can't help but laugh when she pushes JJ's feet off of the table. The boy mumbles something of a 'fuck off' but of course it is ignore. Since the two are now perfectly distracted, and Casey is still on a high from the day, she takes the opportunity of no one paying attention to her to grab a few fries and throw them across the table at JJ.

As soon as the fries hit JJ and fall to the table and floor, Kiara's head shoots up and her eyes lock onto the girl. The last time the Pogues had a food fight at the Wreck she was left to clean it up. And it was no small food fight with a few fries laying here and there. No, it was crab legs on shelfs, drinks knocked over, clam chowder spilled under tables. An absolute disaster and she had to take the blame.

Casey smiles at Kiara, knowing she probably shouldn't instigate anything, but similar to when she started messing with JJ, the smile turns into a devious one and she grabs another handful of fries and chucks them at her. The boys instantly freeze as Kiara dodges the fries. They know not to mess with Kiara when it comes to the Wreck. Her parents' business is off limits, so Casey and Kiara going at it makes them both nervous and excited. Almost like a main event in wrestling. It can go one of two ways. Kiara can be cool and let it slide, or she's going to go off and there is going to be an argument turned food fight on their hands.

As the three countdown the seconds in their head, all waiting for something to inevitably happen, Kiara slowly reaches down and grabs the fries off the floor. She looks at them for a moment before chucking them as hard as she can across the restaurant at Casey, a smile on her face. JJ, John B, and Pope all take a sigh of relief knowing they won't have to break up a Casey/Kiara fight and watch as the two throw the fries back and forth.

Casey laughs as she grabs the only fry making it through the endless food fight off of the table but instead of throwing it back to Kiara, she turns her focus onto her brother and chucks it at him. Surprisingly, the boy effortlessly catches it, and now that the fight is involving him as well, he throws it back across the table at JJ, making it an all around Pogue food fight. Instead of being a normal human being and catching it or letting it fall, JJ decides he wants to be cool and catch it with his mouth and eat it. "Oh my god!" Casey and Kiara yell at the same time. "You are disgusting. That was on the floor, like, four times!"

"Eh," He mumbles and grabs another handful of fries, throwing it at Casey. "still tasted good."

"You little..." She starts to say but stops herself when the soft ambient music filling the air becomes louder. She looks around the restaurant for a moment before her eyes find Kiara behind the bar, messing with the volume. She smiles, knowing their little party is now about to be a restaurant wide party. She glances around the room, noticing the empty plates of the last non Pogue customers in the restaurant and knows they will be leaving soon. So, to keep the party going, she quickly makes her way around the bar and grabs Kiara's hand, pulling her into the open space. Kiara smiles as they both begin to dance and any worry of the inevitable lecture she is going to get when she gets home is instantly gone. This, right here, makes everything better. Hanging out with her friends, after hours, is the best part of her day.

The two continue to laugh and dance for a few songs, both feeling the eyes of the boys on them but they can care less what the three are doing. Right now, all they care about is each other, spending quality time together. But, after the fourth energetic song, Kiara breaks away from Casey and points right at John B. The two exchange a silent conversation and after a few seconds, the boy gets up and makes his way to her. As soon as he is near them, he grabs Kiara's hand and spins her around, inevitably pulling her away from Casey.

As Kiara and John B create some distance between themselves and Casey, the girl stops, realizing she is dancing by herself. She watches them dance for a few moments, a small smile appearing on her face, but then her eyes land on JJ, who is still stuffing his face with fries, not interested in what is happening behind him in even the slightest bit. Casey stares at him for a moment, contemplating what she should do before she makes her way over to him. Instead of joining him at the table, she leans down and gently wraps her arms around his shoulders. JJ flinches at the touch, but relaxes when he recognizes the bracelets in front of his face. "Come dance with me." She whispers in his ear, sending goosebumps down his back.

JJ doesn't look back at her but tilts his head, really thinking about what is happening to him. Girls have made moves like this on him before, but this is different. No one has ever made goosebumps travel down his body like this. They have never made him react subconsciously to their voice. He takes a second to collect himself before turning his head, finally looking her in the eyes. He sees the anticipation growing within her as she bites down on her lip and not wanting to waste the moment, he takes a quick drink and slowly pushes his chair out, making Casey stand up and step back.

As soon as he is standing, a smile appears on his face. The girl in front of him is one of a kind. One minute she is shy and not sure what to say or do, and the next, she is taking action, pulling him in whatever direction she wants. And right now, it's dancing, which he does not do, unless it involves grinding, then he's all for it. Casey sees that she has him wrapped around her finger and steps back, making him walk out into the open. The smile continues to grow on his face as he reluctantly follows. He would never do this for anyone else, but it's Casey, so here he is. Once he is close enough, the girl holds her hand out, which he quickly grabs. He pulls her closer to himself and places his hand on her hip, making her sway. The two are nowhere near being on beat with the music, but they don't care.

After a few minutes of dancing, pretty much ignoring every bad thing that has happened to them, the music changes from party music to a slow song. Casey starts to wrap her arms around his neck, forgetting where they are and who they are with, but stops pulling him closer when her brother appears behind him. John B taps JJ's shoulder, not aggressively, but hard enough to tell the boy he is not happy. JJ quickly takes his hands off of Casey and finally comes back to reality, realizing they are still in a room filled with their friends. He doesn't have to turn around to know who is behind him, but he reluctantly does and freezes when he sees the anger building in John B. "Can I have a dance with my sister?" John B asks quietly. JJ doesn't say anything and lets out a sigh, knowing they just got caught. He reluctantly holds his arm out, as if he is showing off a price, and walks away from the two. Once JJ makes his way to the bar where Pope is standing, out of ear shot, Casey turns to her brother and rests her hands on his shoulders, slowly moving to the music. John B raises his eyebrows at her, silently asking what they were doing, but she ignores it like usual and looks past him, avoiding eye contact. "What's going on between you two?"

"Nothing." She quickly replies. She does not want to have this conversation right now. Not when JJ is standing feet away from them. If John B is to question her, she needs to be alone. She does not need JJ to be looking at them, giving John B silent hints at what is actually going on.

"Nothing?" John B repeats. He turns his head to look over at the two standing at the bar making Casey look as well. As soon as the two lock onto Pope and JJ, JJ quickly looks away, making it extremely obvious he was just watching them. "Sure looks like nothing."

"John B, chill." Casey spits out.

"Andy, I know something is going on between you guys. I'm not blind, alright? I just don't want him to hurt you, okay?" He says quietly, even though there is no way JJ can hear them. He doesn't want his best friend to hear him talking shit about him or whatever is going on between him and Casey. He doesn't care how or what JJ does with girls. He has never cared, but now that it involves his sister, he has to care. He is not about to have him break his sister's heart, not if he can help it. "You know how he is. A one night stand and that's it. That's all he's ever done and I don't want you to be just another one of his hooks up. If he does that with you, it's gonna make being friends with him extremely hard."

"John B, stop." Casey says, rolling her eyes. She looks between her brother and JJ for a moment, contemplating what to say. The easiest thing to do would be to come clean. Tell John B about the morning, and her feelings, but she doesn't know if JJ wants him to know. Hell, she still doesn't know what it is. "Nothing is happening between JJ and I. I promise. I know how he is, okay? I'm also not blind. I can see it clear as day, but he's my best friend, that's it." She keeps herself from showing any heartbreak trying to force its way out as the words leave her mouth. She knows that's a damn lie. Whatever she and JJ are, is more than just being best friends now. They are more than just a small crush. They have now acted on the feelings and it is more confusing than ever. She can still see the disbelief in John B's eyes but she doesn't know what else to say to get him off of her back. "Seriously. Nothing is happening. We are just close."

"Mhm, sure." John B sarcastically smiles and grabs her hand off of his shoulder, spinning her around. Every bone in her body is telling her not to give it to the spin, knowing it is John B's way of showing that he knows what's best, but she doesn't know how to pull away without bringing attention to them. She hates the conversation going on right now, but she doesn't want the rest of the Pogues to get involved. When she turns to face him, hoping to be done with the interrogation, her face drops as he continues. "Remember the rule. No Pogue-on-Pogue making."

Casey, being completely done with her brother, pulls out of his hold. She folds her arms in front of herself and locks eyes with him. She is so sick of him babying her and having a double standard. She is not the only Pogue to break that rule. Hell, she isn't the first Pogue to break the rule and he has the audacity to throw that in her face. "Yeah, you should probably remind yourself of that, fucker. Remember Kie?"

John B's face drops as soon as the words leave her mouth. He told her not to say anything. Yes, he told JJ and Pope about it right before they stole the drone, but he purposely did it when she wasn't around for this specific reason. If he is trying to call her out on something going on between her and JJ, he can't have her using that as leverage. He runs his hands through his hair, feeling himself getting angry with her. He knows he made a mistake kissing Kiara but they sorted it out. They talked about it and he told the rest of the Pogues, so it's not a secret. But, whatever is happening between her and JJ is a secret. They are keeping it close to their chests and that is what is pissing him off the most. They are not being honest with the group, which is another rule they are breaking. No secrets amongst Pogues.

Despite wanting to get into an argument with her, John B doesn't say anything and nods his head as he walks away, sitting down next to Kiara. Casey rolls her eyes once he is sitting and makes her way to JJ and Pope. "What was that?" JJ tries to ask but she doesn't answer. Instead, she leans her arms on the bar and stares daggers into her brother's back, hoping it will cause him any sort of physical pain. Obviously not enough to actually hurt him, but enough to piss him off. JJ notices the anger on her face, as well as it radiating off of her body, as she tries to master mental warfare. Whatever John B just said to her is making her fume. "Case?" He asks, slightly nudging him with his hip. He makes sure to keep his voice calm and gentle, just in case whatever anger she is feeling toward her brother turns on him. He does not want to be on the receiving end of whatever is going on between the siblings.

Casey lets out a deep sigh as she closes her eyes for a moment. She knows she can't be mad at John B for wanting to know what is going on between his sister and best friends, but she can't help it. He treats her like a child and she is getting sick of it. For once she just wants to be able to do something with a guy and not be questioned about it every day. Hell, multiples times a day. As she manages to control her anger, at least a little bit, she opens her eyes and looks away from John B to JJ. As soon as she locks eyes with him, a stupid smile forms on his face. She knows he is doing it on purpose so she lets go of the anger and of course, that stupid smile works and the frustration toward John B starts to dissipate. "Nothing." She whispers, leaning closer to him. She rests her head on his shoulder as she returns to staring at her brother, this time not wishing him pain. "He's just being an ass like normal."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Casey sighs. She wants to talk about it. She wants to tell him the doubts running through her mind, but she doesn't want to hurt his feelings, or make him want to stop. She doesn't want to tell him because she doesn't want him to see John B differently. She knows her brother loves JJ like family, but sometimes he goes a little overboard and says things that don't need to be said. She hates that what John B said could possibly be right, but it doesn't mean it is nice or necessary to tell him. The longer she can keep it quiet, the easier it will be to continue what they have. "No." She whispers as she grabs his drink, downing the rest of it. JJ watches her for a minute, studying the pissed expression on her face. It's nothing new that she takes his drinks and finishes them, but when she does it, she usually wants to talk about what is bothering her, and right now, it is obvious talking is the last thing she wants to do.

Once the music starts to die down, so do the Pogues. After the day it has been, it is no surprise that they are getting tired. Pope and John B get themselves comfortable by the table, both slowly digging away at the fries still sitting in front of them, and Casey and JJ stay at the bar. Right now, the girl wants to be as far away from her brother as humanly possible, which means so is JJ. Eventually, Kiara comes out from the kitchen. "My dad's locking up ya'll." She tells them and stops next to the two at the bar. "He said it's time to head out."

Casey nods her head and immediately stands up, making her way outside. She leans against the van for a few minutes, waiting for her friends to come out and thankfully, JJ, Pope, and John B don't take too long. The three make their way down the steps and Casey quickly figures out that Kiara is not coming with them. She is most likely staying at the Wreck with her parents and heading home after. As soon as the boys get to the van, Casey jumps inside and climbs over the back seat again, deliberately sitting in the trunk. The three watch her keep as much distance between herself and John B as possible, but they don't say anything. Instead, JJ jumps in the front seat and Pope gets in the back, sitting behind John B once again.

As the four drive in excruciating silence, JJ looks back at the girl as she lays down. He knows whatever she and John B talked about is really pissing her off and all he wants to do is ask her about it, but he knows she is not going to tell him anything with everyone around. He especially knows she is fuming because as they pull up to Pope's house to drop him off, she doesn't get up. She doesn't say goodbye. She stays laying in the back of the van, hidden away from everyone and everything.

After Pope is dropped off, it doesn't take the remaining Pogues long to get back to the Château. As soon as they park, John B makes a b-line inside, also making sure to keep his distance from his sister. As JJ and Casey finally get into the house, the sound of a door slamming rattles the walls, telling them John B is in his room. Once he confirms that John B's door is closed, JJ turns to Casey. "Are you sure you're okay? You didn't say a single word on the way back. Hell, you didn't even say goodbye to Pope."

"Yeah." She mumbles, forcing a smile. She leans against the kitchen counter and runs her hands through her hair. She hates that John B can be an ass, but he always has a point. No matter how he says it, John B doesn't say something rude without there being a reason. It still doesn't change the fact that it is rude, but she hates that the reason is so connected to what she is already thinking. "He's just annoying the shit out of me."

"What did he say?" JJ asks, slowly making his way to her. He stops himself from getting too close. One, because he doesn't know for certain if John B is going to sleep or if he is standing right by the door listening to them, and two, because he knows Casey. He knows when she is in her own mind, she needs space. But, he also knows that recently he has been able to help her through it when he has been physical with her. When he shows her that he is right there for her, it seems to clear her head. He can easily see that she is hating herself for overthinking, so to hopefully change the mood, he does the most typical JJ thing he can think of. Playfully threaten John B. "Cuz if it's that bad, I'll beat him up for you."

Casey can't help but smile at the boy's stupid joke. Of course that is the thing that gets her to finally let go of her anger. She lets out a deep sigh and slowly locks eyes with him. "He just thinks something is going on between us." She whispers, careful to not let her brother hear. She looks over at the door, expecting it to open now that she has started talking about her and JJ, but it doesn't.

After a few seconds of staring at his door, she looks back at JJ, who hasn't taken his eyes off of her. "Well," He says, stepping closer. He gently places his hand on her hip and pulls her closer to him. "He's not wrong." Casey smiles, but the little voice in the back of her head keeps getting louder, replaying the things John B said. One night stand and that's it. You know how he is. Her smile drops as it continues to repeat but this time JJ sees it. He sees the doubt growing in her eyes. John B said something and it is really messing with her head and he will find out what it is. He lets her think for a moment, giving her the chance to tell him what is bothering her, but she doesn't. She continues to stand there in silence, letting the demons in her mind take over. So, instead of letting them win, JJ moves his hand from her hip and slowly tucks some hair behind her ear, bringing her back to reality. "Hey."

"Hi." She whispers. She keeps her head down, avoiding eye contact with him as she speaks. She doesn't want to look him in the eyes right now because she doesn't want to feel the hurt of what she is thinking, possibly being true. She knows she doesn't want it to be true and she wants to believe that he is doing what he is doing because he truly has feelings for her, but it would stupid for her to not question it. That is who he is. Everything John B said is right, but she wants to believe that for once, he's wrong. That JJ is not a fuck boy, looking to get laid. That he is not using her. But what she wants, and what is reality are two different things and she's scared reality is truly what is happening.

"Case, what did he say?" He asks softly. He doesn't want to push her right now, but he wants to know what is bothering her. The girl hesitates again. She wants to tell him, but she's not sure how to without hurting his feelings. At her hesitation, JJ feels the urge to know what is going on continue to grow. He needs to know what John B said to her because it is starting to become clear it involves him. So, to finally get it out of her, he lightly places his hand on her cheek and gently tilts her head up to look at him. "What did he say?"

"He said that you only do one night stands and that's it. And that he doesn't want me to be just another one of your hookups." She says softly, looking him in the eyes. She can immediately see the heartbreak in him start to grow and it breaks her heart. She doesn't want to say what she is thinking but she needs to get it off of her chest and right now is the time to do it. "And I don't know. I have this fear that you just wanted to see if I was down, just in case one of your one night stands back out, like I was a plan B." She continues, her voice low. She says it quietly not because she is scared John B will hear, but because she doesn't want JJ to hear. She doesn't want him to know that she is doubting them, but she needs to tell him her fear. She wants to be open about how she is feeling toward him.

At first, JJ doesn't say anything. He was not prepared for those words to come out of her mouth. He knows that is how he has been. Hell, that's how it has always been, but hearing it, especially from his best friend, is hard. Casey is a person he has always seen as different. He has never thought about using her like that. It has always been, 'if there is a chance, I'm never letting go.'. But since she is already doubting it, he knows he needs to talk about it. He needs to clear the air and tell her how he is feeling. "Oh." He finally says, taking his hand off her face. He has always loved that Casey will say exactly what's on her mind, but right now, it does not feel good. "Do you really think that's what this is?"

Casey sighs. She doesn't want it to believe it but she also doesn't know what they are. They have yet to talk about the morning, or her kissing him in the parking lot. And if she is being honest with herself, she's not sure what is more confusing, the last few days with the small hints or today. But, if she has to choose, today is more confusing. She wouldn't say it was a bad day at all, or that JJ is playing with her, but from Kiara and now John B, the attention on them is more than she can handle without knowing what they truly are. "No, I don't think so." She hesitates, placing her hands on his chest. She starts messing with his shirt, trying to find the right words. "I don't want to believe it but I don't really know what this is."

JJ slightly nods his hand as he looks down at the girl's hands. She has a point. Whatever they are, is confusing at best. They have been flirting with each other for days and then all of a sudden they make out without saying anything after, leaving them both to wonder what is going on. But, he'd be lying if he said he is thinking the same way. He doesn't care if they have a label or if they do it for fun. All he cares about is her. But since she is worried about it, he wants to show her that he cares about what she thinks. That he understands her confusion. He gently rests his hand on top of her's, stopping her from fidgeting with his shirt. "I don't know what this is either, okay?" He whispers, making her lock eyes with him. "But what I do know is, I don't want this to be just a hookup. And you're definitely not a plan B."

Casey doesn't say anything. She doesn't change the expression on her face for a few moments. She just lets what he said sink in. She is not a plan B. She is not just another one of his hookups. He wants her. What they are is still unknown to her but it doesn't matter. She needed that reassurance and the fact that he gave it to her means the world. A smile finally appears on her face as she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you, Jay." A small part of her still feels like there might be some doubt, but she pushes it down, so far that it starts to disappear. Somehow, JJ feels the shift in her and he smiles, quickly wrapping his arms around her. He pulls her as close to him as humanly possible and tightens the hug. After a second, Casey's happiness turns from his reassurance to excitement since they have talked about what they are. They have agreed, without saying the words, that whatever is going on, they both want. They both want to continue, so to play into it, she pulls back to look him in the eyes.

The two stare at each other for a moment before Casey leans in, instigating what they already know is going to be an intense make out. JJ smiles into the kiss as he lets her go and places his hands on her face, keeping her from backing away. The two make out for as long as they can until they need a breath. But, as they allow themselves to get oxygen, JJ's hands travel down her body and grab right under her butt. Similar to hours before, Casey jumps and the boy effortlessly catches her, but this time, he didn't hold onto her. Instead, he places her on the counter and moves her legs apart so he can stand as close to her as humanly possible.

A small moan escapes Casey's mouth as JJ's cold hands slide up her shirt and begging playing with the bathing suit she is wearing. He's not untying it, he is simply pulling at it, messing with her as his other hand continues up and down her back. He breaks the kiss after a few seconds to simply look at her. Usually, he would want to escalate this even more, but right now, for a few moments, he just wants to look at her and the feeling of contentment floods over him as he does. Casey's face is completely red from the noise she made, making her quietly laugh and JJ loves every second of it. He loves that he is now seeing a side of her that he hasn't seen before. A side that he's not sure anyone has ever seen. Casey has never talked about her relationships, and even in middle school, she would get really defensive when asked and secretly talk to boys because of him and John B. So, he has no idea what her experience is but he doesn't care. He loves that he doesn't know. He could care less right now if she has slept with a million people or none, because from the look on her face, she only wants him.

JJ's face starts to get red as he stares at her. He can't help himself from showing how much he is enjoying this. Every second he spends with Casey makes him forget about what happens in his life. To hide the obvious fact that he is currently losing his control over his emotions, he moves his hands down her back and grabs her thigh, picking her up. Casey adjusts herself, making sure he is not about to drop her and as she does, he turns, walking to what she can only hope is the bedroom. As they make their way through the house, somehow as quietly as humanly possible, Casey resumes the kiss. Luckily for the two of them, JJ has been over to their house more times than anyone can count, so he knows the exact path to take from the kitchen to bedroom, without running into anything.

JJ stops walking when he feels Casey straighten slightly, telling him her back is against the bedroom door. Without breaking the kiss, he grabs the handle and opens it. Forgetting that they need to be quiet, he lets go as soon as it unlatches from the doorframe and the handle jiggles loudly. Immediately, Casey's head flies back and her eyes lock onto her brother's door, less than five feet away from them. After a few seconds of being glued to John B's closed door, Casey lets out a sigh of relief. She closes her eyes for a brief moment, letting the anxiety of her brother walking out leave her body. But when she turns back to JJ, the boy immediately starts laughing.

She quickly places her hand over his mouth before any sound can travel through the hallway, thankfully getting him to be quiet. If John B questions why they were being so loud in the morning, she can easily blame it on herself for the door, but if JJ starts laughing right now, she knows he will put two and two together, even more than he already has. He will know they were up to something and she does not want to deal with that. JJ shakes his head after a few moments, silently telling her he is not going to make a noise, and reluctantly she moves her hand away from his mouth as he finally walks her into the bedroom.

Inside, JJ uses Casey's body to close the door, this time as quietly as he possibly can. Once it latches closed, he leans her against it and tries to resume what they started, but she pulls away, not letting him. "JJ, we have to be a hell of a lot quieter than that." She whispers. "If John B would have heard you..."

Before she finishes the sentence, JJ smirks and lets her go. He places one of his hands on her hip, lightly pushing her into the door, and rests his forearm next to her head, leaning close to her face. His eyes bounce between her as the words seem to disappear from her train of thought. Once he realizes he has her flustered, he leans in even closer, their lips centimeters away from each other. "We haven't even done anything yet, Sunflower."

Immediately, Casey's entire body is covered in goosebumps. This is not the first time today she has thought about doing more with JJ, but with Kiara it was different. It was a hypothetical and now, staring into his eyes, she can see how easy it would be to take it a step further. She bites her bottom lip out of nervousness and leans her head back against the door, creating some space between their mouths. It's not much but it's enough for her to get grounded again. She doesn't mind being head over heels for him, but when they are alone, she knows she needs to keep her composure at least a little bit. Before she can think of something to say, JJ moves his arm from the door and places his hand on the side of her face, pulling her toward him.

Casey smiles for a split second before her lips connect with his again. Similar to before, she feels his tongue tempting her lips again and without hesitating, she opens her mouth, giving him access to deepen the kiss. Knowing JJ has a sort of 'control' of the situation right now, Casey places her hands on his sides and grabs fists full of his shirts, pulling him closer until his body is completely pressed against hers. She cringes for a moment when the door moves and makes a noise, but as soon as the thought of John B hearing enters her mind, it leaves. She couldn't be bothered right now to worry about anything other than JJ. Right now, the only thing on her mind is the boy standing in front of her.

After a few, intense, minutes, Casey lets go and her hands travel further down his sides until they stop at the hem of his shirt. As she slides her cold hands under the fabric, JJ pulls back a little. At first, Casey thinks it's to stop but she can see the question in his eyes and she realizes what moving her hands from on top of his shirt to under means. A smile starts to appear on her face as she nods her head and lightly pulls on the fabric, silently telling him to take it off. He doesn't ask again and steps back, not far enough to break the heat radiating off of themselves, but just enough to take his shirt off.

Immediately, Casey's eyes begin to scan his torso, taking in every small scar, bruise, freckle, and muscle. She knows what the scars and bruises are from, but she doesn't let that cloud her mind. She has seen him shirtless millions of times, but like the boat, it's like she is seeing him for the first time. JJ doesn't move for a few seconds, stuck in time as the girl's eyes travel up and down his body. Something about Casey, the girl has liked for years, finally seeing him this way has a weird hold on him. A hold no other girl has had before.

Casey smiles when her eyes lock onto his face, and sees his cheeks are now completely red. Instead of letting him take control again, she starts to walk forward, gently placing her hand on his chest. She doesn't stop moving until she hears, and feels, JJ's calves hit the bed frame behind them. The smile on Casey's face continues to grow knowing he is letting her do what she wishes and right now, she wants to show him how she plays. She raises her eyebrows at him but before he can do anything, she gently pushes him harder, making him fall back onto the bed. As soon as he is laying down, she climbs onto the bed and straddles him. She leaves enough space for him to sit up and thankfully he reads that is what she is wanting. Once he is sitting upright, he places his hands on her butt and pulls her closer. "You are something else, Sunflower."

"Oh, really?" She asks as she starts running her hands through his hair.

"Yeah." JJ says. Casey waits for him to continue. To tell her how she is something else, but he doesn't. He just sits there, his eyes bouncing between hers. She raises her brows at him once again but this time grabs some on his hair, gently pulling back, making him grunt. He immediately knows she wants him to continue, so he grabs her butt tighter, holding her even closer to himself. "I am usually the one calling the shots. Not the other way around."

"Well," She starts, playing into her need to show him how she feels. She shifts on top of him before continuing, purposely teasing him. From the groan that escapes his mouth, telling her it worked, she lets go of his hair and grabs the bottom of her shirt, pulling it over her head to reveal the red bikini. "right now you're not."

JJ's face continues to grow red as he watches her claim the more dominant role. He never thought she would be like this, let alone be good enough that he is feeling urges from it. He knows what to do. He knows how to please a girl, but right now, he wants to see where this is going. But, even though he is taking the more submissive position, he can't help himself from running his hands up and down her bare back. She may be in control right now, but he needs to feel her. At his touch, Casey leans forward and starts kissing the boy on the neck, lightly sucking. A small noise comes out of his mouth as she moves down his skin to his shoulder, tracing up and down from his shoulder to right under his ear.

After a few minutes, JJ can't handle her only kissing his shoulder and grabs her chin roughly, pulling her face to his. The action instantly catches Casey off guard and her eyes go wide once her face is less than an inch away from his. JJ sees the fear immediately seep out of her and lets go of her face as fast as he grabs it. "I'm sorry." He whispers, his voice soft and gentle. "That's too rough. I'm so sorry."

A smile starts to appear on Casey's face as the fear dissipates. At first, she pictured Rafe grabbing her face but as soon as she locked eyes with JJ and heard his voice, it was gone. She is strong enough to decipher the difference between the trauma she is dealing with and the people in her life. She knows JJ will never do what Rafe did to her. Instead of explaining how she is feeling, she lets it go and leans in, finally kissing him on the lips. She stays there a few seconds before pulling away, just enough to speak. "No." She mumbles before going back to kissing him for another second and then stopping again, purposely confusing him. "I like rough JJ."

As soon as those simple four words leave her mouth, every concern, fear, and hesitation in him leaves and he tightens his hold on her butt again. Before she can continue her game of pulling away, JJ stands up and turns, throwing her onto the bed. A noise, similar to a squeak, leaves Casey's mouth as her back hits the bed. At first, JJ doesn't move. He stays standing at the end of the bed watching Casey lay there. The desire to continue pouring out of her eyes. To tease her, like she has been doing to him, he slowly lowers himself onto the bed, practically crawling up her body. When he gets up to the top of the bed, their faces next to each other, he gently, but assertively grabs her wrists and holds them above her head.

Casey fills with excitement as the change in his eyes start to become visible. Before, he was living in the moment, letting her do as she wishes, but now, there's a switch. It is his turn to show her what he wants. And now that she has confirmed she is okay with being rougher, he knows he can really show her. He hovers over her for a few moments, before slowly leaning forward, pressing her arms into the bed. It is definitely a small work out, keeping himself above her since he is putting his body weight above her head, but he is strong enough to not show it and quickly resumes the kiss, immediately getting access to Casey's mouth.

After a few minutes, JJ breaks the kiss to move his head to the side of her neck. Casey moans as he moves up and down her neck, sending shivers running through her entire  body. She has never let a boy have this control over her. But, she can't necessarily stop him right now. Hell, even if she had the ability to stop him, she wouldn't. This is what she wants, so she leans her head to the side, giving JJ full access to her neck. The boy makes his way up and down her neck, careful to not leave bruises, already knowing John B will kill him if he finds out what they were doing.

After a while, JJ lets go of Casey's wrists and gently places his hands on her hips, lightly tugging at her shorts. Casey breathes in as soon as the fabric leaves her skin. He's not taking the shorts off, but hinting at it. The girl thinks about it for a second, contemplating if she really wants to take it to the next step but instead of overthinking it like she usually does, she moves her hands down her body and unbuttons her shorts.

Like the experienced, 'professional' that he is, JJ doesn't stop kissing her neck as he pulls them off and throws them in the corner of the room, leaving Casey in her bathing suit underneath him. "Hey, Jay?" She whispers, running her hands through his hair.

"Mhm?" He mumbles into her neck, making her giggle from the vibration tickling her.

"Maybe we should, uh." She tries to say, but stutters from the satisfying noises escaping her mouth. She likes where this is headed. She wants to go there with him, but she also knows that they have the drone. And as soon as the sun comes up, John B is going to want to test it out, meaning he will be banging on the door at the crack of dawn.

As soon as JJ hears the hesitation in her voice, he stops and locks eyes with her. The girl can see the worried look on his face, telling her he thinks he is pushing her too far. So, to show him there is nothing wrong, she places her hand on the side of his face, gently running her thumb across his cheek. "Maybe we should slow it down a little, at least for tonight. We have to be up at the crack of dawn to test the drone. Don't get me wrong, I want to, I really do, but it's already probably 2 or 3 and if I have to deal with my stupid ass brother tomorrow, I need to get some sleep."

When she tells him she wants to continue, but knows it's probably not a smart idea, a smile appears on JJ's face. He slowly nods his head, actually agreeing with her and leans down to kiss one more time. Casey runs her hands through his hair as he holds himself above her and after a few seconds, the boy pulls away, this time getting up.

At first, Casey doesn't move. She lays there and stares at the ceiling. When she told JJ her doubts and fear about what is going on between them, she did not think this is how the night was going to end. But, she doesn't care. The more she tries to prepare herself for what JJ is going to say or do when it involves their 'relationship?' the more confused she gets. So right here, right now, she is deciding whatever happens between them is going to happen. She can't keep second guessing. She likes him and he likes her. That's it. No labels, no hesitation, no nothing. They are simply JJ and Casey.

She doesn't want to stop for the night, but she knows they need to get some sleep. They need to be ready to deal with John B in the morning. So, she reluctantly gets up and makes her way to the closet, pulling out one of the boy's shirts. She slips it on and carefully takes the bikini off underneath it. She turns her head to see where JJ is and to no surprise, he is laying on the other side of the bed, looking at her, a huge smile on her face. "JJ." She whispers, grabbing the shorts off the floor she wore the night before. "Close your eyes." The boy listens, and closes his eyes for less than a second, before they are open again. Casey tilts her head, silently telling him to actually keep his eyes closed and her attempt at being modest makes him laugh. Although he finds her feeling the need to cover up funny, he finally obeys.

Casey waits a few seconds, waiting for him to open his eyes again, but thankfully he doesn't. She quickly slips off her bikini bottoms and pulls the pajama shorts on, but right as she pulls the bottoms up, JJ opens his eyes. "Did you look?!" She whispers-yells as she throws the bikini into the corner of the room.

"No, I didn't." He laughs and leans forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her onto the bed next to himself. "But, if tonight was going to play out like it think it was going to play out, it doesn't really matter if I look, does it?"

Casey shakes her head at his obvious assumption. She basically told him she wants to have sex, but she still hasn't gotten over the fact that she has to be naked for that to happen. In the moment, she will definitely do it, but now they are no longer consumed by the intense feeling, she can feel the slight fear and anxiety. Seconds ago, she would have been standing butt ass naked infront of him, like she is on display, instead of being in the moment with him. "Shut up." She whispers as she gets herself comfortable, resting her head on his chest.

The two lay in silence for a few minutes. Usually, they are the ones that hate the silence. That small ringing in the ear, screaming that nothing is going on, drives them both crazy. But, something about being in each other's arms, not a care in the world, has completely made them forget about it. But, as the now peaceful ringing continues, logic also starts to ring through Casey's mind. "Jay?"

At his name, the boy turns his focus from the ceiling above him, to Casey. "Yeah?" He asks as he starts combing his hand through her hair, gently detangling the knots from the day.

"I don't think it's smart that you sleep in here." She tells him. She closes her eyes and sighs, knowing she could have worded that better. She props herself up with her arm and looks at him, rephrasing what she just said. "I want you to, but if John B comes in and sees you, he's gonna be pissed. He already thinks something is going on between us. He walks in to see us sleeping together, it won't be good."

"Ah." JJ whispers, now knowing what she is trying to say. He thinks for a moment before carefully moving Casey and getting up. He makes his way to the door, but instead of leaving, he turns the small lock. "Well." He starts as he makes his way back to the bed and gets himself comfortable with her half on top of him again. "Now we have nothing to worry about, right?" Casey playfully rolls her eyes at him in response. He does have a point. If John B can't get into the room, he's not going to know what is going on.

JJ moves some of her hair out of her face and gently grabs her chin, pulling her closer to him. The two kiss for a moment before getting comfortable for the night and once JJ is situated, Casey stretches her arm over his torso and pulls herself closer, wedging her leg between his. JJ waits until she stops fidgeting and after a few seconds of laying still, he rests his arm around her and pulls her closer, his hand running up and down her back. "Goodnight, Sunflower."

"Goodnight, Jay."