"Malou? Malou, wake up.", JJ whispered and uncomfortably shifted.
"Shut up, J.", Malou grumbled and pulled the covers over her face, before she cuddled further into his side.
"Sorry grumpy, but I really have to pee!", JJ said and quickly pushed the girl off his chest, before he jumped up and ran to the bathroom. Malou groaned and hid under the blanket, hoping to find back into the peaceful nap she had just taken. Just, when she was about to drift off again, a voice pulled her back to reality.
"Move over.", JJ said and lifted the blanket, so he could climb back into the bed. Malou shuffled around to make some space for him and breathed out deeply, when JJ wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his chest.
"Why did you wake me, I had the best sleep since forever.", Malou complained as she placed her arm on his so she could play with his bracelets.
"I know, sorry, but I held it for like an hour already, alright? Now stop complaining and just go back to sleep.", JJ explained frustrated and Malou quietly chuckled at him. She really wanted to take that nap, when suddenly, a thought rushed through her head and her eyes shut open.
"You are awake since an hour?! What time is it?!", Malou panicked and turned around in his arm to look at him. JJ shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't know, probably like 5 or something.", he said calmly and wanted to reach out to push some strand of hair out of her face, when Malou suddenly sat up and reached over him to grab her phone.
"Shit! Get up, we have to hurry.", Malou said, when she saw the dozens of texts and missed calls from Kiara.
"What? No, can't we just stay here in this bubble? Like, just for today?", JJ whined and Malou shook her head as she climbed over him to get out of his bed.
"No, we promised Kie to go to the movie with her and Pope. We were supposed to pick them up 20 minutes ago.", Malou reminded the blonde boy and watched how he rubbed his face with a groan.
"I don't even wanna go there. It's a kook event.", JJ complained again and looked at Malou unimpressed. Getting her hair out of the bikini top she had just knotted, she tilted her head and looked at him.
"I know, but we promised her. Come on, now." Picking up his grey shorts, Malou threw it at him, just to hear him groan again. Malou picked her phone up and texted Kiara, that they wouldn't make it in time and told her to meet them at the open-air cinema.
"Well, you busted that bubble really fast.", Malou heard JJ mumble and looked up from her phone. JJ didn't look at her and Malou watched how he put his shirt back on. She walked up to him, but JJ kept his head low as he pretended to be busy putting back on his clothes.
"JJ, come on.", Malou said quietly and waited for him to look up at her.
"Put something on and brush your hair, I'll wait outside.", JJ eventually said without looking at her and brushed past her to leave the room. Closing her eyes, Malou sighed. With a heavy heart, she walked into her room to put on her high waisted shorts and an oversized, blue hoodie. She put her hair into a ponytail and slipped inside her white sneakers, before she grabbed her phone, purse and keys and walked outside. The moment JJ saw her walking down the stairs of the porch, he quickly started the dirt bike he already sat on. Amazing, Malou thought to herself and climbed onto the dirt bike behind him silently. Instead of holding onto him, like she usually would do, Malou steadied herself in placing her hands on the back of the bike. The ride to figure eight was awfully quiet and just when Malou thought, that it couldn't get worse, she was greeted by Kiara. A pissed off Kiara.
"Are you guys serious? We don't see each other in days and then you forget the one thing I asked you for?", Kiara asked right away, after JJ had turned off the motor of his bike. Malou climbed off first and fixed her shorts before she sighed.
"We didn't forget. We were just... late.", she answered and Kiara raised her eyebrows.
"Oh really? What did you do all day, that you were so busy?", she asked and before Malou could say anything, JJ decided to speak up.
"Nothing that's more important than this stupid film.", he mumbled and walked off. Kiara and Pope looked after him, before they turned back to Malou and looked at her with raised eyebrows.
"What's the matter with him?", Kiara asked and Malou shook her head.
"I don't know. He got fired from the club, maybe he's frustrated.", Malou lied and watched how Kiara and Pope exchanged a look, before they followed JJ to the park. Malou stayed in her spot for a little longer. She closed her eyes and sighed once again, not knowing where this night was going. She didn't even know how the day had started, not to mention, that she hadn't even fully processed, what had happened between her and JJ earlier.
Exhaling deeply, Malou eventually followed her friends to the park, where a lot of families, couples and groups of friends had already gathered. She found the pogues in the middle of the park and sat down on the blanket that Kiara had brought. After Kiara had unpacked her basket of snacks, the both girls went to get some drinks for everyone. While Kiara and Malou talked about the Wreck and updated each other on what had happened in the last few days, Pope tried to talk to JJ, who seemed to only complain about everything. Pope eventually gave up and was greatly relieved, when the movie started. While Pope stared at the screen intensely to ignore the tensed atmosphere, Malou glanced over at JJ every few minutes just to let out a shaky breath every time she caught him taking a sip from his flask. Instead of watching the movie, Kiara watched the tragedy going on around to her. JJ sipping on vodka while watching a family movie, Malou who was close to hyperventilate the way she breathed out more than she actually breathed in and Pope who seemed to manifest on just disappearing.
"Alright, that's it, we're leaving!", Kiara eventually whispered and started to pack the basket after the first half of the movie. Confused, the pogues turned their heads to look at her.
"This is awful, I can't stand this atmosphere for another hour! We're going back to the Château and then I want you to tell me what the hell is going on with you.", Kiara explained and the three friends exchanged some looks, before they silently helped her to pack everything together. As they walked back to the parking lot, Malou felt like a little kid that had just ruined a nice family event. In the awkward silence and how Kiara marched to her truck in front of them, Malou knew, that JJ and Pope felt the same. Suddenly, their little family drama got interrupted.
"When will you dirty pogues learn to stay off figure 8?", a voice broke the silence and Malou looked up to see Rafe, Topper and Kelce lean against one of their expensive cars.
"Shut up, Rafe.", Kiara said and was about to brush past him, when she heard him chuckle.
"Just because you live here, doesn't give your dirty friends the right to be here as well. They don't belong here.", Rafe said and Malou felt anger built inside of her.
"You don't belong here either as you belong to rot in fucking prison.", Malou suddenly spoke up and took a step further. Rafe chuckled again and Malou felt her cheeks heat up from anger.
"In prison? What for?", he asked stupidly and shot a funny look to his friends who just scoffed. Expecting an answer from Malou, he turned back to her. Instead, Malou balled her right hand into a fist and punched him right across his face. It had probably hurt her more than him, but she would not admit that.
"Damn. Learnt to stand up for yourself now, since your big brother isn't there to protect you anymore, huh?", Rafe said with a dirty chuckle and managed to provoke Malou even more.
"Fucking bastard.", a voice from behind Malou mumbled and before she knew it, JJ brushed past her and forcefully pushed Rafe back, before he hit him in the face. In just a few seconds, the boys got into a massive fight. Kelce pushed JJ off Rafe, whose face was bleeding already and Topper held Pope back from helping JJ. While Kiara shouted at the boys to stop, Malou just stood there motionless. Kiaras words sounded muffled to inaudible. Here and there, Malou could make out some words of the boys about the death of Sarah and John B. Topper blaming the pogues, Pope blaming Rafe, JJ insulting Rafe and but all in all, Malou just watched how Pope and JJ were beaten up. When JJ was on his knees, Kelce kicked him in his ribs. It took the air out of his lungs and JJ collapsed to the ground. Before he could get up, Rafe was fast to bent over him and press his hand onto his neck. At Kiaras panic scream, Malou was suddenly pulled back into reality. At the sight of Rafe and JJ, something inside Malou suddenly snapped. Her mind went completely blank, expect for one thought. She looked around, until she could make out the backpack in the dark. Malou picked up the backpack and pulled out the gun that Malou knew JJ carried around. Holding it in her right hand with a tight grip, she walked up to Rafe and JJ.
"Let go of him.", Malou said as she pointed the gun at him. Rafe seemed to be unimpressed and pressed down on JJs neck harder.
"Let go of him!", Malou screamed with a shaky voice and pressed the weapon to his temple. In the background, Malou could hear Kiara and Topper shout for her, but she didn't care. Malou saw red.
"Well, that's kind of a déjà vu, isn't it?", Rafe spoke up and slowly loosened his grip around JJs throat.
"Get up.", Malou said again and quickly glanced down to JJ who instantly rolled onto his side and gasped for air, when Rafe let go off him to stand up.
"You're not tough enough for that, princess.", Rafe said and turned around to face her. Still pointing the gun at him, Malou scoffed.
"Oh, that's how you felt, when you shot Sheriff Peterkin? Like a tough guy?", Malou asked and suddenly felt a kind of anger inside her, that she had never felt before. It wasn't the kind of anger, that made your blood boil and your face turn red, the kind that made you feel, like your body is on fire. It was pure darkness. Pure hate.
"I didn't shoot anyone and you won't either, little girl.", Rafe replied and in the background, Malou could hear her friends argue and discuss, trying to calm her down. But right in that moment, it felt, like it was only Rafe and her and that nothing else mattered but her revenge on him and his family.
"What makes you so sure of that?", Malou asked and tilted her head a little as she loaded the gun. At the sound of it, her friends and the kooks suddenly seemed to get some more respect of the situation. Their angry voices turned down a little as they tried to talk her out of it.
"You will rot in prison for that, while I'm still going to walk around this island freely.", Rafe said, quietly enough, so only Malou could hear it.
"And you think I care? I would rather die, than see you and your father walk around this island, acting, like you're the victims. You killed Sheriff Peterkin. Your father killed my dad and tried to kill my brother. I don't have anything else to lose. The only thing that keeps me here is knowing that someday, I will get my revenge on you. And if I have to kill you on my own for that, then I will gladly do that. You took everything I had. You should fear me more than you fear anyone else.", Malou said darkly and stared at him with hateful eyes.
"Shit, let's go now, Cameron. And you guys get Wednesday Adams out of here.", Kelce eventually said and pulled Rafe back by his shirt, before he pointed at Malou. Rafe glanced back at Malou one last time, before he disappeared into the dark with Topper and Kelce.
"I can't fucking believe you. I'm going to throw that thing into the ocean.", Kiara ranted as she paced around the parking lot.
"I should have killed him.", Malou suddenly mumbled with her grip around the gun still tight as she stared into the darkness. Kiara stopped pacing around and looked at her, before she exchanged some looks with JJ and Pope.
"No, definitely not.", Kiara said angrily and Pope quickly tried to calm her down.
"Why not? They will never get what they deserve.", Malou said calmly and turned her head to look at Kiara. Suddenly, Kiara stayed quiet. She had never seen Malou this angry. So full of hate and despair. She couldn't deny, that for a second, she was actually scared.
"We all want justice for John B, but killing Rafe or Ward isn't the solution.", Pope said calmly and Malou seemed to think about it for a minute in which the pogues seemed to communicate by their eyes.
"If the cops won't take care of it soon, then I will.", Malou said quietly and noticed, how her friends suddenly stopped moving. Kiara blinked rapidly to get rid off the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes and Pope looked at JJ helplessly.
"I promise, we will do anything, so they will get what they deserve. We will find a way to make the cops believe us, we will find a proof. Alright? I know you're angry and you have every right to be, but you have to be smarter than your anger and your hate. And I know you are, you are way smarter than that, way stronger, way better.", JJ said as he slowly walked up to the girl. Once he reached her, he closely looked at her.
"I promise, ok? We will find a way and we'll do it together.", he assured her and Malou eventually nodded.
"Ok.", she whispered and loosened the grip around the weapon, when she felt JJ carefully take it from her. JJ handed it to Pope, who quickly extracted the chamber and put both things into the backpack before swinging it over his shoulder. JJ was sure that if Kiara or Pope wouldn't throw it into the ocean that night, he would do it himself.
"Ok. Are you ok for now?", JJ asked quietly and Malou slightly nodded.