Hey guys!! Just adding a little something before December, hope the is writing ok... as usual, I will look over it again tomorrow. Hope you have all been well, and good news is that the writers strike is over so hopefully they will go back to shooting Outerbanks again soon! Anyway here is a little continuation to my story, and hope it turned out ok. Hope you guys enjoy it!
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"I told you, Pope… that wasn't 'im." Cleo dabs Pope's face gently with a warm cloth, re-doing the bandaging from the previous night. His left cheek blooms a dark shade of purple, gritted red scratches and grazes scatter his face. "Jude ain't that typa man to be playin' around, Pope… that's why I told ya- I'd handle 'im, I know 'im, I can ta talk to 'im…" Pope hisses as she presses the cloth a little tighter to a more severed area of skin. "What in the 'ell possessed ya to go punch that man, anyhow?… why would you try take 'im on?- Your lucky it weren't Jude, it coulda been far worse, I tell ya… Meanwhile you go and hit the wrong guy- left his nose bleedin', and his wife in distressed…" she tsks.
Pope shifts in his chair uncomfortably, a little embarrassed. "Errr, sorry." He clears his throat. His brows draw together. "I was, urgh, I was kind of wasted…" he scratches his head at the side. "It didn't help Rafe was pretty damn certain it was him- the 'right guy'... I mean, maybe I should have punched Rafe out instead-" he snorts humorlessly, and Cleo gives him a strange look, and then shakes her head. "Alright- alright- I shouldn't have punched anyone- I shouldn't have lost it… sorry." he shifts uncomfortably in his chair.
Sarah walks in, fixing up an earring to her left ear, then flattening down her skirt and fixing up the strap of her shoulder bag. She walks over and swoops up a fruit from off the kitchen counter and moves toward the pair seated at the dining table, appearing slightly fidgety like she'd had things endlessly on her mind, or as if she'd been constrained for time, or something. She slides in next to Cleo, groaning as she takes a bite of the apple she'd picked up.
"Morning guys." she exhales out softly, between chews. "I'm about to head out- meet up with Kiara again this morning…"she catches Cleo's curious look she gives her as she lifts her gaze up. The questions beginning to gleam in her eyes were making Sarah's cheeks heat up with color, and she swallows. "...at the pier." she adds, and gulps.
Cleo had picked up on how Sarah had been acting a little odd since they'd come back from Surfside… like maybe she had been holding something back… like something a little fishy was swimming in the air since they'd had their night out- just like she'd picked up the tension at the table between the girls that night. Sarah averts her gaze quickly before Cleo could read in more on her-
"Ok, Kie?... she ok? I's wonderin' what 'appened ta her last night… she kinda just vanished? Didn't even say a goodbye... did she leave wit Rafe?…"
Sarah nods quickly, determined to avert the conversation and avoid any questions coming from Cleo who she knew was quickly catching on…
…she can do this, she tells herself- she can keep a secret… even if it was kind of a huge deal, but she had promised Kiara… she was literally dying on the inside to get it off her chest, her chest was crushing with the need to tell someone, or everyone, she didn't know how much longer she could hold it in… preferably she'd blurt it out to Cleo first- or JB- who ever, but as long as Kie would give her the thumps up… she needed to desperately discuss this somehow… because she really wondered... was Kie making the right decision… or a huge mistake?
Sarah clears her throat, redirecting the conversation before she's tempted to go places she'd promised Kie she wouldn't… she wasn't about to blow up her promise… even if this secret was something she believes the other pogues should definitely be made aware of… the secret that was gnawing uncomfortably at her insides… how was Kie keeping this in?- I mean, she was about to have a baby with someone Sarah seriously believes is incapable of ever being a good father, let alone a decent human being…
Sarah is about to open her mouth and redirect the topic, and ask Pope how he'd felt, when they all hear as JJ's feet wander in through the front doors, the mesh door clashing behind him. The sound of his heavy boots moving quickly into the dining room, and their heads all pop over to stare at him. Sarah's brows raise.
"What happened to you-" she questions instantly, putting down her apple. Her eyes flicker over him quickly, taking in the sight of JJ's cut cheek. "And what happened to your face?" she questions, eyes round and shocked.
JJ's eyes fall on Pope, distracted by his bruised appearance, he brushes Sarah's question aside, wondering over to him instead- "Pope- what happened, man? You ok? Heard you got into a brawl or somethin'?- shit, I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, shit I shouldn't have asked you to stall Rafe…" he scrubs a hand over his hair, feeling a pang of guilt. "JB told me everything just as I got here…"
Pope's brows pinch together as he gathers up the look of JJ's own worn face, with the deep cut to his right cheek. "Seems like we both got into some sort of tiff, hey, man?"
JJ huffs out a light laugh, sensing Pope's humor in his words.
"JJ, where were you last night?" Sarah draws back his attention. "Everyone's been wondering, did you just come back now?" She questions, eyes wandering over him again, genuinely intrigued by his scruffed up appearance and disheveled look, his clothes unchanged from the previous night and covered in dust, Sarah suspects he had quite a story to tell.
JJ's eyes flit over to Sarah. He assesses her for a short moment, thinking about her question… reflecting on Maya and all that happened… He takes a step back, a small smile rolling lightly against his lips. His blue eyes begin to glint with a new emotion… a kind of growing, glowing happiness. His smile widens. "Well…" he lightly laughs again. "Guys, I got so much to tell y'all… you won't believe it." he states as he wrings his hands together, and considers how to tell them. He runs a hand through his messy blonde hair, playing with his cap, flipping it and then putting it on backwards. He contemplates how he will tell them, wondering where to start. "Some crazy shit happened last night… and I don't know where to start, but here's the thing…" he trails off, mouth opening, then closing, as his trying to figure out where to begin- everything all flooding at him at once. They all watch him, wide eyed, waiting. "Kinda ran into someone last night… a girl, and it might be kinda a long story, but-"
"A girl?" Sarah interrupts him eagerly, her lips twisting into an intrigued smile. "You mean, she did this to you- turn you all giddy?" she states slowly, starting to drop back into her chair, crossing her arms over her chest, tongue in cheek as she assesses him cheekily.
JohnB walks in, holding up two bags in the air, arriving back from the store with a few essentials, some bandages included as Cleo had specifically requested. His eyes instantly fall to JJ who everyone else is watching.
"Yes- surprise, surprise, JJ is back…" he says nonchalantly, and his expression changes to become more serious. "Yay- but, now someone help me out with the rest of the groceries from the car, I'm not here to mother you all-" he says, tilting his head to the side-
"Babe-" Sarah shushes him quickly. "JJ was just about to tell us about this girl… This is important… I want to know all the dets so hush, ok? He needs to spill out all about his new potential lover." she teases with a quirky smile, and leans forward curiously, her hand propping up her chin. JB rolls his eyes, and rests the bags on the floor.
"Come on, Jjay, who's the lucky girl?"
JJ mimics Sarah's expression, mocking her back.
"Never said it like that-" he clarifies. He clears his throat again, sliding his hands into his pockets, and tries again. "Y'all know her. And she's not who you might think she is... infact, she's kinda… the opposite…" his brows wrinkle as he thinks on it and says this. "...she showed me some things last night, you guys will flip out- things you would never guess or believe-"
JohnB hums over him, playfully. "Sounds like maybe the two of you just got a little zooted, that's all, bud. You saw some trippy things last night, right, Jjay?" he teases him, leaving the bags on the ground, and then claps JJ on the back.
JJ's nose wrinkles at him, annoyed, before he continues. "So what if I said Maya Garcia was who I was out with last night… the girl I crossed paths with just outside Rafe's property-"
"W-wait- what?" Sarah gasps, her eyes growing wide and her gaze changing dramatically, all eyes fly to JJ. They exchange looks between one another.
JJ's smile curls wider at the sides, ignoring their looks, like he'd been pleased they were finally taking him seriously. JohnB's shoulders begin to tense upon hearing her name being mentioned.
His face creases lightly- "S-Singh's daughter-"
"Yeah." JJ confirms. "The girl who's gonna help us get our revenge on Rafe… a-and the girl who's gonna lead us to that treasure we're lookin' for." he says slowly to make sure they were getting every one of his words. "I drove her to her father's old antique shop where she showed me a few things you'd never believe… things y'all be interested in. We spent the night talking… a-and, you know what?- she's incredibly smart, a-and passionate about all her work…" he gulps, before he continues. "A-and her dad gave her this pendant that tells a story- that Maya believes will lead us to the location of Blackbeard's treasure, and you wouldn't believe where-"
"JJ." JohnB stops him. He places a hand over his shoulder, letting out a deep sigh, his shoulders slumped at his sides. JJ reads his face… and all he thinks he can see is sympathy, and frustration... and a stubbornness that's set in JB's eyes… it all quickly fires up an anger within JJ's veins… his own frustration welling up too.
"What? I don't get it… Maya is trying to help us…" he scowls. "S-she's amazing- she's decoded everything for us." he says fiercely. "I mean, is there a problem? She's told me everything… all about this mission, about her work, about every frickin' thing to do with the treasure... and how to get there. All the shit we're looking for-"
"Wait a minute…" Pope interrupts him quickly. "Are you catching feelings for her?" Cleo gives him a look, like she couldn't believe he'd just figured this piece out now.
JJ shoots him a puzzled look. "No." he pffts. "Come on, man- Pope… That's all you got from this?-"
"Oh god-" Sarah rubs a hand over her face and moans.
"What-" he questions, eyes round, falling back onto Sarah.
"It's the way you're stupidly falling for her and every one of her lies-" Sarah mumbles back.
"Or how you're trusting Maya Singh… the daughter of a ruthless mafia leader, JJ… her dad tried to kill my dad, remember." JohnB adds.
"His right." Cleo adds. "Ya can't trust 'er… or 'er friend."
JJ's eyes dart amongst the four, horrified… was he missing something? He'd felt like they didn't give him a chance- like they'd believed he couldn't have this all under control either- or, like he could be so easily influenced, so easily used or manipulated- "Why y'all like this-" he rumbles back, frustrated. "I'm tryin' do us a solid favor here, and all I get from it is this. I promise, I don't like her that way… I mean, she might be kinda damn smart and pretty, but don't need to go after me like that- it's not like that, I'm telling y'all… I'm not gonna fall for her or nothin', ok?" He protests. "She ain't got me in trance or some hypnotic spell. All I want is to help- for us Pogues- to get a break for once- for us Pogues to get back at Rafe… that's all I want. That's my number one priority here, alright?… but you guys all seem to think I can't handle it, or that I'm too stupid to know better-" he growls as he's taking a few steps away.
"Because you will get hurt JJ!" Sarah exclaims after him. "What do you think she wants, to help us? To help get to what she's been after her whole life? We don't want to see you get hurt, JJ… not again."
JJ's expression sours- they weren't seeing what he was seeing- all the freakin potential- they hadn't even given him the chance to be heard out… He sneers, the frustration growing exponentially.
"Well excuse me if I'm tryin' to do something right for us… excuse me if I'm tryna get us closer to what we wanted. All you guys want to do is assume I'll fuck everything up-" he throws his cap across the room, and then turns to storm out, rambling the rest of his sentence to himself "-fuck, if you guys keep doing this, might as well do it all by myself-" he rumbles, and they hear him crash through the verandah door, hearing it slam behind him. Pope gets up to try to go after him, but he hears as JJ revs his bike, and then as it lifts off and roars into the distance.
Sarah groans, lifting herself from off her chair and away from the table. She combs her fingers through her hair, a little stressed as she looks down at her phone. "I got to go… guys, Kiara's waiting for me." And then she's next to disappear through those same doors.