KEGGER
"Alright, so think about it's Pope. How does a marina rate get a Grady-white?" John B questioned. The five of them were all down at the dock fishing.
River sat on the ledge beside JJ. They were furthest away from the others. Truth be told he didn't want to be that close to any of them right now, not when they disagreed and didn't support his idea to keep the money. Money that he needed.
Pope took a deep breath, running his tongue over his bottom lip as he said, "Prostitution."
"Square groupers bro. Okay, flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance. They don't do that stuff during a hurricane. What does that mean?" John B questioned. "JJ?" John B pointed to his best friend.
"They were straight smuggling." JJ answered, with a small shrug as if it was obvious. And in most ways, it was completely obvious, to him anyways.
River turned to face JJ, placing her hand gently over his. He offered her a small head nod, silently telling her that he was okay, even though he was putting on a brave face.
"Smuggling. And I guarantee there's a serious amount of contraband in that wreck." John B announced confidentially.
"Hell yeah." JJ said as he caught a fish. "Fish on!"
After a while of fishing, talking about the different kind of drugs that could potentially be on the boat, they all decided to retire inside.
"For the record, if that is a smuggling ship, with illegal contraband on the inside of it, it probably belongs to someone else." Pope said as they say in John B's room.
"Minor details." Kie shrugged.
River rested her head on Pope's shoulder as he spoke. JJ clenched his jaw. He knew the two would be nothing more than friends but he couldn't help but feel jealous.
He preferred when she was sat beside him, when she fiddled with the rings on his hands or her fingers ran through his hair. He preferred it when she was next to him.
"They could come looking for it. Taking it it would be catastrophically stupid." Pope said as he waved around the wad of cash.
"Right. Well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time." JJ said taking the cash from him, his eyes lingered on River's as he did so. "All we need to do is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck. Until then, we just lay low. Just act normal."
"Right. And how exactly do we do that?" Pope questioned.
Both the girls turned to face one another, smirks forming on both of their faces. It was like they could read one another's minds.
"Kegger?" Kie suggested, raising her brow towards River, wondering if she was thinking of throwing a kegger too.
"Kegger." River answered simply with a smile.
"Ahh, no drinking for you." JJ said pointing at River. "Remember my promise, angel." River groaned. She wished she'd never made him agree to that with her.
The five were setting up by the bone yard, John B had handed everyone a drink. Excluding River and Pope.
"Johnny." River wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "He's not looking, quick fill me one up." She said with a big grin.
All she wanted was one drink and somehow, JJ had managed to spread word to everyone coming that if they'd give her a drink, he'd kill them.
"R.C. He'd kill me." John B said, looking around for JJ. A few people had heard about the Kegger and started to show up. He saw JJ flirting with some random girl. "Just cause I love you."
"I love you too Johnny." She smiled as he filled up a solo cup and handed it to her.
After a few to many drinks, yet again, JJ found out. JJ walked up to the girl shaking his head. River ran up to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Hey J." She slurred. "I told you sober I'd stay." She mumbled.
"Okay baby. Let's get some water down you aye?" He questioned. River nodded at the idea. Everything was blurry, too much to drink. When ever River drank, she drank twice as much as everyone else.
River had sobered up slightly and was now taking care of JJ as much as she could. "Yo, John B." JJ shouted holding two solo cups.
Despite her sobering up, JJ continued to drink, which mean that he became more clingy with River,
not that she minded. He always found a way to be beside her or have his hands on her body.
"What are you doing?" John B chuckled as the couple walked over to him. "Yo, what's up?"
"I got this for you. You want this one?" JJ questioned, extending his hand to give it fo his friend.
"For me? Yeah I'll take a sip." John B said going to grab the cup.
Before John B could take the cup from JJ's grasp, something-or rather someone-caught his eye. River furrowed her brows and wondered who it was.
"Oh wait." JJ turned to face Sarah Cameron. "Hey."
"Hi." She smiled. Sarah Cameron was the Kooks princess and Kie's worst enemy. They both hated each other, not that anyone really knew why.
"Hey Sarah. Sarah, can I interest you in a tasty Milwaukee beverage?" JJ questioned, wrapping his arm around River's shoulders.
Although he was attempting to flirt with Sarah, River was still his number one girl. He'd still do anything for her without even blinking.
"No, thanks." She smiled politely.
River wondered what happened between Sarah and Kie. She wondered if with a simple apology they could be back friends, but she knew better than to be that naive.
"Come on, is it not fancy enough for you?" JJ laughed slightly, his eyes flickering over to Topper.
"No. We were just leaving." Sarah responded politely, she nervously looked between the boys, especially when John B stepped towards them and pulled River back slightly.
"Hey, you know what? I'll take it." Topper said. River rolled her eyes at the obnoxious boy and allowed John B to wrap his arms around her shoulders, swaying them ever so slightly. "I'll-thank you man, I appreciate it."
"That's nice-that's a great suggestion there Topper, but I didn't ask you." JJ slurred. "If you said pretty please, maybe." JJ laughed. "But you didn't."
"Oh pretty please." Topper scoffed.
He couldn't help but allow his eyes to flicker up and down River. He wouldn't deny it, Topper found the blonde hot. He hadn't met a person who didn't find her attractive.
"Yeah, so Sarah. You can have it." JJ tried to hand her the drink.
"She doesn't want it." Topper said hitting the drink making it splash all over River, John B and JJ.
John B pulled River behind him, offering her a sympathetic smile as JJ grabbed a fist full of Topper's shirt and angrily shoved him.
"JJ!" River tried to pull him back, but had no luck. He was much stronger than her, so John B helped.
Pope and Kie quickly rushed to the scene, trying to help in any way they could, but it was useless, there wasn't anything that they could do to help.
"You're so funny man." JJ said sarcastically. He quickly turned to River, wondering how the girl was. "Are you okay Ri?"
River nodded and put on a fake smile. She wasn't. She hated seeing him get all worked up an angry. Part of it scared her. She hated when he got angry, but more so for him, she knew that when he got angry he reminded himself of his dad.
"Dirty Pogues!" Topper shouted. River half expected JJ to flip out again, so naturally, she grabbed JJ's arm. But instead, it was John B who pushed Topper back.
"John B!" Pope shouted. "We're supposed to be incognito remember?" He pushed JJ back slightly, knowing how hot headed the boy was.
JJ would do anything for his friends, even if that meant he'd wind up in jail for the night. He's protect his friends with his life.
"Babe. Babe." Sarah shouted at Topper as he swung for John B and made him face plant the sand.
"I'm gonna fucking kill him." JJ seethed. River stood in front of JJ and Pope tried to hold him back. "First, he got that drink all over my girl, then he hit John B. He's dead."
"J, calm down please." River whispered, her blue eyes meeting his for a split second.
JJ's gaze softened, she knew how to calm him down. Her fingers traced patterns on his bicep, causing him to let go of a deep breath. She was his security. His safety.
"Hey John B, don't make me drown you like your old man, alright?" Topper threatened.
The blonde girl was taken back a moment. She didn't even know what came over her, she slowly walked over to Topper with her fist clenched. Big John was like a father to her. He took care of her and made sure she ate and had a roof over her head at night.
River swung for Topper, causing him to stumbled back and held his jaw slightly. "You little bitch." Topper snapped angrily. Using all his strength, he threw her back into the sea. JJ watched the whole thing. He had so much anger built up.
He ran over to River and pulled her up. "He's so fucking dead." JJ cupped her face and his eyes scanned over her body, to make sure she wasn't hurt.
The girl wasn't hurt, just soaked. But she could cope with that as long as she saw Topper's bruise at some point. Despite how small she was, she knew how to pack a punch.
John B took Topper to the ground. Anger fuelling his every move. River was his sister and nobody laid a finger on her.
"Stop you guys!" Kie shouted.
"Please don't." River said grabbing JJ's hand. "Please." She begged.
JJ nodded and pulled her into his chest. River wasn't paying any attention to the fight going on behind. She was trying to keep JJ away from it all. He cupped the back of her head and traced small patterns on her lower back. He watched as John B threw Topper into the sea.
John B ran at Topper, Topper flipped him over his shoulder and threw John B into the ocean, holding him under.
"Topper. Stop. No!" Sarah shouted as she watched her boyfriend drown John B.
River pulled away from JJ and turned to face the scene. She had tears in her eyes. Kie reached out and grabbed the girls hand, pulling her closer as JJ snook away from the girl and walked up to Topper.
JJ took a deep breath as he aimed the gun at his head. "Yeah, you know what that is. Your move, Broski." JJ said slowly.
The blonde pulled away from Kie and went to run up to them, but Pope pulled her back.
"Don't." He whispered, he held her hand tightly. He felt her shaking. "They'll be okay." He reassured her. He knew that she was incredibly protective of both boys, but right now she needed to stay out of it.
A few people ran away, a few stayed curious to see what would happen next. River anxiously chewed her bottom lip, she needed to do more than just watch the events unfold in front of her.
"I can calm him down. I'll get him to listen to me. Pope let go." River pleaded.
Pope nodded and released the girl from his grip. He knew that she was right. River was the only person who could calm JJ down.
"JJ! Put the gun down." Sarah pleaded.
"Did you say something princess?" He questioned. River slowly stepped in front of JJ.
The blonde placed her shaky hands over JJ's, her eyes boring into his. She slowly nodded, silently telling him that everything was okay and that Topper had let go of John B.
"We're good. We're good." Topper said releasing John B from his tight grip.
"River can you check your psycho boyfriend please?" Sarah begged.
River shot a glare towards Sarah, slowly pulling JJ's hand away from Topper, giving him a chance to stand up.
"Okay, everyone listen up. Get the hell off our side of the island!" JJ shouted firing the gun twice. River jumped and looked at the boy in shock.
"Are you crazy. You idiot!" Pope shouted at JJ.
There was now multiple witnesses to JJ holding a gun and multiple people who heard the gun fire. Nobody would be surprised if the police were going to come down to the beach.
River wrapped her arms around the boy, she felt him relax into her. All his built up anger, suddenly disappearing. "Everything's gonna be okay J, just relax." She ran her fingers through his hair.
"Why would you do that?" Pope snapped.
"It's not worth it." Kie shouted.
"Not now guys." River shouted as she listened to JJ's racing heart. She knew what JJ was like, she knew he needed to calm down.
"I'm saving his life okay?" JJ snapped back.
His grip on River was still tight. He never wanted to let go of her again. Everything seemed to be okay when she was holding him. When they were this close, every bad thought seemed to disappear.
"Stop it!" River shouted, but they continued. "I SAID FUCKING STOP IT!" River shouted, making everyone go silent.