OBX-LIFE
"Guys. We've done it three times. There's nothing there." JJ shouted, the storm was getting worse. John B was stood at the other side of the boat with his head in his hands. They found the merchant, but not the gold.
"Shut up!" Kie snapped angrily at JJ, but he didn't seem to care.
"What? It's true." JJ shrugged, trying to keep the boat under control.
"The gold could be buried. We don't know." Kie looked between the four.
"I'm not one for shitting on dreams Kie, but it's not there. There's no gold. We got our hopes up for nothing." River said pessimistically, leaning against the frame of the door.
"If it was there, it would've been found on the metal detector okay?" John B announced. "Somebody beat us to it."
"Or it was never there." JJ mumbled. River walked over and stood beside the boy.
"Take us home J." She whispered resting her head on his shoulder. JJ's arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.
~
River sat on Kie's bed with a smile, it had been along time since the two spent some girl time together. "You've got some explaining to do."
"What?" Kie questioned innocently. River leant on the door frame of her en-suite. "I don't know what you're on about." She lied. River ran and jumped on the bed, she twirled around before sitting in front of Kie.
"John B." River said as Kie laughed. "You kissed. Explain." Kie turned bright red.
"I-there's nothing to say. He kissed me." She paused. "You know the rules Riv, no Pogue on Pogue macking."
River avoided eye contact with Kie, she had broken the rule on many occasions.
"Oh come on." River groaned. "You were the one who invented that rule. You can be the one to take it away."
River remembered that day vividly. Her and JJ were sat on the dock at John B's, he had his arms wrapped around her waist and was placing light kisses on her neck. So that was when, Kie stood up and said she had an announcement to make, that's when he invented the 'no pogue on Pogue macking'. She said that no matter what they should all just remain friends so that they don't break apart.
"No way." Kie shook her head. "That rule stopped them from getting with you too." Kie reminded her.
River laid back on the bed. It was so comfortable, ten times more comfortable than hers at home. "Yeah. I know." She said. "Believe me I know."
~
"I'm so glad that they're still doing this." Kie smiled, her arm linked with River's. "Keep calm and carry on. Back to OBX life." She said as they made their way down to the front of the field, where the movie was being projected from. "You know? Aren't you glad I made you come?"
"You know I am. This is my favourite thing about Summer." River smiled. She loved watching all the old fashioned movies on a big screen while sat outside.
"Ecstatic." Pope said sarcastically.
"My couch was pretty comfy, I'll be honest." JJ mumbled. River helped Kie sit up and she placed her snacks in the middle of her's and Kie's chair.
"What's going on with you two?" River whispered harshly as Kie walked to get them all a drink.
"Noth-" Pope went to say but JJ cut him off.
"Topper and Rafe know." JJ said just in time as Kie came back.
"Just saw Rafe, and he said and I quote, 'tell your boy that we know what he did.' What is that?" Kie questioned handing them all a Pepsi.
"Um, where is he?" JJ questioned.
"Right there." Kie said looking behind her. The four of them all turned to look at Topper, Rafe and Kelce. Topper smirked at them all.
"Great, the whole death squad." Pope muttered nervously.
"Done fucking stare at them idiot." River said harshly grabbing Pope and turning him back around.
"Just a warning bro, if they corner me, I'm coming out swinging okay? Slice and Dicin'. I'm on edge right now." Pope nodded at every word that JJ was saying. "If that doesn't work, I got this right here." JJ held up his bag. River's eyes flickered to the bag and back to JJ.
The gun.
"So we just gotta stay in the group." Pope agreed.
"They can't get us in the group." JJ shook his head. River looked over to Kie who looked pissed. "Like a school of fish."
"Stay in the school. Can't leave the school." Pope muttered to himself.
"I'm sorry, JJ. Please tell me that you did not bring a gun here. JJ, there are kids." Kie began to scold the boy.
"No. Kie, I didn't bring the gun. Everything's fine, okay?" JJ lied straight through his teeth. River looked around at all the kids who were running and playing with one another.
"Wow, thank you. That's really convincing. I love that JJ." Kie said sarcastically. JJ muttered a words under his breath, so Kie continued. "Founding principle you guys, no secrets amongst Pogues. What is Rafe talking about?"
"Kie, it might go down tonight." Pope informed the girl.
"What does that mean?" Kie questioned in confusion. River stayed silent, she felt bad that she knew and didn't tell Kie. "'Might go down tonight' What did y'all do?"
"Deny. Deny, deny." River faintly heard JJ whisper.
"This is so fucked up." River said standing up and walking away.
"Ri-" JJ attempted to stop her but she ignored him. She didn't care if JJ thought that they should all stay together like 'a school of fish'.
She made her way to the bar, she needed a drink. Preferably alcoholic. "Vodka and coke please."
"ID." The bartender said placing out his hand.
River patted her self down. "Seems I forgot it." She lied.
"No ID, no drink." He shrugged.
"Dick." River mumbled slamming her hand down on the bar. A few people turned to look at her, but she didn't care.
"She's with me Cole." River said, she turned and faced Topper, she scoffed. "Get her what she asked for." He ordered, the bartender, Cole, quickly made her a vodka and coke.
"Oh the house." He smiled sliding it over to her.
"I'd rather die than be here with you, but thanks for the free drink." River said towards Topper, grabbing her drink and going to walk away, but Topper grabbed her wrist. "Get off me." River snapped, pulling her hand from his grip and slapping him across the face. "Asshole." She uttered. "Don't ever touch me again."
JJ watched the whole thing go down. Pope refused to let him go over there. He knew that Topper wouldn't actually do anything to hurt River, he just wanted to rial JJ up and her certainly did.
"Your boys are in for it tonight." Topper shouted.
"Fuck you Topper!" River shouted as she threw up her middle finger,
AND REJOINED THE POGUES.