chapter eighteen
"pinch poke, you owe me a coke"
"ALRIGHT, JJ, I'LL GIVE YOU this one. I actually kinda like this plan."
When JJ suggested that they go over to Rafe's — and then followed by Topper's, docks and trash their boats, the wise side of Lynn said that it would only end badly, but then the angry and impulsive side said that they were only getting what he deserved. They were like karma, but instead of waiting who knows how long, it would be now.
"2020 Malibu, 24-MXC, the worlds finest wakesetter. Number on in quality, luxury, and performance."
"This is war, guys. They hit us, we hit them," JJ stated, and he tugged the black bandana that was previously resting around his neck, over his face to cover right below his eyes. He then slid on a pair of sleek shades, and he looked so incredibly sexy that Lynn was scared that she was unconsciously drooling. "Lynn already dropped Rafe's boat, it's your turn, Pope."
"You got this, Pope," Lynn commented, finally tearing her eyes from JJ to look at her best friend. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "It's easy, just pull the plug, and swim back over to us and we'll get outta here in a sec."
Pope nodded slowly, and then his face was set in determination mode. He 'dived', although it looked as if he just flung himself into the water, off the boat, making a loud splash, and made his way to the expensive boat by swimming.
"I'm sorry."
Lynn switched from peering her body over the boat to watch Pope as he was about to flood the boat, and glanced over her shoulder towards JJ. Whose head was hanging low, slack jaw, and his voice was filled with disappointment.
"For what?"
"Rafe keeps hurting you," JJ drifted, his sad eyes raising up to make eye contact with Lynn's blue ones, and her face softened up. "And I keep failing at protecting you, princess."
Lynn shifted her way over towards JJ, and she pulled the blonde boy into a hug by wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He instantly snaked his strong arms around her waist, and almost buried his face into her neck, smelling her somehow always perfect scent — a perfect mix of saltwater and vanilla.
"You don't need to worry about me," Lynn murmured into his chest, pressing her cheek on it, wishing they could just stay here forever.
"I love you, Eve, I care so damn much about you," JJ explained, backing away so he could face Lynn. "So, of course I'm going to worry about you."
"I love you, too, doofus," Lynn smiled teasingly, placing her head back on the boys chest. Mostly, just so the boy wouldn't see the bright pink appearing on her cheeks against her will.
"Wow, you did it!"
Lynn moved away from JJ as she glanced over to Pope, who was climbing onto the ladder they left out for him. He was dripping wet, but looked pretty damn proud of himself. Her eyes flung to the boat, that was now starting to slowly fill with water.
"I'm so proud of you right now," JJ grinned with excitement, gripping Pope's shoulder rightly. "Holy crap."
"Yes, Pope!" Lynn exclaimed, throwing her arms up in celebration. She would've hugged the boy, but didn't feel like getting her clean clothes wet, again.
"JJ, Lynn?" Pope gained the two blondes attention, now staring at the boy as they waited for him to continue, perked eyebrows and everything. "You can't tell anybody."
"Oh, no, yeah. Totally dude."
"No, I'm serious, guys," Pope insisted, and Lynn nodded sincerely, completely understanding his point of view. "Not Kie, not John B, nobody."
"We get it, Pope," Lynn repeated once again for JJ and herself, and Pope's once tense expression seemed to shift more so into pride, some clear excitement as well.
"Yeah, same, my lips are sealed," JJ explained, pretending to zip up his lips, while licking them, and then throwing the key into the air — which would've ended up in the ocean. "Give me that, gimme."
JJ snatched the plug from Pope's hand, and then chucked it harshly into the water, launching it several feet. The kids returned to the controls, and made their way back to the beach.
When they finally arrived back, they all carried surfboards in their hand and excitement bubbling in their veins. The crew was taking the rest of the day for waves, and Lynn was clearly happy since it had been awhile since they all went out together.
"Hey, save some waves for us!"
Lynn followed JJ and Pope into the water as they entered, and she immediately jumped on her yellow surfboard, which had several different images of flowers as well. They made their way over to John B and Kie, who seemed to be talking.
"Hey, where you guys been?" Kie questioned, curiosity growing in her tone of voice.
"Some of us actually work, Kie," Lynn retorted to the girl, making the group of teenagers laugh, every single one of them knowing that it was only a harmless tease.
"Yeah, yeah," Kie replied, waving her hand at the girl while rolling her eyes.
"So, we gonna sit here all day or surf?"
The group then all started surfing the waves, using their own signature moves. Lynn and JJ were both aiming for the same wave, but ultimately JJ gave it up to Lynn, mostly because seeing the blonde girl smile in victory made his day more than any wave could.
"You really think it's out there? Like, no bullshit?"
Lynn shuffled a bit in JJ's arms in the hammock, and he slightly stirred beside her, and she figured he was trying to make sure the both of them were comfortable. The teenagers were all laying in the new hammocks they hung up only a few days ago, where JJ and Lynn were sharing one, John B had his own, and then Pope and Kie had one together.
JJ had been playing with the blonde girls hair, wrapping his index finger around a strand and then swirl it around his skin. Then Lynn was playing around with the many, quite attractive, rings JJ had on his fingers.
"My father thought it was," John B answered Pope's previous question, and the Pogues all started paying attention rather than staring at the scenery around them.
"But do you?" Pope asked, and Lynn switched to look at John B for his response. The darkness had now set over them, so it was hard to even see anyone's facial features, let alone their actual reactions.
"After hearing his voice on that tape...I think I do," John B stated, his voice low, and Lynn's face softened when he brought up his father — it was always a sore spot.
"Only one way to find out."
Lynn felt JJ's hand move from playing her hair, down to her back, and started running his finger up from her shoulder down to her hips. She peered over her shoulder, and smiled at the boy as butterflies rose in her stomach.
"You're cute," JJ whispered in her ear, only loud enough where she could hear. She nibbled on her lower lip, just wanting to move a few inches closer and press her lips right onto JJ's, wondering how amazing the feeling would be.
"Hm, really?" Lynn hummed, moving her head back on the hammock. "I never knew."
"Look, we're gonna find it, you know?" Kie spoke up, and Lynn almost forgot she was here since she hadn't talked in so long. "Even JJ believes."
"Wow, JJ believes!" Lynn joked, exclaiming loudly with a gasp, raising her hand to dramatically smack his chest.
"Oh my God, JJ, do you really believe?" John B questioned, gasping quite fakely as he switched over to JJ and Lynn's hammock.
"Totally," JJ snickered, and Lynn let out a laugh, mostly because she knew he wasn't paying attention to the conversation. "Wait, are we talking about four mil?"
"Four hundred mil," Both Lynn and Kie responded at the same time, so then the girls pointed at each other accusingly. "Jinx!"
The female best friends bursted into laughter as they also said jinx at the same time, and then the rest of the group joined them.
"Pinch poke, you owe me a Coke," Lynn grinned, but she didn't pinch the girl due to the fact she thought she'd knock both JJ and herself off it.
"That's not right, you owe me a Sprite!" Kie responded back quickly, and both girls were lost in their laughter to say anything else.
"I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks," JJ groaned a bit, ignoring the girls bicker over the jinx, and then lowered his voice. "And that new goddamn bikini."
Lynn shoved the boy teasingly with her spare hand that was still playing with his rings. She liked how much flirting was happening between the two of them more recently, and actually started questioning if the boy could possibly have a crush on her, like Kie was talking about at The Wreck.
"Goodnight, Bird!" JJ yelled towards John B, a bit too loud in Lynn's close ear for her own good, but still. He snuggled his head even closer into the blondes neck, his breath bouncing off her skin.
"Goodnight, bird shit!"