"POPE, WE'RE not stealing the drone." John B reassured as he drove down the road. "We're borrowing it."
Scarlett shook her head and leaned back so that her feet rested on the back of John B's seat. "If we get caught, JB, I won't hesitate to murder you."
John B sighed. "We won't get caught, Lottie. I promise."
"And I promise to kill you if we end up in police custody." Scarlett retorted.
"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality." Pope said.
"Huh?" Scarlett asked, looking away from JJ, who was rolling up a joint, and over to Pope.
"Did you come up with that?" John B asked, glancing at him through the mirror.
"Albert Bernstein came up with it, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing." Pope explained.
"Oh." John B said, focusing back on the road.
Scarlett sat up straighter, holding her hand out for JJ's freshly rolled joint. "I just rolled this, and you want a hit?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously, Scar?"
She stared at him, a serious look falling across her features. "Yes, seriously, JJ. I'm not making anymore bad decisions as I am. I'm gonna have to be at least a little bit high if you want my help on this."
John B glanced over his shoulder at the pair. "Just let her have it, JJ." He said, turning back to the road. "We need her to be a part of this if we have any chance of borrowing the drone."
Scarlett smirked at JJ as he gave in and handed her the joint. She grinned as she pulled out her lighter from her pocket before lighting the joint and taking a hit. "Much better." She laughed. JJ sighed at her as he began to roll himself another joint.
"So, which is it?" Pope asked, leaning forward in his seat. "Fantasy or reality?"
"Both." Scarlett said, tilting her head back and blowing smoke from her lips.
"Can you not do that, Lottie." Pope requested, waving the smoke away.
Scarlett pouted. "But it's fun. JJ, Pope's ruining my fun."
"Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ asked him as he finished rolling up his second joint.
"It's fantasy, but possible reality." Kiara said, answering Pope's earlier question.
John B stayed silent for a moment before turning to Kiara. "Reality." He smiled.
"Virtual reality." JJ commented, flicking his lighter and lifting it up to his joint. Scarlett giggled, taking another hit. She rolled down the widow and leaned her head out of it, letting the smoke leave her lips.
Pope leaned forward and grabbed the joint from between JJ's lips before he could light it. Pope flicked the joint to the back of the van, as JJ stared at him with an annoyed expression on his face. "Keep the signal clear."
Scarlett laughed, taking another hit. "Guess I'm the lucky one." She giggled, turning to JJ and sticking her tongue out at him.
"Same goes for you, Lottie." Pope said, reaching forward and taking her joint- throwing it out the open window. "Keep the signal clear." Scarlett frowned at him. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her seat. "Besides, I think you've had enough hits already."
"You know what your problem is?" JJ said as the van pulled to a stop and Kiara hopped out the passenger seat.
"You?" Pope questioned.
"No! It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense!"
Scarlett leaned her head against the door, sighing as she listened to the two boys bicker. "Kie, take me with you." She moaned, leaning her head out the window.
"I'm not too tense." Pope defended.
Kiara shook her head at the girl. "Did you forget the plan, already?" She laughed. "You and I are the distraction."
"Oh, right. Yeah." Scarlett nodded. Kiara slid open the door and Scarlett jumped out. "Bye, blondie." She grinned, blowing a kiss to JJ. She walked over to Kiara and linked arms with her.
John B leaned out the window, stopping the two girls before they could leave. "Hey, don't worry. You got this." He reassured.
"It's not me that I'm worried about." Kiara said, gesturing to the two boys in the back of the van.
"Have fun with Thing One and Thing Two." Scarlett giggled, waving at John B as Kiara pulled her away from the van. "Good luck, and don't die!" She yelled.
❤❤❤
"You know what you're doing?" Kiara asked, pulling her car up to the salvage yard and turning the engine off.
"Distract the security guard." Scarlett grinned, sending a wink at the other girl. She pushed open the car door and unbuckled her seat-belt before jumping out the car.
"What are you planning to do?" Kiara asked her, climbing out of her car and walking over to Scarlett.
"Distract the guard." Scarlett said, walking over to security.
"Oh, no." Kiara mumbled, knowing exactly what her best friend was about to do. "You're gonna flirt with him. Aren't you?"
Scarlett looked over her shoulder and grinned. "Well, the boys said to cause a distraction, so that's what I'm gonna do." She winked.
The taller girl sighed. "With the boat. They meant cause a distraction with the boat."
Scarlett ignored her and walked over to the gate. "Hello?" She called out, holding her hand over her eyes to block out the sun. "Excuse me!"
The security guard walked out as the two girls stopped by the metal gate. "Can I help you?" He asked, looking between the girls.
"Hi!" Kiara said. "Um, I actually have a flat tire."
Scarlett nodded, her eyes searching around the area for the boys. "Yeah. And neither of us can actually, you know, change a tire." She shrugged. "Our dads left when we were young and our mums are both drunks. So no one ever taught us how." She pouted, trying to convince the man to help them by using a fake story.
Kiara sent Scarlett a weird look before looking back at the security guard. "We were wondering if maybe you could help us out?"
The guard looked at the two of them for a moment before agreeing to help them. Scarlett exchanged a look with Kiara. "See, I told you I knew what I was doing." She grinned.
"Pity. You're making the man pity us." Kiara pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Well, it's working." Scarlett told her. "I haven't had to pull out the flirting card yet." She winked, walking back over to the car. The security guard opened the gate before picking up some equipment and following Kiara to the boat.
"It's just this back one right here." She awkwardly pointed to it. "I mean, it must have been a slow leak or something." Scarlett stood next to her best friend and leaned on the side of the boat. She nodded in agreement and subtly waved her hand at the boys- signalling them to start their part of the plan.
"Probably been sitting in the yard too long?" The guard questioned, crouching down by the tire.
"Yeah." Kiara smiled. Scarlett nodded, her gaze drifting to where the boys were running from their hiding spot. The security guard began fixing the tire and so the two girls lent against the side of the boat, keeping an eye out for the boys. "So, how're things with you and JJ?" Kiara asked. "Because the flirting is definitely increasing. And don't think I didn't see the kiss you two sneaked while we were all out last night." She smirked.
"You can blame JJ for that." Scarlett shrugged. "Although, I'm surprised John B hasn't noticed anything."
"He's a guy, Lottie. He probably has no clue."
Scarlett nodded. "What about you and John B?" She asked, leaning around the boat to check on the tire. "Anything happening there?"
Kiara raised an eyebrow. "Other than that one kiss?" She shook her head. "Yeah, I dunno. I just don't see it going anywhere." She shrugged.
Upon noticing the tire was almost fixed, and no sign of the boys, Scarlett leaned in closer to Kiara and lowered her voice to a low whisper. "We need to deflate another tire." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a hair-pin, handing it to Kiara. "Use this. I'll distract him." Scarlett nodded her head in the security guard's direction.
"Do you hear that?" The guard asked, looking up at Scarlett.
"Hear what?" She asked, pretending to not hear the loud barking of the guard dog. She twirled a strand of her hair around her finger and titled her head slightly.
The guard stood up and looked towards the gate, ignoring her movements. "Oh, Tebow's got somethin'."
"I'm sure it's nothing." Scarlett reassured, biting the inside of her cheek. If the boys were stupid enough to get caught, the whole plan would go up in flames.
"It's probably just a raccoon, maybe." Kiara said, walking back round the boat. "You know? Nothin' to worry about." The guard nodded.
Scarlett walked back around the boat and crouched down by the tire Kiara had started to deflate. She pulled another hair pin from her hair and stabbed it through the rubber, a hissing noise immediately sounding from the whole. "C'mon." She whispered, willing the tire to deflate quicker.
Just then the security guard walked around the corner, his face full of confusion as he stared at Scarlett. "What are you doing?" He asked her. Kiara stood behind him, worried about being caught.
"Um, this one looked a little low, too." Scarlett said, her eyes wide. "I was just checking it out to be sure..." The sound of barking continued and the security guard ran off towards the noise. "Shit." Scarlett muttered, pulling herself up from the floor.
Kiara ran round the car to the drivers side, climbing into the car. She leaned across the controls, pushing open the passenger door. "Lottie, come on. We have to go!" She called.
"But what about the boys?" Scarlett asked, one hand leaning on the door as she looked out across the salvage yard.
Kiara turned the key in the ignition, switching on the engine. "They'll be fine. They can handle themselves." She told the brunette. "Besides, we're meeting them back at the van."
Scarlett nodded and tore her gaze away from the salvage yard. She climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut before fumbling with her seatbelt. Kiara reversed the car down the road, doing a three-point turn when there was enough space. She sped down the road and the second the car stopped by the van, Scarlett jumped out of her seat. She reached the van, Kiara right behind her, and swore very loudly. "Fuck!" She ran a hand through her hair. "They're not here." She whirled around, facing Kiara with a panicked expression. "He couldn't have caught them, could he?"
"I'm sure they're fine." Kiara told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "They'll be here soon, okay?"
Scarlett nodded, running a hand over her face. "I just... What if they get caught. I can't lose anymore people, Kie. I just can't."
"Who says you're losing anyone?" John B said, walking out of the trees, Pope right behind him.
Scarlett spun around and raced over to the pair, throwing her arms around them. "Where the fuck have you been?!" She cried. She hugged them tight for a moment before stepping back and hitting each other them in the arm. "We thought you'd been compromised!"
"Actually," Kiara said, raising her hand and pointing at Scarlett. "She was the one who thought you'd been caught."
"Hold on," Pope said, glancing around at them. "Where's JJ?"
"Oh, my God." Scarlett exclaimed. "You left him behind?! I can't believe you two!"
"I last saw him with Pope." John B said, raising his hands in defence and taking a few steps away from Scarlett.
"Well, when I last saw him, he was leading the dog away from us." Pope told them.
Scarlett sighed and ran a hand down her face. "So, you two just left him behind?" She shook her head at them. "What about 'no Pogue left behind'?" She turned on John B. "You made that rule, JB. And you just, broke it?"
"She has a point." Kiara nodded. "But, you've broken rules before, Lottie."
Scarlett let out a frustrated puff of air and stormed off towards the woods. "Where are you going?" John B called out to her, stepping forward. "Because the security already knows your face. He'll figure out what we've done if you go back."
Scarlett shook herself out of his grip. "I don't care, JB. I don't, okay?" She sighed. "I can't lose anyone else. I won't let that happen." She spun around, beginning to walk further towards the trees when a figure emerged. "Thank goodness!" She cried, running forward and throwing her arms around his neck. "I thought he'd got you."
JJ chuckled. "Glad to know you missed me, Red." He barely had a chance to hug her back before she pulled away and punched the top of his arm. "Ow, Scar. What the fuck was that for?"
"Don't ever do that again, JJ." Scarlett cried, whirling around and walking back to the van. "I mean it." She called over her shoulder.
❤❤❤
After dropping of Kiara's car, the van of Pogues pulled to a stop just outside The Wreck. Scarlett leaned her back against the door, looking out the window at the restaurant. "Your parents won't hate me for missing a shift today, will they?" She asked Kiara.
She shook her head, looking over her shoulder at the girl. "They won't mind. Besides, you can make up for it by officially moving in this evening."
"Am I swinging by your house first then, Lottie?" John B asked, looking at her through the rear-view mirror.
"Would be really great if you could." Scarlett smiled. "I need to swipe some things from dad's place." She looked around at the others. "Is anyone else starving, or is it just me?" She laughed.
"Stealing drones does make you hungry." Kiara laughed as the others nodded. She pushed open the passenger door and hopped out.
"What I would do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now." JJ said, jumping out of the van and holding out a hand for Scarlett.
"What I would do for any type of food right now." She laughed, adjusting JJ's hat which was still on her head. He still hadn't taken it back from her.
"It would not be pretty." Pope commented, climbing out after them and sliding the door shut. The group followed behind Kiara as they entered The Wreck, greeting her father as they passed.
"Hey, Mr. C." Scarlett greeted.
"Scarlett." Mike greeted in return, nodding his head at her. "Will you be staying the night this evening?"
She nodded. "If that's alright with you, Mr. C."
"You know you're welcome to stay any time." Mike smiled.
"How'd we do?" Kiara asked her father, walking round the bar to hug him.
"Didn't turn it over once." He replied.
Scarlett stepped away from the bar, linking hands with JJ as they walked over to a table at the window. As she moved to sit in the seat next to him, his arms snaked around her waist and moved her so she sat on his lap instead. She rolled her eyes at him, pretending to be annoyed and failing at masking her smile.
"Guess now is not the best time to ask for free food for me and my friends?" Kiara asked, looking up at her dad.
"Look at them." Mike sighed, tilting his head in the Pogues' direction. "They're greedy pelicans. I thought I told you to stop hanging around them."
"What about Lottie?" Kiara challenged. "You can at least stand her."
Mike sighed. "Scarlett isn't as bad of an influence as the others are. You know that. Why can't you just hang out with her and the two of you can find some new friends." He shrugged.
"Well, everybody at the Kook Academy hates me, Dad. And I'm pretty sure they hate Lottie too considering she's from the Cut."
Scarlett looked over to Kiara, unable to not accidentally eavesdrop on her conversation with her father. It wasn't news that he wasn't a huge fan of the Pogues, not many people were. If it wasn't for the two girls, the boys would have become intolerable to most of the island with all their antics- especially considering how much of a bad influence JJ was. "Do you think we'll be able to get any food tonight?" Scarlett asked, turning back to the group.
John B nodded. "He may not like us, but I doubt he'd not give us at least something small to eat."
Scarlett leaned back against JJ's chest. "Man, I'm starving." She groaned. "I could eat a cow. I wouldn't, but I definitely could."
"Lottie, how high are you right now?" Pope asked, leaning his elbows on the table.
"Five foot five." Scarlett giggled.
"I think that answers your question, Pope." JJ laughed, using his hand to push Scarlett's hair out of her face. Not even ten minutes later were they laughing and joking around as they tucked into the left over food that Kiara's dad had brought over for them.
"Lottie, move." John B called, holding up a fry.
Scarlett sighed, moving her body to the side so that he could throw to fry to JJ, who caught it in his mouth. She picked up her milkshake, sipping on it. Just then, a 'Queen' song started playing on the radio. Scarlett jumped up from where she had still been sat on JJ's lap and raced over to the radio, turning the volume all the way up. She grabbed onto Kiara's hand and the two girls began dancing. "I love this song!" She yelled spinning around with Kiara.
"You love every song." JJ pointed out, watching her dance.
"Not the point." She held her hands out to him, still jumping up and down to the music. "Dance with me?" She asked, giving him the 'puppy dog' eyes. JJ rolled his eyes at her but stood up nonetheless and span her around. Scarlett found herself having the most fun she had had in ages as she danced with JJ. A huge smile made its way onto her face as she and JJ created their own dances moves, trying to make the other laugh. They found that when they were together, the whole world seemed to fade away.
JJ wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him just as she burst out into a fit of laughter. He leaned his head down close to her ear. "Wanna get out of here?" He whispered, continuing to sway the both of them along to the music.
Scarlett grinned, lifting her head and looking into his eyes. "Totally." She spun around, her hand slipping into his as they walked off the make-shift dance floor. They made their way to the door before Kiara managed to stop them.
"Where're you guys off to?" She asked, resting her hands on her hips and looking between their faces.
"Packing up my stuff from dad's house." Scarlett answered, leaning on the open door. "I'll see you back at yours and I'll send you a text when I reach Figure Eight."
❤❤❤
The walk back to Scarlett's house was long, but it felt nice to finally be alone with JJ. They walked in silence, although it was a comfortable one. The house was surprisingly empty when they arrived, which was weird because Steven was always home. Scarlett ignored the emptiness, figuring it was for the best that her father didn't see her packing up her things. She headed straight to Maisie's room -JJ behind her- having decided that it was best to start there.
"Don't you think it's a bit weird?" JJ asked, taking books off the shelves and setting them down in the boxes laid out on the bed. "The fact that your dad has just disappeared."
Scarlett shrugged as she folded up one of Maisie's t-shirts. "It's better that he doesn't see me packing up mine and Maisie's life." She placed the top down in an open suitcase and turned around to pick up another one. "I don't want to think about what he'd do if he saw me leaving." She folded up the top, placing it next to the one she had previously packed.
JJ stared at her, his face soft as he observed her. "You won't have to worry about him anymore, Red. Everything's gonna be fine. Just you wait."
"What if it isn't, JJ? What if he finds us and-"
JJ walked round the bed and pulled her into his arms. "He won't find you, sweetheart. Just remember, soon you'll have more than enough money to move yourself and Maisie far away from here."
Scarlett pressed her cheek against his chest, her eyes fluttering closed. "Promise me that you'll come with us." She whispered. After a brief moment, she opened her eyes and moved her head back so she was looking at him. "Promise that you'll stay with me, JJ?"
He leaned his head down, pressing a kiss on her forehead. "I promise, love. I'll always stay with you." They held each other for a few more minutes, taking in the silence before JJ broke it. "Now, about this empty house..." He smirked, winking at her.
❤❤❤
⁎⁎⁎
Edited: 7/1/2021