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"Okay genius we're at tannyhill, what do we do?" Pope glances at me, letting the boat idle as we grab onto the Cameron's dock beside the Druthers. "Well I could go up and ask ward if he's seen John b but he might be suspicious." I offer up and Kiara nods, agreeing with me. "Well if there's anyone that it would be the least awkward it would be you. Besides he lives here now so it's plausible."
"You know or we could play dumb?" JJ and I share an identical look and I draw my attention back to Kie.
"Okay retract that statement right now. You realize how late it is right? There's no use in even going to talk to ward. Look I'm sure John b is fine." I feel JJ hand grasp out for mine and I take it willingly, squeezing it without a second thought.
"You don't know that Li. I've never seen him like that . We should honestly be going to the cops."
"The cop-" JJ's eyebrows raise as the disbelief is prominent in his facial features. "And say what Kie? We're worried about our friend because he's going off on a rampage because ward Cameron killed big John? Look- they're not gonna believe us!"
Kie opens her mouth to retort back but Pope's voice fills our ears instead. "Hey guys I see ward." All of us stop our bickering and Kiara walks towards Pope, grabbing the binoculars from him. "doesn't look dead to me Del. so lets just go back home."
"I'm sorry, what?" both Kiara and I say at the same time, JJ sharing our expression and Pope sighs. "Uh... Okay. Obviously Mr. Cameron is fine, and even if John B. was here, he isn't now, okay? Plus I have the biggest, most important moment of my life in six hours!" he sits back down into the captains seat of the boat as Kie scoffs.
"Yeah, well, our friend is in trouble." he doesn't say anything for a second before he challenges, "I'm in trouble. Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dad's probably put all my shit on the street by now."
"are you fucking kidding me? are you actually joking because I swear to god if you aren't I'm gonna slap you. I literally got kicked out of my own house by my dad because I was even associated with you guys. So before you go complaining about not being home in three days, at least you have a family that cares about you and a home to actually go home to." that shuts him up real quick and I feel JJ's hand wrap around my waist, finding a spot at the crook of my hip.
"Okay, so that's it? In a time of need , you're just gonna bail? You're just gonna walk away?" next to me Kie's eyebrows furrow up in anger and I can tell this is all getting to JJ. "Okay can we not do this right now? It's not doing any of us any good fighting in front of the Camerons house like this."
'Fine with me, I have the scholarship meeting in the morning and I'm not going to throw away all my hard work now."
"Okay- well, what about John B?" her eyebrows raise which only sets him off even more. "why is it always about John B?"
"It's not always about John B. You're so stupid.It would be any of you guys in this situation." she gestures to both of the boys and I can tell that this isn't going anywhere good. "Oh, bullshit!"
"Kie, this isn't helping anyone-" she shoots me a glare before going in again. "this is about friendship. Look this is about Pogues for life!" her voice starts to crack as she finishes the sentences.
"What about forensic pathology, huh? It's my life, it's everything Ive worked for since I can remember Kiara. It's important to me!"
"guys-"
"That's your priority? are you kidding!" I glance at JJ who just sighs, looking up to the star filled sky and our friends practically rip each other's throats out. "Stop with the moral high ground bullshit, okay!"
"Pope-" JJ steps toward him but he just shoves him away. "no, she has no room to talk. neither of them do. Where were you guys when Big John went missing?"
"okay that's not fair I-." he cuts her off again, "you weren't there. you weren't there for John b. you weren't there for any of us. del I have no fucking idea what you were doing but Kiara you remember your kook year where you forgot about us?"
"dude stop-."
"no, JJ. You feel guilty don't you-" now on the brink of tears, Kiara gets uo in his face, her emotions getting the better of her. "Oh just give me a break you have no idea what I went through! no fucking idea."
then pope snaps.
I can barely register what she said before he's lunging at her, shoving her to the other side of the boat. JJ, seeing all of this unfold, jumps in between them. separating them before they make too much of a ruckus or cause any damage to the already rickety HMS Pogue. "Okay you two calm the fuck down! If I'm the one mediating now we really have hit rock bottom. Pope, Bow now. I'll drop you off at home and Kiara you can get home from the wreck right?"
without looking at pope, she nods, plopping down in the seat next to me as JJ starts the boat, pushing off the cameron's dock. "hey if it makes you feel any better, you were there for me when I needed you after Char died. Even if you didn't even realize it, it made a difference. So many people avoided me after she was gone and walked on eggshells around me, like if they brought her up I was somehow going to break into a million pieces. So anyways, thank you for not treating me like I was made of glass."
a smile crosses her face and she leans forward, grabbing my hand and squeezing it tightly. "That means a lot del, really. and again, I'm really sorry about Charlotte. she was a really great person and the world made a lot more sense when she was around."
"yeah, it really did."
It doesn't take very long to get to pope's doc and kie's father's restaurant so in a matter of thirty minutes both JJ and I are laying on our backs, admiring the starts from the comfort of John B's dock.
"Do you think I should be worried about Sarah?"I ask, nuzzling my chin Ito the crook of his arms as he rubs circles on my shoulder. "I don't think Ward would do anything to compromise her safety. I mean she is his daughter."
I fold my lips together, attempting to silence the laugh that starts to bubble up my throat. "What's so funny covey?"
"um.. well it's stupid and actually quite a dark joke now that I think of it."he lifts his chin to meet my eye and a grin spreads across his face. "You know I like dark humor a lot better than that corny shit that Kie listens to sometimes, so hit me with it."
"Okay fine." I give in, crinkling my nose. "I was going to say I couldn't relate. I mean neither of us can. Imagine having a father who wouldn't compromise your safety. " he immediately shakes his head in disapproval, but the smile never leaves his face.
