The small lifeboat had touched land, the four girls making their way to sit in the sand as the four  boys insisted on bringing the boat in. During the boat ride Tyler and Pope had struck up good conversation, Pope giving the boy a decent explanation of what exactly had happened for all of this to begin. John B had realized that maybe...just maybe could get along with the boy, he didn't seem all too bad  when you got him talking.  He had also saved June quite a few times, something he would be eternally grateful for.

JJ had spent the entire boat ride gripping June's hand, unable to let go as he thought of how much he never wanted to die if it meant never getting to see her again. He contemplated big things following his near death, and he finally got his priorities straight, June being his number one. He had a plan when he got to shore, his nerves starting to wrack him as they finally got the boat pulled safely away.

His head turned, his eyes catching sight of the beyond beautiful June March, the girl of his dreams, her dark hair cascading down her shoulders and drying against her skin. She had pulled her shirt off, something that JJ definitely didn't mind, but also did because this Tyler guy was here. Her head was thrown back as she supported herself with her arms behind her, and a smile was present on her face as she soaked in the sun. He once again believed that she was perfect.

"Good job guys!" Sarah called from the shore, all of them turning to look at her cheers.

"Yeah good job boys!" June agreed, her eyes opening as she lifted her head. JJ whirled around to see her, the boy slightly stumbling as he did so, his fingers going to the side of his head where he had been hit as a wave of dizziness and nausea hit him.

"JJ you alright there buddy?" John B asked as they walked towards the girls, his eyes filled with concern for his friend.

"Yeah. Still a little dizzy." He said, his attention already glued to the girl that he was going to sit by. She shifted, her eyes falling on him and making the breath fall from his lungs, absolutely breathtaking. She sat up, holding out a hand for him. He gladly took it, the girl pulling his hand so that he was sitting right by her, a smile on her face as she messed with his hair.

"Okay anybody know where we're at?" JJ asked, running his thumb over the back of June's had as he squinted his eyes from the sun.

"Deserted beach. Unknown island." Pope answered, the boy going to sit down himself.

"Alright I'll take that as a no. Plan A huh Pope? That went well." JJ said, looking out at the water as the wind pushed his hair.

"This is the lowest we can go. We literally having nothing else to lose. The cross, gone." Pope said, gesturing towards the water where the Coastal Venture had been.

"The gold, gone." Sarah interjected, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the sand. JJ stood from his spot, disconnecting from June and leaning against a tree. He pulled his knife out, sticking it into the side of the tree and speaking again.

"Seriously if we had a nickel for every time we got beat up, I'd say we're at a dollar fifty."  JJ said, putting his hand on his hip. June nodded at that, her eyes tracing over the boy that she loved so dearly, the girl biting the inside of her cheek as she tried to keep a grin off her lips, considering the somber moment they were having.

"That's more than I got on me." Kie said, turning to look at JJ.

"That somehow doesn't make me feel better." Sarah sighed, shaking her head.

"If I had a nickel for every time my ass almost got killed, I think I'd have a separate dollar fifty. So if we put those two dollar fifty's together we could probably buy a single slice of pizza." June chimed in, the girl going quite off track and making all the others look at her in confusion as to why she thought that was relevant.

"Good math June. Thank you for that." Pope said, his lips parted as he looked at her with a dumbfounded look. JJ and John B shared a look, the two boys quirking an eyebrow at her peculiar statement.

"I'm just saying." June said, shrugging as Cleo chuckled.

"Yeah you're right. But I mean...we've had some good stuff happen, right?" John B said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Name something." Pope said, doubting him.

"Okay Uh... the boiler room." They all looked at him in confusion, wondering what he meant by that. "What?  If the boiler didn't explode, I wouldn't have gotten away from Rafe. I couldn't have gotten the Zodiac and gotten us out of here."

"That wasn't luck. That thing was gonna blow the second I stopped feeding it." Cleo said, raising her eyebrows at John B as she looked at him.

"It was pretty bad." Tyler chimed in, giving Cleo an understanding look.

"Stealing my thunder Cleo...Uh—"

"Sorry." The girl apologized, shrugging as she looked at June who was biting back another smile.

"Okay, Pope. You're related to Denmark Tanny.  That's crazy."

"And I lost all his inheritance." Pope said, making John B sigh. The Routledge boy stood, getting in front of all of them and extending his arms.

"You know what, guys this is it. This is the Pogue life. We are in the Caribbean.  It's our own little slice of paradise. With my best friends, with my family." John B said, making all of their hearts swell as he made a point. "I don't know. I wouldn't wanna do it with anyone else. Look and while you guys were complaining about every little thing....JJ?"

"Hm?" The boy said, looking up at John B who was standing in front of him now.

"I was looking at those burly lefts." The two boys shared a smile, JJ nodding as he spoke.

"There's some slabs out there." JJ agreed, a smile coming across his face. June pulled her knees to her chest, a smile on her lips as she watched them interact. She loved them.

"Just a few."

"Kie, you see that? I know you wanna get out there." John B said, directing his attention towards the girls.

"No boards." Kie deadpanned.

"Well we can bodysurf till we make some boards. Come on Juney get up!" John B said, grabbing June by the hand and pulling her up from her spot. She shook her head frantically, pulling her arms from his grip as she backed away from him.

"I don't know how to surf!"

"What?! That won't do." John B said, pressing a hand theatrically over his chest as he gave her a shocked look. "JJ you better get on that. We can't have a non surfing Pogue!"

"Sir yes sir!" JJ said, giving John B a fake salute before walking over and grabbing June by the waist. He lifted her from the ground, June squealing as he spun her around, her arms flailing as she took the unexpected twirl. Finally he set her down, the boy pressing a kiss into the side of her hair.

"Lame." Kie said, referring to the body surfing.

"Pope! Come on man." John B said, turning his attention to Pope.

"They do look pretty tasty." Pope agreed, letting out a sigh as he stood from his spot.

"Oh yes, they do."

"There's nobody around. We could squat here for a bit. Kind of belongs to us now huh?" Pope said,  squinting his eyes as he looked at John B.

"You got a point." Pope and John B shared a handshake, smiles on their faces as they looked to JJ.

"Poguelandia." JJ said in a posh accent. "I claim thee Poguelandia.  I like the ring of it. I'm gonna make a flag.  It's gonna have a chicken on it, with a coconut bra, smoking a J...in Crocs."

"I can already see it. It's beautiful." June laughed out, shaking her head at the boy as he sent her a wink.

"I could use a J." Kie said, laughing as Sarah spoke.

"Can we vote on that?"

"Shall we get to work?" Pope asked, directing his attention to John B again.

"Let's get to work." The Routledge boy agreed.

"Let's start working on provisions. Set up shop."

June stepped from her spot, making her way over to a confused and observant Tyler, the boy looking at her expectantly as she reached out a hand.

"I guess you saved me one time too many, cause now you're stuck with these losers." June said, a lopsided grin on her lips as Tyler looked at the others. He chuckled, looking down at the sand and then back up at her.

"Hey, it's better than all the other places I've been. Plus I got Cleo. She's not a loser." Tyler said, making June chuckle as she dropped his hand. She looked behind her, scratching the back of her head as she looked between all of them, a bright smile stuck on her lips.

"Eh the rest aren't too bad. Welcome to Pogue life Ty." June said, the boy dropping an arm over her shoulder as they followed the pack of Pogues across the sand. June's heart was warm and happy, at least they were all together, at least they were all okay, at least they could make the best out of the situation. There was peace in knowing she wasn't alone, peace in knowing she belonged there with them. Of all the things she could think to feel, of all the ways to describe her situation, there was one thing that she clung to as an explanation.

She felt okay.

_______________

I'm so sad because it's almost over.  I've written 2 more chapters, I'm excited to show them to you. But so so sad to be finished.

Let me know what you think!