"Look at this place," Kelce mused as he pulled into the lot off the edge of the Boneyard, which was already teeming with Pogues, Kooks, and Tourons as the party began to go in full swing. "It's already packed."

Kelce parked his car and killed the engine, and Dylan stepped out of the car, inhaling deeply in the fresh air and already beginning to feel a weight lift from her shoulders. After a long day of moving their things into the new house and unpacking her belongings, the night off with her friends was just what Dylan needed.

As they walked to where the partygoers began to congregate, where Dylan could only assume the group of Pogues throwing the party kept the keg, her stomach began to slowly turn as she caught sight of their friends sitting in the distance, waiting for them. She hadn't seen or heard from any of them since her father's arrest, or the news breaking that Dylan and her mother had moved to the Cut, and she could only imagine what they were thinking. But she held her head high, keeping her shoulders back as she leaned against Kelce, attempting to keep all the negative thoughts away as she walked.

For all that mattered, she was still a Kook, and she intended to keep it that way.

"There they are!" a voice rang out as Dylan and Kelce made their way through the throngs of people, reaching the small group hanging out near the shore, and Dylan looked to where Kelce's best friend, Topper Thornton waited to greet the boy with a fist bump, standing next to his girlfriend, Sarah Cameron, and their other friend, Margot Griffin. "We were beginning to think you guys were bailing."

"Or that you got lost on your way back from The Cut," Margot muttered under her breath.

"Not a chance." Kelce said, glancing back down at Dylan. "Somebody needed to get her out of that house and away from those boxes. Right babe?"

Dylan nodded, forcing a smile onto her face. "Right."

"Don't worry, Dyl," Topper assured her. "I'm sure everything will get cleared up with your dad, and you'll be back on our side where you belong in no time."

Dylan stayed silent, instead allowing the shouts and cheers of the other partygoers to drift into their space, but Margot sighed in frustration, her eyes shooting daggers back at the crowds.

"This is a total bust." the redhead said. "It's all just Pogues and Tourons here. Why did we even come?" she spat, venom lacing her tone.

"C'mon Mar, lighten up." Kelce chided, and Dylan stiffened a bit, as she took in the disgust in Margot's tone at the word Pogue.

"Hey, uh, I'm gonna go get a drink." Dylan said to Kelce, excusing herself from the crowd to take a walk and distance herself from the group for a moment, "You want anything?"

Kelce nodded, reaching forward to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Grab me a beer. Thanks, baby."

She smiled in return, leaving the group of Kooks behind as she began her trek through the sand to where the line for the keg had mercifully begun to grow shorter, and she could finally catch a glimpse of the group in charge. John B Routledge handed out the beer in red plastic cups, while JJ Maybank filled them from the keg and Pope Heyward and Kiara Carrera sat behind them on one of the fallen logs.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't our newest Pogue," JJ announced to the group as Dylan approached, leaning forward in a mock bow as his eyes narrowed in her direction. "Welcome home, Princess."

"What'll it be, Bates?" John B asked, handing a cup in her direction. "Beer?"

"Uh, yeah, two please," Dylan said to John B, ignoring JJ's comment as her eyes stayed glued on the sand at their feet. John B grabbed another full beer from on top of the keg, handing both the cups to her as she took them. "Thanks," she murmured.

As Dylan turned away from the group, she felt herself bump into somebody, and instantly froze so as not to completely spill the two beers on the pair of Pogues that were waiting behind her, though a few drops managed to break free from the rims of the plastic cups and splash onto the sand.

"Sorry," the girl said quickly, parting from the sandy-haired boy standing next to her to allow Dylan to pass between them, but she wordlessly moved past, already eager to get back to Kelce and the rest of their friends after her encounter with Kiara's group, even with the obvious tension she'd felt from them as soon as they'd arrived.

"There she is," Kelce said with a grin as Dylan passed him his red cup, throwing his free arm around her shoulders. "Thanks, babe."

Dylan looked around at the others as Topper and Sarah had already moved on to say hi to a few others, Margot lingering close behind them. Instead, Dylan turned back in the direction of the water, staring at the waves as a feeling of peace and calm finally began to settle over her, and she finally felt as though she could breathe again.

"Sit with me?" Dylan asked, looking back at Kelce, and he looked back at the party going on around them for a moment before nodding back in her direction.

"Yeah," he said, stepping forward and guiding her along with him to where a large fallen log sat near the shore of the beach, where they both sat down facing the waves. "What's on your mind?" Kelce asked, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

Dylan shrugged. "What's not on my mind?" she chuckled humorlessly. "My dad's in a jail cell somewhere and I'm living in a place with no power or cell reception, but I have to act like everything's normal. Not to mention the fact that now our friends won't look at me, or else they think they'll catch rabies."

Kelce shook his head. "I'm sure they don't think you have rabies." he assured her.

"Not the point," she reminded him. "Sorry, I guess I'm not in much of a party mood tonight. But don't let me stop you if you want to go hang out with Topper and the others."

Kelce shrugged. "I don't need to hang out with the others. I've got all I need right here."

Dylan smiled softly, resting her head on Kelce's shoulder as the last rays of sunlight began to slip from the edge of the horizon, the summer night now illuminated by the large bonfire started by Pope and JJ. Eventually, Topper and the others made their way back to where Kelce and Dylan sat, needing a break as the night began to wind down. Dylan's half-finished cup of beer lay abandoned in the sand at her feet, the buzz she'd been so desperately craving when she'd arrived no longer appealing the longer she sat with the others, half-listening to whatever joke Topper had been in the middle of telling that the others were laughing at.

"Hey, I think we're gonna head out, alright?" Topper asked the others, rising to his feet and taking Sarah's hand to pull her up along with him.

"Yeah, I'm out, too." Margot agreed. "Top, mind if I catch a ride back with you guys?"

"Be my guest," he said.

"We should probably get back too, right, Dyl?" Kelce asked.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "Yeah, I've still got some unpacking to do before bed."

Dylan let Kelce pull her up to her feet, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to lead her as they walked behind Topper, Sarah, and Margot.

"Hey, Sarah!" a voice called out, and Dylan looked over to see JJ approach her friend with a full plastic cup of beer. "Sarah, can I interest you in a tasty Milwaukee beverage?"

Sarah's eyes studied the cup for a moment before she looked back up at JJ. "No, thanks," she said.

"Oh, come on," JJ said. "Is it not fancy enough for you?"

"No, we were just leaving." she explained.

"Hey, you know what?" Topper asked. "I'll take it. Thank you, man, I appreciate it."

Topper reached out for the cup, but JJ moved it out of his reach with a smirk. "That's nice of you to suggest that, Topper, but I didn't ask you. Now if you said pretty please, maybe, but you didn't."

"Oh, pretty please," Topper replied sarcastically. "Pretty please?"

"Yeah, so Sarah." JJ offered again. "You can have it."

JJ extended the cup back towards the girl again, but Topper stepped between them, hitting the bottom of the cup so the liquid inside splashed up, hitting JJ in the face. "She doesn't want it, you-"

The smile quickly fell from JJ's face as he reached out for Topper, shoving him back and balling up his shirt in his fists to push him further away as John B quickly stepped between them. "No, no, no, no, no," John B chided as Pope quickly stepped up next to them, and Topper turned back to face his friends.

"Dirty Pogues!" Topper shouted, looking back at the three boys, and John B quickly let go of JJ, spinning back around to push Topper back.

"Whoa!" Sarah yelled, attempting to diffuse the situation, exchanging a glance with Dylan with wide eyes before looking back at the boys, noticing a dark look settle over Topper's eyes as he began to slowly walk back towards John B. "Babe, babe, babe, babe," Sarah attempted to reach out to Topper, though it was to no avail as his fist connected with John B's jaw.

A loud collective gasp emitted from the crowd as John B toppled back into the water, and JJ immediately lunged for Topper as Pope threw himself in front of the blonde boy, desperately trying to keep him back. Kelce immediately stepped forward, as if to help Topper but Dylan reached out to grab his hand, holding him back.

"Guys!" Sarah shouted as Topper advanced again on John B, kneeing him in the stomach and sending him back into the waves. "Chill!"

"Hey, John B!" Topper exclaimed. "Don't make me drown you like your old man, alright?"

"Come on Topper, don't be an ass!" Dylan called out, but it was drowned out as the crowd began to chant the word fight over and over, egging the two boys on.

Topper turned to walk back towards Sarah and the others, but John B slowly stood up, nearly shaking with rage as he lunged for Topper, tackling him and sending both of them into the water. The two boys continued to throw punches at one another as the crowd cheered louder, Kelce even joining in to cheer on his best friend, much to Dylan's dismay.

"John B, let it go, man!" Pope shouted.

"Stop, you guys!" Kiara exclaimed.

"Topper, stop!" Sarah yelled as the boys continued to fight, though it appeared they were just getting started.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" the crowd continued to chant, and Sarah looked back at Dylan helplessly, running a hand through her hair.

"This is so stupid," Sarah huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched them.

John B aimed upwards, hitting Topper square in the face as the boy stumbled back slightly, but he soon recovered, beginning to circle the Pogue. "Come on!" John B shouted, egging him on again.

"Yeah, you wanna go?" Topper challenged, hitting John B and causing the boy to stagger back.

"Guys, come on!" Dylan shouted.

Topper lunged for John B again, but the boy ducked out of the way, seizing the opportunity to land a hit on Topper's ribs before pushing him back into the water, where Topper fell back into the waves. "Come on, Topper!" John B yelled. "Let's go! Come on!"

As John B ran back for Topper, the two boys met in the middle, with Topper managing to flip John B onto his stomach in the sand before reaching out for his hair, gripping it tightly as he shoved the boy's face into the water.

"Oh, my god," Sarah gasped, a horrified realization crossing her face at Topper's actions. "Topper, stop! No!"

"Topper!" Dylan shouted, taking a step forward after Sarah, the crowd watching helplessly as Topper held John B's head underwater. "Topper come on, quit it! Kelce, do something!" she shouted, looking back at her boyfriend who continued to watch the scene before them.

"Topper!" Sarah shouted again, but a quick flash out of the corner of Dylan's eye caught her attention as she looked back to where the other Pogues had been standing.

Where JJ had previously stood next to Pope and Kiara, he now stood behind Topper with a pistol resting against the boy's head, the unmistakable click of the safety echoing through the now-quiet party. Topper instantly froze at the feeling of the gun against his head, tensing up as his hands rose up in surrender, letting John B free.

"Yeah, you know what that is." JJ said as the crowd began to disperse, Tourons running in fear back to their hotels and rental homes while the Kooks and Pogues started to head for home. "Your move, broski."

"Come on, chill, dude!" Pope shouted.

"JJ!" Sarah yelled. "Put the gun down."

"Did you say somethin', princess?" JJ asked, looking back at Sarah.

"Put the gun down!" she shouted again.

"We're good, we're good," Topper said, arms still raised in surrender, but JJ continued to hold the gun firmly against his head. "Alright? Come on, man!"

"Kie!" Sarah shouted, looking back over at Kiara and Pope. "Can you check your psycho friend, please?"

"Okay, everyone, listen up!" JJ yelled, looking back at the retreating crowd and raising the gun in the air. "Get the hell off our side of the island!"

To punctuate his words, JJ fired the gun twice into the air, a small scream of surprise emitting from Dylan's throat as Kelce took her hand, running away from the Boneyard and back to where his car waited, the party long forgotten in their attempts to get as far from JJ Maybank as humanly possible. She tried to look around for Topper, Sarah, and Margot, but the three of them were lost in the crowd of others frantically trying to escape, Dylan and Kelce not slowing down until they'd reached Kelce's car down the street, where Dylan came to a stop with her hands resting on her knees in an attempt to catch her breath.

"Fucking psychopath," Kelce panted, unlocking the car and getting in, turning the key in the ignition while Dylan still attempted to catch her breath outside. "Babe, c'mon, let's get out of here."

Dylan nodded breathlessly, opening the car door and plopping down into the passenger seat. Traffic was already beginning to grow heavy from those that had driven to the Boneyard, and Dylan buckled her seatbelt as Kelce joined the line, leaning her head against the window. While she knew Topper had been more than out of line in his comments to John B and the others, and even throwing the first punch in the fight and attempting to drown the boy, the sight of JJ with the gun against his head unnerved her, leaving a tight, queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Dylan watched as Kelce turned down the path leading to The Cut, the familiar roads leading to Figure Eight growing further and further away as he drove to her new house. The gravel streets were dark as they drove, the light shining from the moon illuminating the area just enough to see the small house where it sat at the end of the street.

"Thanks for tonight," she said as Kelce shifted the car into park, leaning over to give him a quick kiss goodbye.

"Sorry it didn't turn out the way we hoped." Kelce said, shaking his hand. "Dirty Pogues,"

Dylan's breath caught in her throat at his words, though as her mind sought to remind him that she was now technically considered one of them, she quickly pushed the thought away with a slight shake of her head. That would be a conversation for another night, but now Dylan wanted nothing more than to crawl under the covers of her bed and end the day she'd had.

"Right," she said, unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the car door. "Good night, Kelce."