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𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖙𝖔: 𝖑𝖔𝖘𝖊 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑

(CHAPTER SIX)

𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐫𝐝

★☆⋆⁎⋆✶★☆⋆⁎⋆✶

                 Veronica smiled kindly at the group of teenagers touring Outer Banks, setting their food and drinks down and muttering something about being over at the bar if they needed anything. The Wreck was slow today, being that it was a Monday night, and with the hurricane aftermath, their tourism rate had decreased for the week―which just meant Ronni and Kie had to do some miscellaneous work around the restaurant in between serving customers. One of those jobs happened to be spackling the walls and taking out the new 'summer coasters' Mike had ordered with The Wreck's logo on them. Kie only got stuck with the big tub of spackle because Ronni couldn't climb up the ladder with the short jean skirt she'd chosen to wear (absolutely a coincidence).

"Blondie's been looking at your ass for the last twenty minutes in that skirt. I think he's about to change his order," Kie said casually, clearing her throat as she patched up another hole, peeking over her shoulder to see the boy in question still glancing Ronni's way. "To you."

Ronni didn't even bother glancing over her shoulder, sighing and throwing another packet of coasters to her left. "Which means he'll come up here asking for my number. I'm not in the mood."

"He's going to be real disappointed when he finds out cell towers are still down," she grinned. Then she paused, glancing over at Ronni. "So...um, have you talked to the others since the police station?"

"JJ spent the night after he took Pope home, but JB said he wanted to stay the Chateau whenever we dropped him off to go talk to Ward. I haven't seen him since then. Dad surprisingly let him go," Ronni shrugged, and she stopped her job momentarily to fiddle around with the edges, the pretty sunset colors warming her heart. "I know Dad already thanked him, but I need to make sure I tell Mike thank you for paying JB's bail―"

"Right. Yeah, no, of course."

Ronni dropped the coasters all together, staring at Kie. "Okay. What gives?"

"What?" Kie asked quickly, turning around much faster than gravity expected, nearly toppling off the ladder. "Shit―"

"Smooth. Want to explain to me why you've been avoiding eye contact with me this whole time? Or you get all weird whenever John B's mentioned?" she leaned forward, putting her chin on her hands, waiting patiently. "Things were weird between you two yesterday at the station. I have eyes. I know awkward JB when I see him. Spill."

"He kissed me," Kiara blurted out, finally turned to look at her, her eyes wide with panic. "It just happened. We were talking about his dad, and then after everything happened at the lighthouse, I think he was just super overwhelmed and emotional, and he just kind of...kissed me."

Ronni blinked, speechless.

"I'm going to really need to you say something right now," she said when her best friend stayed quiet, trying to process everything. "I mean―it didn't mean anything. John B was just really out of it, and we have the rule, you know―"

Mention of the rule instantly broke Ronni out of her surprise. "Oh...my God."

"Ronni―"

"You...he...oh my god. Oh. My. God."

Kie groaned, her hand going to her face, unbeknownst that she accidentally got some of the spackle on it. "Ronni. I'm going through a crisis. How am I supposed to look at him in the eyes again? Do you think that he told JJ and Pope? Because then it's just going to be awkward with all of us now. I mean, we literally had the rule for a reason, so that none of this would ever happen―"

"If I'm being completely honest, I didn't think you and John B be the ones to break the rule."

"You think I did?!" Kie hissed out under her breath, pausing when a couple passed by the bar and she smiled at them politely, waving. "Hi there! Take a seat! We're closing the back lobby, but there's still open seats to your right." Then she turned back to Ronni, glaring with wide eyes. "I thought when the rule was broken, it would be you and JJ! Everyone thought that! Ronni, what do I do!"

While Ronni could have easily dismissed and rejected everything Kiara just said about her and JJ, even she couldn't deny that it was true. If any of the Pogues were going to break the no-pogue-on-pogue macking rule, inevitably they all knew it would be Ronni and JJ. Whether that was on purpose or because the two of them were just overly affectionate and got caught up in a moment...yeah, not even Ronni could deny that one―but the difference was that everyone expected that. And there was always an unspoken thing between JJ and Ronni. Both John B and Pope had a thing for Kie. That was what complicated the situation.

"Well..." Ronni started, thinking as she gnawed on her lip. "I mean...okay. Game plan: act like it never happened―unless you wanted it to happen―"

Kie stalled. "Don't go there."

"I'm going there. Did you kiss him back?"

"Ronni!"

"What?!" she defended innocently. "I literally tell you about all of my hook-ups!"

"None of your hook-ups were our best friend!"

"Besides the point!" and then when Ronni noticed Kie's skin fluster slightly, her mixed-skin reddening under her complexion, she shot up halfway out of the bar stool, gasping. "You kissed him back―oh, oh―"

"I pulled away!"

"You still kissed back!"

Their hushed conversation was cut short when Mike came from the back of the restaurant, his eyes narrowing suspiciously when they both shut up immediately. Kiara cleared her throat and turned around, going back to spackling (horribly, seeing as she was distracted) while Ronni ripped into a new package of coasters to make it seem like they were actually doing their job.

"Hey girls," he said, leaning over the side of the bar to glance in between them. "We're overstaffed right now. The two of you don't have to stay if you don't want to. I'll pick up your usual timecards either way. We'll probably close up early tonight."

Kie turned to look back at Ronni in relief, who grinned back at her. "Okay, thanks, Dad."

"Hey, Mister C," Ronni called, standing up from the bar. He paused, turning to look at her with kind eyes. He'd always been too good to her. "I appreciate what you did yesterday. I know they don't make your life easy, they don't make mine any easier, but..."

"Don't sweat it," he said, waving his hand. "Just make sure he shows up for that court date or I'll skin his ass."

"Oh, trust me, we'll be taking turns if he doesn't."

He nodded. "Be safe, you two. Don't stay out too late."

Mike went to the back again, and Ronni nearly took that as her opportunity to say something about the fact that Kie's unrequited feelings for John B weren't so unrequited. However, that was cut short when she heard the sound of a throat clearing behind her. Kie turned around before she did, looking immediately over Ronni's head and smiling under her breath at what she saw―which only gave her more indication on what was waiting when she finally looked.

Ronni slowly turned around on the heel of her Converse, smiling kindly at the curly-blonde haired boy in front of her. He looked like a surfer, probably from California or Florida, but he could also just fit the stereotype. He was cute, his blue eyes kind as they looked into hers and not her ass, as Kie mentioned earlier.

"Hi, did you guys need something?" she asked, glancing over at the table where his friends were. They had all looked away the moment she did so, not at all inconspicuous with their spying. Ronni's smile only widened when she turned back to him. "Looks like you've got some fans hyping you up."

He smiled, awkwardly laughing. "Uh, yeah. I'm Conner. I just...they kind of sent me over here because I've been talking about how cute our waitress was for the last twenty minutes."

"Only twenty minutes?" she quirked an eyebrow innocently. "You've been here at least thirty."

"The last ten were spent trying to talk myself into coming over here to maybe get your number."

Ronni was just about to answer him when the back door to The Wreck opened up, making her and Kie both dart their heads in that direction to tell whoever was coming in that they were about to close―except it was just two familiar faces. Pope walked in carelessly, waving at Ronni before he stopped on the far side of the bar to get Kie's attention so he could talk to her. The second face was JJ, who showed far more care in Ronni.

Ronni had already turned back to the boy (Christian? Cooper?) when JJ made his way over to her. "I mean, I could, but cell towers are down here. What if I give you my number and you forget all about me when they come back up?"

JJ might have wanted to vomit in his mouth, but he was still a man with certain boundaries. He kept his distance, leant up against the bar on his forearms as he eavesdropped on the conversation. Pretending like he hadn't read The Wreck's menu a thousand times occupied his mind as not to let his wave of jealousy overtake him and immediately shove the dude away from Ronni. Or bodyslam him to the ground―but JJ hadn't made a move, and they weren't exclusive, and Ronni would just make him eat his own words for being such a hypocrite. She wasn't his to get jealous over, and it wasn't like he was innocent.

"You're hardly someone anyone could forget," the boy said, clearly flirting his way into getting her number. Fucking gross, JJ rolled his eyes dramatically, unable to help visibly gagging to the side of them. "So...what do you say, Veronica?"

It was Ronni, JJ scowled. She hated when people called her Veronica if they weren't joking around. Her mother named her Veronica, and still called her only that to this day. That was the whole reason why her dad started calling her Ronni instead, and JB and JJ stuck to the nickname 'V' like glue. Unless Ronni pissed him off, then she was Veronica.  Dumbass. He kept an ear open, waiting for V's signal for him to interrupt their moment and save her the honor of letting the guy down.

"Hey, JJ," Pope said, calling him over to where he was bickering slightly with Kie on the other side of the room. JJ raised his eyebrows, intrigued, and he couldn't help himself from sliding past Ronni and the touron, having trouble resisting clipping his shoulder on the way. He caught Ronni looking past the boy at him briefly, but he'd already walked over to Pope and Kie. "Convince her to come with us."

"What? Convincing Kie was your job. I was supposed to get V."

Kie's features shot up high. "You're doing a great job there."

"I was being nice by not interrupting," JJ defended. "And I wanted to hear her shut the kid down."

"Sorry. I couldn't hear you over the jealousy steaming out of your ears," the curly-haired girl nudged her ear forward, and then she checked Ronni and the boy again. "Might want to 'go get V.' She looks ready to take touron home...unless, of course, you want to be nice. I'm going to continue spackling. Dad needs help. We're understaffed. Go do whatever stupid shit the two of you are going to do without me."

JJ didn't even hear the last part of Kie's lying ass. He was already on his way back over to where Ronni was standing, looking too fucking pretty with her blue jean skirt and bright blue halter top, and those pretty braids she'd done last night before they went to sleep still intact. They were messy now, the humidity frizzing them up slightly, but she never looked bad. He stopped when he noticed the bitch of a touron glance down at her chest and glowered instantly. Maybe he could control himself somewhat, but definitely not enough.

He walked up behind Ronni, wrapping his arms around her waist, knowing she'd have one of two reactions: either she'd silently murder him in her head for ruining her chances, or she'd give zero shits because she was already trying to let the kid down. The touron looked at JJ, standing up straighter and sizing him up. Ronni, on the other hand, just leaned slightly into JJ's arms―ah, so the latter. She wanted nothing to do with this kid. That was her way of telling JJ. A smoke signal the two of them had been using for years of 'get-this-fucking-person-away-from-me-please.'

"Oh, are you two...uh..." the boy gestured between them.

JJ raised his eyebrows at him, gripping Ronni tighter with a shit-eating grin. "It's okay, bro. You can say 'fucking'."

"JJ!" she hissed under her breath, tilting her head to glare at him with wide eyes. "I'm working!"

"Sorry, sorry―we're sleeping in the same bed together at the same time," JJ corrected as he squeezed her hips, and then he turned to look at the guy with a pitied smile. Well, he wasn't lying with that one. "But I don't blame you, man. I'd go for her too if I wasn't already. Have a good day, though! Enjoy your meal. Food's great here."

Christopher (or was in Calvin?) nodded, a bit confused and flustered at what had just happened (which was usually the response in these situations), before he turned around dejectedly to the group of friends at the table. They were all gathered around whispering and wincing at his rejection. The moment he was seated and away from them, Ronni sighed and shook her head, turning around in JJ's arms. Then they were face-to-face, his nose nearly touching hers, and she raised her eyebrows at him. He was grinning smugly, squeezing her hips again and trying to pull her in closer to him.

"JJ."

"You wanted to get rid of him, V," he defended, already knowing what she was going to say. "I was just helping."

"Uh huh. Helping," she glanced back over at the guy, who was now sitting in a chair facing the opposite way of them. "And none of it had to do with you being jealous?"

"Yes. Stop looking at him," he admitted, and he pushed on her cheek with one of his ringed fingers to stop looking at the guy. When her eyes were back on him, he smiled with his one-dimple showing. "Hi. We're leaving. Pope just crashed and burned convincing Kie to come with us. My job was to convince you. This is me convincing you."

"Where exactly are you convincing me to go?" she asked, patting on his chest affectionately before stepping out of his hold, noticing that Kie had returned to her spackling while Pope grumbled, rushing past them out the door. "Kie's not gonna come easily."

JJ frowned, confused. "Why?"

"Sorry. Girl code."

"What?" he was immediately offended, baffled at her response. "What about JJ code? The 'Ronni-tells-JJ-everything' code?"

"Ronni definitely does not tell JJ everything. Besides...not mine to tell. You'll find out eventually. Speaking of finding out, let's go talk to JB. He'll have to convince Kie to come with us," she hummed out casually, but JJ didn't miss the subtle hints that she'd thrown his way. He knew something happened with JB and Kie now.

JJ grinned and swooped forward, grabbing the side of her face so that he could land an obnoxious kiss to her rosy cheek. "JJ Code always wins."

Ronni wiped away the wetness he'd left behind, muttering about him being so extra as they walked out the back. Kie would eventually be roped into coming with them by the end of the next minute, so there was no point in saying goodbye to her. Besides, if JB didn't convince her to come, Ronni would. When they got outside to the small, raised deck of The Wreck, Pope was leant off the side and telling JB that Kie refused to come much to his frustration. Then he stopped to see Ronni behind him with JJ next, and he groaned loud enough for the whole neighborhood to hear.

"See! You gave JJ the easy job!"

Ronni's eyebrows shot up. "Excuse me?"

"Run, Pope. Run," JJ warned, and Pope blinked before darting down the steps to get to the van so that he wouldn't face Ronni's wrath. Then JJ took the opportunity to take his place, leaning off the side now and narrowing his eyes at his best friend. "John B, get your ass in here and fix whatever you did to Kie."

John B sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Shit."

Ronni and JJ reached the end of the steps when John B forced himself out of the van. The three of them crossed paths, which was long enough for her to drown him with a look that he clearly caught. It was the 'I-Know-What-You-Did' kind of look that she wore so well, especially when it came to things John B and JJ did that they shouldn't have. As he disappeared through the door of The Wreck, Ronni and JJ walked to the open side door. JJ leant back against the wooden frame of the porch directly across from Ronni, who was leaning on the van with Pope inside.

"You look pretty," JJ complimented suddenly, glancing down at Ronni's outfit.

She was wearing her favorite silver seaturtle charm on the loose black choker, which only accentuated her chest area with the cropped halter top, but he was too busy looking at her face. She was pretty. She was always pretty. Especially when she got 'dressed-up' (as in, not wearing her usual baggy t-shirt over a bikini) for work. Mascara made her lashes longer, something she rarely put on unless she knew she wouldn't be in the water. JJ always loved watching the faces she made when she put it on in the mornings. Well. JJ just fucking loved her but—

Ronni paused in surprise, looking at herself. "You saw me earlier this morning when I was leaving."

"Well, yeah, but I was half asleep and I didn't get the chance to tell you then."

Her face flushed all of a sudden and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling, pursing her lip to one side. JJ always flirted and complimented her every two seconds. That was part of his personality, the inability to hold his tongue when it came to say something obnoxiously dirty or suggestive, but there was something in that particular compliment that was sweet and so very not JJ. It made her face hot in a way she wasn't used to, like she had a sunburn.

"Thanks, JJ," she muttered, only making a smirk appear on his face because she was acting so unlike herself. Ronni never faltered under a flirting attempt, even his. Quickly, she cleared her throat and glanced down at her dirty white Converse. "So...um, did―uh, did JB tell you guys what we're doing? Because if it's anything illegal, Dad's going to kill him. And then me."

"As long as I walk away unscathed."

Ronni finally looked up at him, her cheeks cooling down. "Don't worry. He'll save you for last."

"They do say to save the best..." JJ trailed off, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, then he stopped to look over at Pope, who shrugged. "But no. He didn't say shit to us. Just told us to get in. He was pretty adamant about it, too. He had that look in his eye, you know, the one―"

"You mean the 'I'm-a-dumbass' look?"

"No, the 'V's-going-to-kill-me' look...although, that one might be permanently stuck on our faces."

"Might be?" Pope interjected, sticking his head out slightly to dart his eyes between the two of them. "Also, can the two of you be quiet and keep your flirting to a minimum at the moment? I'm on my second paragraph of my essay and I accidentally wrote 'I'm so pretty'."

Ronni and JJ shared a grin, JJ taking the first jab at his statement. "Look at you go! Embracing that egotism like a champ! I'm proud of you."

"Well I think you're so pretty," she added, tilting her chin to smile down at him, patting his head enough to get him to flush and duck down to get away from her. "Oh, come on! You don't want me flirting with JJ, how about I flirt with you?"

"Hey! Nu uh, V. He's mine."

"I had him first."

Pope groaned loudly. "I like it better when you two are flirting with each other."

Before either one of them could continue harassing him, Pope disappeared back into the van with his neck ducked low into a notebook that he'd been scratching away lines on for his essay. JJ and Ronni diverted their eyes back to each other, both grinning from ear-to-ear because one of their favorite pastimes was messing with Pope. Considering he was the most innocent and they were the most obscenely not (especially JJ), that made it all the more fun. Neither of them even bat an eyelash at the comment made about them flirting. That was just their personalities.

They never got the chance to say anything more before the door to The Wreck was opening, and both John B and Kiara walked out. JJ pushed off the side of the place instantly and went to get into the back of the van, yelping about how it was "Go time, baby!" while Ronni watched her two best friends closely. Kie was still standing awkwardly, but JB seemed relieved. When Kie came up to get into the passenger's seat, Ronni raised her brows knowingly when all of the boys weren't paying attention.

"Game plan?"

Kie pursed her lips, momentarily glancing to where John B was getting in the van. "Game plan."

Maybe Kie's plan would work better than JJ's.

★☆⋆⁎⋆✶★☆⋆⁎⋆✶

When they pulled up to Kildare graveyard, Veronica Dunweather was tempted to launch herself in the driver's seat just to steer them back in the opposite direction. Not that she had anything against dead people―her Great Grandma Josie and Papaw Joe were buried here―but going grave-digging in the middle of the night was one of those things she'd put on her 'Never-Do-I-Ever-Want-To-Do' list. Her mouth gaped open in disbelief as they all reluctantly climbed out of the van with flashlights in their hands, wondering where John B's wild goose chase for his father's message would lead them now. Apparently, six feet under was the answer at the moment. 

John B took the lead with Kie closely behind him, mainly because she was shitting herself about walking through the overgrown vines and grass, with Pope following. JJ had to (basically) pry Ronni's white, death-gripped hands from the handle of the van door, grabbing her wrist so that she wouldn't make a quick break. When Pope accidentally ran into a cobweb and let out a startled shout, both Kie and Ronni cussed and shuffled closer to the nearest person. Ronni's nails were digging into JJ's skin, clutching his arm so tightly now that it was turning pale white.

JJ snickered under his breath. "V, you're gonna claw off my arm." 

"Oh yes I am," she hissed back at him, shooting him a sharp look. "Then I'm going to shove you into one of these holes after I rip that stupid thing off your head and kill you―" 

"Shut up!" John B hushed the two of them in the back, making them shoot their heads up when the flashlight was turned back in their direction. Ronni sneered at John B, throwing up a middle finger, before she and JJ picked up their pace so they weren't so far behind. "Okay, you know how you try to remember a song, but you don't know who sings it?" 

Kie was nodding, trying to keep up with JB. "Yeah." 

"Okay, so 'Redfield.' This whole time, I thought it was a place, right? But it's not a place," he rambled while he talked, and Ronni had trouble following along with his whispered explanation up until he suddenly stopped in front of a mausoleum. She flickered her flashlight up as he held his latern, showing the name covered by moss and vines at the top. Redfield. "It's a person." 

"Voi―effing―lá," JJ chimed, stunned. 

"See, my great-great grandmother, Olivia Redfield...that was her maiden name. Come on, help with me with the door." 

Ronni stalled, her eyes widening at John B like he'd lost his mind. He wanted to open his dead grandma's mausoleum? Where she was buried? And rotting? Her and JJ gawked at each other, neither one of them entirely sure how to approach the situation before them. Sure, they were close, but they weren't that close. They could go their whole lives without needing to see the inside of Mamaw Olivia's resting place―especially since it was a resting place, and they were literally disturbing it on a hunch that John B had. 

"I don't think..." she trailed off. 

Pope stopped her protest, surprising all of them by stepping forward to help John B first. "All right." 

John B and Pope started to push against the door of the mausoleum, and when their successes were only met with inevitable failure, JJ stepped forward to stand in between them and help. As though he could suddenly move a thousand-pound mausoleum. Ronni slowly walked over to the side where Kie was watching the three, trying to decide if staring would be the best form of help. 

"Come on, man, this door is like seven-hundred pounds, it's not going to budge!" Pope groaned, digging his shoes into the dirt to try and create some traction. 

JJ shouldered him. "We didn't come this far to get this far, all right?" 

Just when things couldn't get any worse, standing in a graveyard trying to break into a dead woman's tomb, all three of the boys stumbled back when a snake decided to make its presence known to the world. Ronni whined audibly, shifting back with Kie as the two of them contemplated going to find one of the pre-made holes to jump into since that felt like where their night was headed.

"That's a moccasin, all right!" JJ said, clamoring back with a slight pep in his step. "'Ye old Doctor Cottonmouth! Death in tall grass―" 

JJ, of course, made the situation no better by deciding it was best to bark at the snake. Ronni's eyes widened and she lurched forward, her hand going to clasp around his mouth to shut him up while the others yelled at him. His head-light was glaring right into her eyes when he looked down at her, his brows furrowing. 

"Stop barking at the snake!" she whispered sharply, finally pulling away. 

Pope glared at him. "You're going to wake the freaking dead, man!" 

"They're afraid of dogs! Everyone knows that, man," JJ explained, looking at all of them like the answer was obvious. When he noticed John B going for the mausoleum again, he quickly ran forward to grab his shoulder. "Wait, hold on, if there's one, there's probably dozens..." 

"What?" 

"JJ, stop," Ronni objected. 

Kie moved closer to her, the two basically merging into one human. "Stop, you're scaring us―" 

"Look. Look, John B―" Pope tried to get John B's attention when he started to bicker with JJ, something that usually never stopped unless someone (usually Ronni, but she was currently huddled up next to Kie) got in between them. "We're not gonna get in there, all right? It's not budging." 

Behind the boys, Ronni had swatted at a bug above Kie's head, which ended up shining her flashlight on a corner of the mausoleum that she hadn't noticed before. Both girls stopped, their eyes landing on the smallest of openings at the top where the moss had grown around it and hid the entrance from them. They knew what that meant. Kie and Ronni stilled in realization, muting out Pope in the background, then they slowly turned to look at one another. 

Without saying anything, Ronni stuck out a fist, insinuating to Kie that they were going to have to decide who went through the demon hole from hell the hard way. Kie sent her a glower before sticking her own fist out, the two of them going up and down three times before they picked their choices―rock, paper, or scissors. Ronni blanched instantly when Kie's hand went flat, the rock she'd stuck out officially haunting her for the rest of her life.

"Best of―yeah, okay, nevermind..." Ronni could feel the urge to vomit surface when she turned away from Kie's glare to the boys, still talking about a different game plan. "Guys? I can...I can get through." 

Three heads whirled around to look at her, and then the place where Kie's flashlight was shining. John B beat JJ to a protest for once, his eyes widening as he glanced at the hole. "What? No. No, no, no―you think you're going to fit through that hole? That hole?"

"JB, I'm already close to killing you and if this is you fat-shaming me..." she glanced over at the small opening, gnawing at her lip to ease the fucking terror coursing through her body. Stupid rock. "Look, I'd rather do anything else in the world right now than climb into this thing but it's about Big John. It's your dad, JB, and...you'd do it for me." 

JJ stepped forward, flailing his arms dramatically between them as he glared at John B. "Excuse me. Are we really sending our best friend of eight years through the demon hole to Hell?" 

"JJ, shut up," Ronni clenched her teeth, turning to the boys. "C'mon. Help me get the―" 

"Yeah. Yeah, right," and before JJ could protest again, the others were already attempting to clear the small space, pulling at the vines and wincing when they stuck them. Pope and John B muttered to one another, trying to pull it back and hissing at one another to make sure they had it, while Kie held the flashlight so that they could see clearly. JJ was off to the side, huffing and puffing under his breath about how it was stupid, throwing his usual temper tantrum when Ronni was offered up to do something stupid. She glanced down when she realized she was wearing a skirt and sighed heavily, closing her eyes for a second because of course that was her luck. 

"Okay, okay. V, we got you," John B called out when they were all set, his neck craning slightly to look at JJ. "Give her a boost." 

JJ scowled at John B before he met eyes with her, pushing his light up his head. She stepped closer to him, watching as he bent down into a squat against the back of the mausoleum, cupping his hands out in front of him. 

"C'mon," he offered up to her, nodding encouragingly. "I've got you. I've seen it in a movie once." 

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she huffed, then she glanced down at her skirt before glaring at the others, sticking out her flashlight to her best friend. "John B, hold my flashlight. If any of you even think about looking up my skirt―" 

"I'll kill them," Kie interrupted, nodding at her. 

Ronni swallowed hard then turned back to JJ, muttering to herself. "Fuck me."

"I'd much rather be doing that than this right now," he hissed back under his breath, and Ronni glowered at him. His blue eyes only shined back in concern, all humor lost. "Be careful. Don't die...okay, on three―" 

Without another word shared, Ronni carefully stepped into JJ's awaiting grip with her dirty white Converse, one hand going on his shoulder while the other pulled up on the bottom of the entrance. She briefly heard JJ huff something about not waiting for him before he hoisted her up, and she completely forgot about how she probably just flashed him (she definitely did because she heard Kie say his name) when she was suddenly stumbling in full-darkness. Now, listen, Ronni wasn't afraid of the dark. Heights were her enemy. She was, however, deathly terrified of being murdered in a mausoleum in a graveyard. Common fear, yeah?

"Flashlight. Flashlight, flashlight, flashlight," she panicked, puffing out a brief of relief when one was quickly stuck through the small opening she'd just gone through. Then, when she clicked it on, she paused, glancing around the place as her nerves crept up on her. "JB, I swear to God, you owe me. For the next ten fucking years." 

"Deal, next fifteen. You alive?" John B called back, and she resisted the urge to scowl as she glanced around the room, taking small footsteps further inside. "You got, like―like a heartbeat and everything?" 

"No." 

"V, just hurry the fuck up and get out of there," JJ insisted, and she momentarily saw a flicker of light come from the corner. She figured he was trying to stand on his toes and see inside. "Do you see anything? Gold?"

She shook her head, squinting slightly. "No. I need more light." 

"Yeah, yeah, here. I gotcha." 

John B quickly stuck his lantern through the smaller crack at the bottom. With the added light, Ronni could see ten times better than with her single one in one specific direction. She stopped suddenly when she noticed something on the right that wasn't dusty and covered in spiderwebs, which meant that it hadn't been there long. Slowly, with her shoes skidding along the concrete flooring, she moved over until she was standing right in front of the object―and then she realized what it was, and what it said. 

"Oh, my God." 

JJ was quick to react. "What? V? What is it―" 

"Did you find something?" John B asked next, interrupting JJ. 

Ronni walked over to the small crack where the lantern was, nudging it with her hand so that John B could pull the light back out. When there was enough space, she slid the object through for him to see it. A packaged envelope, something small inside, with a nickname written on the front that only John B and Ronni would have recognized. Bird. 

Her rush of fear was gone, and now the only thing that settled in its place was confusion and concern for John B. He had been right. Big John had left something for him inside of the demon hole. Redfield was a clue. Regardless of whether or not he was truly dead or lost at sea, Big John had left JB something and he was meant to find it. Ronni saw a pair of hands come through the space and recognized the bracelets on their wrist, knowing that it was JJ. The others must have been talking, their voices muted from the stone wall separating them. 

"V, is there something you can step on in there?" JJ asked, and she saw another flash of his headlight. "If not I can try and pull you up if you kick up off the side of the door―" 

She turned around, frowning when she realized the answer was no. "There's nothing here. Hang on. Grab my flashlight." 

"Got it," and he took it without being able to see, and she was plunged into darkness. Well fuck. "Alright. Ronni, I'm gonna step up a bit, I can reach if you can―" 

"Guys. Guys, there's somebody coming!" Both JJ and Ronni froze in place when they heard Kie's panicked voice yelling over the conversation between John B and Pope. "Guys―guys, we've gotta―JJ, get Ronni!" 

There were going to die in a graveyard. Ironic.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" JJ hissed back at Kie. "Go, go! I'll get her. Go!" 

Ronni's eyes widened, even though she couldn't see anyone, stepping up when she saw him continuing to stick his hands through to try and reach her. "JJ―JJ, go with them, you dumbass! They won't think to look in here, it's fine!" 

"I'm not leaving you to be fucking murdered in the demon hole, Veronica!" 

"JJ, I swear if you don't fucking leave―" 

"Ronni, hurry the fuck up! They're coming."

Even in the midst of a near-death experience, they couldn't help themselves from fighting with one another. But he refused to leave her and she knew that she wouldn't change his mind, so she worked quickly to get out. She grabbed his dominant hand, jumping slightly on her heel before kicking off the side of the stone, thankful when his left hand reached out to grab her other limb and quickly hoister her up. The next few movements were quick, her faintly remembering her abdomen crushing against the bottom of the stone hole in the wall before JJ had looped an arm around her waist to pull her the rest of the way. 

They just barely managed to get on their feet, stumbling, when they heard the clanging of keys and flashlights a short distance away. Ronni looked over, fully expecting to see a black truck from the guys that tried to kill them, but she was met with surprise when she saw the outline of a golf-cart. JJ was already trying to tug her into running to catch up with the others so he missed that detail, but she didn't. 

"Hey! I see you!" was shouted out by one of the workers coming toward them. 

JJ whirled his head around to look at her like she was crazy for still standing in front of the mausoleum. "Ronni, what the fuck are you doing?!"

"How it works in the movies... "

Ronni cut herself off by grabbing a hold of JJ's face with both of her hands. She pulled him so forcefully that he stumbled over his own feet, grabbing her waist to keep from falling forward as he pushed her against the stone wall. Then, Ronni slammed their mouths together, their teeth clashing and noses hitting painfully when his bottom lip overlapped with her top...but then JJ realized what was happening, and so did Ronni, and they molded their lips onto each other like it was not their first time kissing their best friend of eight years. He pushed his body against her to feel every groove he couldn't get his hands on yet. Dark blonde brows furrowed when he moved one hand from her waist to the back of her neck, cupping the side of her face to catch the gasp that escaped her when his cold, thumb ring pressed against her burning flesh.

Now listen―when Ronni kissed JJ, she thought it would be quick. A short, interrupted moment so they wouldn't blow their cover, and they would laugh about it later. Unfortunately, she hadn't thought about the fact that this had been something she was tempted to do everyday for nearly three years. The simple kiss turned desperate, JJ tripping slightly on the uneven pavement of the mausoleum when Ronni fisted his shirt and turned them around so that he was up against the wall now. He curled his body forward, his chest hot against her own where their bare skin connected, his other hand now holding onto the back of her head and sliding in between the strands of her braids.

JJ, on the other hand, had been imagining what Ronni's lips felt like for half of his life. Every time she put on her pińa colada chapstick, he wondered what she would taste like if he glided his tongue over her bottom lip. He wondered what she would sound like when he pressed his mouth to her sensitive skin, or when his hands went lower underneath the jean skirt where he'd accidentally seen the blue panties she had on. Whatever he'd imagined in his sad, little head or wet dreams lacked in comparison to feeling Ronni's tongue against his own as they learned the way the other tasted, the sounds coming out of her fulfilling every fantasy he would ever need in his lifetime. He could die happy now. 

"HEY! What the―" Ronni and JJ cleared a good eight inches between them when they heard the sound of the security guard shout right in front of them, his flashlight catching their eyes and making them wince while his partner rode up behind him on the golf cart. "You two―I―stupid teenagers. Getting weirder and weird every day..." 

Had both of them been in a clear headspace, they would have been baffled that the man just grumbled his way back to the golf-cart and drove off with his partner. Almost like seeing two teenagers make out in a graveyard wasn't odd for their nightshift. But neither Ronni nor JJ were entirely aware of their surrounds, their chests heaving up and down from the lack of oxygen they'd inhaled in favor of the other's breaths. Her ears were ringing, a slight humming that blended in with the sound of her heart beating a mile a minute. 

She could make out the rough figure of JJ in the darkness. The flashlight that had been secured around his head was now on the ground, and Ronni didn't even remember it coming off in the heat of the moment. But there it was, gleaming in the opposite direction, practically begging them to hide in the dark for a little while longer and finish something they weren't quite ready to be done with yet.

"A good...um...distraction...you know, like in the...the movies―"

Now it was JJ's turn to shut her up by smacking his lips against hers. They were both prepared that time, and she took quick steps back until she was flush against the stone again. JJ's wet tongue traced over her lips, and Ronni took no time to part her mouth open, her hands going into his hair that time to tug on the messy-blonde strands. A guttural sound came out of him and he pushed away momentarily, his hot breath fanning on her and forehead pressing against hers. 

She took that as her one chance to meet his eyes, clouded with half-lidded desire. "JJ―" 

"Stop," he shook his head once with a grainy whisper, his lips just barely touching hers when he whispered. A line of spit was connecting them, JJ rolling his body against hers and gripping onto the belt loops of her skirt. "We already broke the rule. Doing it again doesn't hurt anybody." 

At that point she wasn't even aware of what a cohesive thought was, and when his lips grazed down the side of her jaw, she decided that he could have told her anything and she would have agreed to it. So a noise came out of her when she tilted her head again, catching his lips before they could descent any further and make a permanent mark. They only happened to break away again when something randomly popped into Ronni's head, reluctantly pulling back as JJ chased her lips for a moment with a frown. 

"JJ," she muttered, her dark eyes catching his blue ones. The moment of lust between them had stalled and Ronni couldn't help the growing laugh threatening to come out. "JJ, we're in a graveyard―"

He grinned and squeezed her hips, peering down at her with a warmth in his eyes. "Kinky shit."

"We need to...we've gotta go," she decided, starting to nod her head and JJ followed along with the actions, his gaze hovering dangerously low to her lips again. He leaned in, and she didn't protest, enjoying the taste of him. Then, she found enough restraint to push his chest again, keeping an arm out to hold him back as she shook her head. "JJ, we...they...they probably think we're dead." 

"Oh, I definitely died and went to Heaven."

She smiled and quickly pecked his lips again, letting the kiss linger for a moment, then pushed herself off of the mausoleum. She pressed against JJ's chest so that he would back up enough for her to squeeze past his body. However, he was more sly that she was expecting and didn't move enough, so she stalled momentarily when her front pressed against his to get by. Feeling something, her cheeks were even more hot than two minutes ago, and her mouth dried instantly at the contact. 

"Fucking hell, JJ," she cleared her hoarse voice, her eyes widening. Then she glanced around the graveyard, trying to breathe in and out the cool air to calm herself down. "We're going to Hell. We are literally going to Hell." 

He shrugged, smirking at her. "Your move this time, baby." 

"Oh, so it was my fault?" 

The two of them continued to walk the trail through the graveyard, their bodies significantly closer, feeding off the residual tension and the body heat that craved more. When Ronni peered up ahead and saw a hasty waving of a flashlight, she realized that their best friends were on the other side of a gate, the van already parked as the getaway car.

"I think fault goes to the one who shoved their tongue down the other's throat first―" 

She whirled around to face him, her mouth gaping. "To save us from being charged with trespassing! It works all the time in the movies!" 

"We could've just hidden," he suggested, too cocky as he smirked knowingly. "Or ran away like I was trying to do before you kissed me...but hey, I'm not complaining. You know, I am surprised, though. If I was placing bets on who would break the rule first, I didn't think it'd be you―"

"Good because you would've lost. I didn't break the rule first."

He stalled in front of the gate, suddenly confused. "Wait, what?"

"I didn't break the rule first," she said casually, turning to him with her eyes still slightly misty, clouded with a difference in emotion. Ronni peered down at his lips, flushed red and swollen even under the faint glow of the flashlight, and knew hers weren't any better. At least it was dark. "Might want to talk to JB." 

"Wait. So that means the rule is void now?"  

She glanced up at the gate before realizing she could slide through, the bars thick enough that if she went in sideways, she could fit. "Guess so, baby." 

Before JJ could say anything more, Ronni managed to maneuver her way through the bars, wincing slightly and sucking in when the squeeze was tighter than she anticipated. After she got her other leg through, and hopped out on the other side, she glanced back at JJ to see him gaping at her. Then he quickly worked to climb up the bars, jumping over the spiked-point of the top. Neither of them had the opportunity to say anything more before the van pulled up in front of them, the side door already open and waiting. Kie's eyes were wide with panic as she ushered them in, Ronni falling between her as JJ came in next, sitting in the back. 

"Oh, my God, what the hell happened?! I thought the two of you were dead! What the fuck took so long?" 

Ronni cleared her throat awkwardly, meeting JJ's eyes to see him pursing his lips at the ground before pulling a blunt out of his pocket. "It was the security guards. We waited until they were gone, and then we ran out. Then JJ fell...on his face."

"Oh, yeah. Fell on my mouth...hurts real bad. Gonna be sore tomorrow."

If anyone noticed the tension in the air between Ronni and JJ, no one mentioned it. Even when Ronni sharply kicked JJ's shin at the suggestive comment he made. The stares Kie gave suggested she had a million questions, but that was momentarily distracted when Ronni remembered what she'd pulled out of the mausoleum just before...everything happened. She turned around to face John B to see him on his way back to the Chateau. In the passengers seat was the package, FROM: BIRD written in Big John's messy writing just like she'd seen earlier on the front of it. 

Well shit.

Step six: take her to a graveyard, and then when saving said girl-you-were-madly-in-love-with from the depths of a demon hole into a portal from Hell, fulfill your deepest desires by making out with her until neither of you could breathe and hope you didn't just lose her. Because JJ really wanted to fucking kiss her again. 

★☆⋆⁎⋆✶★☆⋆⁎⋆✶

Author's Note: 

Surprissssssssseeeeeeeeee. I loved everything about this chapter. Hannah helped me come up with the concept of their first kiss being the "distraction" trope and it was too perfect for them, especially since Ronni mentioned it to JJ and John B at the motel....THEY KISSED. AHHHHH. I'm so happy for them. This is definitely just the beginning, and don't think that just because they kissed everything's gonna be all fine and dandy (: 

As always, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THOUGHT! Leave love and comments, they get my creative flow going. I appreciate all the love you have given on this story so far. Can't wait to hear your feedback on this chapter!