The day after hurricane Aggie, John B and JJ used the HMS pogue and drove out to pick up Pope. It took some convincing so Heyward would let his son go, but nothing was going to stop the Pogues today. That was clear.

- Well none of them actually asked Anastasia, where she lived. So therefore neither John B, JJ, Pope or Kiara knew were to pick her up. Until Pope had the idea to use Kiaras phone when they picked her up (her house had backup generators and therefore Wi-Fi) to use Google maps and search Hill Motors.

"She lives in Figure eight", Pope whispered utterly confused. Since when was Anastasia a kook?

"What?". John B and JJ gasped looking at Pope. "You sure?". JJ asked.

"Yeah". Pope nodded and lowered his gaze. Anastasia was a kook after all. Why didn't she tell them?

"Guys stop it", Kiara spoke up,"What's the big deal? I'm a kook too".

"Yeah but well-". John B tried to explain their shock, but he quickly realized there wasn't an explanation nor a reason for them to be shocked. Anastasia was a pogue by heart and the rest didn't matter, just like with Kiara.

"She could've told us", JJ muttered underneath his breath.

"She probably doesn't even know what Kooks and pogues are", Pope intervened. Not that he cared about Anastasia being a kook. He actually liked her - and not just because she crushed JJ at surfing.

"Oh god JJ", Kiara rolled her eyes at the blonde. She hated him being so extremely rude towards everyone who's even close to being a kook. The money didn't matter, Kiara thought, yes the money can ruin people and turn them into the kooks they all despised - but Anastasia certainly wasn't a part of them.

"Stop being pissed JJ", John B spoke up and glared at his best friend since third grave,"You're just mad 'cause Ana is better at surfing".
JJ was too caught up denying the accusation, that he didn't catch John B calling Anastasia 'Ana'.

Yet Pope and Kie both recognized and exchanged a side eye. Since when does John B use a nickname with Anastasia? Why?
They didn't know that John B had felt comfortable around Anastasia since the moment they met when she repaired his beloved Twinkie - one of the last things he has reminding him of his dad - without wanting something in return.

"Ana!", John B yelled once he saw Anastasia stand on the jetty behind her house. He was the first one to see her since he was driving the boat.

With a chuckle Anastasia stepped on the boat - JJs hand was supporting her doing the jump on the HMS pogue.
"You're calling me Ana now, John B?".

Her voice was soft and sweet. She didn't sound defensive, but still John B found himself blushing nervously. "Yeah. I hope you don't mind".
Kiara, Pope and JJ started laughing.

"No it's fine", Anastasia smiled and patted John B on his shoulder while she dropped down her bag and opened the zipper.

"Uhh what you got?", JJ asked eager.

"Oh only some tea and cookies", the dark haired girl laughed. Everyone turned around and eyed the inside of her bag. She had packed beer, soda and indeed cookies.

"Oh god I believed you for a hot second", Pope laughed. And the five friends shared the stuff Kiara and Anastasia had packed.

"I brought mini carrots". Kie chuckled.

"- Wait for real?".

"Yeah", Kiara laughed and passed the small bag to Anastasia, who squealed with excitement.
"I already love you, Kie".

"You're moving fast, very fast", Pope joked and nudged Anastasia in her side. Making everyone laugh once again.
JJ held Anastasia's bag in his hands and passed a bottle of beer to everyone. Anastasia caught the bottle without any trouble but then eyed the glass bottle a little funny.

"You good, Ana?". JJ asked once he caught her looking at the beer like that.

"Oh", Anastasia struggled for the fracture of a second,"I don't drink and drive, you know". JJ shrugged.

"I'll take it", Kiara smiled softly and took the bottle of beer. Now she was looking at the bottle a little funny. "Why does this bottle cap look so - untwistable?"

"Cause it's a crown cap", Pope said and started explaining how Corona beer didn't use twist off caps.

"Here I'll open it for you". Anastasia took the beer bottle and brought it up to her teeth. Within seconds she opened the bottle flawlessly - as if she would open bottles like this every day.

While everyone cheered at Anastasia's so called party trick (yes JJ called it like that) Pope just said dry:"That can seriously hurt your teeth".
Anastasia was already well aware of that risk, but she was too trained opening bottles like that if there was no other way. So she just shrugged and leaned back.

Her hazel eyes drifted along the landscape surrounding her. The marsh was beautiful.
Kiara connected her iPhone to the pink Bluetooth speaker she brought and asked what Taylor Swift song they should start with.

"How about the shortest one?", JJ asked after a deep sigh, remembering that he had lost.

Anastasia smirked and turned to Pope and Kiara:"Then we should start with All too well".

"The good version?". Kiara asked with a grin on her lips. Anastasia and Pope nodded.

After a few minutes JJ spoke up with a confused look on his face:"Kie I think you put that song in loop. Like she's just repeating herself".

Anastasia couldn't keep in her laughter. "Nope it's just the ten minute version".

"Oh god", JJ groaned,"What the hell is this girl singing about for ten fuckin' minutes?".

"You shouldn't have asked", Kiara just shrugged and then faced Pope, who was ready to spill the tea about the entire Jake Gyllenhaal drama - including the great music video with Dylan O'Brien and Sadie Sink.

Until John B asked Pope politely to shut up. The excuse was that his rambling distracted John B and JJ to actually listen to Taylor Swift. They all knew that was just a stupid excuse.

But that didn't matter. The five friends had fun while making silly jokes that still everyone laughed at.
JJ eventually stood at the front of the boat, quoting Titanic. Then he told Pope to go full speed, somehow managing that the beer was pouring out of the bottle and into his mouth without his lips even touching the bottle.

"Ew disgusting", Kiara laughed while she watched JJ get the beer all over himself. Anastasia couldn't help but laugh her ass off.

Until the boat stopped abruptly with a load crashing sound. JJ fell off and ended up falling right into the water.

"Oh god!". Kiara gasped.

"Pope what the hell?!".

"-I didn't do anything!".

"JJ?", Anastasia leaned over the edge of John Bs boat,"You good?".

"I think my heels just touched the back of my head", the blonde groaned. Anastasia sighed relieved and reached out to help JJ get back on the boat.

JJ quickly swam towards her and grabbed her hand. Then the hazel eyes looked at JJs mischievous smirk and suddenly Anastasia found herself under water.

"JJ!", Anastasia gasped once she surfaced. But he was just grinned at her.
"You're going to get that back!"

Suddenly the two started splashing water at each other. Anastasia grabbed JJ by his shoulders and used all of her strength to push him under the water once again.
What she didn't calculate were JJs hands wrapped around her waist.

Both of them were now unter the water. JJ holding Anastasia close with his strong hands at her waist. Hazel eyes met his blue ones. That stupid smile - Anastasia thought.
JJ laughed shortly watching Ana roll her eyes at him and they both surfaced.

"Guys!? There is a boat down there!".
Pope was the first one to see the boat. Then they all dove down. It was a Grady White. Worth a shit load of money.
And then John B realized, it was the boat he had seen yesterday while surfing when JJ and Anastasia were too caught up battling each other.

Of course the pogues had to investigate. Once John B found a motel key and an old compass, everything started.
John B was awkwardly secret around the compass and Anastasia felt like she was missing something - an important part of John Bs story. Why did he care about an old, rusty compass?

It wasn't the right time to ask though; considering the five friends were on their way to the Motel.
"That looks like a place someone with a Grady white would get killed". Anastasia described the motel.

"Oh don't worry, Ana", JJ sent her wink,"You can stay here if you're scared. John B and I'll take a look into that room".

"I'm not scared". Anastasia protested with an eye roll.

"Yeah obviously". JJ laughed. He could see the way Anastasia's leg was twitching. She was obviously restless, freaked out.

"Be careful, John B", Kiara told John B before they walked off. She even gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't do anything stupid!", Pope insisted while they two already walked off. He couldn't lose his -

"Your scholarship. We know Pope!".

Anastasia sat down next to Kiara, glaring at her. Kie noticed and faced her friend. She genuinely liked the dark haired girl. Anastasia was fun and a Swiftie; even more than just that - this girl was everything Kiara ever hoped for in a girl best friend.
"What?".

Anastasia chuckled softly. Then she spoke up:"Be so very careful, John B!".

"Oh stop it", Kiara laughed and nudged Anastasia, who quickly faced Pope.
"Come on Pope. You could feel the vibes too!"

Pope lowered his gaze and agreed with a whisper. Suddenly Anastasia realized something: Pope liked Kiara. Oh god, she thought, that's great! They're already good together as friends, but as lovers they'd be perfect.

"Shit", Kiara hissed,"Cops!".
And Anastasia found herself jumping off the boat and running towards the window of the motel room, the guys were in. The three tried to warn John B and JJ, but sadly Pope was on the Math Team.
Yet somehow Kiara managed to throw a rock against a window and John B climbed out of the window with JJ.

"What did you guys find?". Anastasia asked once Pope started to drive the boat.

"Oh nothing". JJ grabbed into his waistband and pulled out a ton of cash and a - a gun?!

"What the hell?!", Kiara shouted and told JJ to put the fucking gun down.

"My scholarship is lost", Pope muttered underneath his breath while shaking his head.

-

Mandatory meeting at the Chateau in 5!
It was a message from Kie that popped up on Anastasia's iPhone. Her lips immediately curled up into a smile and Anastasia dropped the cloth she used to polish her Nissan to answer Kie.

Chateau? That is what?

Kiara just sent her location and Anastasia got into her car. She quickly waved her dad goodbye.
"I'll spent some time with my friends!"

"When are you back?", her dad asked while he was working on a motorcycle, which he was gonna sell today. Freddy Hill was smiling because he was genuinely happy that his daughter found friends within the first few days. Anastasia was happy and that was enough to make his day.

"I dunno. I'll message you!". Anastasia and her dad exchanged a smile and then she rolled up the window of her car.

-

The Chateau turned out to be a small house on the cut. It almost looked like a cabin. But it was surprisingly cozy.
The pogues could hear Anastasia's engine roaring from afar, signalizing that Ana was almost there so John B and JJ could finally tell what happened when they visited Lana - the wife of the dead guy called Scooter Grubbs, who owned the Grady White and the motel room. Whose gun, money and compass the Pogues stole.
Turns out someone else - mysterious men with guns - wanted exactly that: the compass. They threatened Lana while John B and JJ were sneaking around, listening to everything. The screams, Lana's whimpers.

Anastasia found JJ to be very nervous and panicked about all of this - when he was always the chill, laidback guy. So she guessed something about the screams, shouts; something about the violence must've triggered him.
Suddenly JJ appeared even more interesting to Anastasia than before. She always had a thing for troubled guys - prove is her ex boyfriend.
Anastasia didn't just want to fix cars; no she also liked fixing people that needed help.

"So you're basically telling us that armed - like fully armed men are after us?!". Pope asked.

"Yeah basically". JJ answered and once again started explaining how the paint fell of the walls. Paint that was still stuck in his hair, which he proved once he shook his head making tiny white flakes fall.
"See that's paint!".

"It's totally dandruff", Kiara and Anastasia answered synchronized.

"Oh my god!". Pope gasped and started pacing around the porch. His scholarship! He was going to loose his scholarship!

"So what are we gonna do now?", Anastasia spoke up and addressed her question to John B by softly touching his shoulder.

But JJ answered. "Deny, deny, deny!".

"No no no", Pope intervened,"We Are going to report this to the police. Everything! And then -".

"No Pope", John B cut in,"JJ is right. We're going to lay low. No one would suspect normal teenagers right?".

"Hm yeah", Pope nodded his head,"So we only have to be normal".

"You thinking what I'm thinking?". Kiara faced Anastasia with a grin on her lips. Wrinkles appeared above the hazel eyes when Anastasia frowned. "No?".

"Oh god I forgot you're new here", Kiara chuckled,"Time for the annual bonfire".

Anastasia was even more than just excited. She was thrilled. A bonfire at the beach with her friends - this was everything she dreamt of.

Except.
He would be there.
The man she still had nightmares about.