They're all kicked out of the hospital by Sheriff Peterkin, and they drag their feet as they trudge out to the Twinkie.

"This is bullshit." JJ huffs, kicking the tire before Pope pulls him into the back seat. Vera is driving, since she loves driving the van, although right now she wishes John B was fighting her for the position. She'll never drive it again if that's what it takes for him to be okay. "They can't just kick us out, man!"

"They just did." Kie points out, her tone cold as she slides into the passenger seat. As soon as her door is shut, Vera pulls out of the lot.

"Wow, thanks for that."

"Guys." Vera interrupts, her voice hoarse. "We can fight in a minute. Where am I taking everyone?"

"The Chateau, obviously." JJ tries, but Kie shakes her head, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Take me home." She says quietly, not turning away from the window.

"What?" Pope frowns, exchanging a hurt look with JJ. "Kiara, we should all stick tog–"

"Take me home!" Kie repeats loudly, her jaw clenching, and they all fall silent. Vera nods, turning on the turn signal and not saying a word.

"Hey, he'll be okay." She tries to comfort her when they pull up to the Carrera household, but Kie doesn't respond other than with a nod. Vera sighs as she drums her fingers on the steering wheel, waiting to leave until Kie is safely inside of her house.

"So." Vera turns to look back at her boys, frowning at the evidence of their tears. "Chateau?"

It's odd being at John B's while knowing that he'd been rushed to the hospital. The doctors had assured them that there didn't seem to be any spinal issues, which is a relief, but it doesn't take away from the fear they'd all felt at the sight of him lying still under that tower. It doesn't take away from the fact that they were kicked from the building before they could see him, or get more answers.

They have the silent agreement that none of them are going anywhere by themselves. When Vera goes to wash out the tattoo, wincing at the cold water that slowly trickles out of the tap—they still don't have power—the other two follow. Pope leans against the wall and JJ sits on the toilet lid, both of them just watching her as she cleans it out with the special fragrance free soap she bought when she got into tattooing.

After, they all wordlessly gather in the hammock, curling up under the comforter they stole from John B's bed. It's big enough to fit all three of them, so Vera curls up with Pope. JJ sits on the opposite side, all of their feet tangled together, and Vera feels herself start to relax.

JJ speaks up just as she's about to fall asleep, her body feeling heavy and warm.

"Vee, you can't go to work alone anymore."

He's completely serious, and his heavy tone has Vera blinking open her heavy eyes, feeling Pope tense from under her.

"What?" She asks, yawning and feeling her eyes stinging. "Why not?"

"Look, when Kelce and Rafe cornered me at midsummers—"

"They did what!?" Pope and her both question, their voices rising.

"When?"

"Did they hurt you?"

"I fucking swear to—"

"GUYS!" JJ shouts over them, silencing them. "I'm fine, okay? Security got to us before they could do anything. But Rafe said some freaky ass shit about you, Vera, so I need you to not go anywhere alone anymore. I'm serious."

"What did he say?" She asks, echoed a second later by Pope, hatred heavy in his voice. She feels rattled. JJ sounds concerned about her, and after Topper tried to kill John B twice, and Pope once, Vera really doesn't like it.

"Um." JJ hesitates, but Vera narrows her eyes at him until he relents. "He basically said that I was cockblocking Kelce from getting with you, and that he 'wanted a go' when Kelce was done. He made a really gross comment about cleaning you up."

Vera wishes that she could say her initial response is anger, but it's fear. She feels cold, like her body is literally freezing at JJ's words. That just upsets her more, because she doesn't want the Kook's to have any power over her, but after tonight, how could they not?

It's clear that JJ recognizes that, because he reaches out and grabs her hand, rubbing their thumbs together until her breathing calms down. Next to her, Pope is frozen, his jaw clenched and his eyes fiery.

"I kind of want to throw up." She admits, feeling queasy. She's been turning down Kelce's advances for years now, and it's clear that he has no intentions of stopping, even though he called her 'the help' earlier. It's almost like he can't decide if he likes her or hates her because of his best friends . . . like she said, spineless.

And Rafe. Not only is he an actual psychopath, but she has it on good authority that he and Kelce regularly snort lines at those parties of his. The last thing she needs is a nineteen year old cokehead trying to get in her pants.

Trying to clean her up for him.

Revulsion has her stomach rolling, mixing in with the fear and anger she's already feeling. She would rather die than have sex with either one of them, but her making that clear has clearly only turned her into a trophy for them.

"We're getting you a new pocket knife, and pepper spray." Pope tells her, his voice thin. Vera just nods, not putting up a fight. She used to carry around a pocket knife, but she lost it a while ago and never bothered replacing it.

"The three of us go everywhere together." JJ informs them. "Everywhere. You got that, Vee?"

"Yeah." She forces out, swallowing thickly. "I got it."

She has a hard time sleeping that night.

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ 🐚🫧𓇼 ˖°

Vera was right about John B's injuries: he has a broken wrist, and a concussion, but thankfully nothing worse than that.

They're all gathered at The Wreck, where Vera just got off her shift while Kie helps prebus tables. John B is updating them on everything they missed overnight.

"I'm sorry, you're staying where?" Kie asks, sounding frustrated after he explains that Sarah's dad, Ward Cameron, had stuck up to DCS for him. He's now staying with them, Ward becoming his temporary guardian.

"Tannyhill." John B repeats.

Vera gives JJ and Pope a look from where they're sitting at a table, sharing her employee meal. She made herself a basket with a ton of options for them, knowing that they'd be hungry: fish and grits for JJ, chicken tenders for her and Pope, and a ton of fries and onion rings. She's also made them Shirley Temples, loving how it makes them all feel like kids again.

"So you're living with Sarah Cameron." Kie reiterates, annoyed.

"Okay, look, the only reason I'm living there is because her dad bailed me out, right?" He asks, sounding just as frustrated as Kie. Only his frustration is toward her, while hers is toward him. "And it's way better than foster care, which, by the way, is where I was about to go if Ward didn't—"

"Hey, so like, do you have a membership to the clubs now?" Pope interrupts him, munching on a french fry.

"I don't know, Pope."

"What about those little golf carts they drive around? You get one of them?" JJ asks his own question, sharing an amused look with Pope at the thought of John B driving one around.

"He definitely has access to a shower. Look at you, not covered in dirt and blood for once." Vera gives him a pat on the back, quickly pulling her hand away when he winces. He waves away her apologies.

"Does it come with a sweater vest, or do you have to buy one of those on your own?" Pope continues. He leans back, his hands interlocking behind his head, and Vera can't help but look at his arms for a second. He's got a birthmark by his right elbow that Vera has always loved, and he's picking up muscle after weeks of running around with them.

"Look—" Kie's voice shakes her out of those thoughts, and Vera desperately hopes no one saw her space out as she pointedly stares at her drink. "You promised. You said you weren't with her."

"Bro, just own it. She got you." JJ tells him.

"Look, if you wanna hang out with her, that's fine." Kie tells John B, pointing a finger at Vera to include her in that sentiment. "But I'm letting you know right now that I'm not doing anything with Sarah."

"Do you guys see her here?" John B questions. "No? Right. Okay. A little focus would be fantastic. We've got the map, right?"

"Well, it's all out of whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it." JJ says, pulling the basket of food closer to him and batting Vera's fingers away when she reaches for it, although she still manages to grab a few fries. Pope is kind enough to lend her his side of ketchup, getting a kiss on the cheek from her in thanks.

"It's 'cause the coast has changed." Kie states the obvious.

"So we just have to look for landmarks that haven't changed." Pope explains.

"What about the old forts?" John B questions as all of them look over the map.

"Battery Jasper." Kie suggests, pointing to it on the map. That gets them all moving, eager to find the gold. Vera snags the basket from JJ, bringing it to the car with them and sharing it when they get to the back seat.

Battery Jasper leads them northeast to an old stone wall. Pope takes charge with the map, and the others are more than happy to let him navigate, cheering when they reach a stone wall overrun with vines and weeds.

"That looks like a stone wall to me." JJ points out happily, reaching up to the passenger seat to squeeze Pope's shoulders.

"Not the Crain House." John B groans as soon as they've exited the van, staring up at the house in disbelief.

"Worst-case scenario." JJ notes, all of them sharing a grim look. "I heard that Mrs. Crain buried her husband's head on the property."

"I heard that his body is still inside of the house, and she acts like he's still alive. That she props him up at the dinner table and everything." Vera shivers, staring at the house for a long moment, building up her resolve. They all loudly protest when she moves forward, finding a foothold and starting to climb the wall.

"Woah! Are you crazy?" Pope hisses, rushing forward and grabbing the back of her shirt.

"You can't just rush in there!" JJ snaps, but Vera looks at them like they're crazy.

"Uh, do you want the gold or not?"

She shrugs off Pope's grip, swinging her legs over the edge and winking at their terrified looks as she drops down to the other side. That's when she lets out a terrified gasp before falling silent, causing the others to start panicking while she makes sure she has a good foothold.

"Shit! Pope, move." She hears JJ say frantically, waiting one second before she pushes up so that they can see her over the wall again, throwing her hands out and yelling BOO! The look on JJ's face as he falls off the wall, having started climbing to get to her, is absolutely worth it.

"I hate you." Pope tells her flatly, although his lips curl up ever so slightly. "We thought something happened to you!"

"Well, something might if we keep making all this noise." Kie points out, not happy about it, and Vera quickly mimes zipping her mouth shut as she holds out a hand to help her over the wall.

They all climb over, starting to pick their way through the tall grass to the house in the distance. JJ goes over all of the stories he's heard while John B protests them, not believing in them. Vera leads the way, frowning when she sees some creepy statues.

"Uh, anyone else getting Medusa vibes?" She asks them. "Like, should I be hunting down an iPod right now?"

"Honestly, that might've been the best part of that movie." Pope states, and Vera lets out a disgruntled noise, immediately disagreeing.

"Over the casino scene? No way." She refuses to consider a different answer.

"Honestly, I don't really believe the stories about this place." John B admits, getting shushed by JJ and Pope before he can even finish the sentence. "What? Come on, guys, they're just scary camp stories."

"No, it's real." JJ insists, helping Pope over a tangled branch on the pathway. "I knew Hollis!"

"You knew Hollis Crain?" Pope questions, sharing a surprised look with Vera. How has this never come up?

"Yeah, she used to be my babysitter." JJ explains, and Vera raises an eyebrow, wondering if that's the truth. She could see a babysitter lying about that to freak out a kid. She could also see JJ lying to get a rise out of them. "She told me all about it. Told me the truth . . . about her mother and what happened in this house. So, as a kid, she hears all the stories that her mother killed her father, and she was a murderer and all. Hollis didn't believe it. Until that night."

"What night?" John B asks.

"It all came back to her. When Hollis was six years old, she heard her parents arguing downstairs. So she goes downstairs to see her mom washing her hands in the sink . . . full of blood."

He steps closer to John B as he speaks, who tears his gaze away, looking uncertain now.

"Her mother just says that she cut her finger. The next morning, she says her father and her split up. But then, Hollis noticed something. Her mother going into the parlor constantly, in and out and in and out with plastic bags. Weeks pass, and Hollis decides to use the outhouse. And as she's using it, she looks down, and there, in the outhouse, is her father's head, looking straight back at her."

"God, you are so full of shit." John B complains, rolling his eyes.

"Dude, I swear to god, man!"

"Did she call the police?" Pope asks, while John B and Vera walk away. JJ rushes after them, trying to pull them back, but Vera shoves off his hand. She does stop when John B does, not wanting to go by herself.

"Wait! Hold on!"

"You sure you wanna do this?" JJ questions. "She's an axe murderer, man. You've got a cast on!"

"I don't give a shit if she's an axe murderer, okay?" John B snaps back. In between them, Pope's eyes widen. "I got nothin' to lose, right? You coming or what?"

Vera leads the way again, hearing the rest of them follow behind, JJ bringing up the rear. That's the thing that a lot of people don't know about JJ: he can be a real scaredy cat sometimes. Vera always finds it amusing.

"So, here's the plan." John B whispers when they're all crouched down by the house, hidden behind long weeds. "We need to look for the wheat near the water like it said in Denmark's letter."

"Okay, like, what kind of water?" Pope asks the question that Vera didn't even consider. "Like, pond water?"

"Bong water?" JJ laughs, having misheard Pope. They all turn and give him strange looks, cutting off his laughter.

"No. It—it just said look for water, okay?" John B tells them, sounding frustrated.

"That's the shittiest secret message ever." Kie scoffs, sharing a dismayed look with Vera. She leads the way now, and Vera wastes no time in following after her, hearing the boys scramble to do the same.

"You wanna complain a little more, Kie?" John B snaps. "Nobody said it was gonna be easy."

Vera is just glad that her converse are already dirty—they haven't been white since the week she got them—as they trek through the tall grass. JJ flinches anytime a bird chirps or a branch snaps, grabbing her arm every time. She personally finds it hilarious.

"Hey, psst!" John B waves them over to where he's closer to the house. "Hey, come on. It's the only place we haven't looked."

When Vera reaches him, she sees him looking at a small entrance to the basement.

"Oh, good, let's go straight to the basement." She grumbles. Even as she complains, she crawls in after John B. JJ is the last in, and he starts singing.

"Down came Mrs. Crain and cut off all our heads," He sings softly. "Up came the sun and dried up all the blood."

Vera grins as she scans the room with her flashlight, seeing nothing but normal old house stuff. Old chairs, a million pipes, a vanity that she honestly wants to steal for herself. Nothing that hints to water.

"Can you stop?" Pope hisses.

"If a spider lands on me, I might scream." Vera whispers, shivering at the amount of cobwebs in this place. She's so over breaking into places where spiders live. Why can't they break in somewhere fun?

"See any water?" Kie asks them.

"Oh, that's creepy." Vera flinches at the sight of an old bassinet with a baby doll in it, grabbing Kie's hand tightly. "Wait, is that a guitar? I want it."

"Another dead end?" Kie asks, and John B scoffs.

"There's not even water on the pipes." JJ tells them, running his hand over one of them. When he pulls it away, he's covered in dust that he quickly wipes on Pope's shirt. Vera snorts at the annoyed look on his face as he twists away from JJ.

"There's no water here." Pope complains.

"Not a dropamino." JJ adds on, always cracking jokes.

"Know why we didn't find it?" Kie asks them. "Bad karma."

"Oh god. Here we go." John B groans, rolling his eyes.

"You know, we had a good thing going." Kie continues. "And then you decide to rope in Barbie, and now the trail's gone dry! Coincidence? Probably not."

"This is exactly why I didn't wanna tell you about Sarah." John B tells her.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. What the hell is the deal? What's going on with you two?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?" He asks mockingly. "Is it because I kissed you? Is that the problem?"

Oh, damn.

Kie slaps him, and they all react, shouting out.

"Oh!"

"Oh shit!"

"Kie, what the hell?" Vera asks, frowning.

"That echoed, dude!"

"Stop treating me like I'm some girl that's obsessed with you instead of your best friend who's actually trying to look out for you." Kie tells John B coldly, ignoring their reactions.

"Did you, uh, hit me?"

"Skeeter." Kie holds up her hand to show a dead mesquito on her palm.

"Skeeter?"

"Yeah, you see it?" Kie smirks.

"Yeah." John B nods. A second later, he slaps her cheek, although he's much more gentle than she'd been.

"Oh, hey!"

"Seriously, guys?" Vera groans, rolling her eyes.

"Where's your proof?" Kie scoffs. John B holds his hand up, and when they shine a flashlight at him, he's got a dead mesquito on his palm as well.

"Skeeter." He smirks.

"Yeah?" Kie asks, slapping at his shoulder. "There was probably one right there."

"There's one right there." He retaliates, and they quickly start fighting each other. Vera rolls her eyes again, shining her light around the room.

"Jesus!" Pope hisses, swatting at mosquitoes as they swarm around them. Vera groans when a few of them land on her arm, killing them quickly.

"Stupid fucking bloodsuckers." She grumbles, killing one that landed on Pope's shoulder. "Christ, why are there so many?"

"These things are a freaking swarm!" Pope agrees, joining her and JJ in waving at the air, trying to keep them away.

"Hey, shh, shh." JJ urges, waving his flashlight between them. "Keep it down!"

"Why are there so many mosquitoes in a basement?" Pope questions.

"Dude, I know, seriously. Tiny vampire bats, just leave me alone." JJ agrees, killing one for Vera. "Oh my gosh. Okay, can we leave? 'Cause I'm already itchin' to leave. Ha! Punny."

"You're itching 'cause these stupid fucking wannabe Cullen's won't leave us alone." Vera pouts, jumping when one lands on her cheek. "Pope? Uh, why are we stomping on the ground?"

"I just found Mrs. Crain's voodoo doll." JJ smirks, grabbing her attention again. He's holding up a creepy doll.

"Oh, hell no. I watched Coraline. Keep that away from me." Vera insists, moving away from him. Pope stomps again, looking down at the floorboards. She walks over, gasping when he drops a pebble between the floorboards, and the sound of splashing water echoes up to them. The two of them share a surprised look for a moment before they're rushing into action.

"Hey! Help us move this!" Pope hisses when the others urge them to be quiet. They carefully move the stacks of wood, constantly reminding each other to be gentle so that they don't notify Mrs. Crain of their presence. Pope and Vera lift the last floorboard together, and they all lean over to see a hidden well.

"Well, well, well." Pope smirks.

"That was a good dad joke." John B grins.

"They built this part of the house right over it." Kie notes.

"This is where she hid the bodies." JJ whispers.

"Oh, dude, come on." Pope groans, nudging him.

"Stop!"

"No, I'm dead serious. It was never an outhouse."

"She probably doesn't even know it's here." Kie scoffs, sharing an annoyed look with Vera.

"So . . . we found water." Pope smiles, leaning over to look at John B, while Vera grabs his shoulders and shakes him excitedly.

"You found water, you absolute genius!"

"We're gonna need a really big rope." John B grins.

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ 🐚🫧𓇼 ˖°

That afternoon finds them all, except for Kie and John B, gathered at the Chateau. Vera is sitting on the floor in front of Pope and JJ while they braid her hair in two french braids. Pope is sitting on an old stool next to JJ's armchair, while Vera balances purple nail polish on her knee, painting her fingers haphazardly. She can feel that Pope's braid is tighter than JJ's, as it always is, and she smiles to herself when she hears JJ ask him for tips halfway through.

"Hey, guys." John B greets them, and Vera greets him without looking up. "Um . . . you all know Sarah Cameron."

That gets her attention. Sarah is hovering next to John B, looking uncertain about whether she should be here. She looks gorgeous as always, wearing a white and red striped romper with buttons down the front.

"We definitely know Sarah Cameron." JJ says, amusement clear in his voice.

"Hi." Sarah waves at them, shifting on her feet as John B sits down on the couch. She looks like she isn't sure if she should sit next to him or run away, so Vera speaks up.

"Hey, Sarah." She smiles, and relief floods Sarah's face instantly. It's almost like she wasn't sure if Vera would acknowledge her with her friends around, but Vera really doesn't have any issues with her. "You want me to paint your nails?"

Sarah beams, coming to sit across from her and looking through the bin of colors Vera has. She finds a dark red that matches her romper, setting it next to her and watching as Vera finishes her own nails. They wait until the boys are done braiding Vera's hair, so that she has full range of movement.

"Did JB update you on everything?" Vera asks, and Sarah nods, excitement lighting up her face.

"You guys really found the gold?" She asks, holding out her other hand and being careful not to smudge the polish on her right as she sets it on her lap. "Like, really found it?"

"Yeah. Pope's a genius, and he found this well underneath the Crain house. Crazy, right?"

"So crazy." She breathes, shaking her head. "I mean, it's just been there, and no one's found it before? I can't believe we are."

"We couldn't have without your plat map. Seriously, you're one of us." Vera tells her, and John B beams from the couch, where he's been watching them get along with a proud smile.

"Uh, does Kiara agree with that?" She asks, looking nervous at the mention of her old best friend. Vera sighs, shaking her head.

"Look, the two of you just need to talk it out. Like we did."

"No effing way!" A loud shout has them flinching. Vera ends up getting nail polish on Sarah's thumb when she recoils, both of them turning to watch as Kie stomps onto the back porch, glowering at Sarah. "You brought her here? So what? She's in on this now?"

John B looks around at them all for help. Pope shrugs, gulping, and Vera rolls her eyes.

"Look, all I care about is that her cut comes out of your share." JJ states, pointing to John B.

"You know, I don't remember taking a vote!" Kie protests. "This is our thing! A Pogue thing!"

"I gotta say, I'm just a tad uncomfortable with all of this." Pope voices.

"Thank you!"

"When are you not uncomfortable?" John B scoffs.

"I dunno, I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably!"

JJ nods, "It's true. Most relaxed I've ever seen him."

Just kiss already, Vera thinks with a small smile.

"That's cute, guys." John B nods.

"You know we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her." Kie says.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!" Sarah finally snaps.

"Then leave!"

Sarah scoffs, turning to look at John B. "I told you."

"Told him what, exactly? That you're a liar?"

"No, that you're a shit-talking bitch, Kiara." Sarah retorts instantly. Pope and JJ gasp, quickly placing bets. "When have I ever lied to you?"

Vera leans back, digging a five out of her pocket and handing it to Pope, betting on Sarah. She loves Kie, but she's all bark, no bite.

"You get somebody close to you for like a month–"

"I didn't lie about shit!"

"Everybody shut up!" John B screams. They all fall silent. "Kie, you are my best friend, right? And Sarah, you're . . ." He chuckles, shrugging. "You're my . . ."

Sarah smiles. "Say it."

"You're my girlfriend."

About damn time, Vera thinks, leaning back so that she's propped up against JJ's legs.

"Ohh, that's new." Pope nods to himself, not looking thrilled.

"She's your girlfriend now?" Kie laughs, ruining the moment. John B's smile slips right off of his face. "What was all that talk about how you were just using her for information? Get a map, cut her loose."

"You said you were using me?" Sarah asks, her eyes narrowing while John B ruffles his hair, looking uncomfortable.

"No."

"You did." Vera sighs, leaning forward. "It was obvious that you were lying to make Kie feel better, but you did say that, JB. Don't lie to her."

"You did say those things." Pope tacks on, with JJ adding a strong yes.

"Look, love just walked in, okay?" John B bursts, frustrated with all of them.

"Oh, vomit." Kie looks away, disgusted.

"Love?" Vera whispers, sharing an amused look with JJ. "Guy's had a girlfriend for two minutes."

"I didn't expect it! It just–it kind of happened!" John B continues, ignoring her, turned so that he's completely facing Sarah. "I'm not gonna deny it. Right?"

"Oh, that's corny." Pope whispers, pretending to throw up.

"Look, cut the bullshit, John B." Kie tells him. "If she's in, I'm out."

"Kie, I'm not doing this. I'm not."

"You are gonna decide!"

"I can't!"

"I'm very interested, actually! Me or her?"

"Both."

"Ooh." Pope whispers, sharing a look with Vera and JJ. "Wrong answer."

JJ whistles, "Went for the Hail Mary."

"Noooo!" Pope whispers, watching Kie walk away. "Vee, do something!"

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" She hisses back. "I'm not in this!"

"You're a girl."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. That doesn't mean shit." She snaps, shaking her head.

"It'll be cool, right?" Sarah mocks John B, clearly having seen this coming. "I'm gonna leave."

"Sarah, don't." John B groans, but Vera simply hands over the long abandoned nail polish so that she can finish it herself. Sarah smiles at her, standing up from the porch and walking away.

"I'm gonna let y'all chat. Let me know!"

John B slams his head back against the wall.

"I'd just like to say, you handled that beautifully." JJ tells him. Pope walks away, going to find Kie. Vera considers joining him, but she's sure that Kie doesn't want to be around her right now, when she already feels betrayed.

"Shut up." John B groans, shaking his head.

"No, he's right. Seriously, dude?" Vera asks, sighing loudly. "You should've talked to Kie before bringing Sarah around. I'm happy to have her join us, but they have a complicated history. It's something they have to work out themselves."

"Why can't you all just get along?" John B groans.

"'Cause life sucks. I dunno." Vera shrugs, pulling herself to her feet and pushing past them into the kitchen, where she digs through the cupboards until she finds a pack of graham crackers. She ends up leaning against the fridge, while JJ sits on the counter next to the sink and John B stands across from them. Pope finds them like that when he comes back without Kie.

"What'd she say?" John B asks, sounding nervous.

Pope catches a bag of chips that JJ throws to him. "That you're an idiot."

"It's a no-brainer, you're picking Kie." JJ says decisively, jumping down from the counter to dig through the fridge. Vera happily takes his spot, tired of standing.

"You forgot that he's in loveeee," Vera sings, making kissy faces at John B, who tries to hide his blush behind a swig of his beer. JJ grabs his own beer, slamming the fridge door shut and backing up so that he's leaning against the cupboards next to Vera, who's in between him and Pope.

"I can't make a decision." John B sighs.

"So, what? We're just dead in the water because you're pussy-whipped?" JJ asks, frowning.

Vera grabs Pope's water bottle, taking a drink of it before handing it back. He doesn't protest, although she knows that he hates sharing drinks with most other people. She's seen him dump out a drink after Kie drank from it–she spent the next hour teasing him about being scared of getting cooties, after all–so it always makes her happy that he doesn't seem to mind when she steals his drinks.

"We can't do this without Kie, and you know it." JJ continues.

"And I can't do it without Sarah." John B insists. "Okay? They both have to be in on it."

"Well, good luck with that." Pope dismisses the idea, opening up the freezer.

"You know what? I know this was my fault, alright?" John B tells them. "But it's our problem. I've got a plan."

"Famous last words." Vera mumbles, even as she follows him out of the room.

"You three shitheads are gonna help me out." John B smirks, pointing to all three of them.

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ 🐚🫧𓇼 ˖°

Vera hops off of Big John's charter boat when they reach the Cameron's dock, looking around.

"Remember–"

"I know, I know." Vera dismisses John B, rolling her eyes. "I was there for the whole planning sesh. Chill."

"I should come with you." JJ blurts out, looking behind her. "What if Rafe is there?"

"Dude, it'll be so obvious that something is up if you come along." Vera groans, shaking her head. "I doubt he's even here. He's probably with Kelce, snorting shit. Stay here."

"If you're not back in ten minutes, I'm coming to get you." He threatens, and Vera flips him off as she walks away, unable to stop herself from smiling. It's overbearing, but they did promise not to separate from each other. That pact didn't even last a day.

She finds Sarah sitting at the table outside, her feet propped up on a chair next to the one she's sitting on, scrolling through her phone. There's a glass of sweet tea creating condensation on the table, and Vera smiles to herself as she speaks up.

"Hey. Sorry to just show up, but . . . well, John B and I wanted to see if you'd hang out with us."

Sarah looks up, raising her eyebrows as she turns her phone off.

"Is Kie gonna throw a hissy fit if I do?"

"She's not there. It's just me, JB, and JJ." Vera shrugs. "I mean, if your phone is more interesting . . ."

"Our wifi's down." Sarah admits, standing up. "I've literally just been going through photos and deleting a ton. I'm so bored. I didn't think I was dependent on my phone, but . . ."

"You are." Vera laughs, nodding her head as Sarah follows her down to the dock. "Are you wearing a bathing suit?"

"Always." Sarah laughs. "Never know when you'll need it, right?"

"My kinda girl." Vera winks at her obnoxiously, helping her onto the boat when they get there. John B beams at her, while JJ just nods, still not interested in her. Sarah joins John B at the wheel, talking to him quietly as he leads them pretty far out, all of them except for Sarah keeping an eye on the time. When they reach the meeting spot, John B makes up an excuse to get Sarah into the small cabin of the boat, and as soon as she's down there, they lock her in.

She screams, starting to bang on the top, and Vera feels bad instantly.

"Sarah, I promise this isn't anything awful!" She promises. "We'll be right back!"

"What the fuck!?" She shouts, banging on the door again. "What are you doing!? Let me out!"

"No can do, Princess!" JJ grins. "Vee left a water bottle for you down there!"

"I'm sorry! It's for your own good!" Vera promises, moving with the boys to the alp of the boat. Sarah gives up banging after a few minutes, and Vera really does feel bad for trapping her down there.

"What happened?" Kie complains, joining them a few minutes later. She'd been lured out by Pope.

"Uh, the alternator's, uh, not alternating anymore." JJ makes up, and Vera bites her lip so that she doesn't burst out laughing. He flips a screwdriver around his fingers.

"It's not charged." John B adds.

"Did you check the plugs?" Kie asks, coming further into the room.

"No, no. You should check 'em." JJ nods, as Vera slips out with the excuse that she wants to give Kie more room. The boys follow.

"Yeah."

"Give it a whirl."

"You guys are useless." Kie sighs, bending down with the screwdriver JJ handed over.

"Sorry about that."

"Love you, Kie." Vera grins, sharing a look with the two boys when Kie isn't looking.

"Come on, come on, come on." John B whispers, ushering them away.

"Uh . . . is this a joke?" Kie calls out, and Vera jumps into the water. There are two identical splashes behind her, all three of them swimming to Pope, who is waiting on the HMS Pogue a little farther out.

"Sayonara!" John B shouts.

"Guys!" Kie screams, and Vera looks behind them as they reach the Pogue, with Pope helping them on. She's discovered and freed Sarah, both of them glaring at them from the boat. "Are you joking!?"

"Are you serious!?" Sarah screams.

"Get your asses back here!"

"We can't. Not till you figure this out!" John B shouts back.

"I will kill every single one of you!" Kie promises.

"Y–you can't just leave!" Sarah screams desperately. "Vera, come on!"

"There's food in the cabin, and JJ rolled a blunt!" Pope informs them.

"Hydroponic!" JJ beams, proud of himself.

"This is ridiculous!" Sarah complains, bending down and stripping her shorts off as Pope starts the baot. However Kie responds is lost to the sound of the engine as they speed away from the girls.

"Godspeed!" Pope calls, just as Sarah jumps into the water. She'll never make it to them.

"Wait!" She shouts, and Vera does feel bad. Not enough to turn around though. "Wait! John B, you asshole!"

"They're gonna try and kill each other." She sighs, sitting down and looking behind them. "Maybe they'll be friends after, though."

"Love you guys! Bye!" John B shouts back, before they're too far away to respond anymore.

The four of them are left looking at each other. Vera looks between her boys before smirking. "So . . . wanna surf?"

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They stay out in the water for hours.

They practice tricks and cheer each other on. Vera noserides and tube rides and accomplishes her third ever Flynnstone Flip: a backflip where you grab the board in the middle of the flip. It's difficult because you have to approach an open wave fast enough and catch enough air to move forward while at the same time doing a 360 flip. The move was perfected by Flynn Novak, hence the name, and Vera's dream is to one day be so good that a move is named after her.

They stay out even after everyone else goes home, cars clearing out of the beach. Even after they're all too tired to surf, they hover on their boards, the four of them forming a circle and talking.

"How do you think it's going?" John B asks for the hundredth time, and the rest of them sigh loudly.

"Dude, you'll still have a girlfriend in the morning. Kie might be mad at her, but she's not a murderer." Vera snorts, ducking down into the water when the air gets a little too chilly for her liking. "I'm sure it's going fine. They're probably smoking . . . speaking of, please tell me that you kept some for us, Jay."

JJ smirks, nodding his head, and Vera cheers.

"Thank god. Your cousin grows the strong shit. Ice cream and then back to the Chateau?"

"Deal." They all agree, sharing grins. They pile their boards on top of the Twinkie, and then walk down the beach to the ice cream shop. They catch them right before they close, placing their orders: one scoop Moose Tracks and one scoop Reese's peanut butter cup for Vera, chocolate marshmallow for JJ, mint chocolate chip for Pope, and cake batter for John B. They take their time walking back to the Twinkie, and Vera steals a bite of John B's cone, always a sucker for cake batter. She just always forgets how much she likes it until she sees it in John B's hands.

As soon as they're back at the Chateau, John B disappears into his bedroom. The other three crack jokes about him being eager for the night to end so that he's closer to seeing his girlfriend in the morning. They share the pullout, curling up under the crochet blanket Vera had made when she was first learning. In the years since she made it, the blue color has faded and the ends are frayed, slightly mismatched since she'd struggled with making it. John B and Big John had both been delighted to receive it, even though it was far from perfect: neither of them were the type to care about that. All that mattered to them was that Vera had made it herself.

The next morning, John B wakes them up before the sun has fully risen, shoving them onto the HMS as they bitch and moan. When they get to the charter boat, Sarah and Kie are awake, sitting on the edge and watching them approach.

"Uh oh!" John B shouts. "You forget your keys or something?"

"You guys need a tow?" Pope continues the joke.

"You gotta admit, it's kinda funny." John B grins when they pull up close to the charter boat, stalling the engine.

"John B." Kie sighs.

"Uh, what's that?"

"Mastermind, huh?"

"I'm always plannin'." He smirks.

"Some patriarchal bullshit." She huffs.

"Yeah, that sucked." Sarah continues.

"You still love us though, right?" JJ grins, tossing Kie the rope to tie them off.

"Yeah, whatever."

"Hey, you still hate me?" John B asks Sarah, kicking his feet up.

"A little. We're both gonna get you back when you least expect it." Sarah promises him, crossing her arms over her chest. "You too, Vera."

"Watch your back." Kie agrees.

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, I for one, welcome that challenge." Pope smiles.

"Me too." JJ nods.

"So, did you guys, you know . . ." Pope trails off.

"Reconcile our differences?" Kie asks.

"Mm-mm." Sarah shakes her head, but Vera looks between the two of them, her eyes narrowed. If they hadn't, they wouldn't be acting so civil, or standing so close to each other. Kie would've jumped off the boat to join them the second they were close enough.

"Not even close."

"But we're . . . willing to work together." Sarah tells them.

"You know what? That's a victory!" John B grins, high-fiving JJ, who reaches down and does his weird handshake with Pope.

"Woogity woogity!"

"You know what it was, guys?" JJ asks while Vera and John B perform their handshake. "Hydroponic."

"Don't say that." Pope snorts.

"Alright, shut up." John B tells them, turning to the girls. "You guys ready to jack some loot?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Yep!"

Kie jumps over the edge of the charter boat, straight onto the HMS Pogue. Sarah is more careful, and she accepts Vera's hand to help her over the side.

"Alright, let's get it!"

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ 🐚🫧𓇼 ˖°

They go back to the Chateau to prepare, and Vera lends Sarah a hoodie. They want to be as unnoticeable as possible, and that involves wearing black clothing. Then, when it's night time, they all pile into the Twinkie, not wanting to do anything in the daytime when they're more likely to be caught.

"Alright, you guys got rope?" John B checks from the driver's seat.

"Got it."

"Grappling hook?"

"We don't have a grappling hook. We're not Batman." Pope rolls his eyes.

"Pulley?"

"Check." Kie nods.

"Dark clothes?"

"Got it."

"Obviously."

"Flashlights?"

"Sí."

"Alright, good." John B parks at the stone wall they'd used as an entrance before. The house is even creepier at night time. "We're ready."

"Let's go." Kie nods.

"Let's go get rich, guys." JJ beams.

"Yeah. Hell yeah."

"Go boys–"

"And girls." Kie adds.

"Wait, wait, wait." John B stops them, pulling open the back door and stopping them from piling out. "I wanna say thank you guys. Seriously. It means a lot to me that you're here tonight."

"Always," Kie smiles at him.

"Of course, man." Pope adds softly, turning and starting their handshake.

"My man." John B grins. He shares a soft smile with Sarah, before turning to Vera, who beams at him.

"We love you, JB." She tells him, pulling him into a side hug. "Nowhere else we'd rather be."

"Alright, we done with this circle jerk?" JJ destroys the moment, and Vera huffs out a laugh into John B's shoulder. "Can we go do this?"

"Yep."

"Let's get that wheat in the water." Pope nods, jumping out after Vera.

"Weed? I'm up for weed." JJ says.

"Wheat. I said wheat." Pope sighs, long-suffering.

"After you." Kie waves Sarah forward. "Ladies first."

"Alley-oop." Sarah grins, finding a foothold and swinging herself over. Kie follows, then Vera, then the boys. Sarah lets Kie and Vera lead the way, not familiar with the path whereas they have a little experience. They all point their flashlights at the ground, not wanting to trip on anything. When they get close to the porch, the automatic lights turn on, and they all gasp and drop to the ground.

"Shit, shit, shit!"

"Go, go, go, go!"

"Flashlights!" Kie reminds them.

"It's on strobe!" Pope hisses, finally turning it off.

"Shh!" John B holds a finger to his lips, all of them staring at each other through the dark, hidden behind shrubs.

"Okay, so she has motion sensor lights." Pope pants, pulling his bandana down so that it's no longer covering his face. He turns to JJ, who has the rope over his shoulder, while John B has the pulley.

"We could, uh . . . move really slowly, maybe?" JJ suggests.

"What?" Sarah questions, all of them gaping at him.

"Yeah, that's not how it works." Pope sighs.

"Oh, shit!" John B gasps. "Let's throw a rock at it!"

"What?"

"That's a really good idea. Let the axe murderer know that we're here." Kie says sarcastically, sharing an annoyed look with Vera and Sarah. Their boys can be really stupid.

"Throw a rock at it?" Pope repeats in disbelief.

"Okay, you guys have a better idea?" John B hisses.

"Literally anything but that."

"What about the breaker?" Sarah suggests, and Vera snaps her fingers, pointing to her. "In the circuit box on the porch . . . we used to play hide-and-seek here as kids. And if we were brave enough, we'd go all the way to the porch. I've seen it."

Vera takes back her thoughts about them knowing the grounds better than her.

"No, no. You're not going in the house alone." John B dismisses the idea.

"Watch me."

"Crain chops people into pieces." JJ states.

"If you believe that, but she's like what, 85?" Sarah reminds them.

"Fair point. I'll go with you." Vera nods.

"Me too." Kie adds, and the three of them beam at each other.

"Okay, we'll wait for your signal." Pope decides.

"Okay, cool." Sarah smiles, and the three of them stand up, staying crouched over so that they're not noticeable.

"Hey! Be safe." John B tells Sarah, and Vera nudges Kie.

"Guess we can just die." She whispers with a smirk, and Kie laughs quietly. Vera is glad that she's talked things out with Sarah, otherwise that joke would not have landed like it just did.

"We will." Sarah nods, rolling her eyes at Vera when she passes John B. Vera giggles, quickly putting a hand over her mouth to block the noise. God, she loves Sarah Cameron.

Behind them, JJ and Pope mock John B. JJ pulls Pope's face towards him with a hand on his chin.

"Be safe."

"I'll be so safe." Pope whispers back, putting a hand on JJ's chest. "I'll be safe for you."

"Can you guys stop?" John B hisses angrily. "Stop! I'm gonna kill you."

"But how would that keep us safe?" Pope whispers with a smirk.

Sarah leads the way to the porch, and Vera swears every sound echoes around them. Every twig snapping, leaf crunching, cricket chirping has her alert and ready to fight.

"She must have a generator plugged into the main power supply."

They finally make it to the porch, starting to walk up the stairs. The third one from the bottom creaks, and Vera swears her heart ends up in her throat. When they get to the breaker, Vera instantly moves to open it while the other two stand watch, shining their flashlights on it. It creaks when she opens it, but there aren't any breakers inside.

"What the fuck?" She whispers, turning to Sarah and Kie, who are frowning.

"No, no, no, no, no." Sarah whispers, disappointed.

"Shit." Kie swears, tilting her head back. They follow her gaze, seeing that the breakers are inside, based on the wiring leading up. "It goes inside."

"Fuck me." Vera whispers, sharing a determined look with the girls. "Well, here goes nothing."

The door creaks loudly when Kie slowly opens it, wincing with every noise.

"Has she never heard of WD-40, goddamn?" Vera whispers, annoyed. The noises in this stupid house are killing her nervous system. Sarah snorts before her eyes widen and she covers her mouth, which almost makes Vera laugh out loud.

The floorboards creak under their feet as they take slow steps forward, shining their flashlights around. A cat yowling has Vera gripping Sarah's hand, her heart racing. Sarah's nails dig into the back of her hand, both of them terrified.

"Shh." Vera whispers, looking around only to not see a cat.

"Hey." Kie breathes, pointing to the breaker, and they both nod. The switch clicks loudly as Kie opens it, all three of them holding their breath at the noise. The generator powers down with an even louder noise, and a few moments later, a creaking sounds from the other room. They gasp, flattening themselves against the wall.

"Shit."

A grandfather clock chimes, announcing the time, and Vera flinches when it's followed by a loud THUMP from upstairs.

"She's awake." She breathes out, sharing a horrified look with her girls. No, no, no. The thumping is followed by shuffling, and a wheezing cough. Heavy breathing gets closer as Mrs. Crain slowly walks down the stairs, until the old woman passes right by them. One glance at her reveals that she's blind, which Vera makes note of desperately, hoping to use that to their advantage.

"I can hear you, Leon." Mrs. Crain growls, and Sarah whimpers. She whips around at the noise, screaming: "I've been waiting all night!"

Sarah screams, and Kie and Vera shove her into the hallway.

"Go!"

"Go, go, go!" Vera begs, and they run into the first room they find. Vera assumes that Kie is right behind her, but when she turns after following Sarah into a side room, she's not there. "Fuck!"

"Leon!" Mrs. Crain screeches.

"He's dead, you fucking psychopath." Vera breathes, sharing a scared look with Sarah, both of their chests heaving. "We have to go back for Kie."

Sarah nods, grabbing her hand as they both run the way they came from, hating that they're running closer to Mrs. Crain in the process. They get to the room just in time to find Mrs. Crain swinging a weapon–is that a fire poker!?–at Kie, who's up against a boarded up door, screaming as she ducks away.

Sarah grabs the weapon before she can swing it again, while Vera rushes past them and grabs Kie, tugging her out of the way. The fire poker clatters to the floor, and Sarah grabs Vera's hand, pulling the two of them out of the room.

"Come on, this way!"

"Kie, don't you dare ever separate from us again!" Vera hisses as they run, gripping both of their hands tightly. Mrs. Crain continues screaming behind them, still searching for her dead husband. "What the fuck!"

"I'm sorry!" Kie whimpers, and relief hits them all when they get into the other room and slam the door shut. The relief lasts for a few seconds before Mrs. Crain swings the fire poker at the door, breaking through the wood, and then they all scream. Vera screams the loudest, since her hand was on the door right where Mrs. Crain hit, and pain surges through her as she yanks it away. She doesn't look, too scared to see the damage, and too terrified about what will happen if she stops running.

"Shit!"

"How is she this fucking strong!?" Vera demands as they run, her side hurting. The boys better have found the fucking gold, or she's going to lose her shit on them.

"This way! It goes underneath the house!" Sarah tells them, now in the middle of them, holding both of their hands: thankfully, holding Vera's left, and not the one that's burning.

"Guys, she's blind! We need to stop being so loud!" Vera pants, although she doesn't think it matters at this point. That crazy old bat isn't going to stop chasing after them, thinking she's going round two of murdering her husband.

"Go, go, go, go!" Kie urges when they reach the stairs.

"I'm trying!"

"Guys!" Sarah screams, racing around the corner of the basement. Pope and JJ are working the pulley while John B is inside the well, and they look surprised at their appearance as they sprint to them.

"Woah, woah, what's going on?" Pope asks, both hands gripping the rope.

"Mrs. Crain! She's up there!" Sarah pants, bending over and gasping for air.

"She tried to kill us with a fire poker!" Kie gasps. "We gotta get the fuck outta here!"

"We locked her in the parlor." Vera explains, sucking in a breath after. "We gotta go now!"

"Okay, yeah, that's Code Red!" JJ panics. "That's Code Red. Hey! John B! Get back on, man!"

"Grab the rope." Vera tells Sarah and Kie, standing behind JJ and gripping it as soon as John B is back on. They all pull together, only to end up tangled together on the ground, the rope giving way. "Oh, no, no, no! JB!"

"Where is he!?"

"John B!" Sarah shouts, surging to her feet.

John B shouts something, but it echoes strangely, and they can't make sense of what he's saying. All they hear is the desperation in his voice.

"Yo, he's drowning! We gotta pull him up!" Kie gasps, and they all reach for the rope again.

Pope leans forward, shouting into the well. "Hey, John B! Get back on the rope. We're gonna pull you back up, okay, buddy?"

"Come on!"

"Pull! Come on!"

Vera is suddenly beyond grateful that she spends so much time being physically active, otherwise she would be on the floor by now. She tugs with all of her might, feeling her biceps burning, along with her palms. Her right palm feels slick, although she still hasn't examined it, not having had the chance. She can worry about that when they're all safe.

A gunshot sounds, and they all scream, ducking.

"Jesus!"

"Shit!"

"Shit! Hang on!" JJ screams, as their grip slackens and John B slides down a few inches. Vera whimpers, her eyes squeezed shut as she continues pulling, not wanting to see Mrs. Crain again. If she never sees those teeth and eyes again, it'll be too soon.

"Pope! JJ! What the hell?" John B shouts at them.

"John B, climb up!" JJ shouts. "Pope, Vera, hide!"

Kie and Sarah hide in a crawl space as Mrs. Crain approaches, reloading her shotgun. JJ ducks down, slipping into his own hiding space while Vera grabs Pope's hand, yanking him down. Another shot goes off, and Vera looks around desperately, grabbing a piece of wood. If she gets close enough, she can hit her with it at least.

"Go, go, go!" JJ grabs them, yanking them up and shoving them forward. Vera drops her piece of wood in the process, yelping when it hits the floor with a loud BANG. They slip out of the side tunnel, and Vera's heart is racing. If they lead her away, she can double back around and grab John B . . . did the girls get out yet!?

Seeing the girls in front of them, racing down the path, is a huge relief. They hop over the stone wall with ease, jumping into the Twinkie.

"Go, go, go!"

"Get into the car!"

Vera sucks in quick breaths, her sides and lungs burning, squished between Pope and Sarah as JJ sprints around to the front seat. They're all accounted for, except for John B. Another gunshot echoes around them, and Pope flinches into her, his back pressed up to her chest.

"Where is he!?"

"Come on, start the car!" Pope begs. "GO!"

"Not without JB!" Vera insists, shaking her head. Thankfully, John B chooses that moment to launch himself over the wall, covered head to toe in mud.

"Why are we always getting shot at!?" Pope screeches as a shot narrowly misses John B.

"Come on! John B, run!"

JJ starts driving, and Vera pushes away from them, holding her hand out of the Twinkie as John B runs after them. He grabs ahold of her hand, and Pope helps her pull him in, all of them screaming as he falls forward. He ends up half in Pope and Vera's laps.

"Oh my god!"

"JJ, drive!"

"Go, man!"

"Oh my god!" JJ laughs, turning around to look at John B quickly before facing the road again. "Are you okay? Are you shot?"

"You good?"

"Pope, breathe!" Vera reminds him.

"I think I'd know if I was shot, right?" Kie asks, patting around her body.

"You look disgusting!" Pope gasps, gaping at John B.

"God, you smell like ass!" Kie complains, one hand flying up to cover her nose.

"What the hell just happened?" Sarah asks, her head flying back.

"A blind bitch tried to murder us!" Vera screams, still in disbelief. "With a fire poker!"

"All time Pogue Hall of Fame, baby!" JJ whoops from the front seat.

"Hell yeah." Kie claps him on the back, turning to face them all again immediately after. "That bitch is possessed!"

"That bitch can't aim!" Sarah adds, her chest heaving.

"How does she move that fast!?" Pope wonders.

"Thank you!" Vera shrieks, pointing to him. "I mean, she's like, 100!"

"She's possessed." Kie says flatly.

"No, she's blind!" Vera adds, still shocked. "How was she that accurate with the damn fire poker when she can't see for shit!?"

"Like Master Yoda." Pope laughs.

Vera, who's never seen Star Wars, only shrugs. "Sure, man. Whatever you say."

"It makes no sense, like scientifically." Pope continues.

"She does yoga." Kie suggests hysterically. "Pilates."

"Shit, sign me up for her workout class." Vera giggles, one hand hovering over her heart, which she can feel racing through her sweatshirt. She's pretty sure she's not supposed to be able to feel it through three layers of clothing.

"Oh god!"

"What is that?" Kie suddenly asks, and they all become hyper aware of what John B is holding in his hand. He's stroking his thumb over it, removing layers of mud to reveal . . .

"No, you didn't!" Sarah gasps.

"We did it, baby!" John B screams.

"No, you didn't!" Sarah repeats louder.

"I did it!"

"OH MY GOD!" JJ turns around, seeing the gold in John B's hand and reacting like the rest of them.

"I did it!"

They all start screaming at the top of their lungs, excitement hitting them hard. Vera hits her hands off the top of the roof, screaming so loud she can feel her vocal cords wanting to give up. They did it! All this time, searching and searching and searching, and it paid off!

"Holy shit!"

"That's gold!"

"Wait! Wait! Guys, we're gonna be rich!" Kie screams.

"Like Kook rich!"

"Full Kook! Full Kook! Full Kook! Full Kook!" They all chant, jumping up and down in their seats and rocking the Twinkie. "Full Kook! Full Kook! Ay-ay-ay!"

John B whoops again, and Vera doesn't care about the mud or the smell or anything, not when they found the gold! She crashes into him, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tight, cheering into his ears as he does the same into hers. When they pull away, Vera can feel dirt on her clothes and face and hair, but it doesn't matter at all. All that matters is the pure happiness their group feels.

"Beach House, here we come!" She cheers, tears streaming down her face as Pope and Sarah pull her into a group hug. She can see it already: all six of them, living together, growing together. It's everything she's ever wanted coming true, all thanks to John B and his father.

𓆉⋆｡˚⋆❀ 🐚🫧𓇼 ˖°

authors note

okay i abandoned this fic back in like november but she's back because i miss vera! she's my baby!

i'm really excited to explore the friendship between her and sarah more. they love each other so much ☹️

also this is not going to be a rafe positive fic at any point. i know a lot of people love him but not in this household (love drew though)! also if you ship him with kie get away from me... he physically chokes her??? he's NINETEEN in season 1 while she's SIXTEEN??? no. so gross. so yeah, he's gonna be portrayed accurately in this fic: a rich cokehead who says weird things about minors and is justifiably unliked by the group he terrorizes. i'm just saying this because i've seen hate comments on fics that portray him as that and im not dealing with that here. i'll block you idgaf. (also, before anyone starts: i know that ward treated him awfully, and i am not condoning that, but it's not an excuse either.)

okay rant over. i'm gonna do my best to continue writing this at a steady pace! i'd love to hear any thoughts anyone has <3