"Yeah, you know what that is." JJ snarls at a frozen Topper, his gun–safety off–pressed to his head. "Your move, broski."

"JJ!"

"Oh my god!"

"He's got a gun! JJ has a gun!"

Vera shares a terrified look with Pope–this is the exact opposite of what they were hoping this night would be. It was supposed to be lowkey and give them an alibi, not end with JJ holding a stolen gun to a rich douche's head. Vera doesn't like their odds of him not snitching.

"JJ!" Sarah screams, taking a step forward with her hand held out. Her pose reminds Vera of Eleven from Stranger Things, and she has the sudden inappropriate urge to laugh. "JJ! Stop! Put the gun down."

"Did you say somethin', princess?" JJ asks her, pressing the gun further into Topper's head, causing him to flinch back.

"We're good, we're good." Topper pleads desperately, a complete 180 from his tough guy attitude as he held John B under the water. Speaking of–Vera rushes forward, ignoring the helpless look Topper sends her way, and pulls John B out of the water. He spits out water, drenched and spluttering, a shocked look in his eyes.

"Hey, hey, you're okay." Vera tells him soothingly, patting his back. "I've got you, JB. We've got you."

"Kie! Vera! Can you check your psycho friend, please?" Sarah screams at them, waving towards JJ. Vera rolls her eyes in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, psycho? He wouldn't have pulled the gun if your freak of a boyfriend didn't try to drown John B!" She shouts back, pleased when Sarah flinches at the words, uncertainty showing before she closes herself off.

"Okay, everyone, listen up!" JJ bellows, releasing Topper and raising his gun up to the sky. "Get the hell off our side of the island!"

He fires two shots off, and the remaining Kooks gasp and shriek, shoving each other out of the way as they rush off of the beach.

Kie and Pope descend on JJ, pushing him, which Vera protests.

"Guys! Don't shove the guy holding a loaded gun, morons!" She calls over, feeling like she's losing her mind at the lack of respect the group shows the weapon. John B grumbles out an agreement, his voice hoarse, and the two of them help each other back up the beach. She's feeling a little off center, likely because of the keg stand, and she stumbles a little as she tries to hold more of his weight.

"Why would you do that?" Pope is screaming when they get to them, pushing JJ again.

"I was saving his life!" JJ defends, scowling fiercely.

"Stupid! You're gonna jeopardize everything!"

"GUYS!" Vera screams, finally breaking through to them. They spin around to face her, shocked when they take in her holding John B's unconscious body up, close to dropping him. He'd gotten heavier during their fight, losing his battle to stay awake. "A little help, please?"

JJ is there in a second, switching the safety back on the gun and shoving it in his pants as he ducks down and grabs John B in a firefighters hold.

"You good to walk back?" He questions, taking in her state. She considers it for a second before nodding, shrugging her shoulders.

"I mean, I surfed crossfaded like a week ago. I can manage this." She decides, because she's not fully drunk. She's just a little past tipsy.

"Thanks, Jay." She adds softly, bumping into him as they start their walk back. Pope and Kie are taking care of the keg, and she stops for a moment by them to kick sand on the bonfire that's long since died down. "I was planning on tackling him, but I'm glad that you did something."

She loves Kie and Pope, but it's grating on her that they just stood and watched, and then blamed JJ for deciding to do something. She still doesn't understand why Pope held her back.

"You know me." JJ shrugs, jostling John B from where he's still on his shoulder. "Any chance to get in trouble."

"Any chance to help your friends, more like." Vera corrects, helping JJ step over a log, relieved when John B groans, waking up. "Come on, we're almost to the Twinkie."

The ride back is silent. JJ shoves himself in the passenger seat while Vera swipes John B's keys from his pocket and the rest pile into the back. John B's head winds up in Kie's lap, where she plays with his hair and stares at Pope, having a silent conversation with him. Thankfully, no one starts fighting, and she's parking down the street from the Carrera's to help Kie sneak in before she knows it. They do their handshake, time calming Kie, and then she's helping lift the girl in through her window, waving as she ducks back around to the Twinkie.

Pope gets dropped off next, refusing her offer to help him sneak in. He's sullen and clearly needs some space from them, which she can respect even if it hurts. There's no doubt in her mind that he'll still show up at John B's tomorrow to help them out. He's loyal like that.

"I need to go back to my dad's, see if there's any damage." She tells JJ and John B, smiling to herself when JJ moves to sit with their friend in the back, looking worried as he keeps poking him awake. "JJ, are you staying with John B or coming back with me?"

"John B." JJ answers, not surprising her. "You want me to drive?"

"Nah, we can switch when we get to mine, so you can drive back." Vera decides.

She can hear JJ and John B talking from the back seat, their voices calming whatever anxiety was left in her. She doesn't bother trying to piece together what they're talking about, happy to let them exist in their own bubble while she focuses on driving, tensing up when they get to her street. The damage isn't too bad–there's fallen branches and debris covering the houses, but the road has been cleared out, and she's quick to pull over to the side of it.

"You sure you want to stay here?" JJ asks from the back, already starting to climb into the front seat, knowing what her answer will be.

"Yeah, I gotta see what I'm gonna be dealing with all summer." She says with a sigh, exhausted at just the thought. "I'll stop by tomorrow. Bye, boys. Jay . . . do us all a favor and hide that gun. The last thing we need is the cops coming by and us having it."

JJ scoffs. "The cops aren't takin' shit from me, I can promise you that."

"Sure." She says sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she shoves herself out of the van. "Dude, I'm not trying to start a fight. I get why you did it, but I also get why the others are upset. Topper is the definition of a snitch."

"What is it that they say about snitches?" JJ calls after her, and she doesn't bother responding verbally, just flipping him off as she marches up to the trailer she calls home. She grimaces at the peach tree uprooted from the ground, genuinely upset about the loss: she grew up climbing that tree with the boys, all of them competing to find the best peaches.

The door creaks when she shoves it open, not surprised that it was left unlocked. They can do that on this side of town—everyone knows no one has anything worth stealing, so why bother?

JJ doesn't drive away until she's safely inside.

She watches them pull away, wishing that she was with them instead of this empty trailer. She picks her way through the living area to pull the curtains shut, walking through the place with the familiarity that comes with living in one place her whole life. She ignores all of the scattered beer cans, and the half empty bags of chips and jerky, heading straight back to her room.

She has the smaller of the two bedrooms, and the claustrophobia hits her as soon as she pushes open the door. It used to be hers and Lottie's room, complete with a set of bunk beds that takes up a majority of the space. There are glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, and half of the room has chalkboard paint–they ran out before they could paint the other half, which is a light blue. Their parents always promised to buy more, but it never happened, and they stopped asking years before Lottie and Marlene moved out.

She finds an old flashlight in her hurricane kit, letting out a happy noise when it lights up after she smacks it four times. She aims it around the room, making a mental note to bring more bikinis with her back to John B's, since she's running low and has no idea when they'll next get around to doing laundry. It's not exactly their top priority, especially when they spend so much time out in the water.

Vera takes a minute to look over the old chalk drawings and writings left behind from various sleepovers over the years. A rainbow in the corner, John B suckz balls in JJ's handwriting, the pythagorean theorem for some reason, a handful of tic tac toe games, and a mixture of rap lyrics surrounded by elaborately drawn flowers.

The top bunk is Vera's. Actually, both beds are hers, because Lottie certainly isn't fighting with her over the space when she has a fancy room at Jim's house, complete with her own bathroom. They tried bribing Vera with the connected room, which is technically hers during the court ordered week she spends there every summer, but she never bothered making it her own. She has whatever clothes and items her mom has put in it over the years, and nothing else.

All of her actual, meaningful belongings are scattered among her dads, and John B's houses, and she prefers it that way.

The room is covered in a layer of dust, proving just how little time she spends inside of it, and she gets a kick out of writing 'Vera was here' in it on the windowsill. A note for her dad, if he bothers to look for her at some point, or for her future self.

The longer she spends inside of her room, the more her exhaustion grows, and she finds herself giving up on cleaning up for the time being. She throws herself onto the bottom bunk, falling asleep within minutes.

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The next morning comes sooner than she would like, and she startles awake to the sound of the screen door slamming shut. It takes her an embarrassingly long minute to recognize her surroundings, and then she turns and muffles a scream into her sister's old Care Bear pillowcase. She feels a little queasy, but not bad enough that she'll puke. It'll go away in a few hours.

"So much for an easy summer." She grumbles to herself, giving herself a few minutes to frown about it before she's rolling out of bed and going to find her dad. Lonnie Levine looks up when she enters the kitchenette, looking a little too surprised to see his daughter in their house for her liking.

"Oh, hey." He greets, smiling at her. "I didn't realize you were here. How long . . .?"

"I got in last night." She explains, crossing her arms over her chest. That's what finally makes her realize that she left her maxi skirt at the beach yesterday, and she has a feeling she's not going to be getting it back. She'll absolutely be seeing it on someone else around town. "I wanted to scope out the damage."

"It's not too bad." He tells her, sending relief coursing through her. "Some trees, and the power is out, which I'm sure you realized."

"Yeah, I noticed." She says with a half smile, shrugging her shoulders. "That's good, at least. I saw some roofing issues at Mrs. Anette's on the way here."

"Vinnie is helping her with that." Her dad explains, followed by an awkward silence. Vera wracks her brain for anything to say, but comes up empty. "Uh, I thought you were going on that trip. That is this week, right?"

"Yeah, but I was never going. Not my thing."

"Oh. I thought Char said–"

"Lottie's delusional." Vera scoffs, defensive now. She hates talking to her dad about that side of the family, and she knows he wants to bring up Marlene and Jim. "When'd you talk to her anyway?"

"She called last week. Wanted me to talk you into going." He admits, holding his hands up. "I don't want to step in anything. Just seemed like a fun time, is all."

It's a clear olive branch, and Vera accepts it.

"Right. Sorry, just . . . I'm hungover." She admits, overexaggerating slightly just to change the subject. It works, with him chuckling as he nods his head.

"Yes, well, you clearly have my genes." He tells her. "Your mom was always a lightweight. I'm glad that you got my blood. Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah." Vera grins at him, deciding not to mention how the night ended. "I helped throw a kegger. There were a lot of Tourons there, but they weren't as annoying as they were last year, so it wasn't too bad."

"Any fights?" He asks eagerly, pouting when she shrugs. "Dang. I thought you might have a good story for me."

Vera smirks at him, leaning back on the counter and nodding in thanks when he slides a PBR her way.

"Who said I didn't have a good story?" She asks, holding a hand to her heart in fake sadness at the lack of faith.

"Ooh." He perks up, opening a bag of jerky and angling it her way. She grabs a piece, smiling when she recognizes the flavor as his own recipe. He goes hunting every year at Mackay Island, and for a few months they get to eat whatever venison he brings back. It's her favorite time of the year. "Alright, then. The floor is yours, Miss Levine."

"Thank you, thank you. Happy to be here." She continues the joke, smiling wider now. "Well, Topper Thornton was there."

"What the hell kinda name is Topper, anyway?" Her dad interjects, the way he always does when Topper gets mentioned.

"A chosen one." Vera giggles, shaking her head. "No clue why he'd rather be Topper than Chris or even Christopher."

"A true idiot." He clinks their cans together. "Alright. So, Topper Thornton was there."

"Unfortunately for the poor Tourons subjected to his presence during their vacation." Vera sighs, sympathy in her voice. "You know Sarah Cameron? Middle child to Ward Cameron? Well, they've been dating for a while, and Topper got upset because JJ offered Sarah a drink."

"I thought you said there wasn't a fight?" He asks her, amused, while she raises her eyebrows. She technically never said that, but she doesn't correct the assumption. "I know JJ would've fought back."

"I didn't give them a chance to fight." Vera explains, taking another sip of her PBR. "I challenged him to a keg stand instead. I lasted a good sixteen seconds doing it solo before JJ had to help hold me up."

"Attagirl." He approves, giving her a high-five. He doesn't question whether she won for even a second, and pride bursts in Vera's chest. "Speaking of the boys, how are they doing? John B getting along with his uncle alright?"

"Yeah, they're great." Vera answers breezily, not mentioning that John B's guardian hasn't been in the picture for months now. "You know how it is. We're probably gonna go fishing or something later."

"Well, tell them that they're always welcome to bring it here. I'll cook up a dinner." He tells her, and both of them know that it won't happen. Still, it's nice that he suggested it in the first place.

"Yeah, I'll do that." She says with a sigh. "What's your plan for the day?"

"I'm gonna go help Vinnie out with some jobs." He says, looking tired at just the thought, crushing his PBR can. "He was asking about you. Guess I have a fun story to tell him now."

"Tell him Topper cried like a lil bitch." Vera lies with a wink, leaving the room before it can get awkward again. She scoops up a handful of bikinis before leaving the house, shouting a goodbye as she goes. The last time she was here she left her bicycle, a yellow one with stickers coating it, peeling off after all these years. There's a little basket in the front that she shoves the bikinis in, hitting the kickstand up and taking off to John B's.

"Hi, Ms. Rachel!" She calls, lifting a hand to wave at a woman gardening down the street, who waves back. There are other families out, taking advantage of the early hour to get home damages taken care of before their work days start.

She finds herself missing the ipod she keeps at John B's, wishing that she was listening to music for the ten minute bike ride, but she pulls into his yard before she can get too bored. JJ is outside, getting into the driver's seat of the Twinkie, and she delights in sneaking up on him. He jumps when she yanks open the passenger door, glaring at her as she laughs, slipping into the seat.

"Ha! I so got you." She gloats, smirking as she buckles her seatbelt. "Where are we goin'?"

"I was going to pick you up, actually." He tells her, watching as she starts sifting through the cassette tapes scattered through the front seat. She's looking for one particular tape, growing more frustrated when she can't find it, when he clears his throat to get her attention. "I already put it in the deck."

"This is why you're my favorite." Vera beams at him, amused by the blush that creeps onto his cheeks. A few moments later, they're driving while singing along to 'Kiss' by Prince, proving that he knew exactly which tape she was looking for. They make a new mixtape every summer as a group, delighting in this physical proof of their current favorite songs, and it's one of Vera's favorite traditions.

"You never answered my question." She realizes after a few minutes. "Why were you picking me up? Did something happen?"

"Nah, I just thought we could get ice cream like we talked about. Maybe go surfing a bit." He explains, shrugging. "I brought your favorite rashguard with me."

"The orange one?" Vera gasps, whipping around to face him. He nods, laughing at the expression on her face, and she can't help but squeal. "I thought I lost that one!"

"You did, but I found it for you." He brushes it off, although he has a small smile on his face at her reaction, and she gives him a thankful look.

"I could kiss you right now. I, like, actually cried when I couldn't find it." She tells him despite him having been there for her reaction. In her defense, it's so difficult to find good rashguards for surfing. The amount of times she's wiped out and then had to scramble to pull her bathing suit top back on is ridiculous. Finding a rash guard that fits comfortably, and doesn't fall down when faced with a strong wave? A damn miracle.

"I'm aware." JJ laughs at her, reaching over to turn the volume up when 'Where This Flower Blooms' by Tyler, The Creator and Frank Ocean starts playing. They both sing along, screaming out the lyrics like always, the windows down and wind blowing their hair back.

"80 dollar profit from the coffee I poured, Rent-A-Center calling everyday!" Vera screams, feeling every single word.

"Nobody home, they're knocking on the door! Now I skrrt, skrrt, skrrt!" They sing along together, and Vera couldn't stop her smile even if she wanted to. Next to her, JJ sends her an amused glance, and she knows that they're both thinking of the same memory.

Back when they were nine, they'd been having a sleepover at Vera's. Both of her parents had been at work when Rent-A-Center had come knocking, despite the fact that it was ten at night. They'd been playing Mario Kart in clear view of the open window, and when the pounding on the door started they'd dropped down below the couch–the very same couch that her parents had missed multiple payments on. The two of them had been giggling uncontrollably, trying to shut up but losing the battle every time they so much as glanced at the other.

The employee had walked over to the window, peering inside of it before his eyes landed on the TV, where Vera was still playing Mario Kart despite her new position. She'd been determined to beat him at their tournament, and she ended up winning, although the Rent-A-Center man didn't leave for another half an hour.

The two of them kept forgetting that he was outside until he would pound on the door again, shouting about how he knew they were inside and 'only wanted his money.'

"Man, I wonder if he ever got a raise." JJ says, proving that he's thinking the same thing as her, and Vera grins.

"I feel like if I ever see him, I'll recognize him." She admits, shaking her head. "I still think it's him anytime someone comes knockin'."

"Probably is. He's just trying to get you to let your guard down, and then he's gonna come snatch that couch from under you." JJ snorts, pulling into the beach. They bounce on the sand for a few minutes before he finds a clear spot and the two of them hop out. Vera takes a minute to change in the back of the van while JJ stands watch outside, not wanting someone to accidentally get a glimpse of her despite them being in a clear patch. There's no hesitation about getting changed around him, not after growing up together the way that they have. She and the boys have all seen everything there is to see with each other after years of adventures on and off the water.

When she slides the door open and hops out, she takes a second to kiss JJ on the cheek.

"What was that for?" He asks with a laugh, lifting a hand to his cheek and looking extremely pleased about it.

"I told you I could kiss you, and I meant it." She tells him matter-of-factly, spinning around and showing off the bathing suit. "I've missed this suit so damn much. Seriously, thank you for finding it for me."

"Well, you look too good in it for it to disappear." JJ flirts with her, and she grins as she starts grabbing their shortboards down from the top of the Twinkie where JJ tied them. "I think we're the only ones with shortboards out here."

Vera looks around them, seeing that he's right. There aren't too many people out this early, but the ones that are are using longboards or funboards.

"Not everyone can be the best surfer in Kildare." She laughs, beginning the trek to the water with JJ, since he'd waxed their boards already. "The rest of us just aren't at your level, Jay."

"Eh, you're pretty damn close." He admits, and Vera grins to herself, knowing that it's true. She's no JJ, but she can hold her own out there on the waves. She's not sure if her dance and gymnastics background plays into it, although she likes to imagine that it does. "Shit, you're close to perfecting your handstand trick out there. You held it for what, six seconds last time?"

"Seven." She corrects, delighted that he remembered. "I'm not gonna try it today, what with the Surge and all, but this summer I'm going to get past ten seconds."

"Hell yeah you are." JJ smirks, before taking off in a jog. "Race you!"

"Oh, fuck you, Maybank!" Vera hollers, lifting her board up higher and running in after him, pleased when she's only a few seconds behind him. He still brags about it, up until she dunks him under water, holding him there for a good five seconds before releasing him.

They stay in the water for two hours, cheering each other on in one moment and snaking each other in the next. JJ steals more waves than she does by the time she feels too hungry to keep going, not wanting to risk being too weak while in the water.

"Wanna hit the Fishbowl?" She asks him while they pack up their boards, hopping in the van as soon as they can. People are starting to crowd on to the beach, and she's glad that they beat the crowd here.

"Duh." JJ agrees, tossing her an old green flannel of his before she has a chance to complain about being cold. He throws her a pair of flip flops as well, knowing that she hates going into the Fishbowl without shoes on. The floor is too sticky for that.

They go crazy when they get to the Fishbowl, a tiki bar that was designed to be a tourist trap but turned into a local haunt instead. For once, they have enough money to order anything they want, which they prove by ordering a steak as well as two of the shrimp appetizers, and milkshakes–Vera gets a s'mores one while JJ goes with cookies and cream.

The server comes back with the milkshakes quickly, and Vera is thrilled when JJ goes to the bathroom immediately after, waving the server back over.

"Can I have a few straws?" She asks, pleased when she's given a handful. She takes a minute to unwrap them all, beginning the process of crumbling the wrappers up and chewing on them until they're small enough to be used as straw ammo. By the time JJ comes back, she's prepared, instantly shooting one at him and giggling at the look of betrayal on his face as he pretends he was properly shot.

"Wow. Didn't even give me a chance." He sighs out, shaking his head in dismay when he sees his straw inside of his drink, wrapper nowhere to be found.

"You snooze, you lose." Vera sticks her tongue out at him, hiding the other balled-up wrappers in her pocket for later.

Their meal takes a while to be made, since the restaurant is still on their breakfast menu, but the two of them make the most out of the time together. They talk about surfing, the party the night before, and about John B and this whole situation with his dad. Neither of them have a good solution, which they hate, but it's relieving to rant about it openly since they aren't at risk of John B hearing them.

"We've gotta go pick up Pope and Kie." Vera sighs after the food is long gone, a pile of spitballs surrounding JJ's side of the table. She starts cleaning up, not wanting to bother their waiter with it, balancing their plates and putting all of the napkins on the top plate.

JJ grimaces, looking unhappy at the thought. "Great. So I can hear all about how pissed they are with me."

"Might as well get it over with." Vera shrugs, pushing herself out of her chair and heading over to pay the bill, having grabbed money off of JJ, who is still holding on to his stack of it. Hers are hidden at John B's, since it's not like her bikinis have pockets. She gives the waiter a twenty dollar tip, their bill having come out to $40, shrugging off the thanks she receives with a smile. She feels bad that they held up the table and were so loud for a good hour and a half, and it's not like they're really losing money, since they stole that tip the night before.

After they've picked up the other two, they head back to John B's, who tells them that Sheriff Peterkin stopped in to visit him.

"Look, I'm callin' it off. Alright?" He decides, pacing back and forth in the backyard. Kie is sitting with two finger drums in front of her, aimlessly tapping out a beat. Pope is across from her in a chair, an open book in his lap that he hasn't read more than a page of since his arrival. Vera is sitting in the grass, a ball of yarn in front of her as she attempts to pick up crocheting yet again. JJ is sitting on a table near her. "Peterkin said if I stay out of the marsh she'll help me with DCS."

"And you believed her?"

"Yes, I believe her, JJ!" John B snaps, twisting around to face the blonde.

"An actual cop, John B. You believed a cop."

"He's got a point." Vera pipes up, shrugging. "I mean, I wouldn't believe Jim if he was the one saying that. Cops lie all the time, remember? They literally just stole money from a crime scene yesterday."

"Look, all I've gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple days, and she'll help me out." John B tells them, frustration evident in his tone. "It doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting a gun!"

"You know what I should've done, man? I should've just let Topper drown your ass."

"Yeah, because Topper was gonna drown me." John B's tone drips with sarcasm, and Vera shakes her head at him.

"Dude, he was literally doing just that before JJ stopped him. Do I agree that showing off our very illegal gun was a terrible idea? Yes. Am I glad that he did it so that Topper didn't kill you? Also, yes." She points out, while JJ stands up and walks closer to John B.

"Thank you, Vee. John B, have you looked in a mirror? Topper wanted to kill you, bro, and I stopped him. A thank you would be really nice!"

"Come on, tell me some more. Come on." John B eggs him on, and JJ shakes his head.

"They always win, don't they, man?" JJ asks him, his voice softening for a moment before his anger takes over again. "Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win! Goddamn!"

"It's okay!" Kie tries to keep the peace, despite this not being her fight.

"No, it's not okay!" JJ shoots back. "It is not! They don't want us to go down into the marsh. That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it. I know you do. And I understand why you don't want to go." He nods at Pope. "You're the golden boy. You got way too much to risk. And you–" He turns to Kie who's looking at him like he's insane. "I mean, you're already rich as fuck anyway. Why would you bother?"

She turns her head away, scoffing as if his words aren't true, and then JJ turns to Vera and John B.

"The three of us, though, we got nothin' to lose!"

"How is that fair?" Kie asks, and they all turn to her. "Vera's mom lives a few blocks from me, on the rich side of the island, since you want to go there. How come you're not attacking her about it?"

Vera tenses up instantly, an old fear of hers–being known as a Kook when she was born and raised as a Pogue–rising to the surface. She'd been so thankful when the judge ruled in her favor, giving the family the clear divide that she'd asked for. Charlotte went with her mom and Jim, while Vera got to stay with Lonnie, and aside from the week in the summer that she was forced to stay with them and vice versa for Lottie, she got to stay out of Figure 8. Part of the agreement was that, since they weren't getting a divorce, neither parent owed each other money. It was the cleanest split that she could've asked for.

Thankfully, no one on The Cut treated her differently after the split. She still lives in a shitty trailer, has multiple jobs, and suffers the way the rest of them do. And, sure, she's privileged enough to have a wealthy mother to fall back on, but they all know she never will. Their relationship is too damaged, and she would never betray her people like that.

"Have you seen the trailer she calls home?" JJ points out. "She literally has, like, five jobs. Not the same thing."

Kie rolls her eyes but doesn't say anything else, and Vera wonders if she's going to have to have a chat with her at some point. She doesn't want Kie to feel excluded from their group, but they also can't pretend that they don't have the money troubles that they do so that she feels better about being born rich.

"I know that it didn't used to be that way for you." JJ tells John B, back to the 'nothing to lose' sentiment.

"I don't want to talk about this." John B protests, the way he does whenever Big John is brought up. "I don't want to talk about it."

"So that's it?"

"So just get out of my way, bro!" John B bursts, shoving past JJ.

"John B, listen to me! I have a plan!" JJ calls out after him, only for Vera to cough pointedly. "My bad. We have a plan."

"You have the key to Cameron's big boat, right?" JJ continues, following after John B, who doesn't look at any of them.

"No, JJ." John B groans, seeing where this is going.

"There's scuba gear inside there. We just borrow that, and then we go down to the wreck this afternoon, and that is what's gonna save you, man." JJ passionately explains, wrapping his arm around John B's shoulders and jostling him. "You don't see rich kids going into foster care, do you?"

John B sighs while Vera and JJ share a delighted look, knowing that they've got him.

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An hour later finds the crew on the HMS–Pope behind the wheel, JJ next to him, and John B watching as Kie and Vera check the scuba tanks, not having much luck.

"This is empty. You took empty tanks?" Kie complains, setting hers down with a loud clank.

"I don't think he really had time to check or fill them." Vera points out, since he'd barely escaped being caught out by Sarah anyway. He would've been caught redhanded if he took even an extra minute to check them before leaving. John B nods along, tugging at a strand of Vera's hair in their weird thank you. Vera tilts her head to grin up at him, since she's sitting by his feet.

"Okay, this one's a quarter full." Kie sighs, holding the only one that they can use. "It's enough for one of us."

"Love it when a plan comes together." Pope gripes.

"Does anybody know how to dive?" Kie questions, looking around them.

"It's kind of a Kook sport." JJ points out, looking to Kie, since she would be the one to know in that case. Fortunately for them, Vera took her lifeguard training very seriously, even learning scuba diving and swift water training.

"I can do it." She decides, even as she grimaces at the tank. They all look surprised when they turn to face her, and she shrugs, ignoring the way that Kie looks smug for a second. "It was part of those lifeguard classes I had to take, since they sent me to all parts of the island. I also learned bike patrol training."

"There we go!" JJ cheers, leaning down to high five her. "How hard can it be, anyway? You just put the thing in your mouth and breathe."

"If she comes up too fast, nitrogen will get into her blood, and she'll get the bends." Pope tells him while Vera stands up and strips out of JJ's flannel, leaving her in the orange rash guard he'd found for her.

"Bends like, bend over and . . ." JJ starts bending over in front of Pope, making it sexual while Pope stares at him, completely unamused.

"You wish I would." Vera snorts, shaking her head at her best friend.

"The bends kill you." Pope tells him bluntly, destroying the mood. "I read about it, and it's super dangerous."

"Well, then, it's right up my alley." Vera tells them all cheerfully, not wanting anyone to get too squeamish on her account.

"I can do it." John B suggests, frowning now, but Vera shakes her head.

"Uh, no? I've done it once, it's fine."

"This is for me, so I should take the risk." John B continues, trying to grab the tank from Vera, who pulls it back out of his reach.

"Dude, believe it or not, not everything is about you." She tells him flatly. "It was mine and JJ's plan, we can all hopefully get something out of this, and I have experience diving, so back off."

"John B, just let her do it." Kie interjects, looking at John B with concern.

"Let me do some calculations real quick." Pope tells Vera, flipping an old map over and starting to do just that. Vera squeezes his shoulders, glad to have him with them. "Okay, so, that boat's about 30 feet down. So, it'll take 25 minutes at most at that depth. Which means you need to make your safety stop at about . . . ten feet."

"Cheers." Vera smiles at him.

"For two minutes." Pope tells her, twisting to look in her eyes. "Okay? I'm serious."

"Safety stop at 10 feet, stop for two minutes." Vera recites, giving him a smile. "I got it. Don't worry."

"Can't really help it." Pope mumbles, before a splash in the water gets their attention. Kie had stripped off her shirt and jumped into the water.

"What was that all about?" Pope asks for the two of them.

"I don't know, but I liked it. A lot." JJ admits, staring into the water after her, while the others all laugh at him.

Vera scoops up the vest, smiling when Pope helps her adjust it until it fits properly.

"Don't forget about buoyancy control." He warns her, biting his lip. "I'm really wishing that I paid more attention to that chapter, instead of just skimming it."

"When'd you read about it, anyway?" She asks him curiously. "I didn't know you were interested in learning, or I would've brought you to that class with me."

It was $50 out of pocket to learn, but she'd pulled a great double shift beforehand and would've been happy to cover his class as well. She's a little sad that he never mentioned it, and that she didn't ask.

Pope blushes, intriguing Vera, before mumbling, "I rented out a book on lifeguarding when you started. They had a section on diving."

"That's sweet." She gives him a small smile, feeling her own blush forming. "Thanks, Pope."

"Don't mention it." He backs away from her, giving her an awkward smile before turning more serious. "Don't forget–"

"10 feet, 2 minutes." Vera gives him a thumbs up, before JJ steps into her line of vision. He's holding up a small brass cylinder with a notched end, tied to a string.

"When you're down there, look for the cargo hold." He tells her, putting the string around her neck like a necklace. He ties it tight before turning her around with his hands on her shoulders, sweeping her hair back and starting to braid it for her. "You stick it inside, twist, and pull, okay?"

"That's what she said." Vera says instinctively, grinning when she feels JJ's puff of laughter on her neck.

"My dad moved some weight back in the day." JJ explains why he has it, grabbing a scrunchie from his own wrist and tying her hair when he's finished. He's always got a scrunchie on him, since Vera has a tendency to lose them constantly.

"Hey!" Kie calls, grabbing their attention. She's floating in the water. "I tied my t-shirt to the anchor chain about 10 feet down."

"Kie, I love you." Vera tells her, meaning every word.

"I love you too." She smiles, losing some of her frustration. Vera knows that she and Pope aren't thrilled to be doing this with them, so she's glad that they're pushing aside their feelings to make it safer for her. "Don't forget about the safety stop, okay?"

"At this point, I'm gonna be dreaming about it." She laughs, reaching out to help Kie back onto the boat when she gets there.

"Alright, keep an eye on this." Pope reminds her, showing her the gauge.

"You need to make sure you have enough air–"

"To decompress, I know." Vera finishes for him, giving him a gentle smile.

"How much does she need?" John B asks, looking worried again.

"Unclear." Pope admits with a grimace, but Vera shakes off everyone's worry.

"Guys. Come on, I've got this." She tells them, pleased when JJ smiles back, although he's the only one.

"Zen. Think zen." JJ jokes, laughing when Vera strikes a yoga pose before stepping to the edge. It all feels much more real and terrifying when she's staring down at the wavering image of the boat she's about to ransack, but she can't change her mind now. That's a pussy move.

The sun flares the water, the boat vanishing in its glare, and she turns back to her friends.

"Hey, if we get caught out here in the marsh, we're basically screwed, so . . ." Pope reminds them about Peterkin and the search for the Grady-White. Locals were ordered to stay off the marsh until it's found. She takes it as a gentle reminder that they need to hurry up.

"Diver down?"

"Diver down."

She grins at them all, doing her best to ignore the worry on their faces, and pulls the mask over her face. She sticks the mouthpiece in, suddenly aware of her own breathing the way she only is when sick. She salutes them before diving feet first.

She takes a minute to check her buoyancy and her gauge before letting herself sink into the water.

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Vera might just know what career she wants, because diving is cool.

She's only ever done it in a controlled setting, and while that was fun, this is a level of excitement she never thought she'd experience. Sure, it's a little terrifying to know that she could drown or get the bends or burst her eardrums or any of the other side-effects if she makes a wrong move. None of that matters when faced with the wide open ocean, and an actual shipwreck in front of her.

Sure, it's only a Grady-White that's been down here for at maximum three days, and not something insane like the Titanic, but she doesn't care. Still cool.

The door of the cabin is wedged shut with sand, and Vera has to yank at it hard before she can get it open. In the process, the regulator in her mouth gets pulled out, and panic has her thrashing for it before she forces herself to calm down and is able to get it back in.

You're fine, you're fine, you're not drowning, she tells herself, taking a long moment to herself to regulate her breathing. Her heart is racing.

She doesn't want to look at her gauge, but she forces herself to, wincing when she sees that she's at less than a quarter tank now.

The reminder that she doesn't have much time has her pushing past the fear and swimming into the hold. It quickly becomes less fascinating and much more creepy as she's reminded that the owner of this boat died. She has her light on, illuminating a solid few layers of sand on the floor, and moves over to the cabinets.

She finds a tennis ball, bug spray, sunscreen, and a flashlight. Nothing worth her time.

Just find the cargo hold and get out, she tells herself, swimming down to the floor and starting to brush sand away, finding a round hole in the floor. She reaches up, grabbing the notched brass cylinder given to her by JJ, and could actually cheer when it fits in the hole.

She has to force herself not to hold her breath as she twists it, anticipation killing her.

An entire panel of the floor lifts up, and Vera sets it to the side with a grunt, shining the light into the smuggling compartment with her heart in her throat. Inside is a black duffel bag, and nothing else.

They're all going to freak, she thinks giddily, checking her gauge again—scarily low—before pulling the bag up. It feels heavy, which she decides is a good sign. Hopefully, it'll be filled with money like the safe was, and this time the cops won't have access to any of it.

Her excitement has her wanting to go straight up when she swims out of the cargo hold, but Pope's reminders have her stopping to orient herself. The anchor chain is to her left, with Kie's yellow shirt tied to it, and she makes a mental note to thank Kie for that properly.

Her gauge is close to empty, but she stays where she is, setting the timer connected to the vest to two minutes, and looking up.

There's two boats in the water above her, and it doesn't take a genius to recognize that one of them is a Sheriff's boat.

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Fuck the police is the only thing on Vera' mind, like a mantra.

At one point, a figure she plainly recognizes as Shoupe stands at the edge of the HMS POgue, peering into the water. Her gauge is at 11 seconds. Fuck the police.

Her gauge is on empty, and all she can think is fuck the police.

John B is up there, after having been ordered to stay away from the marsh, and who knows how Peterkin will react to that. Fuck the police.

She has to make a decision–float up to the surface, giving Shoupe the opportunity to steal from them again, or stay down here and possibly drown. It should be a given, but her mindset of fuck the police has her tempted to try and kick off the gear and see if that buys her more time. That'll end badly for John B, who was stopped on the Cameron's boat by Sarah this morning, 'checking on their boat' and totally not stealing gear from them. There's no way she won't piece that puzzle together and rat them out to her dad, who will get the authorities involved. Once again, fuck the police.

Fuck the police, fuck the police, fuck the police.

By the time the motors start up and the Sheriff's boat pulls away, Vera feels a little like she's dying. She's not being dramatic–there's only so long she can hold her breath underwater, especially while she's weighed down by the scuba gear, tank, and duffel bag.

Vera surfaces as soon as she can't see the boat, gasping for air as she scrambles to lift off the mask. She's thankful to JJ for tying her hair back so that she can clearly see him, Pope, and Kie gaping down at her, relief heavy in their expressions.

"There she is!"

"Oh, god! Jesus Christ!"

"Don't scare us like that!"

"Not really trying to." Vera rasps out, wincing at her own tone. Fuck, she's thirsty. Speaking has her coughing, spitting up water even as she tries to continue speaking, worried about why John B isn't with them on the boat.

Before she can get more than a few stuttered syllables out, John B shoves himself over the edge of the boat. He'd clearly been hiding from the cops, and Vera is surprised that she didn't see him get into the water, but he must've done so before she got to the anchor point. She can't help but laugh, relieved that neither of them were caught by the cops.

"How'd it go down there?" JJ calls, beaming at her, and she hefts the bag over her head with a cheer that he quickly returns. He rushes over to the ladder on the side of the boat, meeting her there, and is quick to pull her out of the water and onto the boat.

"Yeah, there we go! That's my girl!" He shouts, patting her on the back when she coughs again, while Pope grabs her a water bottle. He even unscrews the cap for her, and she smiles gratefully at him, sitting between the two of them.

"Are you okay?" Kie checks, and Vera nods, taking a second to breathe before finishing the second half of the water bottle.

"Yeah, I ran out of air." She pants, her chest heaving.

"You scared the shit out of us." Kie groans, shaking her head.

"Me too, girl." Vera laughs. "I was literally a second away from kicking off all of this gear if the pigs didn't leave soon."

"Speaking of pigs, Shoupe wouldn't stop looking at my boobs." Kie tells her dryly, and Vera realizes that she's wearing a rash guard now, clearly made uncomfortable enough to cover up.

"Ugh. What a freak." Vera shakes her head in disgust, beyond done with the police on this island. "Fuck the police, man."

"You kinda missed the show." JJ tells her. "John B was hanging off the side of the boat, and I almost thought they spotted him at one point, and then I thought they were going to find you."

"I saw Shoupe standing at the edge." She tells them, feeling calmer now. "What was he–?"

"Hey, guys?" Kie calls out. "Guys? Bogey, two o'clock!"

Vera looks in that direction, seeing an unfamiliar boat heading in their direction.

"Do you recognize that boat?"

"Never seen it. What are they doing back here? The marsh is closed."

"I don't know, but let's not stick around and find out." JJ decides, moving for the bowline. Vera joins him, helping him unknot it and start tugging the anchor out of the water.

"Should we wait on 'em?" Pope asks, and Vera silently wonders about his lack of street smarts.

"No, we're not gonna wait on 'em." John B snaps.

"Are you joking?" Kie asks next, shaking her head. "Jay, Vee, hurry up."

"Don't wait on us." JJ tells them, wanting to get out of there as quickly as they can. "Go!"

John B starts the engine, while Vera and JJ keep pulling out the rope, finally getting the anchor out. Vera hands it over to Pope, who sets it on the floor, and they take off. Vera can't stop looking over her shoulders, panic sinking in when the boat follows them into a narrow channel of the marsh.

"Maybe they're fishing for drum." Pope suggests naively, but Vera shakes her head.

"And following us out, instead of going in?" She shoots back.

"Go, go, go, go!" JJ urges John B on, grabbing both Pope and Vera's hands.

"Let's go!"

"I'm going!"

"Act natural, act natural." Pope tells them, not helping. Vera loves him, but his comments are driving her nuts.

"Dude, you gotta go faster!" JJ tells John B, his grip on his friends' hands tightening.

"I'm going! I'm going!"

"Gun it!"

Suddenly, they hear a popping sound, and they all duck down except for John B, who's still navigating the boat.

"Holy shit!" Vera screams, flattening out on the deck.

"What the fuck?" Pope cries, twisting around to look behind them. "They're firing at us!"

"John B, get down!" JJ orders, letting go of Vera and Pope to grab John B's shoulder, trying to force him down. They take a sharp turn around the bend, and Vera grabs Pope's hand as he curls up even further.

"Oh my god, we're gonna die." He panics, gripping her hand so tightly that it hurts, but she doesn't try to pull back.

"Shit." Kie groans, looking around the boat. "Pope, move."

Kie grabs a net from the hatch, and Vera's eyes widen as she realizes what she plans on doing.

"You're a genius, Kie!" She calls out, just as another shot is fired at them. "Shit! Be careful!"

"Get down, Kie!" John B calls out, while Kie stumbles as she tries to stay upright and untangle the net at the same time. Vera abandons her position on the deck to rush forward and help her, pulling the net enough that they can use it.

"Ready?" She calls out, and the two of them toss it into the water behind them. Vera wastes no time in pulling Kie down with her, relieved when the other boat's engine whines loudly before dying.

John B turns the boat around another corner as a final shot rings out, and Vera lets out a whimper, still holding Kie tight to her on the floor.

A second later, they're all laughing and whooping, exhilarated by another win. Vera lets Kie stand up, taking her hand when she offers it, taking a second to find her footing on the moving boat. Then she steps forward into Kie's space, cupping her face in her hands and planting a kiss on her.

"You are a godsend, Kiara Carrera." She beams when she pulls back, laughing at the surprise on Kie's face before she smiles back at her. "I fucking adore you, dude!"

"Pogue life, man!"

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Pope and JJ hop out of the boat when they reach the dock, working on tying it to the post. They're all still exhilarated, laughing and talking over each other about what just happened. Vera hides the scuba gear under a blanket, not wanting anyone to get any funny ideas and steal it if they pass through the area.

"I've never been happier to be on land." Vera moans, following John B up the dock. He'd grabbed the black duffel bag from her, not that she had any complaints about that. "Don't ask me to go out tomorrow, because it's going to be a no. My feet are staying in the dirt."

They don't make it to the Chateau. Instead, John B drops the duffel bag on the deck, all of them huddling around as he starts opening it.

"What do you think it is?"

"Gotta be money, right?" John B answers Kie's question, and Vera makes an affronted noise.

"After everything, it better be money. I need compensation."

"Could be a couple of keys with street value to the low-to-mid mils!" JJ pipes in, and Vera smiles as she nudges his shoulder. He giggles through the words, and John B whistles.

"Can we please just open the bag, man?" Pope bursts.

"Wow, Pope. That's a rare outburst of emotion from ya." John B teases, all of them staring at him.

"Okay, you guys are literally killing me with anticipation." He complains, and Vera can't help but agree. She put a lot of work into getting that bag. "We almost died over this."

John B looks around at them all before pulling out another black rubber bag, this one smaller. Inside of the dry bag is an air-tight container.

"Oh, good. I almost drowned for a thermos." Vera jokes, holding her breath as John B unscrews the top of it. Air escapes with a hissing noise. They all lean forward, excitement building as John B tips the belongings into his hand, and then . . . complete and total disappointment.

"Oh, wow." Pope leans back, bitterness heavy in his tone. "Yup. That's about right."

Kie is trying to pretend that she didn't just get her hopes up, while JJ and Vera share a displeased look.

"Good job, everybody. We found a compass." Pope continues, while Vera starts to open her mouth, before seeing the look on John B's face and shutting it. While the rest of them are bitter and disappointed, the only ways to describe his expression would be wonder and joy.

"Dude, what?" JJ asks him, seeing what Vera sees. "It's not worth anything."

John B looks up from the compass for the first time, so moved he can barely speak. A small smile forms as he holds it up for them to properly get a look at it. Vera still just sees a battered, scratched up bronze compass. It's not got any monetary value, and that's what they were searching for, so she doesn't understand his happiness until he's finally able to speak.

"This was my father's."

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authors note

guys this story is so much fun to write... also we're starting to get into the drama :)

i want to clarify real quick that i am not going to have vera stealing everyone's moments for herself. that's a pet peeve of mine in fics tbh. obviously she needs to be added into all of these plots and scenes, but im not going to just have her steal kie and sarah's lines/personalities etc. i had her doing the diving instead of john b purely bc she has experience with it and lifeguarding. i cant have her bragging about lifeguarding and then sitting back and watching him do something she took a class for 😭

anyway im having so much fun with character and world building. i think it's important to establish all the different relationships vera has with the people in her life, and that's better shown than said. if anyone has any questions or thoughts about her, id love to hear them <3

im so jealous writing about them living their best lives in the water while im snowed in at home... oh to be a pogue.

this is my first time writing a polyamorous relationship but they have my heart already. there's so many different dynamics between jj, pope & vera and i can't wait to dive into that. jjpope you will always be famous <3

love u guys <3