——

Emelina sat on the edge of the hot tub with her toes in the water and JJ sat next to her, grabbing the wet blown up flamingo and shoving it in her face while making kissing noises.

She pushed the bird away from her and a small laugh escaped her lips. It was now morning and Pope and Kiara were setting things up for their departure down the well for later tonight.

She glanced at JJ and took in the sight in front of her. JJ sat there with his white tank top and shark tooth hanging around his neck, and his famous red cap on backward that held his hair back. He caught her eyes swooning all over him, and a grin appeared on his lips. She turned away.

"Where is this thing again?" Kiara said from behind. Emelina turned her head and found Kiara walking away toward Pope's truck. "It's in the front seat. You'll see it." Pope replied.

"Hey, Pope! Come here." JJ called out, leaning his body back to get a glimpse of his friend. Pope appeared from behind the trees and walked closer to the hot tub. "What?"

"Guess what?" JJ smirked when he looked at Emelina, and then brought his eyes back to Pope. Emelina furrowed his eyebrows, questioning to herself what he could be scheming. "What?" Pope asked again.

"Em kissed me last night," JJ told him.

"What?!"

"JJ!" Emelina glared at him and crossed her arms. "You know, some things are just meant to be only between us... And to correct you, you kissed me."

"Yeah, but you kissed me the first time," JJ said, his grin never leaving his lips.

"I'm sorry? You guys kissed twice?!" Pope asked, his eyes widened. Emelina shushed him, "Be quiet. Kie can't know about this."

Pope swallowed thickly, "What happened to our rule? No Pogue on Pogue macking?" he reminded them.

"Em's not even a real Pogue. It doesn't count." JJ tried to justify it.

"Emelina, can you get out of the hot tub real quick?" Pope asked her. She gave him a look of confusion but obliged nonetheless. She stood in front of him and waited for the next move.

Pope placed his hand on her shoulder then moved it onto the other one. "You are now a Pogue."

"What did you just do?" she questioned and heard JJ let out a snicker from behind. "Have you not seen Avengers: Infinity War?" Pope looked at her with wide eyes.

"Dude, you are so weird," JJ commented.

Pope sighed, "I guess I owe John B ten bucks."

"What is with you two making bets on me?" Emelina crossed her arms and let out a breath, "What'd you guys say this time?"

"John B could've sworn you two were macking," Pope answered. "I didn't believe him until now."

"Is this it?" Kiara popped out with a wrench in her hand. Pope nodded and they went back to their original spot on figuring out how to get that large bucket down the well.

"Speaking of him, John B pullin' a Houdini," JJ said, his body still placed on the edge of the hot tub. "Yeah, where is he? I got my scholarship interview tomorrow morning. We gotta get this done!"

"Shouldn't he be done with fishing by now?" Emelina asked, now leaning her arms on the jacuzzi. Out of nowhere, John B entered the premises with a stern look on his face.

JJ widened his eyes, "Speak of the devil. Hey! Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything."

"No, he did not. I did that." Pope scoffed. John B ignored them all and kept walking straight to his house. That's not like him to not greet the group. He didn't give them a smile or anything.

"Hey, John B?" Emelina asked with a soft voice, following after him. Clattering came from inside the Chateau. John B was moving everything around, his mindset on finding something.

"What are you looking for?" she asked him, but he didn't reply. The rest of her friends joined her, wondering what has John B so worked up. "You all right, man? What—What's up?" Pope asked.

"Bro, what's going on, man?" JJ spoke up and John B was pulling up the mattress that belonged to the couch. Kiara and Emelina never put it back to its original shape so it stayed as a bed for now. John B pulled out JJ's gun.

"John B, what do you need the gun for?" JJ stepped forward and touched his arm. "Talk to us!" he said and John B shoved him down to the couch. "Just—No!"

"John B, chill!" Kie shouted.

Emelina gasped, "What are you doing?!"

"What, are you JJ now?" Pope tried to block John B from exiting any further, but he was pushed away just like JJ. Pope was slammed to the table like a rag doll and John B walked right outside.

"Shit," Emelina muttered and ran over to JJ. "Are you okay?" JJ nodded at her question and got up, putting his red cap back on his head. Kiara ran after John B, and Pope, Emelina, and JJ exchanged looks before doing the same.

Emelina's feet hit the outside ground and spotted John B placing himself on the motorcycle. "John B, what the hell?!" Kiara screamed, chasing after him.

"Ward knows about the gold!" John B made his first words of the day, starting the engine. "He killed my dad," he said at last before driving away on the bike.

Emelina widened her eyes at the news, "Oh my, God."

Kiara continued to chase after him and that urged the other three to follow after her move. "John B!" she shouted, but it was no use. He was long gone. The sound of the bike's engine kept fading as the seconds went by.

——

With binoculars in her hands, Emelina looked through them hoping to get a glimpse of Ward's alive body outside his home. Pope, Kiara, JJ, and her stood on their boat at the dock desperately praying that John B hadn't done anything reckless.

"What now?" JJ asked, "We just go up to the front door and ask, 'Hey, have you seen John B?'"

Kiara rolled her eyes, "Look, he lives at Tannyhill now. It's plausible. We can play dumb." she made a point.

"Play dumb?" JJ scoffed. Pope leaned his hands on the steering wheel next to the lantern that brightened up the area. "It's pretty late," he told her.

"I've never seen John B like that. We should honestly be going to the cops." Kiara said. Emelina furrowed her eyebrows and releases her sight from the binoculars. "The cops?"

"And say what, Kie?" JJ gave her a look. "'We're worried about our friend because he's on a rampage because Ward Cameron killed Big John?' Like, they're not gonna believe us!"

Emelina nodded and looked through the lens again and this time Ward came walked out of the doors. "Guys, I see Ward."

"Let me see," Kie took the binoculars from her and looked through them, then Pope did too. "Doesn't look dead to me. Let's go home," he said.

"Wait," Emelina stopped him. Kiara looked offended, "What?!"

"Uh... Okay. Obviously, Mr. Cameron is fine, and even if John B was here, he isn't now, okay? Plus, I have the biggest, most important moment of my life in six hours."

"Yeah, well, our friend is in trouble." Kiara reminded him. Pope shrugged, "I'm in trouble. Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dad's probably put all my shit on the street by now."

Emelina sighed, remembering that she also hasn't been home since the night of Midsummers. She wasn't prepared for what her mom might do, but she tried her hardest not to think about it.

"Okay, so that's it?" Kiara asked him. "In a time of need, you're just gonna bail? You're just gonna walk away?"

"Okay, yo, guys, can we not do this right now?" JJ interjected, fixating his red hat. "Yeah, it's no use." Emelina agreed and sat down at the bow of the boat. JJ joined her.

"Hey, I have a scholarship interview in the morning." Pope refreshed her memory, "I can't—"

"Okay, well, what about John B?!" Kiara raised her voice.

Pope pursed his lips, "Why is it always about John B?"

Emelina exhaled a deep breath, not liking how this is turning out. Her foot started tapping rapidly causing her leg to move as well and JJ placed his hand on her thigh, calming her down. She looked at him from the side and the two exchange a small smile.

"It's not always about John B. You're so stupid!" Kiara defended, "It would be any of you in this situation." She pointed to JJ and Emelina.

Pope snickered, "Oh, bullshit!"

"Guys, you need to relax." Emelina butted in, but her voice wasn't heard. "This is about friendship." Kiara looked at Pope.

"Bring it down..." JJ muttered.

"This is about Pogues for life," Kiara said, on the verge of tears.

"What about forensic pathology, huh?" Pope asked. "Forensic pathology?" Kiara repeated, her voice laced with annoyance. "It's my life. Everything I've worked for!" he told her.

"That's your priority?" Kiara asked, leaving her space so that she's face-to-face with him. "Stop with the moral high ground bullshit!" Pope retorted.

"Pope, come on..." JJ said.

"No," Pope glanced at him, "No, no. She has no room to talk." He turned back to Kie, "Where were you when Big John went missing? You weren't there. You weren't there for John B. You weren't there for any of us. Remember your Kook year?"

"Dude," JJ warned him.

"Yeah, you forgot about us. Now you feel guilty." he finished. Emelina flattened her lips, knowing the backstory behind Kiara. "Pope, that's enough," Emelina said.

"Give me a break." Kiara pushed Pope away from her. Both JJ and Emelina were now on their feet, running toward them. "That what you need? You need a break? Move!" Kiara said, shoving him and he shoved her back.

"Quit it!" Emelina shouted and pulled Kiara back while JJ got ahold of Pope. "Are you guys serious right now? There's no time for this."

"Yeah, if I'm the one mediating, we've hit rock bottom," JJ claimed. He pointed to the edge of the boat as he looked at Pope, "Bow, now. Go!"

Pope listened and sat where he needed to be. Kiara placed herself at the opposite said, crying silently to herself. Emelina joined her, pulling her into a hug. "Come here,"

Kiara held onto her, sniffling as more tears rolled down her face. JJ scanned the two of them before returning to Pope, "Pope, I'll drop you off." he said before starting the engine.