Now the group is back on the boat, heading back to the Chateau. Anessa was glad the police didn't find John B and JJ, but the adrenaline from the close call was still coursing through her veins. The boat rocked gently as they navigated the water, and Anessa leaned back, trying to calm her racing heart. She was still biting her nails despite them being out of danger. She just couldn't get her body to calm down, no matter what she did. She's snapped out of her daze when a hand grabbed her own, pulling it away from her mouth and making her look over.

"Bubs, you're going to have no nails left if you keep that up." John B joked lightly, hoping to ease her nerves and get her mind off things. To get her to stop biting her nails, he would always hold her hands or have her fidget with something instead. But he didn't have anything at the moment, so he hoped holding her hand would be enough.

"I know." Anessa sighs, dropping her other hand into her lap. She gives John B a small smile. "Thanks."

John B returns the smile and squeezes her hand. "Of course." He began to gently rub her knuckles with his thumb in hopes it'll help.

Anessa took a few deep breaths, the adrenaline beginning to fade and she could feel herself relax. The familiar sensation of his thumb running over her knuckles, his touch gentle, was soothing and comforting. She scooted closer to lean her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. He always knew how to calm her down, and she appreciated that.

"Well, that was fun." JJ comments. "Could have warned us sooner."

"We would have except Pope was on the math team." Kiara sighed.

John B glances over at Pope with raised eyebrows. "You were on the math team?"

"You're welcome though 'cause I came in with the save with my great aim skills." Anessa cut in, opening her eyes as she grinned.

John B chuckles and nods, kissing th etop of her head. "Yeah, thanks, Ness."

"The cops took everything like it was a crime scene." Pope says. "Did you guys find anything?"

"Did we find anything? No, I don't think so." JJ pretends to act like they found nothing, only to pull out money and a gun. He smirks. "Oh, yeah, we did."

"What the h***?" Pope exclaimed, eyes widening. Anessa sat up straighter, gasping at seeing him holding a gun.

"Dude, what?" Kiara asked in disbelief.

"Dude, chill. Come on." JJ assured Pope.

"Why would you take that from a crime scene?" Pope questioned, clearly in a panic and Anessa didn't blame him. She couldn't believe that her reckless friend would bring a gun.

"Better than the cops taking it, bro." JJ answered.

"Are you serious?" Kiara scolded as she looked at John B, who was currently driving the boat with his free hand.

"I'm gonna lose my merit scholarship." Pope worriedly said.

JJ does his best to calm him down and smiles. "At least you have us, right?"

"I'm living the nightmare." Pope frowned as he sat down. Anessa sighed heavily Anessa watched Pope sink back into his seat, the weight of his worry pulling his shoulders down as he stared at the floor. She could see the panic in his eyes, and it made her heart ache for him. Pope was always the logical one, the voice of reason in the group, and the last person she expected to be caught up in something like this. But JJ's impulsiveness seemed to have a way of drawing them all into these messy situations.

She turns her gaze back to JJ with annoyance. "Seriously, JJ." Anessa muttered under her breath, shaking her head. He could be so infuriating, but in moments like this, she was more concerned about the aftermath.

John B glances over at her, sensing her frustration. "Hey, you okay?" He asked, his voice quiet but concerned.

"Just peachy." She mumbled, closing her eyes and resisting the urge to continue biting her nails, feeling her anxiety start to creep back in. John B sighed and nodded, lleaning over to kiss the side of her head, trying to comfort her the best he could.

"It'll be fine, Ness. It always is." He murmured. Anessa didn't reply, just leaned into his touch and sighed. She hoped he was right.

****

When the group got back on land, they noticed some commotion going on near the docks, realizing a dead body was being hauled out. Anessa's stomach twisted with dread and unease as the watched from afar with some other curious teens. She stood in front of John B, who sat on a empty desk by a little shack where the teens had gathered to watch, standing between his legs and leaning against his chest.

"Who's that?" John B asked curiously. Anessa swallowed hard, her eyes locked on the body being carried away by the authorities. Her heart raced again, and a wave of dread washed over her. She didn't recognize the man, but she felt bad for the woman who had suddenly run up to the dead body, crying out to him in pain and disbelief. She frowned, watching the woman mourn and struggle to understand what happened to her husband. She couldn't imagine what that must be like.

"It's Scooter Grubbs." One girl sitting near John B replies. "He was out during the storm. Check out this pic I got." She pulls up a picture on her phone and shows the group. "Dead body. Insane."

"Really insane." Anessa agreed, grimacing slightly. The image made her shudder, and she looked away, not wanting to see it anymore. She looked back at the crying woman and the dead man, overing hearing from a guy who was being questioned by the cops that he had been found the dead body at the Mason Outlet.

"What kind of boat did he have?" JJ inquired.

"Somehow, that dirtbag copped a brand-new Grady-white." The blonde-haired girl answers. "Everyone's out looking for it."

****

Anessa couldn't believe it. The boat that they found belonged to Scooter Grubbs, who was now a dead man. Her mind was running with so many questions as they got back to the Chataeu. She sat on a chair on the front porch in a criss crossed position, busying herself with a blue sucker she had gotten out of her bag. She had offered some to the others, who appreciated it, though only Kiara took one. John B was leaned against the wall, tossing an empty bottle in his hands. JJ sat in a chair near Anessa, smoking a joint.

Pope suddenly rushes over to them, panting. "Okay, so, um...We didn't see anything. We don't know anything. We need to have total and complete amnesia." He pointed out as he sat by Kiara on the couch.

"Actually, Pope's right for once." JJ admits, smiling as he stands. "See, I agree with you sometimes. Deny, deny, deny."

"Guys, we can't keep that money." Kiara spoke up nervously.

"Okay, not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara." JJ reminded her.

"We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs. Otherwise its bad karma." Kiara argued.

"Bad karma to be implicated in a felony too." Pope adds. "We gotta go dark."

"If that means we get to keep the money, then I agree." JJ voiced.

Anessa sighs. "It doesn't feel right keeping it. Especially after what happened." She adds, a serious expression crossing her face. The thought of holding onto something that had come from a crime scene, something so tied to death and loss, didn't sit well with her. She looks over at the others, hoping they'd see the logic in her words. "We can't just pretend it's ours, can we?"

"She's right." John B agreed with her, earning a confused and surprised look from JJ.

"What? Why?"

"Just think about it." John B replies, beginning to go on this rant. "This is Scooter Grubbs wer'e talking about, right? Same dude that's buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. S***, one time I saw this dude begging for hange in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than forty bucks in his pocket, and all of a sudden he's got a Grady-White? Just sayin'."

Anessa had to admit, she agreed with him. He made points. The sudden wealth and the strange circumstances surrounding Scooter Grubbs made it feel like they were dealing with something much bigger than just a regular crime. Anessa chewed on her sucker thoughtfully, her brow furrowing as she continued to reflect on everything that had happened so far. Scooter Grubbs was the kind of person who always seemed to be skating by, barely scraping by—so how did he suddenly afford a brand-new Grady-White boat? The more Anessa thought about it, the more it seemed like there was a whole web of things they weren't seeing. The money, the gun, the boat, the mysterious death—it all felt too suspicious.

****

The group of five were now hanging out by the docks as Pope and JJ fish. Anessa leaned against the railing John B and Kiara sat on, her arms resting on the railing as still worked on her blue sucker, having it almost be gone by now. "Alright, so think about it, Pope." John B continues. "How does a marina rat get a Grady-White?"

Pope inhales sharply. "Prostituion."

"Square groupers, bro." John B argues. "Okay, flying under the radar, no areial surveillance. They don't do that stuff during a hurricane. What does that mean? JJ?" He pointed at the blonde.

"They were straight smugglin'." JJ responded.

John B nods. "Smugglin'. And I guarantee there's a serious amount of contraband in that wreck."

"H*** yeah." JJ smirks, grinning when he finally caught a fish. "Fish on!" He called out as he reeled it in.

When they were done fishing, they moved inside the Chataeu, now hanging out in John B's room. Pope sat on the bed, John B sat on the window seal with his guitar on his lap he was messing with, Anessa sat on the bed by Pope, Kiara was sitting on his desk chair while JJ sat on a dresser.

"For the record, if that is a smuggling ship with illegal contrabrad on the inside of it...It probably belongs to someone else..." Pope started.

Kiara shrugs. "Minor details."

Anessa nods along with Kiara's response, her thoughts still swirling around the implications of what they had uncovered. "Minor details, right? But we can't just ignore the fact that there's probably some dangerous people involved in this whole thing." She leans back, her arms folded, looking at the others. "We need to be careful."

Pope nods, pointing at her. "Exactly. They could come looking for it." Pope adds. "Taking it would be catstrophically stupid."

"Right, well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time." JJ smirks, taking the money from him. "All we need to do right now is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck. Until then, we just lay low. Just act normal."

Pope sighs. "Right, and how exactly do we do that?"

"Kegger?" Kiara suggested.

Anessa shrugs, smiling a little as she shares a look with her friends. "Kegger it is."

****

Before she knew it, the gang was at the boneyard, getting ready to do a kegger. They were a pro at this now The boneyard was their usual go-to spot for a good party, and tonight, it was no different. The gang had set up quickly, dragging a few kegs over to the sandy patch near the edge of the water. The air was warm, and the sound of distant waves crashing against the shore mingled with the low hum of chatter and laughter from their friends. Despite the tension about the wrecked boat and what they might find there, Anessa couldn't help but feel a little relief in the familiar chaos of the kegger.

The boneyard now had teens scattered everywhere, most were on the sand drinking and laughing. Anessa sipped her drink and tried to let the tension in her chest ease up. The familiar buzz of the kegger, the music, and the laughter around her was oddly comforting. She saw Kiara chatted with one of the boy Tourons - which were tourists visiting family on the island or there for vacation, JJ was drinking with some girl tourons while Pope chatted with a girl touron as well. While she doesn't mind a good party, she tended to keep to herself in situations like this, where everyone was busy mingling and hooking up. She didn't really do hook ups, she preferred more serious, long term relationships.

She's snapped out of her daze when she feels arms wrap around her waist and a body pressed against her back. Anessa couldn't stop the smile from tugging at her lips, knowing exactly who it was. "Hey, stranger." She greeted playfully, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Hey." John B smiles, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "Having fun?"

"You know it." She hummed, leaning into his touch. She hadn't had a chance to chat with him until now. He had been helping giving out drinks and was even chatting with some touron girl when he spotted Anessa by herself. He hated leaving her alone, especially in a crowded place like this. He knew she preferred to stay on the sidelines during these things, to observe rather than dive headfirst into the chaos. John B understood that about her; he'd always admired her quiet strength, the way she didn't need to be the center of attention to feel comfortable in her skin. He wrapped his arms around her a little tighter, as if to shield her from the world for a moment, letting her know she wasn't alone. While she did sometimes join in the chaotic fun, tonight she seemed content to watch.

Anessa relaxed into his arms, leaning back into him and watching their friends enjoy the party. The alcohol was already starting to affect her, her limbs feeling light and her thoughts fuzzy. It was a nice feeling, being tipsy. She felt the stress of the day melting away, the worries about the wrecked boat and what it might mean slipping further from her mind with every passing second. With John B's arms around her, she didn't care about any of that anymore. She let her eyes flutter shut for a moment, savoring the way the warmth of his body seeped through her clothes.

"Saw you chatting with a pretty touron earlier." Anessa said casually, opening her eyes and turning her head to look up at him. John B gave her a confused look before understanding her words.

"Are you jealous, Nessie?" He teased, raising an eyebrow.

Anessa scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Of course not, JB. Just curious."

John B laughs softly, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose, making her scrunch her nose. He thought it was cute. "Well, if you must know, it was nothing. Just a chat."

"'M not jealous." She argues, noticing the look he was giving her and huffs, not wanting him to tease her anymore. "Really, I'm not." She insisted, crossing her arms and trying to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

John B chuckles, pulling her closer. "Alright, alright. You're just...'curious,' huh?" He gives her a soft, teasing grin. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, there' only one person here I'm interested in talking to all night."

She tries to fight the smile threatening to bloom across her face. "Hmm, oh yeah? Who's that?" She asked, acting like she wasn't already sure of the answer, though her heart was beating a little faster in anticipation.

"Oh, just this amazing girl I know. You've probably seen her before. She's pretty hard to miss." John B hummed.

"Really?" Anessa feigned innocence, tilting her head back to look up at him. "Why's that?"

"Well, I don't know how she does it, but she always seems to light up the room whenever she enters. Even the darkest corners of the world seem a little brighter when she's around. She's unqiue too and one of the most creative people I know. She has this awesome like Mary Poppins does, I'll never understand how she can fit so many things in there. She's just so beautiful, smart, funny, and sweet. There's no one quite like her."

"Hmm, she does sound pretty cool." Anessa murmured, trying to ignore the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She bit her lip to hold back the giddy smile threatening to take over her face, trying to act nonchalant, but she felt blush dust her cheeks. She didn't realize he thought that way about her. Her best friend's words warmed her heart, and she felt a pleasant warmth blooming in her chest. She couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips.

"Mhm, she's also the most sweetest bada** chick I've ever known." John B added, his expression soft and his eyes filled with adoration as he looked at her.

Her heart skips a beat and a small giggle slips past her lips. "Shut up." She shoved him lightly, a little embarrassed but flattered nonetheless.

John B chuckles. "I'm serious."

"Hey, guys, what is she doing here?" At Kiara's upset sounding question, they turn to find their friend standing by them, looking to the right where Sarah Cameron is seen. Anessa raised her eyebrows in surprise, not expecting to see her here. Sarah was known as the Kook princess the rich girl from the other side of the island, and seeing her at their kegger definitely wasn't expected.

Now unlike Kiara, she never had any problem with Sarah. She always thought the blonde was a nice girl. She had been Kiara's best friend back in eigth grade, but in the nineth grade they were enemies. She still couldn't believe they just weren't best friends anymore. She doesn't remember exactly what happened between them, but Kiara had never been particularly clear about it. Anessa had heard bits and pieces, but Kiara didn't like to talk about it much. Sarah, for all her wealth and status, had never seemed like a bad person to Anessa. She had always been polite when they crossed paths, even if the tension between Sarah and Kiara was palpable. It made Anessa a little uncomfortable at times, she never wanted to have to pick sides.

Anessa glances over at Kiara in conern, who was visibly upset at Sarah's unexpected appearance. "Kiara, are you okay?" She asked, nudging her friend lightly with her shoulder.

Kiara gave a frustrated sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. "What's she doing here, Anessa? This is our spot, our party. What right does she have showing up?"

"I don't know," Anessa replies, trying to keep her tone neutral. "She's probably just here for the kegger. I mean, anyone is welcome." She pointed out, trying to reassure her friend.

Kiara didn't say anything, she just huffed and stormed off, her anger clear. Anessa and John B shared a concerned look. "'M gonna go check on her." Anessa decides as she reluctantly pulls away from him to stand. "I'll see you later?" She asked, looking down at him as he stood.

He smiles reassuringly, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "Yeah, I'll find you. Later, Ness." He said before walking away.

Anessa watched him leave, then turned and began to follow Kiara. She found her friend standing near the edge of the party, arms crossed tightly as she stared out at the ocean. The waves crashed against the shore, a soothing sound that contrasted sharply with the tension radiating from Kiara. Anessa approached her slowly, not wanting to startle her.

"Kiara," Anessa calls gently, her voice calm but filled with concern as Kiara didn't immediately respond, her gaze on the horizion."Hey, Kiki, talk to me."

At the nickname ony Anessa used, Kiara sighs heavily, turning to face her. "Ans, I don't want her here, you know? I mean, she just waltzs in like it's her business."

"I get it, Kiki. I really do." Anessa assures her, trying to comfort her. "She's your ex-best friend, I get why you're mad. But I don't think she means any harm. She's probably just here for the kegger. Just ignore her if you want. But don't let it ruin your night, okay?"

Kiara sighs again, nodding. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Anessa murmurs, wrapping her arms around Kiara. "Don't apologize, okay? Let's just forget about it and have fun."

Kiara returns the hug, her head resting on Anessa's shoulder. She inhales deeply, her body relaxing as she hugs her. "Thank you, Ans. You're the best."

"I know." Anessa grins, earning a chuckle from Kiara. "Wanna go get some drinks?" She offered when they pulled away.

Kiara nods, smiling. "Defeinitely need one."

The two girls went back over to the party and got some more drinks, trying to have fun. But Anessa noticed Kiara kept glancing over at Sarah, her expression turning sour whenever she did. So Anessa always did her best to help Kiara, pulling her attention to the music, the group of friends, and everything else that was going on around them. They chatted about random things, laughed at jokes, and even danced a little. Anessa could tell Kiara was still upset, but she appreciated her effort to enjoy the night, even if it was a little forced. Thouggh eventually Kiara seemed to forget her anger, laughing and dancing and chatting with Anessa like the good ol' times.