"I know you're panicking, but Joey, there's not anything we can do at this point." Topper said honestly as he joined her on the couch. "Punching people isn't gonna get him out of jail."

Joey huffed. "Can you not lecture me right now?"

"Not lecturing." he held his hands up. "Just calling you out."

She rolled her eyes. "I still wanna get Rafe back. If I can't do anything to help John B, at least I can punish the asshole that deserves to be in his place."

"Are you not hearing the words coming out of my mouth?" Topper motioned to himself. "You were just in jail, for punching someone in the face. Now you wanna go comit more violence?"

"He tried to drown me, Topper. Twice." Joey defended herself with an insane look. "And now letting John B take the fall like that? I can't just sit back and let it happen. I literally went bat shit over a stupid break up."

"Which is why I don't want you going after someone who has given you more motive." the blonde matched her tone. "Who also almost killed you. Twice."

Joey sighed. "So, you don't wanna come?"

"What?" Topper gave her an insane look. "What are you talking about right now?"

"I'm talking about putting a privileged murder in his place!" Joey said back, getting to her feet. "Now, are you coming, or what?"

Topper sighed, standing up.

"I really hope you know that our days at Duke aren't gonna come if you keep doing stuff like this." Topper whispered as him and Joey hide outside of the Country Club. "If you really wanna do something, we can turn him in."

"And have them see a girl on The Cut claiming their Kook King tried to hurt me?" Joey looked in disbelief. "Hate to break it to you, Top, but that's no how the system works."

He passed her crow bar. "Don't make me bail you out again."

Joey smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it."

She ran toward Rafes truck, keeping a low profile and kneeling before it. She busted the head lights in, slowly and as quiet as she could. Grasping Toppers car keys, she cringed at the sound it made when she ran it across the truck. Topper kept a look out for her, panic setting in as paranoia nearly radiated from his body. Joey finished up her carving, backing up and chunking the crow bar threw then back window. The alarm blared.

"Hurry!" Topper encouraged, seeing people walking from the country club at the curious sound. Joey spun around, running backwards as the pair sprinted down the road. "What did you get me into!"

"Live freely!" Joey yelled into the sky, running down the side walk as they hurried to jump into his jeep. They ducked down, hidden for any possible lurking eyes. Topper looked over at her, Joey gave him a grin. "How do you feel?"

"Not the best." he said back with a crazy look. "I can't believe you just did that. For someone so afraid of germs, you have a death wish."

"He's not gonna mess with me and expect me to do nothing in return." Joey looked up. "I'll repay you by you driving us to s restaurant, and you paying, but i'll make sure you get something good?"

Topper exhaled with a half grin. "Sounds like a sweet deal."

"The sweetest." she agreed, sitting up as he stared up the car.

All while back at the country club, Rafe was met with a giant penis on the side of his truck, murderer written in the middle of it.

"I think you were right." Topper spoke as he tore into some onion rings. "They are better then cheese sticks."

"I tried to tell you." she said in return with a grin, taking a sip of her lemonade. "It's an upcoming restaurant, so tell your friends."

"Wha-" Topper stared.

"Joey." Uncle Shane walked from behind the bar. "Hey, kid."

"Hey." Joey said to him as he stood infront of her. "Sorry I haven't been home."

"Kie called and said that you guys were wanting to get a head start on school." he shook his head, buying the excuse. "I'm sorry about John B, kid."

"It's okay, he'll be out soon." she nodded her head, realizing Topper was here. "This is Topper, he's gonna give a good review."

"Really?" Shane looked at him hopefully. "Thanks, man. We could use it."

"When did you open?" Topper asked curiously.

"Oh, it's my fiancés place." Shane shook his head. "Three weeks ago though, i'm pretty sure."

"Has business been bad?" Topper frowned his eyebrows.

"I wouldn't say bad, but, we're not doing the best." he admitted with an exhale. "Hows the food?"

"So good." Joey agreed.

Topper looked over at her with a minor grin, looking up at Shane again. "How a yelp review?"

"Great." Shane smiled. "I'll get you two virgin piña coladas, on the house."

As he walked away, Topper looked at Joey. "I figured he was a major dick, the way you describe him."

"He's not, just doesn't know how to be a parent." she admitted, leaning back in the chair. "Which, isn't his fault. He didn't sign up for me."

Topper nodded his head in understanding. "So, he thinks you've been staying at Kiaras?"

"Not sure he'd approve too much of me crashing at your house every single night." Joey gave a minor snort. "But, he stays with his fiancé most of the time too. He's got kids so I think it's a good learning opportunity, maybe."

"Are they gonna have a wedding?" Topper asked her, eating his last onion ring.

"Suppose to, but, it'll be a few months." she shrugged. "Saving money, and all that."

"They could do it here, to avoid renting a venue." Topper looked around at the beach house styled restaurant, nice with strings of lights. "I mean, it's cute."

"Cute." Joey snorted. "Yeah, I guess they could. It won't be a big one either."

"Thing smarter, not harder." he hummed in her direction.

Joey rolled her eyes. "I sent my application to Duke."

"Seriously?" his eyes widened. "When?"

"Few days before Charleston." she nodded with an inhale. "I don't think i'm gonna get in."

"What's your GPA?" he gave a curious look.

"4.0" she nodded.

"Impressive." the blonde hummed. "SAT scores?"

"1520." Joey shrugged.

"See? Why wouldn't they let you in then?" Topper gave an odd look her way. "That's the right scores and everything."

"Yeah, but for a scholarship?" Joey rose her eyebrows. "There's probably people that got a lot higher."

"Okay, well, you won't know until they send you a letter back. So, just, stop over thinking it right now." he said back with a shrug. "Even if it doesn't fall through, there's a ton of more schools around the area."

Joey laughed. "So, i'm just suppose to follow you to college?"

"How else am I suppose to know what has the most germs?" he shrugged, making Joey laugh. "And remind me to take three showers a day?"

"Don't forget all the car washes." she nodded his way. "That's critical."

A grin went across his face, a faint sound of music started to play. Joey looked toward the back, only met with no one. "Creepy."

"Kinda how we started being decent to each other." he gave her a knowing look. "Remember our dance lessons?"

"When I showed up with grass all over me?" Joey nodded with a laugh. "How can I forget?"

"And I stepped on your feet." he went on. "I've gotten better."

"Have you?" she rose her eyebrows, looking around. "Wanna dance?"

"Here?" Topper dropped his napkin.

"No one's around." she shrugged, getting to her feet again. "I'll lead again, if you're scared."

"Scared?" he scoffed, standing up and taking her hand. "I'm not scared."

He took her off guard with a quick spin, Joey steady on her feet. "Told you."

"Anyone can spin." she shot back, putting one arm around his shoulder and holding the other out for him to lock their hands together. "What even did we have to learn to dance for?"

"Midsummers." he nodded. "Only, I don't think either of us actually danced."

"I didn't." Joey confirmed. "I don't recall seeing you out there either."

"Too busy getting told I was being cheated on." he exhaled, Joey gave a sad smile. "And I saw you getting on a boat and leaving nearly immediately."

"Well, while you were getting cheated on, I was being told that the love of my life was in love with someone else." Joey admitted with her best grin. "Guess it trauma bonded us."

Topper laughed suddenly. "Yeah, guess so."

They swayed a second longer as she exhaled. "Its kinda weird."

"What's weird?" he hummed.

"How much I hated you before." Joey admitted. "Like, I literally hated you so much."

"You still kinda hate me." Topper pointed out.

"True." she agreed, frowning her eyebrows. "But, still. It's weird to think that the frosted tips kook dude, that I despised, ended up being literally the only person in the universe that stops to understand anything about me."

Topper cracked a half grin. "Karma for hating me?"

She rolled her eyes, making him laugh again. "I should have dodged a bullet."

Bullet.

"Maybe." Topper agreed, feeling her stop swaying. "What's wrong?"

Joey looked at him with wide eyes. "The bullet. Not the gun."

"What?" Topper gave an odd look.

"His fingerprints aren't on the gun, but they will be on the bullets!" Joey repeated with wide eyes. "We have to go to the station. Right now!"

"What are you talking about?" the blonde called, running after her full speed as Joey ran down the stairs, hoping over some of the railing to make it to the bottom.

•

kylie speaks

the way joey and jj
we're doing reckless and
illegal shit at the exact
same time kills me

i can see that tiktok trend
that's going around right now
and one of it being "topper looking at joey"