Midsummers

We dipped to somewhere between Kook and Pogue territory and I walked between the two before they stopped to argue with each other. I sat on a huge rock as JJ brought up the idea of splitting and going to Yucatan. 

"You just wanna leave 'cause you got your ass beat?" John B asked, knowing how he would react.

"John B, that's uncalled for! We can't turn on each other at the last minute!" I said, hopping off the rock.

"You didn't see the photos," JJ said his voice breaking slightly but he quickly covered it up.

"Think about it. They're willing to kill for the gold, then it's gotta be out there." John B argued back.

"Have you lost your mind!?" I practically yelled, "John B, people died for that! Bad people or not. No one even knows if it exists!" I countered although neither of them was listening to a single thing I said.

"One hundred years, man. One hundred years. People have been tryin' to find this Royal Merchant and no one succeeded." JJ spat, the two now face to face. "And you think you are gonna be the one that actually finds it? When will you get it through your thick skull? If you keep goin' down this road, you're gonna end up just like your dad!"

"JJ!" I warned. This is some weird ass bromance shit in my opinion.

"I can't give up, JJ! The last time I saw the dude, we got into an argument, and then he took all our rent money and dipped for this Royal Merchant. And then I told him he was a shit father, and you know the rest of the story.." His voice quieted down at the end once he remembered I was standing a few feet from them.

"Bro, that wasn't your fault," JJ said, now feeling guilty.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is, JJ!" John B shouted, usually I love fighting but not when it's between my friends. Scratch that, family.

"John B, calm down!" I tried to stop the two but it was like talking to a wall, I wasn't even there at the moment. "Okay then..." I turned around going back to my rock. I've claimed it.

"Four hundred million, JJ. How much do you two owe for restitution?" He said now trying to get us on his side.

"Oh, so now I exist?" I asked sarcastically as I rolled my eyes, jumping back off the rock. "Also, I'm not trying to solve a difficult math problem right now, thank you," I said as I shoved past the two.

"65k, Willow. Literally that simple." John B rubbed his head now mortified for me.

"How are you so smart?" I gasped, the sad part was I wasn't even pretending at the moment.

"Dude, it's literally 50k. What are you on about?" JJ told him confused about how he had gotten the answer wrong. Not.

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Pope POV:

"I don't know what happened to Topper's boat. Quite honestly, I don't want to." To say my dad was pissed about what went down would be an understatement. "You were two seconds away from havin' a different life. You just about killed me." I continued to unload the bed of the truck silently, I've been worried sick about Willow and JJ since the arrest. "And you know the deal! One of these rich kids messes up, they'll still go to college and meet another rich person." My dad has been ranting non-stop since the ride here. "Then they'll make more rich kids, who'll also get third and fourth chances."

"I know. I gotta do better, I get it." I said, trying to get him to lay off. "Alright?"

"You wanna... spend your whole life grindin' it out like me?"

"It's your grindin' keepin' us afloat in the first place." I pointed out.

"I expect better for you Pope. I want better for you. I'm thankful for the two that saved your ass back there, Pope. Truthfully. I just think you need better friends." I got angry at the first mention of my friends, he always talks poorly about them.

"Don't talk about my friends." I grounded my teeth together.

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Kiara POV:

"This is disgusting." I groaned pulling at the sides of my dress.

"I know. It's just horrible." My mom mocked. Standing in my doorway. "I'm asking you to relax and go to a fun party."

"I look like a bourgeois pig," I complained, turning to face her.

"Will you please not worry about socioeconomic injustice for one night?" She asked, disappointed.

"Mom, people not three miles from here have no power, no running water, and we're going to Midsummers. That's so tone-deaf." I hate Midsummers, I've tried to get out of going every year for as long as I can remember.

"Do you know how hard we had to work to get into the island club?" Here we go again, I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, mom. How could I forget? You had to grovel for, like, ten years.." I said, retelling her life story.

"Twelve, and we also had to cough up a huge chunk of dough, and do you know why we did that?" She asked, tapping her foot awaiting my response.

"To keep up with the Jones'?" She scoffed at my answer.

"No. So you could have the experiences that I had as a child. Honey, do you know what the island club is?"

"A factory form for debutantes," I said as I stepped around her.

"It's a nice place with nice people, where you can do fun stuff." She told me, a smile forming.

"With out-of-touch rich people, while the island slowly sinks into the ocean," I said sarcastically.

"Okay, I want you to put on your party face, Kie, if you wanna live." She then left my room as I collapsed onto my bed with an exaggerated sigh.

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Willow POV:

"Ready?" JJ asked me as we both got into our outfits.

"Yeah." I looked at John B. "What have you never seen a girl in a bra before?" He turned away, changing the subject.

"Can you believe this Midsummer's shit, man?" John B asked JJ.

"Of course, I can. Happens every year." He replied nonchalantly, I put a loose fishtail in my hair.

"No matter how screwed up the rest of us are," I said with a disappointed sigh.

"So, like, what's the plan exactly?" JJ asked and he was handed a letter.

"Ooh! Can I read it?" I asked snatching it away. I read it while John B helped JJ with his tie.

"No, you can't r-"

"Who's Vlad?" I asked curiously, looking up at him to see his mouth open, staring at me not even shocked.

"Do you ever listen?!" Rhetorical. He grabbed the letter and gave it back to JJ who did the exact same thing I did. "Give this to Sarah."

"Hold up. Are you mackin' Sarah Cameron?" JJ asked, I gasped in shock.

"Would you shut up!"

"You're macking Sarah Cameron!? John B! No, please anyone but her." I said really hoping this wasn't true.

"You don't see me judging you about JJ, now do you?" My jaw dropped. "But, no I'm not. I'm doing this for everybody, alright?" Me and JJ stared unconvinced. "What?" He asked.

"Nothin'." I shrugged. "C'mon."

"Thanks for being a team player, bro." JJ patted him on the shoulder as he passed him.

"Nothing is happening between me and this idiot by the way." I hollered back at John B and he furrowed his brows not believing me. I didn't believe me either, since it was a lie.

________________________________________________________________________________

"..Okay so we should probably be able to just walk in because of my da- my last name," I told him just as we walked up to the security guard. He stopped us instantly.

"Names." His voice was low yet it also looked like he just didn't really care.

"Willow Covey." I searched the crowd, searching for my dad. "There. That's my dad." I pointed. His attention turned to JJ and I grabbed his arm. "Plus one?" He sighed reluctantly, nodding, stepping to the side allowing us to enter.

"Damn, Covey. You may be a hotter and better liar than I am." JJ whispered into my ear.

"Aww... that's the sweetest thing you've ever said to me," I said swiping away at a falling tear.

"Did you just pull a me?" He asked in a serious tone.

"Yes, yes I did." I laughed. Out of nowhere we were pushed together, pulled into a bear hug.

"Hey!" I instantly hugged back at the sound of Pope's voice.

"Don't sneak up on me like that right now!" Pope squeezed us even more.

"You're suffocating me. Pope, love you too, now release." He pushed us back, an arm's length away.

"Unexpected PDA there, Dr. Spock. But, uh... hey love you too, man." JJ pulled Pope back into a hug, kissing his cheek.

"Now I'm jealous." I joked and Pope froze looking between us. His eyes widened once he realized what had happened between us and sent JJ a questioning look I couldn't decipher. Then we went back to the original subject.

"Dude, I'm sick over all this shit," Pope said.

"You're sick?" JJ asked, feeling his forehead.

"You don't look sick." He gave us both a questioning look before shaking his head.

"I'm sick on the inside." He said, slapping JJ's hand away.

"Right.." I said.

"Well, I already knew that," JJ said, I flicked him.

"Did Shoupe do that?" Pope questioned, turning JJ's head to inspect the bruises. Now I'm glad mine are all covered by my dress.

"Oh, this? No." He said pointing to his face. "This is... it's my dad. You know? Has that right jab." He turned away from me and Pope. "Can really snap off at times."

"That looks like more than a jab, bro."

"Nothing that hasn't happened before."

"Okay. Enough, Pope, we'll catch up with you later. We have a plan to execute. See ya soon, Popey dope!" I hugged him. "I'd take the fall for you ten times over." I walked off, dragging JJ by the hand.

"Back in the G-game baby!" JJ shouted at Pope.

"I thought we lost the gold," Pope said, stunned.

"Not anymore," I said as I dragged JJ away. "There!" I pointed at the eldest Cameron daughter.

"Good catch." He held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask," I said dramatically. He led me to the dance floor next to Sarah, he twirled me and I purposely bumped into her. 

"What the hell! Watch where you're going you bi- Willow?" I nodded, slipping her the note, her face changing from anger, guilt, surprise, and then to happiness. "JJ?"

"It's a note from, uh.. Vlad." She smiled even wider.

"From..." He nodded, shushing her.

"Read it." I then pulled us away. "How do you know Sarah Cameron?" I turned to face him thinking of the best way to answer the question.

"I used to live here, a couple of years ago. 'Til we moved to Cali."

"Why'd you move?"

"My parents got a job there. Didn't have much of a choice." I was about to say something else when he pulled me into his side.

"I'm wonderin' if you could get me a mai tai, my friend." My breathing hitched at the sound of Rafe's voice as I slowly turned to face him. "Hey, I remember you. You're that mouthy one who I beat the shit out of." He smirked, one hundred percent proud of himself that he had beaten up a teenage girl.

"Yeah? Really? You wanna go there, Cameron? Now it's my turn!" I growled, lunging at him only to have someone's hands wrap around my waist pulling me backward quickly. Rafe and his Kook pack just laughed.

"Pogues, could you make that two?" Kelce said from behind.

"You guys look spiffy," I said now that my feet were back on the ground. JJ still had one hand wrapped around the upper half of my arm.

"You know, uh, we got a couple of orders ahead of you, so why don't you guys just go ahead and wait by the bar," JJ said, backing us up slowly as they continued stepping closer.

"Help yourselves to hors d'oeuvres." I said as we backed away.

"Oh yeah." One of them said. "I'll help myself to something." That was my last straw.

"Let's go," I said grabbing JJ's hand and started running. "Shit, shit, shit! JJ, where do we go!" I said following him.

"Hey, JJ! Come on, bud!" Rafe called out to us.

"Here!" He grabbed my wrist and slammed a glass door open, shoving through a crowd of people.

"Hold up." I stumbled to a stop, kicking my heels into the air catching them both before throwing them both at the Kooks, both hitting a different one. "Go!"

"Nice shot, Covey." JJ laughed.

"Bathroom." I pointed, of course, it was the mens. He slammed his fists on the door constantly peeking over his shoulder.

"Takin' a shit, man!"

"Sorry, sorry. Just really gotta go." He laughed nervously, knocking on the next one. "Come on." He said anxiously.

"Hey, I'll be out in a sec!"

"Jesus! Why are you guys always in the bathroom." I muttered. JJ ran a hand through his hair before dragging me into a locker area.

"Hey, what are you two doing in the locker room?" Rafe said blocking the exit.

"One-on-one time. Y'know?" I answered, one of the guys choked on air.

"Cute outfit," JJ said to Rafe who wore a baby blue suit.

"Shut up!" Someone snuck up behind us, putting JJ in a headlock.

"No, JJ! Let him go!" I yelled, shoving Rafe back before getting pulled away by Kelce.

"Hold them still. Kelce, do whatever you want."

"No! No! Let her go! Get off me!" JJ grunted trying to get out of the stranger's grip. "Willow, you'll be fine, 'kay?"

"Keep his head still. I'm gonna line this up." Rafe said pretending to hold a golf club.

"Don't touch him or so help me god, Rafe, I'll kill you myself." I thrashed around trying to get out of Kelce's grip.

"Could you please stop talking? It's very disrespectful. I'm trying to hit a ball. Learn your etiquette, my friend."

"Hey, dumbass, your aim is off. Isn't golf like your hobby or something?" He walked towards me, leaning closer as he looked at faded bruises.

"You look beat up, starting to see why JJ wanted you." I spat in his face, his smile instantly fell as he wiped off the spit. I laughed hysterically at the disgusted look on his face.

"That's what I'm talkin' about Covey!" JJ cheered. The lights started flickering and we all froze in our places, the room turning silent in an instant. The people holding onto us shoved us away. 

"Gentlemen! Lady? Is there a problem?" The same security guard we met before asked.

"Oh! Pardon me, officer." JJ started, dusting himself off. While Kelce was distracted I kicked him in the balls causing him to double over in pain. I walked over to JJ.

"No, there is not an issue-" JJ cut me off.

"Actually, yes. No, there is an issue. Uh, we got a criminal trespass in progress here." JJ said, glancing at me.

"Beep! Call it in, right?" I asked, going along with his plan. "Blatant disrespect for private property."

"Yeah." The guard mumbled glaring at the two of us.

"We're in violation of all kinds of shit, sir, but these gentlemen," JJ said as he adjusted Kelce's tie.

"Don't touch my shit." Kelce shoved him away.

"Uh, caught us, sir, and they were about to take us away." He held his wrists up. "And that's what you should do. Escort us out of here. You got me." The man grabbed his wrists and started reaching for my arm, I dodged his hand.

"I'll follow, no need to get all touchy-feely." I shuddered, and he grabbed my arm anyway, pulling us away.

"Come on." He said stone-faced.

"Alright then," I muttered, sparing a look over my shoulder at the Kooks.

"Fix that tie son, your lookin' spiffy, too. You powerpuff girls have fun." JJ said, pointing as he awkwardly shuffled around in the guard's grip.

"Hey, Willow, you are lookin' pretty hot for a Pogue. Could you let Kie know the same thing?" Rafe called out, a triumphant smirk plastered onto his face. JJ broke out of the man's grip charging at him. To defend not only me but Kie as well, seeing how she wasn't here to kick his ass.

"Hey! Stop it. Come here!" The guard yelled, reaching for him.

"JJ! Come on, leave them alone." I pleaded, tugging on the sleeve of his suit.

"You think I'm afraid of you?" He grunted as the guard dragged him away.

"Hey, safe travels back to The Cut!" Rafe shouted, I turned around instantly, grabbed a vase, and launched it across the room at their heads letting out an angry yell. They all moved out of the way, ducking as soon as I threw it. The guard turned around at the sound of it shattering off a wall, yanking my arm as he pulled us both out of the room.

"Sorry, butter fingers!" I shouted, flipping them off.

"This ain't over!" Rafe shouted back, returning the favor.

"Look.. look, man, I can walk myself. I got legs. Can you see that, brother? Come on." He pulled us both away, I rolled my eyes at the blonde. Always has to be the center of attention.

"Look, I really appreciate what you did back there," I said as I struggled to get him to let go of my wrist.

"Mr, Dunleavy, I see you got your drink. Good, that's really nice for you." JJ grabbed the glass of liqour. "I'm actually gonna down that." He slammed the cup on the table.

"I'm sorry, am I missing something? When did you have time to promise someone a drink?" I asked, in response he just smiled. And then caused a huge scene, and I couldn't help but join in.

"I really appreciate the discretion, Daryl, you know?" JJ spoke as Daryl dragged us away from the poor old man. Everyone turned to face us, mumbling in pure shock and confusion at the sight of derelicts from the cut invading their fancy party.

"It's okay everybody! Do not panic!" I yelled, I ripped my hand away from the guy, raising both hands in the air to attract everyone's attention.

"Leave it to the men and women in uniform!" JJ yelled from beside me. "Let's hear it for them!" He clapped, and I let out a loud whistle. "Rose!" He pointed to the woman. "You look like Lady Liberty." Rose smiled sheepishly before disappearing into the crowd. JJ struggled against the guard.

"Let go of him!" Kie shouted, once I found her I waved.

"Hey." I smiled.

"You can't boot him!"

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Daryl asked. "Really?"

"I invited him here."

"Kie, I used the same excuse to sneak him in here!" I shouted through cupped hands, JJ slapped his face into his free hand.

"I'm a member of this club!" She shouted.

"Kiara. Stop it!' Her mom said angrily. All of a sudden JJ shoved the man backward, he grabbed me by the waist when I almost fell with Daryl because of his hold on my wrist.

"Sorry about that." He said to the man who fought to get off a now broken table.

"Kie! Mandatory power hour at Rixons!" I called out.

"Pope." JJ pointed at the boy as he stayed by his extremely angry dad. "You as well." He grabbed my hand. "Rixons Cove. Let's roll. Alright Kie, c'mon."

"Workers of the world unite!' I cheered.

"Throw off your chains!" JJ added as he led us to a waiting John B. "Colonel." JJ saluted.

"Captain." I snickered saluting John B as well. He copied us before we all broke out into uncontrollable laughter. "Mission accomplished, sir," I said laughing. However, my smile instantly fell when a familiar angry scowl appeared in the crowd. "Hey, Dad..?" I sent a small half wave and JJ stepped in front of me. I heard footsteps and saw Kie running over, I moved away from the blonde and she quickly embraced me in a hug.

"I was so worried about you!" She said squeezing the life out of me.

"I'm sorry, Kie." I hugged her back for a moment longer. We laughed as we walked alongside each other. "Hey, Pope!" I smiled at him and he waved at me before continuing to talk and catch up with JJ and John B. Kie and I walked alongside each other behind all of them so we could catch up.

"So... what happened between you and... JJ?" She smirked, pinching my side, I could tell she already knew.

"We.. may have... kissed. Once! Or... twice." I coughed nervously, clearing my throat.

"I knew it!" She squealed, I covered her mouth but she removed my hand. "You two kissed!?" She said as loud as possible, all the boys froze as they slowly turned to face both Kie and I.

"I knew it!" Pope exclaimed.

"Damn! I lost the bet." John B snapped his fingers in defeat, both mine and JJ's faces looked like tomatoes at this point. Although I'd soon find out for different reasons.

"Can I get some new shoes? Kinda lost mine." I blurted out to change the subject.

"Kie's got another pair in the car you can wear." John B answered, I nodded.

Authors Note:

I just wanted to say thank you for over 100 reads! I really appreciate all of those who have read this story so far. So thank you!

Feel free to comment any thoughts or ideas you have, and if you enjoy a chapter, maybe give it a vote? Anyways, bye for now.