XXVIII. Is John B Better?

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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

HURTS 2 HATE SOMEBODY — ELIO, CHASE ATLANTIC & NO ROMESometimes I just wish we'd never met'Cause I'd rather feel nothingIf it hurts to hate somebody

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HURTS 2 HATE SOMEBODY — ELIO, CHASE ATLANTIC & NO ROME
Sometimes I just wish we'd never met
'Cause I'd rather feel nothing
If it hurts to hate somebody



FOLLOWING KIE THROUGH her family's restaurant, Pope and Stella were subjected to JJ's rambling and insistance that he knew John B and Sarah were alive all along. None of them believed him, of course, but they entertained him for the sake of celebration.

"I never doubted them," he swore, crossing his heart as Kie pushed the back door open.

The curly-headed Pogue laughed and looked at him over her shoulder. "I owe you five bucks."

Stella was about to add her own comment about their friends' survival, but was cut off by the sound of Mrs. Carrera's voice travelling through the air, reminding Kie that she had work to do around the restaurant. She snickered as her friend let out a dramatic sigh.

"I feel that," Pope said, nodding his head as he sat down on one of the benches by the marina. Lord knows how many times his father had forced him into working a shift at Heyward's when he had other plans. "On a deep, emotional level, I understand that."

JJ slid his backpack off his shoulder and tossed it onto the ground. "So we going to the Bahamas or what?" He climbed onto the bench and sat on the backrest, giving his friends a smile that faltered when he saw Stella's raised eyebrow.

"With you and what passport?" she quipped, tilting her head and crossing her arms as she came to a stop in front of him.

"Yeah," Pope agreed. "There's no way we're going to the Bahamas."

"Look, John B will get nabbed sooner or later," Kie stated. There was a tinge of worry in her tone. "If we're gonna clear his name, we need to have done it, like, yesterday."

Suddenly, Pope looked up with wide eyes and all of the attention turned to him. The other's knew that when he got that certain twinkle in his eye and started to bounce his leg, an idea wasn't too far away.

"Why doesn't Stella just seduce Rafe?"

There was a pause of silence.

"I'm sorry, what?" Stella asked, leaning closer to him as if she didn't hear his suggestion. Her reaction triggered a cascade of responses from the other teens surrounding him.

"That is a horrible plan," Kie deadpanned. "Like terrible."

JJ nodded. "Yeah, there's no way Stella's doing that."

Pope shook his head and gave them a pleading look. "Guys, think about it," he persisted, bouncing in his seat. "Rafe has this weird thing for Stella, right?"

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