𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝗃𝗃 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖺𝗇𝗄

3: "𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚙𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍."

The five teenagers stood on the HMS Pogue as John B slowly drove towards the messy motel they found themselves at. Due to Hurricane Agatha, it was lot messier than usual. A few trees had been knocked over, branches scattered around.

JJ whistles. "I though the Chateau looked bad."

"This place is a shitshow." John B states.

"Motel or meth lab?" Kie questions.

"You be the judge." Pope responds.

"Doesn't look like the type of place somebody with a Grady-White would stay." Y/n observes.

"No. It looks like the type of place someone with a Grady-White would get killed." Pope corrects the girl.

"This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue comin' in for landing." JJ says, acting like he's on a radio, jumping off the boat and tying it up.

"We good?" John B asks.

"Yeah, we good." JJ replies.

"Hey." Pope calls before John B could leave. "Don't let him do anything stupid."

"Oh, we will." JJ nods, glancing at John B.

"I'm not making any promises." John B replies.

Y/n quickly walks over to JJ. "Be careful." She hugs the blonde, the boy gratefully doing it back. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Now that's just no fun." JJ replies with a little smirk, staring down at her. Y/n rolls her eyes at the boy, pecking his cheek before joining Pope and Kie on the boat while John B and JJ walk to the motel, a pink tint on the blonde's cheeks.

"Biggest pet peeve?" Kie questions after a couple minutes into their conversation. Pope nods. "Easy. Giving one percent to the environment."

"What's wrong with that?" Pope asks.

"We only have one Earth, Pope." Kie reminds. "We should be giving it 100 percent, bare minimum."

Pope nods. "Right. That's not fiscally sound."

"Neither is destroying the only planet that we have to live on." Kie retorts.

"Hey, guys, cops." Y/n warns, catching their attention.

"Call them." Pope says.

"I can't. Towers are down." Kie responds.

"If I lose my merit scholarship, I'm gonna kill someone." Pope whispers, following the two girls off the boat. "Maybe they're not going up there. Maybe they're just looking for a room."

"He's pointing." Y/n observes.

"They're going up there." Kie adds.

The three of them run towards the motel silently, making it just below the window of the room where their two friends stood in. Instructing the two girls to 'stand back,' Pope picks a rock up from the ground, then throwing it to the window. Unfortunately, the rock doesn't even make it up halfway.

"Didn't you ever play baseball?" Y/n questions in disbelief.

"I was on the math team." Pope replies, voice sounding defensive.

Kie and Y/n pick up rocks while Pope watches them, knowing he won't be able to get one up there. In unison, both their rocks hit the glass, John B's face revealing after seconds.

"Cops!" They mouth to him in a frantic manner.

Just as their friend's face disappears from their view, they sprint back to the boat, Kie quickly sitting in front of the wheel.

"Should we peel?" Kie asks.

"You never leave a Pogue behind." Pope responds.

"No, seriously, should we peel?" Kie questions.

"Maybe." Pope shrugs, nodding.

As they stood there, staring at the window, it opens, revealing JJ and John B climbing out, the two boys hiding behind the walls on each side of the window.

"What are you guys doing?" Pope mouths, receiving a gesture to be quiet from the two, but JJ held a smile on his face as he somewhat tried not to laugh.

All of a sudden, after a couple seconds, something from JJ's side fell from it, landing on the roof, making a big clang noise before falling to the ground. When the cop opened the blinds, the three friends act as if they were talking to one another.

Eventually, the cops made their way out, not suspecting a thing. Their hands were full of all the things they found in the motel room. JJ and John B had started to make their way down to their friends.

***

"Well, that was fun." JJ comments as they all sat in the boat, John B driving. "Could've warned us a little sooner."

"We would have, except Pope was on the math team." Y/n replies.

"You were on the math team?" John B questions.

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

"Did we find anything?" JJ repeats, pulling out a gun and a stack of money from his pockets. "No, I don't think so. Oh, yeah, we did."

"What the hell?" Pope exclaims as he gets to his feet, wide eyes staring at JJ.

"Dude, chill. Come on." JJ responds, following his actions and getting to his feet.

"Why would you take that from a crime scene?" Pope asks.

"Better than the cops having it, bro." JJ replies, voice getting defensive.

"You serious?" Kie asks, both her and Y/n's gaze on John B in a disapproving look.

At their faces, John B's smile instantly fades away. He didn't like his little sister or friend being upset with him. Especially his sister.

"I'm gonna lose my merit scholarship." Pope says.

"At least you have us, right?" JJ replies.

"I'm living the nightmare." Pope complains, taking a seat again.