ISSUES II outer banks

selfie

"P4L, no matter what."

❥

"Ready for school?", I ask Pope jokingly as Kie and I arrive at his place. Before summer break, all of us used to meet at Pope's place and walk to school together. Kie, Pope, JJ, John B and I. Now there's only the four of us and we keep being reminded of that. "At least you two like that place", Kie mutters, "We don't even learn something useful there."  

Pope and I chuckle but I become silent when JJ arrives here as well. At first, he looks at me quickly. "Iz." "JJ", I reply as monotonous as he speaks. "I didn't expect to see you anywhere else than Figure Eight." Why did I even expect us to be normal around each other while the others are with us? 

I didn't want to fight, at least not on our first day back to school and especially not infront of Kie or Pope. "Wait, are you already fighting again?", Kie scoffs, "I get that you two have this sort of relationship that is going on but you fight a lot. It's definitely not healthy." 

"Can we not talk about it?", I mumble rolling my eyes because Kie being mad is the last thing I need right now. None of the others adds anything to that and Pope luckily begins talking about our first history lesson this year so we're quite calm on our way to school. 

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"When I topple over, just ignore me", JJ mumbles as we arrive at school. "Hey, that's not funny", Kie snaps at him probably to hide her worries. "Calm down." The first thing I notice is a big stone on which people have glued pictures of John B and written his name. Then I feel the glares of everyone around us. 

"I feel like everyone is staring at us", I mumble looking around. "Oh yeah." "Let's not be too late." "Hey, hey. We need to stay strong and together", Kie reminds us all and takes Pope's hand and my hand and I do the same by taking JJ's and her hand. In that moment, I don't care about what JJ might think. This is a pogue thing, it's about friendship.

❥

History lesson couldn't be any more boring. I was kind of excited to go back to school to distract myself from everything that is going on but it doesn't help at all. That is until cellphones are ringing. Not random cellphones. Mine is ringing and I see Kie, Pope and JJ taking a look at theirs, too. 

We look at each other and JJ and I sneak over to Kie and Pope so we can open it all at the same time. For the first time since days, I feel hope. I'm shocked but that's fine. A picture of John B and Sarah still wearing their clothes. 

What if they-? But is that even possible? Could they have even survived that storm? "Oh my god", I breathe out and quickly follow JJ outside. Kie and Pope follow us now telling the teacher that it's about a family issue. Well, it is. John B and Sarah are family. 

"Is that even possible?", Kie speaks out what we are all thinking when we run out the school to the schoolyard, "I mean Shoupe said that they didn't survive. That's what he said." "Okay but I think we're exaggerating rigth now. We cannot exclude the possibility that this is only just a stupid joke", Pope argues.

"I'll just ask", I reply easily still believing that this is not joke. It can't be. "But what if it is him for real?" "I don't know, I just don't know, okay?"

Group chat „P4L ♥️"

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Izzy 👸

John B? for real?

Is that you and Sarah?

"Did he answer?" "He's typing?"

Is JJ there?

JJ 🥵

I'm here Bree

Did you pimp my short board?

And did Iz go grocery shopping?

Tell her I want her good old curry when I get home

did you fight?

JJ and Iz probably fought as much as I know you guys

pull yourselves together

Sarah and I miss you guys

"That's him." "That's most definitely him." In that moment, we can't even show our feelings that much but we all know how we feel each other giving one another a relieved hug out of happiness.

Laying super low in Nassau

"Laying super low in Nassau", Kie reads out loud, "How did they end up in Bahamas?" "You can't kill a pogue", JJ laughs. "Especially not John B", Pope adds just as relieved as we are.

Can you clear my name?

Wanna come home

"Oh and how we are going to prove that."

See you, P4L

"Wait..", I mumble remembering one detail, "Ward has sent the gold to their house on the Bahamas." "The Camerons have a house in Nassau?" "Yeah, I've been there with Rafe last year. They.. Oh no. John B is going to do something stupid." "Why-"

"Wait, you were on the Bahamas with Rafe last year?", JJ interrupts Kie harshly to scoff at me. "I was with him to that time and they've invited me", I make clear although it doesn't matter at all in that moment, "We have to be quick clearing John B's name. He'll probably try to take the gold somehow."

"So when is the next time you're going to the Bahamas with Rafe? Next week? Maybe even help Ward Cameron?", JJ accuses me so I share a look with Pope, the two of us just shake our heads. "What? Don't act like I'm being crazy now. Seriously, Iz, are you even a pogue? You live on Figure Eight, you meet kooks, you even act like one." 

"Stop it, JJ", Kie suddenly snaps at him, "Seriously, shut the hell up. Iz might have been with Rafe fucking Cameron, alright. But don't question her status of being a pogue. You know exactly that she's always been a pogue and always will be one of us. Hell, she's even a better pogue than me. I don't care about your relationship anymore or whether you are fighting or not. Just get your shit together and don't attack each other, especially not Iz, JJ. She's a pogue. Never doubt that again." 

Wow.. Did Kie just.. defend me in front of JJ? After everything that he has said? Kie just left everyone of us speechless. Pope, JJ and I look at her surprised but I quickly hug and thank her for standing up for me. I don't need her to help me when I fight with JJ, but the fact that she just stood up for me although she was against this relationship and although she's the one always worrying if we are pogues enough, filled me with warmth and gratitude. Kie and I are strong together. P4L, no matter what.