𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑 - kiara carrera¹

𝒗. 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒔

"BET YOU CAN'T DO THIS."

The group of teenagers - minus Pope - were all a little tipsy within half an hour. But they didn't care. They could do whatever the hell they wanted. That's the pogue life, baby. By now, JJ and Tatum were competing against each other with their many party tricks. So after Tatum somehow managed to light her tongue on fire without burning it, JJ decided it was his turn to do something dumb and potentially dangerous. And, for once, Kie and Pope weren't nagging at the two of them to stop. More than anything, Tatum loved watching Kiara laugh and smile on days like this. She was so beautiful. And that shiny, purple amethyst bracelet she stole for her only complimented Kiara even more.

"My party trick," he said, drunkenly standing up.

"Terrifying," commented Kie, still staring at Tatum's tongue every time she opened her mouth. There was nothing. It was fine. No burn. No blood. No pain. She shrugged it off, assuming it was some Crazy Quinn thing.

"Hey, Pope, could you go a little faster?" asked JJ, and everyone instantly knew what he was about to attempt. For weeks, he had been planning to do this.

"Oh, God. Here we go," said John B, standing behind Pope at the wheel. "I'm moving."

"Doesn't work," Pope told the blonde boy.

Tatum giggled, encouraging JJ to go on. "My brother tried it once. Ended up in the ER with a fractured spine. The wind hit him like...wind." She began to laugh even more, stoned out of her mind.

Pope shook his head, muttering the word, "weed," but the smile on his face was unmistakable. No matter how scary or stupid Tatum Quinn was, once you got to know her, you couldn't not love her.

"Yeah?" asked John B with a raised brow. "Which brother was that?"

"Joe, I think. Or maybe Thomas. It wasn't Leroy - he's the clever one."

"Ted Bundy was also clever," Pope pointed out.

"Can you stop trying to diagnose my brother with psychopathy?"

"I got this," called JJ, standing a the edge of the small boat. He caught all of their attentions. There was no way they were missing this, no matter how thick it was of him. "It's gonna work!" He poured the beer into his mouth...only it was missing his mouth by inches, falling behind and hitting all his friends.

John B and Pope ducked away from it. "Oh, my God. You're getting beer in my hair," complained Kiara. Meanwhile, Tatum was standing behind, her mouth wide open and catching as much of the alcohol as she could, despite the fact she literally had an entire bottle in her hand.

"All right. All right," said Pope, hand over his face and trying to avoid getting hit by the sticky drink.

"All right, you're done!" said John B, though he didn't seem to care much, considering he was perfectly dry and lounging at the back of the boat.

"All right, JJ stop!" ordered Pope.

But the only thing coming to an abrupt stop was the boat. Everyone was flung forward. Tatum sprung into action, and caught Kiara before her head could smash off the empty beer bottle, that was now sitting on the floor. And when the four aboard the boat got back up, JJ was gone.

"Jesus, Pope."

"You okay, JJ?" asked John B as the boy floated above the water, groaning in pain, while Tatum giggled hysterically. Kiara stared at her, trying to keep a serious face. But she just couldn't. Tatum's laugh was chronically contagious.

"I think my heels touched the back of my head," he said, which only set the girl off even more.

"Girls, are you okay?" John B asked next, still on the floor of the boat after getting serious whiplash.