MARLBORO NIGHTS [JJ MAYBANK]

slushies

y'all should check out my new steve harrington fic, if ur on a stranger things high like I am ; ) called Satellite !

THE LAST THING Karolina expected to see on a Saturday morning was John B Routledge pulling up to the Chateau in the Twinkie with a cracked window.

She was sitting atop JJ's surfboard, trying not to snap at Kie who kept plucking the same ukulele string over and over again, waxing one end of the board while her boyfriend waxed the other. Her hands moved slow, but JJ's were quick, until he had put way too much wax on the board.

"That's a lot of wax," Pope commented. "Put to much wax, it's gonna be slippery."

JJ, who had been in an extremely bad mood since their failed prison breakout last night, turned on Pope slowly. "Are you telling me how to wax my board, Pope?"

"Just saying... That's a lot of wax—"

"Nah, nah, you're telling me how to wax my board. You kidding?"

"I'm just saying that's a colossal waste of wax."

Karolina rolled her eyes and tossed the bit of wax she held at Pope's head. Kie huffed. "Guys, really?"

Suddenly, a familiar horn honked nearby.

Karolina raised her head, eyes widening to see the Twinkie zipping down the dirt driveway.

"No! Are you serious?" Kie cried, a grin growing on her face.

JJ held out a hand to help Karolina off the board, as they rushed over to John B, who grinned at them from the window.

"Guess who's out the clink, boys!"

Disbelieving laughter spread through the Pogues as they charged towards their friend.

"Did I take too many pain killers or is John B standing in front of me?" Karolina laughed, dropping JJ's hand to leap onto John B, wrapping him in a tight hug.

Kie was quick to follow, as JJ cheered, "My boy's outta the can!"

Pope and JJ piled onto the girls, the Pogues wrapped in a much-needed group hug. "Come on!" Pope laughed, and Kie kissed John B on the cheek.

"We missed you!"

"I missed you guys too," John B said softly, as they all pulled away.

JJ threw an arm over Karolina's shoulder in celebration, and she held his hand. "So, how'd you do it? You bust out?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

John B shook his head, grinning. "Uh, they just... dropped the charges."

Pope blinked. "They just... dropped the charges."

"That's phenomenal," Kie stated, and JJ raised his eyebrows.

"You're telling me I did all that work for nothing?"

"Oh, the most elaborate escape plan of all time?" Pope teased.

Kie made air quotes. "Oh, foolproof."

"Yeah, it was, actually."

Karolina gave them a playful glare. "I thought it was a good, for a JJ plan," she shrugged, sliding closer to her boyfriend. "Besides, its not like we expected this to happen."

"Oh, yeah, whatever," Kie said, rolling her eyes with a large smile. "You're soft on him because he lets you hit—"

Karolina started to launch herself playfully at Kiara, but JJ held her back, laughing.

Suddenly, the joy was drained from them in one simple sentence.

"Wait, where's Sarah?" John B asked, looking between them.