High Tide // JJ Maybank

Chapter 12

The four of us Pogues drive down the highway. A big sign goes by as Pope drive, reading Charleston 125. I sigh, readjusting in my seat.

"Guys, I've read this thing a thousand times. It makes no sense." Kie announces, looking down at the letter. "I mean, the Limbreys own like half of Charleston. What do the Kook kings of Charleston know about a murder on Kildare Island?"

"Why you specifically? That's the other creepy thing." JJ adds. "You know?"

"'Please come alone,' that's hella sus." Kie agrees.

"I was thinking the same thing. I think it's because-"

"Uhh, Pope." I say catching his attention. He glances over at me. I point to the front of his car that now had smoke billowing out from under the hood. "That can't be good, right?"

"Oh, come on!"

"What's that?" Kie questions nervously. "Pull over. That's a lot of smoke, even for your dad's truck."

JJ begins to crank open the window. "Pope, I got sensitive lungs, man!"

"Okay, I think it's time to get off the road!" I urge.

"I'm pulling over!" The boy yells as he begins to pull off the road. He still drives at a fast pace, making me nervous.

"Dude, slow down!"

"What are you doing dude?" JJ asks frantically.

"Okay, Pope!" I say nervously.

He finally begins to hit the breaks, slowing down in the patch of grass that was on the side of the road.

"No, no, no, no." Pope panics as more smoke spills out of the front of the car.

"It's gonna blow up!" Kie cries.

"I think that may be slightly dramatic." I tell her, following my boyfriend out of the car as he grabs my hand and practically drags me out.

"It's not gonna blow." JJ confirms. "You probably unhooked the radiator, Pope. I haven't seen this before! You knocked the entire hubcap off." He let's go of my hand, walking over to grab the strayed hubcap several yards behind the car.

"J, I really don't think that's helping." I say, eyeing the car. "Is there anyway we can fix it?"

"You may wanna reschedule your meeting tonight, dude."

"Uhh, plan B?" Kiara asks. "We could, um... public transportation. We could hitch hike. We could rent bikes.

JJ peaks into the hood of the car. "Yeah, it's the radiator."

"My dad's gonna kill me." Pope states.

"We could've just taken my car. Nothing wrong with the Jeep. Definitely nothing like this." I say shrugging.

"Gee, things for the advice, Kat." Pope snaps.

"I'm just saying." I say putting my hands up in surrender.

***

Later that night we end up at a shady auto shop. It looked as if it could be run out of the guy's garage. He had looked over the car before coming over to talk to Pope.

"It could be anything." He tells Pope.

"I definitely think it's the intake valve." Pope tries.

"Look, I can put a rush on it, but it's gonna cost you a little extra."

I begin to walk away, walking back over to where JJ and Kie stood at the truck.

"I have a feeling it's not going well over there." I tell them.

"Middle of nowhere. Dude's in heaven right now. 'Gotta know the calibration point before you do anything with the intake valve, JJ. You do the—' Hey, you okay?" He pauses to ask Kie.

"My mom is so worried that I'm gonna be a Pogue that she's willing to send me to boarding school." Kie says, going back to an earlier topic.

"Well, I guess that's what you get for hanging out with the wrong crowd, Kie." JJ states, grabbing his flask out of his pocket, taking a sip from it.

"I mean, I'm not gonna go. It's too late anyway, I am who I am."

"Ain't all that bad." JJ says handing the flask to me, I take a long drink. His eyes connect with mine, as I bring the flask back down, bringing a smile to his face. "I've got her." He says looking back at Kie. He points past the girl, at Pope. "And look at that guy over there. He'd do anything for us. That's a Pogue, if I've ever seen one. Bone-deep."

Silence fills the air for a moment. Kie's gaze lingers on Pope.

"That's just one man's opinion though." JJ finishes.

I watch as Pope disappears into the building with the man. "Babe, I hate to ruin the moment but we should probably go with him." JJ nods, grabbing my hand. "Come on, Kie."

We walk in just as the man gives Pope a price. He slaps a piece of paper down on the countertop, looking up at the younger boy.

Pope's eyes widen. "Three-seventy? Are you serious?"

"Well, yeah, man."

Pope looks over at Kiara. "Kie, are you sure your parents are okay with letting you pay for this? 'Cause-"

"No, hell no. But I'm already a day late, and they can only kill me once, right?" She places her debit card on the counter.

"What I would do to be able to do that." I say to JJ.

"Tell me about it."