Ocean Eyes

Chapter 21

Pope said" Get down, idiot!"
I said" No! I want it!"
Cleo said" Let him!" My body swung around, I wrapped my legs tighter around the branch.
John B said" Holy shit, Kai! Get down!"
" No! Get it!" I reached for the coconuts, I pulled the branch, breaking it off,
I said" Watch out, below!" I broke it and it fell, shaking the entire tree," Oh, shit!" My legs and arms slipped,
John B yelled" Kai! Shit!"
Kie said" Kai! No!" I gripped at the tree with my hands, then I slipped, I braced for impact.

I groaned as I hit the ground,
Cleo said" You're crazy, boy!"
I said" Yeah!" I coughed,
JJ said" What'd he do now?"
" Fell outta tree."
" Seriously?" I nodded, groaning,
Kie said" Anything broken?" I sat up,
John B said" Careful, idiot." He held out his hand, I grabbed it and he pulled me up, I groaned, shaking my body.
I said" I'm good." I smiled,
Pope said" Here." He gave me the branch of coconuts,
" Ha!" I jumped around," Hey, remember when I almost wrecked the Twinkie?" I grinned, Pope, Kie, JJ and John B started laughing.
John B said" I never let you drive again."
JJ said" It was straight out of a comedy movie."
Pope said" It was idiotic."
" Hilariously."
Kie said" You're still in trouble for being an idiot and almost dying, though." I frowned,
I said" Dammit." She smiled and ruffled my hair, I smiled," Thanks for that. Y'know, it's not like all of our hair is a mess."
John B said" Oh, you don't like that?" He ruffled my afro too,
" Mmhm."
" That?"
" Yeah, JB." He did it again," You know what?"
" Nope, what?"
" You're dead."
" I am?"
" Mmhm."
" Sure about that?"
" Yeah, about 97%..."
" Mmhm?" He took off, I chased after him, we both laughed,
" Get back here, John Booker Routledge!"
" No way, Kai Daniel Ralphs!"
———
JJ said" Rescue? From what? From... from paradise? I'm not going back. Ever. I mean, look around. We got everything we need. Right here."
Kie said" Just like we talked about."
" Exactly. How's yours looking? You ready to provide for the family?"
" Yeah."
I said" Oh, geez."
" Let's go kill something." My mouth gaped as I looked at him, then to Kie,
Kie said" You don't have to say it like that."
" Yeah. That's exactly what we're gonna do."
" It sounds so barbaric, like..."
" Well, that's the circle of life, Kie. Unless you want to eat coconuts forever." I groaned, shaking my head,
" After the past month, I think I'm good on coconuts."
I said" Look, Kie, think about it like this, if one of us doesn't kill something... I'm pretty sure cannibalism is the next step." JJ laughed, Kie hit me with her spear, I laughed," Come on! That was good!"
JJ said" It was, Kai."
" Thank you! Who would we kill first?"
" I don't know, who's the weakest?" We both looked at each other,
Kie said" No, you two! No way! We're not even having that conversation."
I said" Oops. We've made her mad." She hit at me again, I laughed and ran ahead," No! That actually hurts, Kie!"

JJ said" You ready?"
Kie said" Yeah."
" Alright. Today's the day. Alright, remember, watch your shadow. They see that, they're gone."
" Alright."
" Alright, here we go. Just like we practiced, alright? Hey. Hey, Kie. Kie, kie, Kie. Kie, it's a skate. It's a skate right there. You see him?"
" Alright. It's all me."
" He sees me! He's coming over by you. He's coming towards you."
" Yeah, it's me."
" This is it. This is the time."
" I can't. I really can't." JJ stabbed at the water but missed,
" Dang it. I missed it. Where is it? I missed it." Then Kie got it, I clapped,
" Oh my god."
" You did it! We're having skate tonight."
" Oh shit."
" Full pogue! That's food in our bellies right there!"
I said" I'm so glad I didn't have to do that." They both kicked at me with water, I whined and ran away from them," Seriously?!"

We were all sitting around,
Sarah said" John B, your turn. Truth or dare?"
John B said" Alright, alright. Truth."
" Truth?"
" Truth!" She tossed him the hat, and he put it on,
" If you could do it all again... what would you do different?"
JJ said" Uh, get the gold out before Ward did."
Pope said" Maybe hide the cross a little better."
Kie said" Not yell murderer at Ward, maybe."
I said" Not get our asses kicked on multiple occasions."
John B said" Uh, steal a couple bottles of rum before we jumped off the boat?"
JJ said" Yeah, why didn't you do that, actually?"
" I don't know, maybe, 'cause I was in a fight to the death?"
Cleo said" I would look both ways before crossing the street." Kie and Sarah laughed,
" Yeah, my bad. My bad." We all laughed at him,
" Your turn, chief."
" Alright, Kie, truth or dare?" John B dropped the hat onto her head, she rolled her eyes.
Kie said" Truth."
" Alright. Um, if you could go home to your parents' house on figure eight this instant... would you do it?"
" No chance."
Sarah said" Seconded."
John B said" No chance."
JJ said" Hear! Hear! To no chance!"
Kie said" The shower's tempting though."
John B said" Ooh, I could use a fat shower right now."
" JJ, truth or dare?"
JJ said" I mean, do you even need to ask?" He put the hat on, she pointed to the big jump,
" Big jump. Nobody's done it yet. Dare."
I said" Don't land on your head, y'know." He kicked me, I fell back," Land on your head! I don't care!" Everyone laughed," Hey!"