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RENNA AND ATTICUS DIDN'T WAIT around for long. They both needed to talk to their families before they left for South America with their friends. They knew what the answer would be: yes, a million times, yes. But, they couldn't just leave. A hug would suffice, but they needed something. They could never just leave their families - that wasn't how they worked.
As they were walking away from their friends on the dock and the burnt skeleton of a house once used as a refuge, Renna stopped, because lying among the grass, was a gasoline can. She grabbed Atticus by the elbow, as gently as ever, and pulled him to a stop. He glanced over with raised brows and a heart of concern while she stepped away, reaching down to lift it up. As soon as it had shifted above the blades of grass she knew, she knew the fire wasn't just some leakage of a pipe, but a planned response to anger.
She saw the tire tracks, by the Twinkie, ones that were heavier and wider than the ones of the van. She saw the burnt box once filled with matchsticks, so she picked it up too, looking over to Atticus with a knowing frown and a worried gleam in her eyes. He spluttered out a cough.
"No way," he shook his head madly, eyes covering his thoughts. No, no. It was a mistake. Everything's fine. Nothing was fine, and he knew that, but it was the last thing he needed to think about. Later, he would think and talk and act on it later. Would that later ever come?
"Darlin'," Renna whispered, her head tilting as her eyebrows crinkled with utter sadness. "Someone did this."
"We can't do this now," he said softly, moving forward to gently peel the items out of the blonde's hands. He visibly frowned when he felt the light weight of the empty tank, yet it disappeared as soon as it came. "We'll do it when we get back, okay? Put your detective mind to work then," he grinned, and she couldn't help but smile.
"Okay," she nodded, dropping the burnt matchbox by the roots of one of the nearby trees alongside the gasoline can before walking away.
They split paths once more, Renna walking to her house while Atticus jumped the fence to his own. He didn't knock, didn't mutter a hello as he walked through the door. When he found his mother hovering by the kitchen, his little brother sitting on one of the wooden stools, he frowned, and when his mother turned around, she did too.
"Do I even have to say it?" She asked with a sigh as she turned back around, shimmering the pan above the stove as Alexander turned in his stool with a bright grin.
"No," he smiled with a shrug as he rounded the counter, leaning against the bench beside her. "We're going to South America in an hour, John B's dad's gone-"
"You're going to South America?" Atticus' younger brother practically yelled. Atticus turned his head to look at him with wide eyes, however, his grin remaining on his face. He watched Alex's mouth drop as he nodded. "Take me! Please, Atti, take me!"
The older boy laughed. "Next time, buddy, I promise," he smiled, tilting his head with a convincing grin.
"So, what? You're just leaving the country now?" Sylvia asked softly, trying not to let Alex hear the edge to her voice. Luckily, he didn't. "You're flying to a whole other continent?"
"Mum," Atticus whined, voice quiet as he turned back to the busy woman. "Big John's been kidnapped, or something. We have to help him. He would've helped me."
"Tell me, Atticus, when did that man ever help you?" The woman asked, finally turning away from the stove as she annoyingly placed a hand on her hip. Atticus jutted out his bottom lip. "The entire time he's been back he hasn't paid us a visit, he hasn't paid anyone a visit! I haven't even seen him!"
"I haven't seen him either," Alex added with wide eyes as he leaned across the counter boredly on his elbows. Atticus shot him a glare.
"Stay out of this," he sneered, causing the younger boy to roll his eyes. The child retreated back to his room full of cars, instantly plopping onto the carpet coating his floor as he wheeled out his favorite toy vehicle.
"I need to do this, mum," Atticus pleaded, hands on her shoulders as she closed her eyes. She tilted her head towards the roof, could she really allow this? Who was she kidding, she couldn't say no to her son. Especially not Atticus, who she'd already mourned before.
"Go on then," she said reluctantly, nodding her head in the direction of the door. "Say goodbye to your brother first."
He immediately pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, thank you. I love you," he whispered as he tightened his hold on the woman. She stifled a quiet laugh as she hugged the boy back.
"I love you too, now go chase that old man," she teased. He pulled away with a single nod before walking towards his brothers room. He knocked on the open door, causing the child distracted by his toy cars to look up with a gleam in his eyes.
"Are you leaving?" He asked quietly. Atticus sighed, a frown gracing his lips.
"Yeah, I'm leaving," he said, a sad smile falling across his mouth. "Sorry, buddy. I'll be back before you know it."
"That's what you said last time, then mum said you died," he huffed, head falling to the floor as he crossed his arms angrily. Atticus winced, he knew this would happen. So, he walked forward and picked the young boy up, forcing him into a hug.
"I'll come back this time straight away, and then I'll take you to South America," he promised. "I'm gonna win big, Alex, you can get some too."
"You promise?" The young boy asked, pulling away form the boy to stare into his eyes hopefully. Atticus grinned.
"I swear on my life."
And so Alexander let the boy go with a grin on his lips and his heart in his hands, Renna's journey going almost the exact same way.
Their friends met on the runway just in time, some a little late, but they were Pogues, it was expected. However, they quickly grew nervous and agitated when a certain Kiara Carrera didn't arrive, and so, going against what everyone else said, JJ took off after her. He never returned, so, trusting that they would seen meet up once more, the Pogues left without their racket of a blond and environmentally-friendly brunette.
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