𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

TWENTY TWO| a final goodbye

EDEN watched from the hot-tub as Pope lowered Kiara down in a bucket.

After a night full of comforting JJ and making sure he was okay, the group met up—well more so made their way, as everyone spent the night at the Chateau—in the front yard of John B.'s place, watching as Pope showed off what he'd done when everyone was sleeping in.

A bucket was tied to a tree with a rope connected to it, basically creating a pulley system.  He insisted that Kiara helped him by sitting on the edge of the bucket so Pope would have some weight to pull, as well as so he could see how much the bucket and rope could hold before breaking.

Eden saw right through Pope and left him to his awkward flirting with Kie, instead sitting with the Maybank boy on the edge of the new hot-tub—which, now that all the anger and tension because of it was gone, wasn't a terrible investment.

"So, like...." JJ spoke up, slightly glancing behind him at the two teens who were working on the winch.  His voice was quiet as he stated, "....is it just me or is Pope flirting? Like trying to flirt with Kiara."

"Well, you stated it yourself at the motel; you guys all have a thing for her, or had in John B.'s case.  If you won't open that closed door, then maybe Pope's knocking on it and waiting for her to answer." Eden shrugged before adding, "It is a weird sight though, gotta admit."

JJ grumbled, "Definitely."

"I don't know how much more I can see of you guys trying to get with her." the Bexley dryly added, thinking back to when she watched John B. impulsively kiss her, only to continue third wheeling as she friend zoned him. "First JB, now Pope.....for all I know, you're gonna make a move next."

The Maybank didn't reply, causing Eden to raise a brow. She was no romance expert, but was JJ jealous? Jealous that Pope—the nerdy, know-it-all, valedictorian who'd never had a girlfriend—could possibly score Kiara instead of him? 

Eden decided not to press, just as she didn't with Pope. The last thing she wanted was to involved with romance drama between her friends.

So she changed the topic instead, "Where d'you think John B. is right now, anyway?"

JJ set his beer bottle down in one of the hot-tub cup holders, "John B. pullin' a Houdini."

"Yeah, where is he? I got my scholarship interview tomorrow morning.  We've gotta get this done." Pope asks, slightly worried.  The later John B. was out, the further back they'd have to go get the gold, meaning he'd get less sleep, meaning he wouldn't be on top of his game. 

But, just as Pope says his final sentence, the Routledge boy appears in his back yard, silently crossing over to his house.

"Speak of the devil. Hey!" JJ called out brightly towards his friend, whose face was set in a tense expression.  Eden's brows furrowed at how silent he was—if she returned to her house to see a hot-tub, lights hung around trees, and Kiara in a bucket, she'd be questioning. "Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything."

"No, he did not." Pope shook his head, "I did that."

Kiara smiled, "Hey, John B.—"

The brunette boy didn't speak let alone show any emotion as he entered his house. 

Confused, JJ asked, "Okay, that's it?"

Pope and Kiara crossed towards the Maybank and Bexley, the Heyward boy questioning, "Uh....what's that all about?"