Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
꧁ － － － － － － ✧ － － － － － － ꧂
𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐲 — 𝑎𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑒
JJ AND POPE built in a fire at the Chateau once the group arrived there. Leilani came out of the house with a sweatshirt on, pulling her hair free from the hood. She sat down beside Pope on a bench, John B on the other one. Grabbing a stick and a marshmallow, Leilani began roasting the sweet treat over the flames. "I've had more black eyes in the last month than I've ever had." Pope said as Kie and JJ came over to the three of them, food in their hands.
"That was building up for years. Rumble in the jungle." JJ sat down next to Leilani, kissing her head. He winced loudly as he tried to touch his food before it had cooled down.
Kiara sat next to John B. "Hey, did you guys really stick up for Sarah?" John B asked Leilani and Kie.
"Of course we did. She's not a real Kook." Kiara said, Leilani nodding in agreement.
"Right." John B said quietly.
"Yeah, tell that to Topper." Pope commented and Leilani rolled her eyes.
"Don't talk to me about Topper," she grimaced at the thought of him. Leilani looked over at JJ, seeing him aggressively shaking out his fingers that he had burned. "Are you having a stroke?" she asked as she took her marshmallow out of the flames.
JJ said nothing and took Leilani's marshmallow off the stick, eating it as she tried to take it back. "Low blow, dude." Pope chuckled, having watched the scene play out.
Leilani pouted with soft eyes. "Why did you do that?" she asked like a child, her marshmallow-less stick in her hands.
"I'm sorry." JJ smiled, offering Leilani some of his food, which she took.
John B grabbed Kie's food. "I just want one bite."
"What are you doing? No, stop!" Kie shouted in panic as John B accidentally tossed her food into the grass.
"You're not having any of mine." JJ stood up and grabbed more wood for the fire as Leilani put another marshmallow on her stick.
"I thought we were gonna share." John B said with his mouth full, moving to salvage what was left of Kie's food.
"I spent the last of my money on that." Kiara spoke, taking a stick.
"Sixteen years in most federal prisons." John B picked up the sandwhich.
"Kie, take his marshmallow." Leilani said, roasting her own carefully.
"Yeah. I'm stealing your marshmallow." she grabbed his stick and put it over the fire.
"I believe that's not even a fair trade." Pope said, pulling Leilani's hood over her eyes with ease as the sweatshirt was JJ's and it was too big for her.
"It's not at all. Not even close." Kie said, chuckling as she watched Leilani try to free herself from the sweatshirt.
As Pope and Kie started fighting with their sticks, JJ sat back down and pulled the hood down off of Leilani's head, smoothing out her hair. "Hey. Hey. Somebody's here." John B said quietly, shushing his friends.
Kiara put her stick down as Leilani quickly shoved her marshmallow into her mouth. "You don't think that Topper would..." she trailed off, unsure.
"I wouldn't put it past him." JJ said as he stood up.
Leilani swallowed the marshmallow. "Do you have the gun?" she asked JJ, standing up alongside him.
"Oh, now she wants the gun." JJ said, a stick in his hands.
"Oh, now you don't have the gun? Isn't that your secret weapon?" Kie mocked, John B shutting them all up.
They all crept towards the source of the sound John B had heard. "Goddamn, now she wants the gun." JJ mumbled, Leilani hitting his chest to keep him quiet.
"Hey, who's out there?" John B called into the night, leading the pack.
"You Kooks better not try anything." Kie warned.
Limbrey's worker appeared, arms raised. "How y'all doing?" he said, walking up to them.
"It's this piece of shit." Pope muttered, annoyed.
"You gotta be kidding me." JJ walked slightly in front of Leilani, his stick in his hands.
"Lovely evening we're having," Renfield approached them further. "Look, I, uh... I don't hold a grudge with any of y'all, all right? But this can go hard, or this can go easy. You know what I'm here for," Leilani looked at Pope. He knew what was at stake. "Let me give you a little demonstration. You see that swing right there?" he pointed to the rope swing in front of Leilani and JJ. "I got the best bow hunters in the Army Rangers with me."
"Yeah?" JJ and Leilani backed up as Renfield came closer. JJ held onto one of the ropes.
Renfield whistled, and an arrow soared past Leilani's face, slicing the other rope and piercing a tree branch. "Holy shit." Leilani muttered, seeing how close they all were from being killed.
"Now, they're out there. They'll stick you just as soon as I say so," Renfield stepped up to Pope and another arrow flew at his whistle, landing by JJ's feet after he tried to defend Pope. JJ was frozen. "We clear?" Renfield turned back to Pope. "Now, I'm not gonna give you a countdown or any bullshit like that. I'm just gonna whistle."
After a tense silence, Pope pulled the key from his pocket. "This key belongs to my family." he said firmly.
Renfield laughed. "I'm losing my patience with you, Pope," he brought his fingers to his lips, about to whistle. Regretfully, Pope handed over the key. "Did the right thing, kid. Knowing when you don't have a choice is an underappreciated talent. You be safe," he turned around, looking at JJ. "Easy there. Y'all have a good night." Renfield whistled as he left.
"I'm so sick of this shit." Pope panted. Leilani sensed his distress, but he turned around before she could do anything.
Kiara followed Pope, hoping to talk to him. "I should go home." Leilani said quietly to JJ and John B.
They didn't stop her. JJ kissed her temple sweetly as she hugged him, and then allowed her to grab her stuff and leave. Leilani drove along the quiet streets back to Figure Eight, seeing that Topper was back at his house when she turned onto her street. Her house was quiet, Rachel, Caitlin and Bryce were all asleep. Leilani fell asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow, Scout in her arms. It had been a long time since she had slept that good.
