{ LIVING THE POGUE LIFE }

{6}

"Hey! Pass me a beer, would you?" JJ shouted, waving his hands in the air. Brie glanced at the cooler box beside her and then narrowed her eyes at him. He let out a frustrated sigh. "Please will you pass me a beer?"

She smiled and threw him a bottle, which he quickly cracked open and began to chug. Brie let out a shallow breath and let herself relax. She hadn't had much time to think about last night. She had told JJ that nothing could happen between them, no matter how much she wanted it to. That had to be one of the hardest things that she had ever done.

The way she saw it, she'd barely been with the Pogues three months and she had already broken their number one rule. Guilt had flooded her instantly when she woke up that morning in JJ's arms. She felt like she had betrayed her friends, and that they might not forgive them for deliberately ignoring the rules that were clearly there for a reason.

The decision tore her apart. She so badly wanted to be with him, but she didnt want any bad blood between the Pogues and she didnt even know if she was in the right place for a relationship right now. Her heart was still reeling from her parent's deaths, and she didnt want JJ to have to deal with all of her emotional baggage.

Despite all of that, she found that didn't regret anything last night. The way he had kissed her and held her made her feel so safe and loved; something she desperately needed right now. You never know, maybe it could happen again? No, she cursed herself. That was just wishful thinking.

"Watch yourselves," JJ announced, standing up at the front of the boat, "You're about to witness something amazing."

"Dude, not this again," John B complained as Pope rolled his eyes.

"What's he doing?" Brie asked, curiously.

"Just move as far away from him as you can," Pope replied, sounding fed up of JJ's antics already. Brie didnt blame him to be honest. Pope increased their speed, the water churning loudly around them.

Kiara and Brie shuffled backwards as JJ rose his beer up to his face, the liquid spraying out everywhere as he tried to catch it with his open mouth.

"Ugh!" Kiara shrieked, "You're getting beer in my hair!"

Beer splashed Brie's face, covering her clothes in the foul smelling drink. She groaned and tried to wipe it off her."Jesus christ, Jay! Give up already."

She stood up and tried to snatch it from him when the boat suddenly came to a harsh halt. Brie felt herself be thrown from the boat, sommersalting through the air multiple times before crashing into the water.

Her body ached as she sunk down further, the burn on her side stinging at the contact with the water. She kicked up and broke through the surface with a pained gasp.

"Fuck!" She exclaimed.

"Oh my god," Kiara shouted. "Pope!"

"I think my heels touched the back of my head," JJ groaned as he floated up next to her, "What the fuck Pope?"

"It was the sand bar!" Pope defended, "Are you guys okay?"

JJ seemed to only just register Brie beside him and swam over to her. She winced at the dull sting on her raw skin and lifted her head to feel the sun against her face, focusing on the warmth to keep her distracted.

"You good?" He asked, wrapping her in his arms so he could support her. She nodded and rested an arm over his shoulders, making sure to keep most of her weight off of him.

"Hey, Brie," John B shouted, "You okay?"

"I'm good," she promised, "Although that burn hurts like a bitch."