JJ woke up still nestled in John B's arms, reluctant to leave the warmth of their embrace. However, her stomach growled loudly, reminding her of her hunger. She hadn't eaten anything the night before, and now her appetite returned with full force.
She tried to extract herself, but John B just held tighter. She could feel her cheeks turn a little pink as she felt a hard object against her lower back.
She's no virgin and morning wood is completely normal for boys, but with the changing dynamics between them it felt different. More intimate. She felt a spark of desire wash through her, but then her stomach growled loudly once more. Attempting once again to extricate herself, JJ found that John B wouldn't budge.
She'd never had this much trouble getting up before. That's when she realized he was awake. "John B!" she complained, playfully smacking his arm to get him to let go.
He chuckled at her as she shook her head in mock anger after he finally let her go.
"Fish for breakfast?" he asked, amused when her stomach growled again. "Pretty sure it's all we've got."
How could she have forgotten about the fish? She could've eaten dinner last night, she groaned to herself.
"Anything sounds perfect right now," she admitted.
They got out of bed and headed to the kitchen. JJ set about preparing the last of the fish while John B went outside to build a fire for cooking, since the power was still out.
"It's a good thing this is the last of it," JJ remarked. "Otherwise, it would've gone bad by tomorrow. The freezer's nearly thawed out completely now, and it won't keep cold for more than a couple more hours, I'd guess."
Pope and Kie were still asleep, but the aroma of cooking fish soon woke them. They gathered around the table and began to eat. JJ surprised everyone by devouring her fish in less than 5 seconds, while John B, Pope, and Kie watched in shock.
John B felt guilt welling up inside him as he realized she probably hadn't eaten in days. He should have noticed somehow. Hell, he hadn't eaten much either; life on the cut was tough. This fueled his determination to find the gold so that neither of them would ever go hungry again.
John B snapped out of his thoughts when JJ dropped her fork onto the plate, signaling she was finished. He quickly followed suit; they had gold to find.
Pope and Kie seemed to pick up on his energy, and soon they had all finished eating and boarded the HMS Pogue. Their plan was to kill time until JJ could sneak them into the country club. She mentioned that her boss leaves at 11 for lunch, which would be the ideal time.
JJ had suggested they use the computer at the country club where she worked to do some research. A surprised Pope went overboard in praising her for the idea, but she'll admit research wasn't typically her style. She usually dove in headfirst.
But this was different; it was for John B, and JJ was determined not to mess anything up, especially with such high stakes.
JJ sat in the front of the boat, her usual spot. She always felt like she was flying with the wind in her hair and nothing but sea ahead of her. Right now, though, she faced her friends, trying to memorize these moments together. With only one year of school left, Pope and Kie would soon be leaving for their respective futures.
She glanced at John B, who was driving the boat. She couldn't imagine a life without him; he had been her home, her safety, her family since the third grade. She'd follow him wherever he wanted to go.
John B had felt JJ's eyes on him while he chatted with Pope and drove the boat. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't spent most of the ride enjoying the view of her against the ocean backdrop behind her.
Since the night before, he couldn't get her out of his head. It had only been an hour, and already he missed the smell of her hair and craved the feel of her soft skin as he held her close. It was as if something had snapped in him once he fully realized his feelings for her, and he was almost certain she felt something too.
He loved her. He knew it as surely as he knew the sky was blue. He knew she felt something, but he didn't know if it was the same way he felt about her.
John B decided to tease her a bit and turned his eyes to her, letting her know he had caught her staring. She blushed cutely, and he gave her an exaggerated wink. She rolled her eyes, but he grinned when he saw her mouth twitch into a smile. She never could resist his smile. She once told him it was contagious, and he felt the same about hers from the first day they met. Even as a third grader, he wasn't immune. How had it taken him so long to realize what had been obvious all along? He chuckled to himself, thinking, I'm an idiot.
JJ looked out to the sea and whistled when she saw a super fancy boat about a yard away. "You guys see that? That's the Malibu 24 MXZ, the world's finest wakesetter. Number one in luxury, quality, and performance. 200k, easy."
"We picked the wrong parents," Pope joked.
"I hate to break it to you guys, but that's Topper and his girlfriend," Kie revealed.
Sure enough, as the boat passed, Topper and Sarah were clearly visible. Sarah gave them the side-eye but otherwise pretended they didn't exist, still upset over John B's accusation.
"Don't have to act like you don't see us, bitch," Kie muttered loudly enough that Sarah could've possibly heard. Luckily, they just kept going.
Another hour passed, and John B decided it was about time to head back, so he turned the boat around toward the chateau.
Meanwhile, Sarah and Topper had just reached the beach to meet up with some friends for a church group get-together to clean up the beach. They walked through the sand with Wheezie, who had tagged along and followed quietly behind, always the eavesdropper.
"You should've heard how John B talked to me," Sarah ranted to Topper, recounting what had happened. "That kid's got a mouth on him."
"Well, he showed his true colors, Sarah," Topper responded, relieved that Sarah seemed to be back on his side.
"He was so rude!" Sarah complained.
"I know! It's what I've been trying to tell you. I mean, he's lucky your dad didn't press charges."
"I know! After stealing scuba gear from us? It's just kind of ridiculous to me," she said sadly. She'd really hoped a Kook and a Pogue could be friends. "After everything my dad has done for him."
"Yeah," Topper agreed.
"Just so generous. You'd think he'd be more grateful," she added bitterly.
"I know," Topper hummed, hoping the topic would be dropped soon. He was tired of talking about the Pogues.
"Then he yells at me like it's my fault!" she cried vehemently.
Topper chuckled nervously and tried to play it off casually. "That's—it's—He's a Pogue at the end of the day. I mean, you can say we're all just people, or whatever, but it's a totally different mindset on the cut."
Sarah bit her lip at that. It wasn't their fault they weren't born into privilege, she thought.
She was saved from having to respond by Kelce, who made an entrance carrying a mason jar of what she assumed was something their pastor wouldn't approve of.
"Yo, you look thirsty," Kelce said as he passed the jar to Topper. "Have some of that, baby."
Topper took it cautiously. "Okay, what do we—what do we got here?"
He unscrewed the lid and took a whiff. His face scrunched up. "Whew! Oh my god."
Kelce laughed as Topper took a long drink.
"Mm," Topper grunted as he lowered the mason jar.
"Yeah! That's how we do it baby!" Kelce cheered.
"Oh, man. Come on, Sarah," Topper invited her, handing over the mason jar. Sarah took it and sniffed it cautiously. It was potent.
"Come on, Sarah," Kelce urged.
"Let's do this," Topper added with a clap.
"What did you put in this?" Sarah laughed.
"He's not messing around," Topper agreed.
Sarah took a long drink, deciding that a bit of fun was exactly what she needed right now.
Suddenly, the jar was yanked away, and she turned to see her little sister taking a long drink. What the hell? She'd honestly forgotten her sister was even there.
"Woah, woah, woah!" Kelce exclaimed, realizing the young girl had grabbed the drink. She's way too young for that.
"Mm-mm mm-mm," Sarah shook her head as she swallowed the last of the drink in her mouth and snatched the mason jar away. "Since when did you start drinking?"
"Since today," Wheezy replied innocently.
"Wow," Kelce muttered under his breath.
"Great going, Kelce," Sarah sighed, handing the drink back to him.
Just then, the pastor approached them. "You guys got it under control?"
"Yes, sir. All good here," Topper replied quickly, while Kelce hurriedly hid the mason jar in his bag.
"Just clearing this stretch out," Kelce smiled innocently.
"Just staying hydrated!" Sarah chimed in. "We're almost finished."
"Great job. Keep it up," the pastor nodded approvingly before walking away.
"Thank you." Topper mock saluted as he opened a trash bag to collect litter.
Ten minutes later, the beach gleamed spotlessly clean, and the church group gathered in a giant circle around the pastor.
"Just a moment, friends, to acknowledge our blessings," the pastor spoke loudly, prompting everyone to join hands. "To the big kahuna."
Topper snorted, and Sarah quickly shushed him as the pastor continued.
"Thank you for the opportunity for us to come out here and restore Masonborough to its original beauty," the pastor said solemnly.
Sarah glanced at Topper, but neither of them could stifle their laughter, though they tried to keep it quiet.
"Amen," the pastor finished. The group clapped and murmured their agreement with "amen." A few members shot disapproving glances toward Topper and Sarah.
"He doesn't seem to like us, that guy," Topper remarked, nodding towards a man who was glaring at them.
Sarah chuckled softly as Topper wrapped an arm around her, and they walked back to his boat with Wheezie trailing behind them. Moments like this reminded her why she was with Topper. If only she could always feel this way with him.
