smooth seas//john b

forty three

Pope is the one driving us back to the church. When we all tried to protest, he threatened us and in his pumped-up state he might actually do it.

"Uh, Pope, you're driving pretty fast," I tell him.

Pope howls like a wolf in response.

"Pope, last to judge, but I think you should slow down a little," JJ tells him.

"That would definitely delay our arrival to the cross. We gotta get there," Pope insists.

"Why did we let him drive again?" Kie asks.

"Because I said I'd rip your ears off," Pope reminds her.

"Because he said he'd rip our ears off," I state.

"You did say you were gonna rip my ears off," Kie admits.

"I was joking about that, by the way," Pope tells us.

"That's a really funny joke," Kie remarks.

"Hey, how ya feeling, buddy? How ya doing?" John B asks.

"Uh, fantastic. I don't know what JJ's cousin gave me, but I am moving," Pope tells him.

"We couldn't tell," Kie says sarcastically.

"Okay, well, um, you're going really fast right now," John B tells Pope.

Pope turns around and looks at him. "Yeah, really fast!"

We all shout as Pope swerves across the road.

"I don't know if you noticed, but there's these giant oak trees all along the road right now. They're like six inches off the road."

"Whoa, whoa!" JJ shouts.

Pope is attempting to pass the car in front of us while another car comes barreling towards us the other way.

"You don't need to pass. You don't need to pass," Kie tells him.

We all shout as Pope swerves back onto the right side of the road narrowly missing the other car.

"What an asshole, right?" Pope asks.

"Pope he's going the speed limit," Kie tells him.

"We're not gonna get to the cross if we're dead, Pope," John B tells him.

"We're not gonna die. It's our divine right to get that cross," Pope insists.

"Pope! Look at the road!" John B shouts.

I scream as Pope clips the back of the truck on a tree. We spin around as Pope tries to control the truck and wind up hitting another tree.

"Is everyone okay?" John B asks.

"I think so," I say.

"Never better," JJ says. He groans as he opens the door. "That is the last time you drive, Pope."

Kie gets out of the passenger's seat and looks at the wrecked truck. "My dad's truck! No!"

"Kie, one word. Totaled," JJ tells her.

"My parents are gonna kill me for real this time," Kie states.

"Yeah, well, weren't they already gonna do that anyway?" JJ says.

"Helpful. Thank you," Kie tells him.

"We're gonna have to walk the rest of the way," Pope states.

"Dude," I remark.

"I'm going to get my cross," Pope insists.

John B tries to stop him. "Hey, just relax for a second."

"Get off of me," Pope tells him.