Down

Chapter 13

I walked into the front,
JJ said" Hey, kiddo. Let's go to that doctor's appointment." He winked at me, then smiled at the front-desk lady, she looked at me.
I said" Okay!" I walked to him, holding onto his hand, we walked out," Where we really goin'?"
" Charleston, mainland."
" Why?"
" 'Cause Pope got this wonky letter from some guy that says he has something to bring John B home."
" Yay!"
" Shh!" He sped up, running away from the school, I giggled.

We were waiting on Kie, I was on JJ's lap, face dug into his neck,
JJ said" They're taking it really well. How'd you get this rig? 'Cause I know your old man didn't let you have it."
Pope said" I undid the intake valves on the carburetor. Made it start pinging."
" And now you're just gonna take it to your cousin Jeff's house. Just gonna get it fixed. Crash overnight."
" Crash overnight."
" I think I'm rubbing off on you, Pope. Lying to your old man, stealing his truck. Kinda sounds familiar. Alright, that's a sore subject. My bad."
" I'd say we have about 18 hours before he absolutely loses his shit. So as long as we get it back before then, I think we're good." Then JJ got out, Pope took me onto his lap, I saw Mr. Kie yelling at Kie,
" It's good to see y'all, Mr. and Mrs. Carrera."
Pope said" Hi, uh, Ma'am, sir. I-I promise to have her back at a reasonable hour and safe."
Her mom said" Kiara, listen to me. You wanna go, then you can go. But if you don't come back at the proper time, then don't come back at all!"
JJ said" She's bluffin'." Kie got in," Ya'll have a good day." He got in, I crawled back to him,
Kie said" This shit would be so much easier without parents."

Kie said" My parents are so paranoid of me being a pogue, like it's the worst thing that could ever happen."
JJ said" Hey, I hear they got good weed at boarding school, though."
" I'm not going to boarding school. They're gonna have to kidnap me, tie me up, and throw me in a van."
" Well, I say... we just crumble some herb right now." He tried to sit on me,
I laughed" No, JJ! Bad!"
" Oops! You're not a seat?"
" No! You'd crush me!"
" Ow, that kinda hurt." He sat next to me, I giggled at him,
Pope said" Hey, Kie, have you tried to hit John B back on that number yet?"
Kie said" Like, twenty million times."
JJ said" That's quite a few times."
" Some random lady at a hotel keeps answering."
Pope said" Well, until we hear from them again, we gotta try and clear his name. Right now, this letter's our best bet."
JJ said" Right. Stay on task. That's why I love ya, Pope." Kie held out the no, don't touch that, Skye tiny stick to Pope.
Kie said" What Pope are you gonna be today?"
Pope said" I'm good. I'm gonna try to focus."
" Good Pope. Boring Pope." She sat next to JJ,
JJ said" I'll take that. Um, do tricks now! Roll over, boy!" I giggled, watching them laugh,
" Sit."
" Sit."
" Try to catch a fish. Catch a fish." JJ barked,
I said" Silly JJ!"
" Silly, me?!" I nodded as he looked at me with a funny face," I think you're the silly one, Skye!"
" No! You are! Right, Kie?"
Kie said" Definitely!" JJ put his hand over his heart, gasping,
JJ said" My own sister. And I thought you loved me."
I laughed" I do! I do!"
" No, you don't!"
" I do! I do! I do!"
" You do? Love me so much?"
" Yeah!"
" Then say JJ's the best and Kie can bite it." Kie shook her head,
" No!"
" What?! Come on!"
" Loves you!"
" Loves you too... even though you won't admit I'm the best."
" I don't know what admit means." He laughed,
" And you got me." He pulled me onto his lap, and started tickling me, I laughed, trying to grab his hands,
" No! No! JJ! No tickles!" I laughed," Kie! Help! Hahaha!" Kie laughed,
She said" Freeze, doggy." JJ froze, pouting,
" Yay!"
" Yay!"
JJ said" Lucky I love ya, Skye. My Munchie."
I said" Your Munchie, Bubba!"

Kie said" Guys, I've read this thing like a thousand times. It makes no sense. I mean, the Limbrey's own, like, half of Charleston. What do the kook kings of Charleston know about a murder on Kildare Island?"
JJ said" Why you specifically? That's the other creepy thing. You know?"
" Please come alone. That's hella sus."
Pope said" I was thinking the same thing. I think it's because-" The truck started steaming," Oh, come on!"
" What's that? Pull over. That's a lot of smoke, even for your dad's truck."
JJ said" Pope, I got sensitive lungs, man!"
Pope said" I'm pulling over."
" Pope, just slow down! What are you doing, dude?"
Kie said" Okay, sure. Yeah, right now." He stopped, something came off the car, I held onto JJ's shirt." Shit!"
Pope said" No. No. No. No."
JJ said" Oh my."
" No. No." JJ got out, holding me against his chest,
Kie said" It's gonna blow up."
JJ said" It's not gonna blow up. You probably unhooked the radiator, Pope. I haven't seen this before. You knocked the entire hubcap off!" He put me down to clap, he picked it up," Whoo! You might wanna reschedule your meeting tonight, Pope." He walked to Pope and the engine, I followed him,
" Plan B? We could, um... public transportation. We could hitchhike. We could rent bikes."
" Yeah, it's the radiator."
Pope said" My dad's gonna kill me."
" Yeah, he might. He might."

I was trying to fall asleep on Kie's lap, JJ walked up, I rolled over and dug my face into Kie's stomach. Kie started playing with my hair, I put my thumb in my mouth,
JJ whispered" Hey, Munch, don't suck your thumb."
Kie whispered" Leave her be."
" Want Turtle?" I made grabby hands, he laughed and I heard him get into his bag, then I felt Turtle on my hand, I grabbed him and held him to my chest.
I whispered" Is JJ still here?"
Kie said" Nope, he went to go save Pope."
" Am I stinky, Kie?"
" No, why?"
" Girls in my class call me Stinky girl." I looked up at her," Am I?"
" No way, Munchie. You're not stinky, they're just bullies."
" Why?"
" 'Cause some girls are mean to other girls for no reason."
" They have mommies and daddies."
" You have way better. You have a JJ." I giggled,
" Yeah, he's way better!"
" Yeah, he is."
" And I have a Kie, a Pope, and a John B!"
" Yeah, you do, you'll always have us. You're our little pogue princess." She ruffled my hair, I giggled and smiled at her.

I was laying next to JJ,
Pope said" Good night, everyone."
Kie said" Good night." JJ rolled over, I cuddled up to him, he kissed my head, I smiled at him and bumped our noses together.
I whispered" Nighty night, bubba." He smiled at me, I closed my eyes and started falling asleep-
———
JJ said" Wonder where John B and Sarah are right now."