𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿.

twelve.

   I sit on a tree stump not far from where JJ is shooting. He's mumbling to himself as he shoots at an old teddy bear, looking like a complete psychopath.

   "JJ! JJ!" I call him over to me, scooting over to make room on the stump.

   JJ sits down, carefully placing his gun on the ground and rubbing his hands on his jeans. He fiddles with his hands like he doesn't know what to do with them, "how- how's your face?"

   I grin at his awkwardness, "fine?"

   "I never really asked, how did it happen?"

   I sigh, "it was stupid, Rafe wanted to get back at us for the kegger I guess, I wasn't supposed to get hit but Topper accidentally elbowed me in the face. He kinda tried to stop Rafe from beating Pope before they both left."

   JJ nods, pursing his lips, "so you both got jumped because of me."

   The perfect joke pops into my head but upon seeing JJ's face I refrain. I twist towards him in the limited space we have, "hey we're both all right, we're gonna heal and we already got them back. Everything's fine."

   JJ holds my eye contact, reaching up to twirl one of my curls around his finger, "still I'm sorry."

   I gasp, "JJ! Are you apologizing?!"

   He rolls his eyes at my hilarious joke and shoves me off the stump, scooting over to take my seat, "serves you right-"

   "JJ! JJ!"

   We look up, Pope storming towards us with a fierce anxiousness. I mean, Pope is always anxious but this time it seems slightly different.

   "They know."

   "What?"

   "Topper knows I sunk his boat."

   I push JJ back over so we can go back to sharing our stump, "how do you know they know?"

   Pope paces in front of us, "Topper and Rafe posted outside of Heyward's and mad dogged me. They have cameras, they could've seen me."

   JJ shakes his head, "There was no power-"

   "It's figure eight, they have generators! They don't give scholarships to kids who sink other kids' boats! It's not a good look on my transcript!"

   "Enough with the regret bro!" JJ stands, "They caved your face in, they hit Cat! They hit us, we hit them. It's the law of the jungle. Now if any kooks come up to you and ask you if you had anything to do with it, you walk up to them, look them right in the eye and..."

   "Deny the living shit out of it," I finish JJ's sentence.

   He grins, "yup, deny, deny, deny! But just for safety we don't go anywhere without protection and you," he turns to me, "don't go anywhere alone."

   I roll my eyes, "yeah okay, bud."

* * *

   "I'm so glad that they're still doing this," Kie smiles, "keep calm, carry on. Back to OBX life, aren't you guys glad I made you come?"

   Pope sighs, "ecstatic."

   "Cat's couch was pretty comfy I'm not gonna lie," JJ grins and I slap his shoulder.

   I want to work up as much excitement as Kie about this but I can't help but be a tad worried about the Rafe situation. Pope and JJ whisper to each other as I follow Kiara to concession.

   "Hey Kie, Lia, what's up?"

   Kie rolls her eyes as my blood runs cold, Rafe frowning at me. "How're you girls?" Kiara answers for both of us, "good, fine."