「 ✦ MJ, ALIENS, AND BIRDS✦ 」

────

"GUYS I'VE READ this thing like a thousand times. It makes no sense." Kie spoke loudly, clearly frustrated.

JJ had offered to sit in the back with Kie, but MJ had slid in first, making him hesitate. Normally, JJ would've jumped at the chance to mess with Kie, but there was something about the way MJ immediately took the seat that made him suspicious.

"Why you specifically?" Kie continued, her voice rising in disbelief. "That's the other creepy thing."

"I'm telling you, it's all a bunch of crap," MJ mumbled, glancing at Kie through the rearview mirror. "This whole thing about Limbrey owning half of Charleston? Sounds like a real rich kid's fantasy." She threw her head back against the seat, arms crossed, clearly unimpressed with the situation.

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying!" JJ added from the front. "What do the Kook kings of Charleston even know about a murder in Kildare? They're probably more interested in their next yacht party."

MJ glanced at him, shaking her head. "Like you'd know anything about a yacht party."

JJ smirked. "If it wasn't for my charming personality, we'd all still be stuck in the ditch somewhere."

MJ rolled her eyes. "Oh, totally. You're the reason we're all still alive. A real hero."

"Look, if it's a trap, why are we even going?" Kie muttered, the frustration in her voice clear. "It doesn't add up."

"Because Pope thinks it's worth it," MJ said flatly. "And because this whole thing reeks of something fishy that no one's telling us."

"Exactly," JJ chimed in, still pretending to focus on the road. "You know that whole 'Please come alone' part? Yeah, that's hella sus."

MJ raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, no kidding. Like they're gonna kidnap us or something."

From the back, Pope muttered, "This isn't what I signed up for."

"Yeah, Pope, welcome to the club," MJ said dryly, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the seat. "But seriously, we're not backing out now. You guys wouldn't let me drive, so here we are."

"Public transportation, anyone?" Kie suggested, voice laced with sarcasm.

MJ snorted. "Oh yeah, let's all get on a bus to Charleston with our bags of stolen evidence. Real subtle."

"Yeah, Pope, what'd you do to this thing?" JJ teased, popping the hood and glaring at the smoking engine. "You didn't blow anything up, did you?"

"Nope, just knocked off the whole hubcap," Pope mumbled, clearly embarrassed.

MJ rolled her eyes at the overreaction from the group. "It's not gonna blow up. Chill, Kie." She couldn't help but smirk at her friend's panicked expression. "Relax, nothing's going to explode. At least not unless Pope keeps messing with it."

Pope looked even more flustered, glancing around at the rest of them. "I thought I knew what I was doing."

"Yeah, well, now you know," MJ said, leaning back in her seat again. "Next time, maybe leave the car repairs to someone who isn't trying to blow up the engine."

"Plan B?" Kie said, sounding almost hopeful. "Public transport?"

MJ snorted. "Is that your solution to everything? Do you really think we're gonna get on a bus with a pile of sketchy documents and no plan? Nice try, Kie."

JJ caught her eye through the rearview mirror, his gaze intense for a moment before he turned back to the engine, clearly still processing something. MJ didn't give it a second thought. She had enough of everyone's overthinking for the day.

"Come on, let's get this over with," she said, pushing herself out of the car. "The longer we stand around arguing, the more time we're wasting."

"My dad's going to kill me," Pope groaned.

"Yeah, yeah, just call your mechanic," JJ said, clearly not in the mood to get into it. "You know anyone who can fix this mess?"

MJ looked at him, amused. "You're lucky I know a guy on the mainland. He's a mechanic and fixes just about anything. You really wanna get that truck running again?"

JJ nodded, not hiding his relief. "Please. Call him."

MJ pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen. "I'll hit him up," she said, dialling the number. "But don't get your hopes up. This guy's not some miracle worker, but I'm sure he can get you on the road again." She paused, listening to the ringing. "Just... don't mess with the truck too much while we wait, alright? We don't need to make it worse."

As she talked on the phone, JJ leaned against the truck, watching her with a faint, appreciative grin. "You always know someone," he muttered.

MJ grinned back, not even bothering to look at him. "It's a gift. Now, sit tight and let me work my magic." 

MJ rolled her eyes as she listened to the guy on the other end of the line. "Hey, it's MJ, you know that truck I—" 

Before she could continue, the line went dead. MJ held the phone in the air for a second, staring at it as if the thing had personally offended her.

She let out a sigh and pocketed the phone. "Well, that was a bust," she said, turning to JJ with a shrug. "To be fair, he was annoying. I tried, but... you know, he's got this 'I'm too good for your problems' vibe." She made a face and shook her head. "Guess we're stuck with the truck as is."

JJ shot her a glance, clearly frustrated but trying not to show it. "That's just great," he muttered, kicking the dirt with the toe of his boot. "So now what?"

MJ smirked. "Now? We wait like the rest of the world does when they don't have a mechanic on speed dial." She crossed her arms and leaned against the truck, feeling oddly calm about the whole situation.

JJ let out an exasperated sigh but couldn't help the slight chuckle that followed. "You're a real piece of work, you know that?"

"I know," MJ said with a grin, completely unbothered. "But I'm still your best shot."

MJ pulled out her phone again, tapping away at the screen as she searched for another mechanic. "Alright, let's see if I can work some magic," she muttered under her breath, her fingers moving quickly as she scrolled through the results.

After a few seconds, she tapped the number of a local mechanic on the mainland who had decent reviews. She put the phone to her ear and waited.

"Yeah?" a gruff voice answered after a few rings.

"Hey, is this the mechanic who works on trucks?" MJ asked, leaning against the truck and tapping her foot impatiently.

"Yep. What do you need?" the voice replied, clearly not interested in small talk.

"I've got a truck over here that's acting like it's got a mind of its own," MJ said, glancing at JJ, who was pacing back and forth. "You free to take a look at it?"

There was a brief pause on the line before the guy spoke again, sounding slightly more engaged now. "Where are you at?"

"Charleston," MJ replied with a slight grin. "I know it's a bit of a hike for you, but my brother and I are kind of stuck here."

"Alright, alright," the mechanic grumbled. "I can come take a look, but it'll be a couple of hours before I can get there."

"That's fine," MJ said, already feeling a little more hopeful. "Just let me know when you're on your way. We'll be here."

The mechanic gave a quick "Yeah, sure," before hanging up. MJ lowered the phone and looked at JJ, who had stopped pacing and was now watching her closely.

"Good news," MJ said, pushing off the truck and standing tall. "I found one that's actually willing to help us. He'll be here in a couple of hours."

JJ let out a relieved breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Finally. Thanks, MJ. I knew you'd come through."

MJ shrugged with a cocky smile. "What can I say? I know a guy for everything." She leaned back on the truck, the sense of accomplishment rolling through her. "Now, we wait."

JJ smirked and shook his head. "Yeah, we wait... and try not to get any more smoke in our lungs while we do it."

MJ snorted. "Right, that was a blast."

────

The mechanic situation wasn't exactly ideal. Kie had to pull out her parents' credit card to cover their bills, and MJ couldn't help but wonder how that would go down once Kie's parents found out. Not great, that's for sure.

Now, the group was sprawled out in the back of the truck, everyone trying to get some sleep under the stars. Kie and Pope were huddled up together, while MJ and JJ had claimed the truck bed. JJ was already curled up, looking like he could sleep through a hurricane, which he probably could.

MJ sat up, pulling her legs to her chest as she stared up at the stars. Her mind was running a mile a minute. It had been a crazy few months, and none of them should have had to go through it. They were kids—way too young for all this mess.

She pulled JJ's jacket tighter around her, its familiar scent bringing some comfort, even if she refused to admit it. She glanced over at him. He was asleep, his face relaxed for once, and she couldn't help but snicker when a loud snore escaped him. It wasn't a bad snore—just ridiculously loud for a teenage boy. 

MJ shook her head, amused but also annoyed. "How do you even breathe like that?"

JJ didn't respond, obviously still out cold. MJ snorted and laid back down, her arms behind her head. For a moment, she thought about letting herself get lost in the night. But then, of course, JJ's snoring turned from a casual nuisance into a full-on warzone.

"Dude, shut up," she groaned, turning to give him a shove.

JJ, still in his sleep, swatted her hand away, mumbling something about "no more s'mores."

"Really? You're dreaming about s'mores?" MJ rolled her eyes. "That's what gets you through a crisis?"

He didn't respond, so MJ decided to have a little fun. "How do you even get any sleep, with that loudass snoring? I swear, you sound like a tractor."

JJ finally cracked one eye open, giving her a half-smirk. "Yeah, and you sound like a 90-year-old grandma when you talk. You're lucky I don't charge you for my sleep concert."

"Please," MJ shot back. "If I wanted to pay for entertainment, I'd go see a movie, not listen to you pretend you're a chainsaw in the middle of the night."

JJ rolled over, still half-asleep. "Whatever. At least I don't talk to myself like some crazy person. You've been arguing with your own thoughts for the last ten minutes."

"Hey, I'm just trying to have some deep conversations with myself. Not everyone can handle that level of brilliance," MJ retorted, putting on an exaggerated serious tone.

JJ snorted but didn't say anything more, clearly not interested in continuing the back-and-forth. That's when Kie, clearly fed up with the noise, groaned from the other side of the truck.

"Okay, you two," she said, sitting up with a look of pure annoyance. "Either shut up or go for a walk. You're keeping everyone awake."

MJ shot JJ a sly grin. "Guess you're the one getting kicked out, huh?"

"Shut up, MJ," JJ grumbled, pulling his jacket over his head.

MJ smirked but decided to let it go. There was no point in pushing it. After all, Kie was right—they could all use a break from each other. Plus, it was kind of fun to mess with JJ now and then.

Kie lay back down, muttering, "I swear, if I hear one more argument, I'm throwing both of you in the ocean."

"Noted," MJ said, rolling over and closing her eyes, still smiling at how easily Kie could shut them down. But then again, Kie was the queen of getting them to shut up when they got too loud.

"Goodnight, loudmouth," MJ said softly, not sure if JJ heard her. But either way, she was pretty sure he was already back to snoring.

────

MJ's brain was a never-ending circus of thoughts, each one louder than the last. As she tossed and turned in the back of the truck, she couldn't help but feel like she was a malfunctioning blender—too many buttons being pressed all at once, and nothing was blending. Her legs were all over the place, but her mind refused to calm down.

She glanced at JJ, who was somehow still asleep, looking like the world's most peaceful human. It made her want to throw a shoe at him. She glanced at the stars above, trying to latch onto something, but of course, her brain immediately began a new rant.

"Are aliens real?" she asked herself. "Like, we're out here in the middle of nowhere. What if the aliens come down and I don't even know how to talk to them? Should I start practicing? 'Hi, I'm MJ. I'm a little crazy, but I swear I'm not that bad.'"

She snorted to herself, but it was loud enough that she instantly regretted it. She looked around, hoping no one was awake. No such luck.

From Kie's side, a voice cut through the silence. "MJ, please. For the love of all things sacred, shut up and sleep. Some of us are trying to get rest!"

MJ winced, but there was no turning back now. "Sorry, sorry. Just... wondering if the aliens would like my guitar skills," she said to the night sky.

JJ groaned from the other side of the truck. "Are you seriously talking about aliens right now? MJ, come on."

"I'm not talking about aliens," she shot back. "I'm just thinking about how they'd react if I played them some '90s punk rock. I feel like they'd appreciate that more than, like, country music. Country too... Earthy."

"Go for a walk or something," JJ grumbled, pulling his blanket over his head. "Get some fresh air. Or at least leave me to dream about something other than you overthinking alien concerts."

"I don't wanna walk," MJ muttered, flopping back onto her side. "I'm too tired for that. But my brain is just, like, on a constant loop of weirdness. 'Aliens, guitars, is it weird that I thought about that tree for five minutes...?'"

JJ didn't even bother answering. He was back to pretending he couldn't hear her.

At that moment, Kie sat up, her hair wild from sleep, and shot MJ a death glare that could melt steel. "Okay, listen, either you go for a walk or you go into silent mode for the rest of the night."

MJ blinked. "I don't know if I'm capable of silent mode. That requires, like, some kind of superpower."

"Well, your other superpower is keeping everyone awake, so how about you take that energy elsewhere?" Kie snapped, clearly done with the late-night brainstorming sessions MJ was holding with herself.

MJ sighed dramatically, rolling onto her back. "Fine, fine. I'll go... think about aliens quietly or something."

She pulled her blanket tighter around her, trying to settle down, but her brain was still going a million miles an hour. She started humming a random song, but it was so off-key she almost started laughing at herself.

"Is it weird that I think I'd make a great pop star if I ever gave up on my completely normal life?" she whispered aloud.

From somewhere in the darkness, she heard JJ's muffled voice. "MJ, if you start singing, I will literally throw something at you."

"Shh, I'm practicing for my Grammy acceptance speech," she muttered, rolling over and trying to settle. "It's fine, really."

Finally, after a few more random thoughts about becoming an alien ambassador or starting a band called The Midnight Overthinkers, she managed to quiet her mind long enough to drift off to sleep—somewhat peacefully.

But, of course, she couldn't be too quiet for too long.

She whispered into the night, "Hey, Kie, do you think aliens would prefer Uber or public transportation?"

Kie didn't answer, but MJ swore she could hear a soft groan in the distance.

A couple of minutes passed in relative silence, which—if you knew MJ—meant she was definitely brewing up another idea. With her ADHD, stillness was the enemy, and she quickly began fidgeting. First, she wiggled her toes, then stretched her arms, and before she knew it, she was flipping over on her back, then on her stomach, and eventually doing a full somersault in the cramped back of the truck.

Her legs kicked out as she tried to get her body into some sort of graceful position, but it was far from graceful—more like a toddler with too much caffeine. Her arms flailed as she tried to maintain balance, narrowly avoiding knocking over Pope's backpack as it dangled off the edge of the truck bed.

"MJ! What are you doing?" Pope barked from the front of the truck, his voice half-exasperated, half-amused.

"I'm practicing for the circus," MJ said without missing a beat, flipping again. "I'm not exactly sure where my performance will be, but I've got the moves. Look at this!"

She twisted mid-air, landing in a half-standing position, then immediately lost her balance, tumbling into the pile of bags in the corner.

"Could you please stop doing that?" Kie groaned from the other side. "Some of us are trying to sleep, and you're giving us a free show. You know, the kind we didn't ask for."

"Well, it's free," MJ shot back, grinning from the floor. "I'm practically a human trampoline."

JJ's muffled voice came from his blanket cocoon, barely audible, but still annoyed. "I swear, if you don't go for a walk or something, I'm gonna get up and kick you out of here."

MJ paused for a beat, looking at her twin, who was clearly not joking. Her grin turned into a smirk. "Fine, fine. I'll go for a walk. I can't help it if my body just needs to, like, move."

She huffed as she crawled out of the truck bed, not caring that her shoes were nowhere to be found. With her heart still racing from her impromptu gymnastics, she shuffled away from the group, hoping some fresh air would calm her down.

As she wandered into the night, she couldn't help but feel a little restless, her mind bouncing from one thought to the next. It wasn't long before she pulled her phone out of her pocket and—on a whim—opened her contacts list.

There it was. Rafe.

"Why not?" she muttered to herself, clicking on his name and letting the phone ring. It was late, but who cared? Maybe talking to someone would settle her mind.

After a few rings, the phone picked up, and she heard a groggy voice on the other end. "Hello?"

MJ grinned. "Oh my god, did I wake you up?"

"Uh... kinda," Rafe mumbled. He sounded like he'd been asleep for approximately five minutes, and clearly not in a good mood. "It's like 3 AM, MJ. What's up?"

She chuckled, sitting on a nearby rock. "Well, see, here's the thing—I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere with the world's worst insomnia, and I'm doing acrobatics in the back of a truck."

There was a pause on the other end, and MJ could practically hear him rubbing his eyes. "Wait, you're doing what now? Acrobatics?"

"Yep!" MJ shot back, clearly unbothered by the fact that she was talking to someone who was half asleep. "I was, like, flipping around the back of the truck like a circus performer. Kie, Pope, and JJ were not having it, so they told me to go for a walk. So here I am, talking to you because my brain has an unhealthy obsession with overthinking."

Rafe snorted, though it was laced with sleepiness. "I mean... sounds like you're giving them a show they didn't sign up for, huh?"

"Pretty much," MJ said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And now they're all grumpy because I'm not sleeping. Who knew I could be such a menace, right?"

Rafe let out a low chuckle, though he still sounded groggy. "Well, at least you're keeping yourself entertained. But for real... you're doing all this at 3 AM? Do you have, like, an off switch?"

"Not really. I was thinking about calling aliens, but then I thought I should give you a call instead. Way more entertaining."

"I mean, I'm not sure I can top aliens, but I'll give it a shot," Rafe replied with a sleepy grin in his voice. "You good, though?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just... tired of my brain being on a loop of weird thoughts. Do you ever get that way? Like, you're just stuck?"

Rafe took a deep breath, clearly trying to wake up. "All the time. But hey, sometimes you just gotta let the weirdness happen. You're doing acrobatics in a truck; might as well embrace it."

MJ laughed quietly. "True. At least I didn't hurt anyone... this time."

Rafe yawned, then laughed softly. "Keep it up, MJ. I might just start calling you the 'Acro-Queen' when you're back in town."

"Yeah, you're hilarious," MJ said, rolling her eyes, though she couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face. "Anyway, I'll let you get back to your beauty sleep. I've got enough energy for a thousand more flips before I finally crash."

"Well, I'm sure the aliens will be waiting for your performance," Rafe said dryly.

"Thanks for the encouragement," MJ replied sarcastically. "I'll let you know when I start the world tour."

She hung up with a smile on her face, feeling a bit lighter. She walked back to the truck, ready to face whatever weird thought her brain came up with next, but at least this time, she'd shared it with someone who wouldn't judge her too harshly.

────

The morning sun was barely peeking over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the highway as the group piled back into the truck, and headed toward the Limbrey's house. Kie, Pope, and JJ were already half-formed puddles of sleep, eyes drooping as the truck bounced over the road. MJ, however, was as wide awake as ever—her brain had been firing on all cylinders ever since she woke up, and now she was back at it.

"I'm just saying," MJ began, her voice cutting through the grogginess in the truck, "have you ever noticed how, like, socks always seem to disappear in the laundry? I mean, like, how does that even happen? It's like they just, poof! Gone, right? And what if, like, socks are actually a parallel dimension? A whole sock universe and when they disappear, they just—like—slip through a wormhole. Who's to say that isn't happening?"

Kie, who had her head resting against Pope's shoulder, cracked one eye open, then closed it again. She groaned. "MJ, it's too early for your sock conspiracy theories. Please. Can you let us die in peace?"

MJ, undeterred, sat up straighter. "But think about it! Socks, like, disappear into thin air. It's scientifically weird, right?"

JJ, who had been silently rubbing his eyes from the passenger seat, suddenly perked up. He leaned forward with a grin that MJ immediately recognized—it was that "I'm going to make this worse" grin. He threw his hands in the air dramatically. "No, wait. No! What if it's not the socks disappearing? What if the socks are, like, sending out signals? Like, they're calling other socks from different timelines. You know, like a secret sock society or something. They're secretly gathering an army to overthrow humanity. They've been biding their time!"

MJ blinked, and then her face lit up. "Wait, JJ! That's genius! Maybe the missing socks are trying to start a revolution and the rest of us are just... clueless!" She threw her hands up like she was trying to explain some grand cosmic plan.

"Exactly!" JJ joined in, now fully invested. "They've got us all distracted with our stupid lives, and meanwhile they're pulling strings in the background, organizing sock coups and—"

"Stop! Stop!" Pope interrupted, flailing a hand from the backseat. "This is too much! We're trying to get to the Limbrey's house, and you two are talking about a sock revolution?"

Kie groaned, her head now fully resting against Pope's arm. "I didn't get enough sleep to deal with this level of nonsense. Can we just focus on getting there and not talking about socks trying to take over the world?"

"Oh, please, Pope," MJ snorted, glancing back at him. "You know you secretly agree that socks are probably up to something. You just don't want to admit it."

Pope sighed dramatically. "I'm too tired to argue with you right now, MJ. Just... can you both keep it down?"

JJ leaned back, arms crossed, smirking. "Nah, I'm good. I think we've opened up a new frontier in sock science. We're on the verge of a breakthrough here."

MJ nodded enthusiastically. "Totally! We could publish a paper. The Great Sock Conspiracy: Unraveling the Missing Footwear Mystery." She tapped her finger to her chin. "I bet we'd get a Nobel Prize."

"You two are impossible," Kie muttered, shaking her head.

JJ shot her a mock serious look. "Come on, Kie. You know this is a world-changing idea. Imagine if one day, history books mention the sock rebellion. How cool would that be?"

MJ laughed so hard she almost slid off the seat. "The Sock Rebellion of 2024! Coming soon to a history class near you!"

Kie glared at them from the backseat, but she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "Whatever, you two. Just don't drag me into it when the sock army comes for us."

Pope groaned again, but even he couldn't suppress a small chuckle. "Alright, I'll give you that one. But seriously, we need to focus. The Limbrey's house is, like, right there."

JJ raised an eyebrow and then threw his hands in the air. "Fine, fine. I'll save the sock rebellion talk for later. But just know this—the socks are coming."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," MJ chimed in, her voice dripping with mock seriousness as she settled back into her seat, feeling oddly satisfied with her absurd rant.

The truck rolled on, the sound of tires humming beneath them, and the awkward silence was about to settle in again—until MJ broke it.

"You know what's another thing that's been bugging me?" she started, her voice cutting through the quiet.

Kie, who had just closed her eyes, groaned. "MJ, if this is another conspiracy theory, I swear to God."

"Oh, it is," MJ replied, grinning mischievously. "Have you ever really thought about birds? Like, really thought about them?"

"Birds? Seriously?" Pope said, sounding almost like he was going to lose his mind. "We're going down this road now?"

"No, no, hear me out," MJ said, sitting up a little straighter, suddenly more animated. "Have you noticed how birds are always everywhere? They're just... there. And no one ever questions it. Do you ever stop to think about that? They're always watching us, but like... what if they're not real?"

Kie sat up and shot her a look, blinking slowly. "MJ, what are you even talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that birds are government surveillance tools," she said with full conviction. "I'm serious. They're not real. They're robots. Drones, even. That's why they never do anything that really surprises us. They're constantly looking at us, hovering around, chirping like they're cute, but they're just... recording us, man. Surveillance. It's so obvious if you think about it."

Pope leaned his head back and let out a heavy sigh. "Birds... robots? MJ, come on."

"No, think about it!" MJ shot back. "They're always just there. They don't even need to rest. Have you ever seen a bird just... chilling out somewhere, not doing bird stuff? Nope. They're always in motion. Always watching. They never even need to sleep! It's like they're powered by some kind of... conspiracy energy."

JJ, who had been half asleep in the front seat, perked up. "Wait, wait—hold up. So, you're saying that every time I see a pigeon, it's actually like... a little flying robot spying on me?"

"Exactly!" MJ said, clapping her hands. "That's exactly what I'm saying. And have you ever noticed how pigeons just disappear at random? I'll be walking, and bam! There's one, then—poof—it's gone. Where do they go? Why are they always on rooftops? It's too convenient. The whole thing is a setup."

"MJ, please," Kie said, rubbing her temples as if trying to relieve a headache that wasn't there. "Not the birds again. They're just birds. They're not government agents."

"Don't you see?" MJ countered, her eyes wide, completely lost in her thoughts. "It's not just the pigeons. It's every bird. I mean, why else would a crow just... stand there and stare at you like that? It's not normal. Birds are everywhere, and it's no accident. They've infiltrated every ecosystem. I bet they've even got spy birds in your neighbourhood, Kie."

"Okay, this is too much. I'm going back to sleep," Kie muttered, her hand swatting the air in defeat.

"No, Kie, wait—listen," MJ pressed on, now feeling the energy of a true conspiracy theorist. "They've been laying low for years, but now they're everywhere. Just waiting. It's only a matter of time before they take over completely. One day, all the birds are gonna land on us at the same time, and it'll be game over. They'll swoop down, attach tiny wires to our heads, and BOOM—surveillance state."

JJ, wide-eyed and clearly feeding into the madness, added, "Wait... so you're saying the birds are going to... what? Invade us? Like, robot birds coming to take over the world?"

"Exactly!" MJ exclaimed, raising her hands in triumph. "It's all connected! The birds are part of a bigger picture—something way more dangerous than we realize. We've been sleeping on this, and when it happens, we'll all be too busy watching the sky to realize what's going on. And the birds? They're gonna be the ones pulling the strings. They've been watching us for too long."

Pope looked at MJ like she was a madwoman. "You're... you're insane."

"I'm just saying, it's something to think about," she said with a shrug, leaning back in her seat as if she'd just dropped the hottest truth bomb in history.

JJ leaned over and nudged Kie with a grin. "Look, I think she's onto something. The birds are probably just waiting for the right moment to strike."

"Please," Kie said, rubbing her temples. "I can't. I just can't with you two."

"Fine," MJ sighed dramatically, slumping into her seat. "But when the birds come for us, don't say I didn't warn you."

Pope and Kie exchanged a look, rolling their eyes simultaneously as JJ let out a small laugh.

"Alright, alright, we get it," Pope said. "No more bird talk. We're almost at the Limbrey's place anyway."

MJ smirked, satisfied with the chaos she'd caused. "Alright, but just remember, I'm always right about these things. The birds are out there, guys. And they're coming for us."

────

authors note:

okay I swear to god I've read 

this over like five times and if 

I accidentally wrote something 

meant for my jj fics ill scream 

#noincest.