GLITCH.
054 | pogue style

" WHERE ARE THEY?" Renee questioned, panicked. Her arms crossed over and her eyes scattering to any area that made any sort of vehicular sound.

Glancing from over JJ's shoulder as he made sure everything was ready to run on the phantom for John B's and Sarah's getaway.

It was obvious, the second it passed their three o'clock meeting time they were all going to fear the worse. Pope who was toying with some rope looked at the anxious blonde through the glass of the windscreen. " give him a second, they'll be here."

JJ gently ran his fingers along the skin of Renee's waist only momentarily as he spoke " he's coming, he'll be fine."

All four of them clocked their heads in another heavy wave of panic — a Kildare county police car pulling up in the dock area.

Their flurry of anxiousness that fuelled their sudden and erratic attempts to leave the dock on the phantom was short lived as they noticed who was exiting out the drivers side of the car.

John B exited the car that he had only recently stolen from Shoupe — he looked so casually about it be it he had much more pressing issues on his mind than gloating to his friends about stealing a cop car.

" what the actual fuck?" Renee's jaw didn't bother to hold itself together as it dropped along with the other stunned pogues.

"shoupe let me take it for a spin." the brunette shrugged the whole situation off — JJ and Renee stepped off of the boat and back onto the dock , although the blonde girl quickened her pace to hug her friend.

" that's a bunch of bullshit, but I'll buy it for now." Renee wrapped her arms around John B's shoulders inhaling in relief,  " I'm just glad you're ok." Pulling away as John B nodded and acknowledged the other pogues.

" it wasn't easy bro." JJ proclaimed, standing on the side of the boat with the keys to the boat dangling from his fingers " but I got the phantom for you."

" and she runs like she was made yesterday," he finished, throwing the keys to John B who caught them.

" you ready to go?" John B looked around, being the only one not blinded by relief to notice Sarah's absence.

" where's Sarah?" He asked, turning around to look at the others who were confused,

" wait? she's not with you?" Kiara and Renee looked at each other in a slight anxiousness before John B continued.

" No, we got separated in the swamp." John B's voice was panicked, clearly detesting the idea of leaving without Sarah " she said she'd meet me here!"

" We haven't seen her." Renee sighed, her arms folding over her chest as she watched the brunette fugitive shake his head.

" okay, well I'm not leaving without her!" he proclaimed, adamant not to leave the island without his girlfriend.

" John B look at me," JJ edged closer, his words grabbing John B's attention as they both looked at eachother.

" I know you feel bad for leaving, but there's no time man!" he claimed, " you've got plenty of gas, plenty of food."

" once you get around that point, it's a straight shot across the sound to dismal swamp ok?" JJ continued to conduct him with instructions for the next couple weeks.

" once you get there, lay low all right?" he continued " hang out for a couple weeks and then go overland and then cross the boarder at Brownsville,"

Renee looked at John B who had turned his head to look at the three others who were all staring back at him — knowing this was going to be goodbye for a month or two at least.

" all right, saddle her up saltwater cowboy. Let's do this!" JJ hopped off the boat and back onto the dock — himself, Pope and Renee get into position to push the boat into the water.

" hey, hey." John B sniffled, looking at the four of them who all lightly smiled back at him.

" I'm sorry for basically throwing us off a cliff with this whole treasure hunt thing." he sounded sincere, releasing he wasn't the only one who's life had completely changed during the duration of this summer.

" hey, John B, we were bound to run off a cliff at some point right?" JJ chuckled, a mixture of pitiful laughter and tears consumed the five pogues — Renee felt JJ loop his arm around her shoulder. She returned the gesture, one arm hanging over JJ's back and the other over Kiara's.

" at least we did it together, though." he said

" pogue style."

" John B, I love you and all that soppy shit but can you please get the hell out of here now." Renee sighed, earning the final amount of laughter she was going to receive from JohnB for a while.

" we'll see you in two months, down in Mexico." Pope told him, John B nodded beginning to move back only momentarily until he soon turned back around,

" wait,wait!" he swiftly turned back to his friends who were conscious of the sirens that felt like they were getting closer.

" tell Sarah I said goodbye, okay?" John B asked them, almost a plead — Renee nodded and smiled,

" I'll take care of her I promise." she offered, John B looked relieved that she was going to be by Sarah's side after he left. " we'll take care of her."

Nodding, he turned back around and stepped to the drivers part of the boat. Beginning the engine whilst the others began to push the boat off of the trailer and into the river.

Watching in silence from the dock as John B sailed away, Renee reached for JJ's hand and rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand — silently consoling him as JJ didn't like bringing too much attention to his emotions.

The sound of sniffling was shared around the majority of the pogues. Renee gently pulled JJ off the dock and to the side — knowing he would feel embarrassed to sob in front of them all.

JJ leant against the side of her car that wasn't wrecked by Popes previous high — he had his head down as he looked at the dirt ground.

" he's going to be ok." she hummed, hoping it would reassure him.

" I know," JJ sighed, glancing upwards to look at Renee who smiled softly at him " but two months is a long time."

Renee felt a swelling of her heart at the bashfulness on his cheeks as the result of JJ's words.

She moved to lean against the side of the car also — standing next to her boyfriend instead of in front of him.

" It'll fly by." She hummed " and soon enough we'll be in Mexico, chilling out with John B in whatever shack by the beach he's been cooped up in. It'll all work out."

Glancing away to look Pope and Kiara whom were still on the dock — conversing until they eventually pulled each other into a hug.

" but hey." she nudged JJ's elbow, diverting his attention to what she was looking at " at least they've made up."

The embrace lasted longer than the very few that Pope and Kiara have had in the past — Renee furrowed her eyebrows as they maintained close proximity, Kiara eventually pushing her lips against Popes.

JJ and Renee stood in slight shock as they watched it all happen — although their attention was soon stolen away by the sound of sirens approaching getting louder and louder.

" sorry to break up your little moment, but we've got the get the hell out of here!" Renee called out to the two seemingly now love birds.

Beginning to scramble for her car keys, having misplaced them at the worst possible time — cursing herself as she felt her palms become sweatier as she continued to search every pocket on her body for her keys.

" shit!" she cursed through gritted teeth as Kildare county cop cars surrounded the four teenagers. JJ pulling Renee back, not knowing of what was about to go down.

Shoupe was the first to get off of the multiple vehicles — disappointed but not surprised at the familiarity of the four teenagers faces.

Renee, JJ and Kiara all placed their hands in the air — a swarm of FBI agents and polices officers filing around them, obviously unaware that John B had already left.

" move. Hands up! Hands up!" the man who was most likely orchestrating the entire operation told the four of them; although Pope wasn't complying.

" Pope, hands!" Kiara's words managed to work, Pope lifting his hands up in the air just like the rest of them.

Shoupe approached the dock, grumbling when the trees weren't obstructing his view of the water anymore.

" We're too late!" Shoupe exclaimed " he's gone, goddamit!"

Commanding for the FBI agent, Renee soon found out was called Bratcher to stand down. It was clear he was a mix of upset and angry with the teenagers as he approached them.

" All right, where the hell is he?" None of them replied, vowing on silence knowing how cops twisted their words to get the truth out of people.

" JJ? I see you're livin' up to your name." JJ scowled at the officer, yet didn't let his anger get the best of him.

" Pope how about you?" still silence " This isn't a fucking game, you can do the right thing right now!"

" where did he go?" He looked back at Renee, who's expression was blank — not cracking underneath whatever pressure he was trying to place upon them.

" you know Renee?" her gaze meeting his hurt one that looked right back at her " you're father was a good man and I thought Vincent Lowe raised good kids, obviously I was wrong."

Instead of the hurt expression Shoupe was expecting from the girl, she instead shrugged her shoulders and looked at him with a blank expression.

" just another thing you're wrong about I guess."

AUTHORS NOTE.

happy penultimate chapter!! Sorry this has taken so long to post I've been in a proper writers block phase. Next chapter will be the last one of paradise before I begin the sequel.

Thank you for being patient with me <3