GLITCH.
011 | m'lady

" IM ONLY BAILING POPE OUT BY THE WAY." The blonde reiterated, her voice becoming squeakier like it did whenever she became anxious. Her eyes fixated on the police boat which came closer to them.

" oh you've got to be kidding me." Pope groaned, Renee had had many a run in with the police before; if it wasn't in her kook years of them shutting down the parties she attended or in her new pogue era shooing them from any of the multitude of illegal things that they did weekly— somehow this was even more nerve wrecking.

" yep, that's the police." Renee felt her eyes widen in disbelief at the calmness of JJ's voice as he slid around her.

Of course she knew JJ maybank was no saint by any means. But she thought he'd at least be a tiny fraction of as panicked as she was.

" just act freakin normal." Kiara eyed up the jittering blonde, pulling her down to sit where she was. Renee let out a deep breathe, composing herself.

" remember, deny deny deny." JJ told Renee, in an attempt to keep her calm. She tried to swallow the nauseous feeling dryly as she nodded her head.

The bleeping of the sirens got closer, the small boat pulling up by the teenagers. Renee faked a wide, oblivious smile, her eyes daring to look at Deputy Shoupe.

" evening officers." Pope seemed on the edge also, making Renee feel better since she wasn't the only wimp out of the four of them.

Renee pondered her eyes as officer Plumb stood snugly by shoupe eyed up the two girls. She felt her blood run cold; sensing the woman's judgement through the black lenses of her shades.

" evening." shoupe responded, unable to resist eyeing up each of the teenagers. Naturally looking for the nervous body language which was practically dripping off of Renee as her fingers toyed with the frayed ends of her bracelets

Plumb stepped around, silently passing Pope the rope to tie off so that the boat wouldn't drift off away from the teenagers

" JJ, tie this off!" Pope instructed, feeding the worn rope to JJ who nodded, complying to his given instructions.

He shuffled past the two girls, slyly pressing his hand onto Renee's shoulder. Playing off that he needed to get around her to tie off the boat.

She took her opportunity to move her hand to hover on top of his, not wanting to look suspicious if they were to intertwine fingers.

" you okay JJ?" Renee asked, turning her head as he tied the rope, surprisingly with only one hand.

He nodded his head, running the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip to wet it before stepping away and back to his original position.

She peeled her hand away from his as he shuffled back to leaning his crossed arms against the metal bar.

" how you kids doing...you know the marsh is closed." shoupe eyes them up, whilst the four of them fake shocked expressions.

Kiara and Renee met gazes, Renee pushing her hand gently against her friends bare shoulder.

" no wonder it's so quiet, I told you something was off Kie." Renee told her friend, lying through her gritted teeth as Kiara played along and acted dumbfounded as she sighed.

JJ couldn't help but smirk softly at both of the girls terrible acting in order to keep out of trouble.

" I didn't know that." JJ shrugs it off as if I was a pure mistake that they didn't know.

" why-why is it closed?" Pope pried, although they all knew the answer. They wanted-They needed the confirmation.

"Well, we're conducting a search out here, boat went down." shoupe told them further, suspicious since the word of the search scooter's boat seemed to spread around the island.

the sound of the two boys 'oh'-ing only intrigued the deputy more unlike Kiara and Renee who chose to stay silent.

" you seen anything?" he pries them more, all of them shake their heads; a symphony of 'no's filled the sound waves of both the police officers.

" nope, no boats." Pope assured, pushing his lips together into a straight line.

Renee turned her head briefly, flickering her eyes to where the boat actually was. She hoped and prayed John B hadn't ran out of air already.

JJ tried to pry her attention away, knowing it would only make the cops more suspicious.

she seethed silently at the harsh blow of JJ kicking his foot into her leg, just above her ankle.

" what the fu-" Renee was cut off by Shoupe opening his mouth again.

" where's your friend you're always hanging around with, He here?" Renee shook her head, knowing they would have to lie their way out of this one. Especially since All five of them were practically never seen without the other four.

" he's working." Kiara stated, fighting the the urge to roll her eyes as they all began to jump onto that excuse.All their eyes shuffled to one another awkwardly and definitely not proving their not so truthful innocence.

"hm." Shoupe hummed, Renee felt her knee shake hoping he would let them off the hook so they could make sure their friend wasn't drowned at the bottom of the sea bed.

" I'm gonna check your little boat out." he announced, not even giving the teenagers the chance to comprehend before climbing onto the little fishing boat.

Pope moved out of the seat he was comfortably sat in, snaking his body to let the officer check that part of the boat. His body shuffling down to the end where Kiara and Renee were.

The teenagers watched anxiously as the sheriff picked up the life jacket, giving a casual once over look with his eyes before directing his attention to the group.

" you got another one of these?" he asked, as if he was aware that their friend was doing something highly illegal just under them.

" yeah- of course it's in the hold." JJ told him, Pope chiming in with his agreement.

Kiara stood up, placing her hand on Renee's forearm before pulling her up also.

" show him." the brunette gestured to jj, who wondered to where the girls were just sitting to grab the matching life jacket to the one Shoupe held in his hands.

" yeah, here we go" JJ presented the orange life jacket to the officer who just nodded,

" alright." his words giving JJ permission to place the jacket back in the small storage area and close it back up.

Renee kept her eyes on the blonde boy who moved himself past her, also knowing If she were to look at Shoupe who was currently trying to break Kiara; she probably would have blown their cover.

Her eyes turned back, noticing the man stepping onto the bow of the boat.

" sir, be careful to not slip." Both JJ and pope felt their eyes widen at Renee's sickly sweet voice; but JJ was still very much attracted to it.

She crossed her arms over her chest anxiously as she felt her leg unintentionally jitter, sending a slight vibration through the boat.

JJ noticed her discomfort, he hovered his hand over her the bare parts of her back. He wanted to comfort her but he didn't know how to with his touch.

It wasn't like he was Kiara who was used to comforting her with a hug or physical actions along those lines especially after the events that unfolded last night, every movement he made concerning Renee had to be calculated to subvert suspicion; he was JJ but still he wanted too.

JJ bit his lip from inside his mouth, doing what he called 'biting the bullet' and pressed his hand against her back. The droplets from the sea slowly soaking onto his dry hand.

Renee turned her head to look at him, a small grateful smile working it's way onto her lips as she slyly shuffled closer to him.

She felt glad, somebody had noticed her anxious state. For the last few months JJ had been becoming quite good at reading her, although it was a blessing it was also a curse at times.

" all right-" shoupe's voice cut the two blondes out of whatever love struck daydream they were stuck in.

Their heads turned back, noticing the deputy was moving down off of the bow.

" all right." JJ repeated, continuing to keep his hand cozied on the small of Renee's back.

" beautiful day isn't it?" he sighed, stepping off and past the utterly confused but still relived teenagers, "it sure is." Renee commented, smiling softly as Shoupe moved further away from them.

" let us know if you see anything on your way out." he told them, moving back onto his own boat.

The group just nodded, obliging to his words.

JJ moved back to lean against the metal pole, letting go of Renee who marched to her open bag to grab her sweater.

" we will be gone soon sir." JJ told him reassuringly, he nodded and smirked smugly at the blonde boy.

" yes, you will." he confirmed, pulling away from the four of them. Renee threw on the item of clothing as she scooped her hair out from being trapped under its collar.

the four of them watched eagle eyed until the police boat was not longer in their eye sights.

After a few moments , they launched to the edge of the boat, leaning their bodies over awaiting for John B to resurface onto the water level.

" Pope, you think he's out of air?" renee hoped the boy would catch onto her concerned tone and lie to her for her own selfish gain of not being as anxious.

" oh yeah, most definitely." his answer made Renee fall nauseous as JJ gave Pope a irritated glare.

Renee felt her heart stopped as John B bounced up from the water. He was okay — her heart could now return to it's normal pace as looked at him.

" there he is!" JJ announced, although everyone there knew he as ok, a heavy sigh of relief left Renee's parted lips; the weight of what felt like a thousand bricks falling off her shoulders.

" oh thank god." she lowered her head as she mumbled inaudible to the others.

" don't scare us like that!" Pope groaned, sharing the same relief as Renee who eventually looked back up to John B, shaking her head.

" how'd it go down there?" JJ asked, getting up from his current bent over spot and moving to the ladder to help John B.

" did you find anything?" JJ inquired again, whilst the other three hovered around the same area John B and JJ were.

" did I find anything?" JohnB chuckled cockily, throwing a black bag into the boat.

" yeah- there we go that's my boy!" JJ praised John B, bending down to pull the bag onboard.

Renee helped him carry it, the water leaking out the bag drenching both of their feet as they put it down delicately by the bow.

" what do you think he found?" renee pried, flickering her eyes between JJ and the bag.

" hopefully a fuck ton of money, which means more beer to drink and weed to smoke." JJ's reply made the other blonde chuckle.

Her arm slung around his shoulder as they made their way back into the conversation with the others.

" yeah, the cops were up here. But we took care of them." Pope humbly gloated. Renee playfully raised her free hand in the air for someone to high-five.

She looked hopelessly at Pope who grimaced at her raised hand and Kiara who wasn't even looking in her direction. " seriously, you're gonna leave me hanging?" she pouted, faking an offended voice.

JJ put the girl out of her misery and collided his hand against hers. She turned her head back to JJ, the soft smile curved into his lips at her smile only made the butterflies in her stomach more apparent.

" thank you for saving me from that embarrassment." she told him, crossing her arms against her chest as JJ just tipped his hat to her mockingly.

" always m'lady." once again his traitorous attempt of a British accent never failed to make Renee burst out with laughter. Her arms slinging over his shoulders before her lips brushed against the exposed skin on his neck.

" Hey guys, guys bogey two o'clock." Kiara's words silenced the laughter of the two blondes.

Renee turned her head, forcing her hands away from JJ's covered chest. Her actions being copied by the others shortly after.

" what the hell." she mumbled to herself, the white boat that look foreign to all of the local teenagers slowed down as all their eyes watched it curiously.

" do you recognise that boat?" Pope asked, equally as curious as everyone else.

" I've never seen it." Kiara answered on behalf of them all " what are they even doing here, the marsh is closed." Kiara spoke, Renee whipped her head back only to read the boy's furrowed expression they all shared.

" I don't know Kie, but equally I don't wanna wait and find out." The blonde said. " I agree with Ren on this one." JJ hovered his eyes on the girl who stepped onto the bow ready to pull up the bowline.

" JJ help Renee with the bowline." John B told him, unaware he was already done step ahead and following the blonde who was struggling.

Renee was way too caught up in what was happening to overthink her and JJ's hands overlapping as they both pulled up the bowline.

" should we wait on them?" Pope asked, earning a scoff from both Kiara and Renee who temporarily shot a glare at him.

" for someone who's the smartest out of all of us, that was a stupid question." Renee mocked the boy; who didn't take any offence to it knowing it was only one of her light-hearted jokes.

"no we're not gonna wait on them, go get the stern." John B commanded Pope who obliged, pacing his way to the other side of the boat trying not to look suspicious.

" lovebirds, hurry up." Kiara told the two blondes who had sorely underestimated how deep the water was. Renee felt the air thicken around her as she shook her head.

" guys don't wait on us, let's just go!" her voice was tense, simultaneously the engine of the boat began to roar.

" listen to Renee, let's go." Kiara agreed with her friend who hadn't stopped flickering her eyes from the boat coming closer to them with every few moments and the bowline she was now furiously pulling up.

Once they had finally pulled up the bowline, JJ ushered the blonde back onto the floor of the boat. His hands brushing against the dips in her waist.

" I don't like the look of this." John B grumbled, only making Renee more anxious as she began to toy with the material of the oversized shirt that hung over her body.

" do you uh- think they're c-coming for us?" Renee's voice broke slightly as she flickered her eyes up, JJ shook his head hoping it would calm her down.

" maybe they're fishing for drum too." Pope suggested, taking the hint from JJ's glare last time that the girl needed some reassurance, not mattering if it was lies or not.

" go, go, go, go!" JJ's voice was filled with anxiety and nerves he never usually showed.

"Jb, go into the marsh!" Renee rushed her words, subtly pointing her finger to the small cut off into the marsh — not wanting to obviously point out where they were headed.

" let's go." Kiara's voice got harsher as John b turned the boast into the marsh.

" I'm going- just act natural." Renee felt her breaths becoming heavier as her fingers began to tassel into the material of her shirt again.

The nauseous feeling plummeted in Renee's stomach as her sweaty palms cling onto the metal pole. If she cared to look up she would have noticed JJ's body shielding hers. Just in case...anything were to actually happen.

The speed of the boat got faster as she shook her head. " I don't like the feeling of this." she mumbled to JJ, sheepishly turning her body but still not raising her head.

" Ren, it's going to be okay, I promise."  It would have been a lie if even in that feeling of pure hell. A small amount of relief distilled into her at the trust she held within JJ's words, but it was short lived by the sentence Kiara followed up with.

" guys- they're following us." Renee finally looked up, not a bone in her body hesitated to eye up the boat who was continuing to follow them down the marsh.

" shit." were the only words that had left Popes lips.

" dude you've got to go faster!" JJ raised his voice at John B, failing not to show his new founded fear of the situation after trying to be cool one.

" I'm going, I'm going." John B continued for speed down the water.

" gun it." JJ almost commanded, moving his hands around Renee's wait whilst she began to shake her head, still denying this was more than a hallucination.

" hey-hey what did I say?" JJ mumbled lowly into Renee's ear, whom continued to shake her head.

" that we'd be ok" her words unfiltered as she felt her body move backwards from turning a corner harshly. " you promised."

" exactly, and you trust me right?" JJ asked, only earning a nod and humming sound in response.

before he could speak again, a gun shot rifled through the air. Renee squealed, as everyone's body's dropped down except John B who had barely moved.

Her eyes shot open, to JJ who still armouring her dainty figure around his.

" what the-" Kiara's voice broke under pressure, whilst Pope cursed under his breath.

" John B- get down." Renee reached out her arm to try and yank down the boy, clearly forgetting in that moment that he was ten times as strong as her ( at least ) .

It was only a few seconds before another shot rang through their eardrums. JJ held onto the blonde for dear life as she cupped her hands around her ears from the ringing that had occurred in the last few moments.

" oh my god, we're going to die." Pope panicked with his hands cupped over his ears too.

One after another the gun shots rang out, Renee shook her head vigorously at the sight of Kiara moving from her position. She most likely would have stopped her best friend If JJ's grip on her body wasn't stopping her.

" Kie, get back down! Are you crazy?" Renee almost screamed. Having realised how serious this situation was and especially fear as the the pain of loosing someone they loved was a familiar one to her.

" Pope, move." Kiara ignored her friends request, stepping over Popes laid down body. She almost hunched over the fishing net they hadn't used yet.

Renee felt her heart drum against her chest as she watched Kiara pace to the opposite of the boat as the deafening sound of the gun rang out once again.

" Kie get down!" John B shouted out to her, since Renee was physically unable to make up words to scream at her brunette friend — her throat running dry and tears collecting in her eyes. Never in her life had she ever been as scared as she was now.

Once again, Kiara neglected her friends requests. She threw the netting onto the water soon returning to her original position back on the floor of the boat.

The roars of the engine of the boat behind lagged, The net had caught into the engine and stopped the boat all together.

The group all slowly stood up, continuing to speed down the marsh, the few gunshots barely in the same direction as them.

JJ whooped, whilst the other blonde rushed to Kiara. Engulfing her in a tight hug which she unhesitatingly accepted, she knew she had worried Renee and a slight pile of guilt burrowed in her stomach because of that.

" don't scare me like that again." Renee sighed, earning a chuckle from Kiara who kissed her cheek softly before rocking them side to side slightly.

By the time they had made it back to John B's dock. The sun was slowly fading into the moon.

Renee followed JJ to where their friends had hovered around John B whom had crouched down infront of the mysterious black bag.

For some unexplainable reason, the near death situation that they had all been through put bright smiles on their lips. Maybe the idea of escaping death had jolted them with extra adrenaline.

Renee wrapped her arms around JJ's waist, standing on her tip toes to see over his shoulder which her chin was rested on.

" what do you think it is?" Kiara asked, positioning herself against the edge, her arms spread against the railing.

" gotta be money, right ?" John B speaks as if it was the obvious answer. Renee shook her head at the boy's cockiness,

" That or a couple of keys with a street value to the low to mid-mils." JJ chimed in, a boyish grin toyed on his lips and a playfulness in his tone.

" Can we just open the bag!" Pope raised his voice, which for Pope was an explosion of emotion in exchange for his monotone, carefree sounding voice.

The rest of the pogues shared the same widened eyed expression as Renee's jaw dropped slightly.

" wow..that's some real anger there P." Renee said breathlessly, only experiencing a few Pope 'outbursts' in the whole time of knowing them.

" that's a rare outburst of emotion from you there Pope." John B chimed in, whilst the boy just rolled his eyes at his friends over exaggeration.

" Okay, you guys are literally killing me with anticipation." he defended himself, Renee pointed her finger at the dark-skinned boy in agreement with him.

" yeah..I mean we did nearly die for this." Renee sighed, watching John B open the bag.

He pulled out a thin piece of black material that looked as if it was holding a flask of some sort.

their eyebrows furrowed whilst JohnB grumbled, his hands gripped to the top the silver canister to get what was inside.

Once he had finally opened it, everyone's faces dropped including Renee's as a bronzed compass landed in John B's hands.

" oh, wow. Yup that's about right." Pope was the first one to break the deadly silence that fell amongst the group.

Renee felt JJ push her hands off of him, it wasn't malicious or with any horrid intention. He was just disappointed.

" good job everybody, we found a compass." Pope continued, earning a shake of the head and a subtly glare from Renee who had placed her hands on her hips.

She looked at JJ who has his eyes squinted at John B who continued to staring longingly at the compass as if it was some big discovery.

" dude what? It's not worth anything." JJ told him, his morale in his voice gone. His hat clenched in his fist as some sort of stress reliever.

" JJ-" Ren's soft mumbles were cut off by a small solemn chuckle from John B.

" this is my fathers." once again the area fell silent enough for a fallen pin to echo throughout the dock.

Kiara and Renee look at eachother with furrowed eyebrows but widened eyes.

" holy shit." Is all the blonde girl could say.

ELLIE SPEAKS🪄
thank the heavens above I finally finished episode one !!