GLITCH.
025 | crying at Notting Hill

" DONT BE SUCH A LAZY ASS." Renee huffed , practically pulling JJ out of the car and towards the little cafè  that sat between the border of figure eight and the cut . A bakery that she had spontaneously decided she was going to purchase breakfast for everyone this morning from— knowing John B had nothing in the chateau, at least nothing that didn't have mould growing on it.

" it's too early!" the blonde groaned in protest, rubbing his fingers over his eyes before looking up to the girl who was smiling at him.

" you're the one who wanted to come with, I was perfectly fine coming on my own." she retaliated whilst JJ's arms running around her waist and head moving to rest on her stomach, still not moving from the passenger seat.

" I only came because I didn't want anything to happen." he tired to reason with her — mostly to stop her playful mocking comments.

" ahh, I didn't know you were such a  big softie blondie." Renee used her hands to cup over his cheeks — lifting his head and bending down enough to be able to place a soft kiss to his lips.

" only for you." he replied, both of their lips breaking a smile at his words.

Once they finally disconnected lips, Renee used all her strength to pull JJ up and bring him towards the pale blue coloured doors of the cafe, his arms wrapped around her as if attacking her with a bear hug and chin nuzzled in the crook of her neck.

As they walked into the store, the smell of the salt water scent belonging to the marsh and diesel of all the vehicles instantly replaced with the sweetness of freshly baked goods that willingly lingered in both Renee and JJ's nostrils. As well as the drawl that collected in their mouths at the sight of all the food on display, both not knowing how long it had been since their last actual full meal.

The two of them wondered over to the counter — their were only a few people that sat in the small dining area , hence why Renee didn't feel as sheepish to draw less attention to them both.

Although it was hard not to have lingering eyes — both teenagers still dressed in their sleeping attire despite it being late morning, especially a half asleep JJ clinging onto Renee's waist for what looked like dear life. Especially the flustered look when JJ began to gently peck his pursed lips at the skin of her neck.

The older lady who owned the bakery soon came strolling in from the kitchen — a bounce in her step as she greeted the young couple.

" good morning love birds, what can I do y'all for?" her tone cheerful, earning an immediate responsive grin from the two teenagers.

" I ordered on the phone earlier, uh..Lowe?" she inquired, knowing by the strength of her Carolina accent alone that it wasn't the older woman that she had spoken too earlier.

The woman nodded and wiped her flour dusted hands on her apron — "of course, it was quite a big order."

" we've got a lot to celebrate today." her words intentionally opening a black hole of possibilities, one the older woman luckily didn't begin to question, and instead just smiled softly.

Although the two teenagers smirked slyly, knowing exactly what was happening that very morning. Or at least supposed to — what they had planned for.

Once purchasing their pre victory breakfast and bidding a fond fairwell to the old lady who during their brief conversing they found out was called Maeve and more or less befriended — the two of them strolled out of the cafe, each holding bags whilst their free hands intertwined with one another.

Whatever conversation they were having, leaving small grins and deep blush colours on their faces soon began to falter — Renee feeling her heart plummet as her eyes landed on the Cameron family leaving their car in the parking lot opposite the one of the cafe, Rafe included.

Renee felt her heart become heavy and sort of burden in her chest as the two of them shared gazes, just by looking at him her hands began sweaty and breath trapped in her throat, all colour draining from her face — there was a zero percent of an remorseful look in his eye.

Instead he grinned, a pure maniacal and demonic look painted on his face.

JJ moved forward, advancing towards the Cameron's — but Renee used both of her hands to clutch onto his arm as he turned and notice her shake her head.

" hey, you promised." she said, and JJs facial expression softened. But as he stood down, they turned and noticed Ward Cameron walking towards them.

" Renee, you're up early." he commented, Renee smiled genuinely at the man as she noticed the rest of the family standing away. " I didn't think you got out of bed before eleven at the earliest."

Ward was one of the only Cameron's that remained in Renee's good books — a relationship that she wish she didn't let her falling out with his daughter push apart.

He walked forward, taking the girl gently into a hug. She smiled momentarily wrapping her arms around him

" well, got to make the most of summer before it's over." she told him, Ward smiling as he hummed pulling away.

" If only my kids had that same energy."

Ward flickered his gaze between Renee to JJ who was sending death glares at his eldest son. Ward gaze looked back to the girl, his gaze lowering as he saw the gauze that sat on her lower stomach that peaked from the fallen band of her sweatpants.

" ouch, that looks like it hurts." Ward commented, Renee noticing and pulling the hand of her trousers to cover it " how did you do that?" he asked.

Renee could feel Sarah looking too. At the place her father had pointed out. The bandaging and the gauze, the yellow bruising around the area.

The girl spoke the first lie that came to her mind "surfing accident, but I'm all good." she spoke unconvincingly. " it's just a few stitches."

" Ren, let's go." JJ mumbled to her, noticing the slight fear in her expression when her eyes looked at Rafe, especially when her hand became clammier and gripped JJ's tighter — however much he wanted to go over and beat the shit out of Rafe Cameron.

there were bigger concerns — also he had promised Renee last night that he wouldn't retaliate, and he couldn't afford to break that more than he had already.

But Renee couldn't look away, paralysed by Rafe's gaze. Her heart was rattling against her chest but not in the way it did when she looked at JJ.

It was fear. Pure horror and terror for Rafe Cameron — sure she never really liked him after that last summer of being a kook, but she had never been scared of him until yesterday. She couldn't understand  how he felt zero remorse, he hadn't apologised or even looked upset or guilty when she looked at him. He wasn't human, or least a normal one.

It was the tugging of JJ on her wrist that broke her out of whatever she was stuck under.

" Uh, we should go." Renee said, Ward noticing every look that they were giving Rafe " but I'll see you at midsummers." she added.

Renee swallowed dryly, picking up her pace to the car and getting in as fast as humanly possible. Silently passing the keys to JJ, her way of asking him to drive them back to the chateau.

Earning estranged and weird looks from the Cameron family — all except one oblivious to the events that had taken place yesterday.

The drive back was quiet, JJ keeping both of her hands gripped tightly on to the steering wheel and JJ's eyes fixated on Renee  as uneven and heavy breaths left between the small gap of her parted lips as she sat almost huddled, holding her right leg up to her chest.

JJ placed his hand on her thigh — almost bringing her out of her thoughts immediately. Her head turning to look at him. Moving one of her hands and placing it on top of his. Their fingers intertwining as JJ turned her attention back to the road.

" I'm sorry." she sighed — knowing how good of a time they were having but yet she left Rafe get to her. Letting him win once again.

" you don't need to apologise, you did nothing wrong." JJ told her sternly, although she still quite truly believe it.

He lifted their connected hands, hovering his head forward to press a kiss to the back of her hand — careless to the fact that it still had a black marker of their order number still dyed on her skin.

His gesture one that made her heart skip almost a deadly amount of beats. it was refreshing how comfortable she was around JJ, especially in a romantic way. It was as if they could read every expression the other one had.

It was easy to be with him — and she liked the lack of complication, it was almost telepathic how they understood each other even when they were just friends.

Once parking up back at the chateau, the two scouted that everyone was either inside or on the dock — giving them permission to share one (or a few) more kisses before finally having to leave the car.

" surprise!" Renee called out to the three of the teenagers huddled around the table. All looking as if they had just been dragged out of bed, like JJ had been proclaimed he had been.

Kiara was the only one who jumped out of her seat in excitement — a mix between the whole 'about to find the royal merchant' and Renee specifically buying her from their favourite bakery in town.

" oh I love you, I love you, I love you!" Kiara repeatedly told Renee, peppering small kisses all over her face as her arms wrapped around her.

Renee couldn't contain her laughter at the slight tickle her lips left on her face. " Kie!" the blonde suddenly became all flustered at the unexpected burst of affection.

" not to burst anyone's bubble." Pope said, bringing all attention back to table that he and John B were still sat around.

" but we haven't even found the gold or even the merchant yet, isn't it too early to be celebrating?" he asked, in all honesty Renee just needed something to lift her spirits.

The girl rolled her eyes " with that attitude, you're not getting a croissant Heyward!" she told him with a playful glare.

" I FEEL LIKE A PIRATE." Renee told JJ, everyone sat outside whilst the two blondes decided to stay inside the control room since JJ was driving.

" oh yeah, I can get you an eyepatch if you want?" JJ teased, glancing at her whilst her eyes rolled, his palm flat as it hovered over her right eye.

Renee smiled at him " do I make a hot half blind pirate?" she asked to which JJ smirked and quickly pecked her lips.

" the hottest."

A sudden mischievous glint appeared in his eyes, "come drive with me." he gestured to the space between his parted legs that he some how expected Renee to be able to fit in.

" JJ, you know I don't know how to drive a boat." a huff left her mouth — driving a boat being one of this things her dad was expected to teach her, the same way that he had taught Lennon.

But now he was dead and the not so great relationship she had with her brother, she sort of just accepted that she wasn't going to learn any time soon.

"well come on then, I'll teach you!" he told her, swatting her over m. Admitting defeat she somehow managed to squeeze her body to fit in the small space allocated to her, although she was sat on one of JJ's thighs.

Her hands positioning to sit on top of his, her slightly anxiousness of being in such a large amount of control amusing JJ.

noting his clear joy of the situation, she rolled her eyes " shut up okay, this is scary!" She proclaimed — Renee's choice of words forcing JJ to bite down on his lip to contain his chuckles.

The constant clashing of the peace and quiet the three teenagers on the front of the boat was increasingly becoming more and more annoying.

John B was the first to admit defeat in just 'letting it go' and leant against his elbows to look through the glass that looked right into the control room.

Noticing the blatantly undisguised close contact between the two of them — and especially the glints in their pairs of eyes, a feeling John B was yet to feel with anyone.

nudging Kiara who groaned and turned her head to the side looking at John B.

" what?" her voice threaded with a slight  impatience . Her answer given to her via the brunettes incessant pointing up to the control room — too grabbing Popes attention.

Not very slyly, the three of them looked up to the see exactly what John B had previously witnessed only a few seconds prior.

Kiara sighed simply— she let her eyes linger for a few more seconds before turning back to her previous position of rest.

"I don't know why you're shocked, it was bound to happen sooner or later." her voice was quite tense, only egging on John B.

" ooh, Kie's jealous." He teased whilst the brunette rolled her eyes but yet didn't deny it.

" wait?" Popes tone dropped along with his smile,

"you like JJ?" his heart ached just asking kiara the question — having had a small crush on her for the past couple of months.

Although it didn't last long as the brunette gagged in repulsion and shook her head profusely,

" hell no, that's disgusting to even think about!" Kiara was adamant not to let any false rumours of her liking JJ to leak into their group.

Pope nodded in a relief, only to widen his eyes even more and look at Kiara in more intense state of shock,

" you like Ren?"

Kiara sighed, shyly nodding. Although it was no hidden fact that Kiara was bisexual, neither of the two boys had expected she'd fall in love with her best friend of all people. " liked." she rephrased.

" it was hard not to." Kiara sighed, " she was so nice to me when I transferred and we instantly clicked and do I even have to talk about how beautiful she is."

All three of them turned their heads, lifting them up to look at the two blondes again.

Kiara wasn't wrong, Renee Lowe was undeniably gorgeous, with her long locks of naturally silky blonde hair and the perfectness of her smile and the dimples that would form on her cheeks as she did so  -- but her personality also, being the only one who wouldn't laugh at Kiara when she spoke about her passion for saving the earth and even volunteered to help her when they first met.

She was the perfect girl . the definition of it even.

" I mean, you're not wrong." John B mumbled, turning his head back to Kiara who sadly smiled, " it was only temporary...she's my sister now."

" so I'm the only one here who hasn't had a crush on Renee at some point of knowing her?" Pope asked the two other teenagers who nodded.

" I guess so, but I'm over it now." Kiara told them, knowing that it would more or ruin the dynamic of the group if a love triangle were to take place. Even if her words spoke truth or not.

" good." Pope muttered, earning a odd look from the girl — his mind instantly backtracking to fix his error, " I mean...good for you." he spoke again.

" WE REALLY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE." Renee told Kiara, gently nudging her shoulder.

"would have been pretty dumb to hide four hundred million in gold by the coast though wouldn't it?" Kiara chuckled, leaning against the railing of the boat.

Renee tilted her head " would have made our job a whole lot easier though."

John B held up the drone that was hovering about the surface of the water. Smiling at everyone who was returning the smile again except Pope who still seemed skeptical.

" to going full kook." he announced, looking and Renee and smirking, " and to some of us just going to be even more crazy fucking rich."

Renee shook her head, at her separate acknowledgment but still grinned at him. "shut up JB." she mumbled, sheepishly.

John B finally dropped the drone into the water, soon joining Pope by the control panel where and the girls began to work.

Renee threading the yellow roll and Kiara jotting down  with a stick of chalk how many hundreds of feet it was falling until it reached the supposed gold.

" all right JJ we're right over it, ten seconds northwest!" John B told the blonde who was still sat at his position in the control room.

" got it! Ten seconds northwest." he repeated, beginning to drift the boat into the direction instructed.

Renee continued to threat the rope, until a single red piece of tape appeared, marking the first hundred feet.

" one hundred feet." she told Kiara who marked it with a line using a piece of chalk on the side of the boat.

Pope let out a gasp at the view of something on the screen, to which all eyes turned to him including John B who sped over to look at what he was seeing.

" what,what,what,what?" he repeated in a slight anxiousness, to which fell to the bottom of his stomach as Pope fake coughed.

"It's nothing." he muttered sheepishly, earning a chorus of groans disburse around the group of teenagers.

" I'm sorry, I thought-"

" come on P, don't do that to us dude!" Renee sighed, shaking her head. John B slumped back in his old positionS

" and to quote the hobbit." Pope sighed "down,
down to goblin town. Down down you go my lad."

Renee rolled her eyes and huffed, " really, if that was me and I quoted some film I like I would have been made fun of!" she grumbled to which John B replied.

" not everyone likes chick flicks Ren." his words made her scoff.

" really, because I remember a certain someone crying like baby at Notting Hill." Kiara gasped and all attention fell to John B who shook his head incessantly. " the first time that they watched it."

" really dude?" Pope looked at John B, sighing in a slight disappointment. Whilst John B attempted to change the conversation topic,

" I don't know if you guys have noticed but we have more pressing issues at hand right now."

The two girls chuckled, sharing the look that they obviously knew what was going on whilst Pope just nodded his head, " fine but we're not letting this go."

After what felt like an eternity pass of threading the yellow rope and Kiara calling out whenever that had passed it out another hundred feet mark — the thought of leaving this situation filthy rich was one of the few things keeping them from finding it even more tedious.

thunder began to rumble in the clouds above them, and the sudden strain on Renee's hands made her groan, " guys, the tides turning!" she called out to them.

" hey JJ?" John B turned his head away from the monitor and to the blonde boy who sat in the control room. " ten seconds easy, south, south-east."

JJ nodded " copy that!" beginning to turn the boat again in the direction he was instructed to.

after a few more directions and coordinates being thrown JJ's way — the strain on the rope and the blonde girls hands was making her exclaim a sigh ever few seconds.

" Ren, keep the tether out of the prop!" he called out to her, making her groan. " JJ, I'm trying!" she spoke in a slight annoyance, no longer was the thought of the gold was keeping from irritating Renee.

Once in a steady position or where John B wanted them at least; renee felt a another red piece of tape slip through her fingers.

" seven hundred feet!" she told the group again, glancing to Kie as she complied and marked another line down.

The weather was becoming more drastic by the minute — the sound of the thunder growling becoming more predominant over their sound waves and the waves rough as they crashed into the side of the boat.

Renee forced herself to look up, a thick darkness clouding over what once was pure blue skies and sunshine.

" guys I'm not sure about this weather anymore!" Renee spoke, expressing her concern that they might have chosen the wrong day to do this.

" JJ hold it steady okay!" John B spoke to his friend who eagerly nodded and complied to his given instruction.

" nine hundred feet!" Renee called out again — although she could feel her heart beating from inside her rib cage at the anxiousness overwhelming her.

" JJ, we'll turtle in this storm!" the blonde girl continued to try and drown out the negative words with the amount of feet they had dropped, " nine-twenty!"

" crank it north by northwest, ten seconds!"

Renee lifted both her hands to grab ahold of the yellow rope. The current too strong or at least stronger than her,

" John B the currents too strong!" she shouted out, obviously not being able to grab the boys attention. "are you not fucking listening to me, we're gonna loose it!" her voice louder and rougher in tone.

Renee felt the annoyance stir inside of her — once again being ignored by the brunette who continued to give JJ instructions on where to go.

Kiara reached one hand to sit on top of Renee's two struggling ones. If was to help her or just an excuse to touch her, Kiara was unsure.

" what are you seeing Pope?" John B once again began to hassle Pope who shook his head, " nothing, a whole lot of nothing."

John B shook is head in denial, " you should be right above it brother." Pope raised his head and called out the girls name as they continued to thread the rope down into the ocean.

" nine-sixty!" Renee could barely catch a breath before having to call out again, " nine-eighty."

" I'm at the bottom!" with those words, Renee let go of the robe that was soon going to be blistering her hands. Going with Kiara to stand by the boys that huddled a way to look at the screen.

" you should be seeing something man, you should be seeing something!" John B repeated, to which Pope began to stammer words until all fell silent.

" we did it." Renee spoke, one of her hands falling to cover her mouth which was hanging wide open.

the wreckage of the boat becoming more apparent by the second — they had actually found the royal merchant.

" you guys see anything!" JJ spoke, not being able to join the others.

" we found it!" Renee grinned wildly, pulling Kiara next to her into a bear hug.

" we found the fucking royal merchant."

——