GLITCH.
027 | the middle of kooklandia

AS THE AFTERNOON DRIFTED INTO THE EARLY EVENING, Kiara had picked up Renee from her house, having changed from her bathing suit and back into a white sundress that was on the verge of collecting the dust in the back of her closet . Paring it with her signature scruffy converse, a yellow cardigan falling off of her shoulders and a the totebag she managed to sneak a bunch of candy into.

Neither of them had heard from John B since the morning — even swinging by the chateau which they expected to find them moping around in but to their surprise he was seemingly still off the radar.

Only Pope and JJ had answered their text inviting them to the open air cinema also — although as much as Kiara dreaded not having her best friend to herself for one night ( no matter how much more selfish it sounded out loud).

Renee wanted to speak to JJ, about the awkward conversation they both suffered on the boat and also to tell him the outrageous so called lies Rafe and Topper were spreading earlier about the both of them.

So as they trailed into the park, Pope holding the lawn chairs and JJ the cooler of beer he managed to smuggle in whilst Kie and Renee seemed to take it easy.

" it's so good that they're still doing this." Kiara said in a breath of relief " keep calm carry on."

Renee flickered her gaze between the two boys who were on edge — their eyes panning the area as if they were looking out for something they were expecting.

" hey," Renee took ahold of JJ's hand, his attention differed from his surroundings and back to the girl who showed him a warm yet concerned smile "what's up?" she asked,

Shaking it off as if it were nothing JJ just returned the small gesture of a smile "nothing."

The bluntness of his answer slightly hitting back at Renee who just nodded and turned her attention back to Kie who hadn't seemed to stop talking,

" aren't you guys glad me and Ren invited you to come?" Kiara said, to which Renee rolled her eyes knowing the brunette was adamant not to let the boys ruin their evening only an hour ago.

" ecstatic." Pope's fake enthusiasm made Renee chuckle. " my couch was pretty comfy, I'll be honest." JJ spoke bluntly — she knew he wasn't one to enjoy being in large crowds of people. Especially kooks of all people.

Finding their positions, they unfolded their lawn chairs and sat down and tried to get comfortable — Kiara pestering Renee for help as she struggled to get her lawn chair out of its folded state.

Although Renee hadn't been much help considering laughter stifled carelessly from her mouth watching her best friend become infuriated with a a piece of outdoor furniture.

" we're outside of the green zone man." Pope attempted to kept their conversation between him and JJ although Renee managed to catch onto his words.

Her chuckles became slower and less genuine, turning her head to hopefully get a better grip on the boys conversation.

" dude, tranquilo, okay?" JJ attempted to soothe but Pope decided not to listen and instead let his anxiety escalate.

" we're in the middle of kooklandia!" Pope continued " this is the last place I wanted to be!"

Renee stood up fully, noticing Kiara call after her, breaking her out of her eavesdropping daze
" I'm going to get a drink you want anything?"

Renee nodded " uh..sprite please." she shrugged off her suspiciousness of her two friends, well at least until she saw Kiara had fully moved away.

Whipping her head around, her face of confusion but also annoyance caught the two bickering boys off guard.

" what the hell is up with you two today?" She questioned — Pope gurgling his words and pleadingly looking at JJ for help but JJ seemed be have other idea of dealing with Renee's curiosity.

" nothing." Renee rolled her eyes, looking straight through JJ's act of carelessness. Especially when Pope gulped and nodded,

" oh cut the bullshit, you two are hiding something from me." Pope continued to shake his head profusely although the guilt and ick of lying to one of his best friends was eating him from inside out. "and I want to know what it is!"

Pope felt his hands getting clammier as he squeezed them together — looking at JJ for help still not sure how much longer he could go on lying, especially to Renee of all people.

Although Renee went to open her mouth to bicker with them again hoping to crack Pope — she stopped herself noticing Kiara was approaching them again, the same expression of confusion Renee had seemed to be copied and pasted on Kiara's face.

" I just saw Rafe and he said and I quote." Kiara told them " 'tell your boy that we know what he did'."

Renee shook her head and moved back to her seat inbetween Pope and Kiara.

" what is that?" Kiara asked, sitting herself down as well, still oblivious to the thick bubble of tension surrounding the three others.

"um, where is he?" JJ murmured, Kiara indicated where in the park — all four of them looked but only three of them found large lumps forming in their throats at the sight of the three kooks smirking right back at them.

It didn't take long for Renee to realise Lennon wasn't present for whatever the rest of them had planned — only coaxing her to feel a shed more scared knowing she too wasn't off limits.

" great, the whole death squad." Pope's voice broke under the pressure, although his gaze was soon forced back to the front via JJ's hand.

Renee took a few more seconds to look, feeling her breath become heavier at the sinister wink Rafe gave her when noticing her sights lingering around him.

" just warning you, bro." JJ told Pope, " if they corner me I'm coming out swinging, okay?"

Pope nodded in awe and was genuinely feeding into JJ's every word or promise he was subconsciously making — something Renee would usually scoff at.

After a few more moments of JJ speaking words and phrases that neither Renee or Kiara seemed to recognise or understand — y lifted up his backpack, signalling something was inside of it.

" if that doesn't work, I got this right here." Renee felt her eyes widen and a state of disbelief wash over her.

The two girls sat upright in their seats, Renee urging her eyes at Kiara who shared the same petrified expression as her. Although Pope didn't seem phased by the discovery that JJ was now carrying a loaded weapon with him in public.

" yeah, yeah so we just gotta stay in the group." Pope spoke nonchalantly, nodding his head whilst his palms got sweatier.

" they can't get us when we're in a group." Pope told JJ, hoping getting his confirmation in his words.

" like a school of fish." JJ spoke before taking a sip of his drink that Kiara got him along with Renee's sprite.

" stay in school." Pope relayed to himself " can't leave the school." he continued to tell himself quietly.

Kiara finally spoke up, the blonde sat next to her still in a slight paralysing shock.

" I'm sorry JJ, please tell me that you did not bring a gun here." she spoke through her gritted teeth " JJ there are kids."

Renee looked up to him as he turned to look back at Kiara — the last glint of hope that she was sadly mistaken about JJ vanishing. She had known him long enough to read him as easily as a book, she could tell by his intentional avoidance of eye contact he had been giving her all afternoon that he was lying.

Because she knew just as well as he did that he could never lie to her, directly at least.

" Kie, I didn't bring the gun." he told her "everything's fine okay?"

His attempt at easing the tension with a smile didn't manage to make Kiara swoon as renee bit her lip and shook her head — turning away from JJ's direction.

" wow that's really convincing, I love that JJ." the sarcasm practically dripping off of her tongue although Renee still found herself lost for words.

" founding principle, you guys!" she spoke with a confidence " no secrets amongst pogues, what is Rafe talking about?"

Pope leaned over to the two girls, his close proximity grabbing the blondes attention whilst she looked at the boy in the eye.

" guys, it might go down tonight." Renee shook her head repeatedly , ignoring Kiara's questioning of what exactly Pope's words insinuated.

" that's it!" Renee stood up, alarming the three other pogues who's eyes loomed on her widely.

" Ren, what are you doing?" Kie's questions once again ignored by Renee's gaze meeting JJ's before storming to grab his hand and pull him up — not giving him much choice to follow her actions, not liking the annoyance in her eyes.

" we'll be back in a minute." Renee informed Pope and Kiara before pulling him away and through the crowds of people and kids sat in deckchairs until they reached one of the trees that was planted around the perimeter of the movie.

JJ tried to find his footing — scrunching his face up at the girl who hadn't been this abrupt in her actions for a long time. Her arms folded against her chest and a face of anguish looking right back at him.

" Ren what the hell was that-" JJ could barely get a sentence out before she cut him off with her finger pushing against his parted lips.

" I'm sick of this bullshit secrecy you and Pope have going on." she told him, " and honestly I thought Pope would have cracked already but he hasn't so I had to resort to another plan."

JJ stayed quiet, knowing he was going to crack and inevitable make things even worse if he didn't get himself out of this situation.

" and I don't care if you don't want to put a label on anything yet." her tone became slightly quieter in pitch, her words referring to the awkwardness of their conversation on the boat " but we're together JJ, we're a couple."

Although how much JJ wanted to smile and kiss her stupidly cute angry face — he managed to read the room and decided against his actions.

" but I can't be with someone who I can't trust and has all this secrecy lingering around him." his smile fell as she spoke her words.

He knew this wasn't going to end well, he was going to hurt her either way and maybe even loose her.

" did you and Pope do something?" she asked him " please JJ don't lie-"

Renee was abruptly cut off by his confession leaving his mouth.

" We sunk Topper's boat."

JJ could sense the girls heart dropping in her chest along with her lips into a frown that lacked nothing than disappointment and a slight flicker of betrayal.

" so they weren't lying, Rafe and Topper." she spoke breathlessly " you actually sunk his boat."

JJ opened his mouth before she once again cut off him. " after you promised me you wouldn't do anything to retaliate?" her words came out more like a question than a statement.

" I promised after." JJ coughed up, clearly just to make this situation less complicated " if that makes it any better."

Renee scoffed " you're fucking kidding me right?" fingers tasseling in her hair whilst an amused laughter left her lips.

" you have no idea what Topper and Rafe are capable of JJ!" she spoke almost dumbfounded, " they saw you on the cameras!"

" do you know what this could do to you, to Pope?" she asked him " Pope's scholarship for fuck sakes!"

" you and Pope would know all about what they're capable of wouldn't you?" JJ spoke almost maliciously, obviously indicating to the injuries she and Pope was inflicted with on the golf course.

" that's not fair." she told him in a sigh, " JJ, I'm glad you're looking out for me but I can take care of myself.. i don't need you going out of the way and putting yourself in danger just to protect me " her words cut off by JJ newly founded attitude.

" why can't you see that I'm not doing this to earn boyfriend brownie points!" he spoke in anguish, his voice strained by the emotions he wasn't use to letting out.

" they attack you." JJ's tone gentle " they attacked Pope, meaning that they attacked me."

" I don't care if you were planning to let them get away with it, I wasn't." he finished, Renee shook her head, "I wasn't planning on letting them get away with it?" she scoffed at him, furrowing her eyebrows.

" I didn't see you doing much to get them caught." he spoke slyly, as Renee just looked at him.

" you're being an asshole right now, you understand that right?" Renee asked, earning a roll of JJ's eyes

" why because I want to protect you?"

" JJ!" She exclaimed "I am not a child..or..or some damsel in distress, I don't need protecting!"

turning her head, her eyes were met with gazes from other people who had more or less been eavesdropping on her and JJ's conversation.

" look, I know what happens if I went to the cops." she told him " I give a statement and then Rafe and Topper deny it and that's it, that's all that happens."

JJ sighed to himself whilst Renee's attention wasn't on him. How was he supposed to tell her how much she truly meant to him, without coming off too strongly which he had done with other girls before — more or less pushing them away as a consequence.

JJ hadn't a single idea how to even begin to communicate or express how he felt about Renee. How he truly felt . So for once he stayed quiet.

" you're right I'm sorry." he mumbled, grabbing her attention again " it's fine." she breathed out " we'll talk about this later."

as the two of them walked back to chairs — Pope seemed eased by their reconciliation temporary or not meanwhile Kiara ached with jealously at the sight of their small smiles at each other before Renee planted herself back in her chair. All four of them sitting in a mixture of comforting and awkward silence as the film started,

But Pope was right.

It was going to go down that night.

AUTHORS NOTE.

Ren & JJ's first couple fight, the first of many may I add :)