SITTING in the same room as Sarah Cameron and Kiara Carrera had never been on Edens agenda. 

Yet....here she was.

After returning from the Crain house, the Pogues all returned to the usual hang-out spot—the Chateau.  John B. had disappeared the minute he got back to his place, leaving the rest of the group to wait around for his return.  Kie was pacing back and forth,  JJ in a red chair and Pope next to him on a stool.  Eden lounged on the couch, picking at her fingernails.

Eden hadn't actually expected Sarah Cameron to follow John B. in.  She knew how much the Routledge wanted her a part of the gold mission, but after the argument at the Crain house, as well as the natural distaste the group held for the Kook—mostly Kiara, really—it would be a stupid choice.

But, alas, she had been the one to spot the Routledge boy talking with Sarah right outside the house.  John B. was really pushing Kiara's buttons today, wasn't he? She knew JJ and Pope would stay calm, but bringing Sarah on to the property, into their hangout was bound to get some kind of outburst from the Carrera—and possibly Eden herself.

Which it did.

The tension was thick as John B. ushered Sarah Cameron into his house.  JJ and Pope were looking at Kie with their mouths in straight lines—the girl sending both teens a death stare, more so directed towards the Routledge, because why the hell was she here?—and Eden gave an unimpressed look, but stayed quiet as the blonde quietly took a seat next to her, looking as if she'd rather not be here.

Kiara on the other hand, did not stay silent and was quick to exclaim, "No effing way!" she glared at John B., clearly frustrated and pissed off that he'd had the nerve to bring her, "You brought her here? So what? She's in on this now?"

John B. opened and closed his mouth before looking at Eden and the rest of his friends for help—they were more likely to vouch for him than Kiara.   The Bexley gave him a look, how was she supposed to answer a question that only he could? 

She deadpanned, "You tell me."

"I dunno." Pope shrugged.

JJ pointed at his friend, "Look, all I care about is her cut comes out of your share." 

"Does she even get a share? She has enough cash to her name already."  Eden stated, looking between the rest of her friends for their own opinion on the whole 'Sarah getting a share' matter. 

Bringing the blonde into this gold hunt set off a lot of problems—how much of a share did she get? Hell, did she deserve some of the newfound gold? Not to mention the unnecessary tension that she added. 

"You know, I don't remember taking a vote." Kiara tilted her head at John B., her voice firm and loud to try and state her point—which had already been made rather clear to the group already. "This is our thing.  A Pogue thing."

Pope, giving in too being slightly off-put by Sarah too, said. "I gotta admit, I'm just a tad uncomfortable with all of this."

"Thank you!"

"When are you not uncomfortable?" John B. fired at the Heyward.

"I dunno. I rode here on the back of JJ's bike pretty comfortably." Pope admitted with slight sarcasm. 

"It's true." JJ nodded in agreement, "Most relaxed I've ever seen him."

The Routledge turned away giving a bitter mutter, "That's cute guys."

"You know we were all extremely comfortable until you brought her." Kiara snapped.

Sarah, who'd been silent as to not start anything, finally got tired of the shit that was spewing from the Carrera's mouth and fired, "Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"

"Then leave." Kiara didn't hesitate to reply.

Sarah let out a scoff and looked past Eden to lock eyes with John B., "I told you."

At that Eden looked at John B. with raised brows.  Was he talking about them behind their backs?

"Told him what exactly?" Kie shared a similar reaction to Eden, curious on what Sarah could have told, "That you're a liar?"

Sarah retaliated, "No, that you're a shit-talking bitch, Kiara."

JJ and Pope both let out gasps, the blonde pulling out a wad of cash from his pocket in a bet.  From beside the Kook, Eden finally got pissed off—whether or not she said was true, she shouldn't have called Kie a bitch....especially when she herself wasn't too far from one.

 "Says you, princess." Eden spat, sending a look towards the blonde next to her.

"I really thought I could trust you Eden, but I guess Kiara has brainwashed you too." 

Suddenly chaos erupted.  All three girls were yelling over each other, cutting each other off with shit-talking reasons about the other.  While not having a definite reason to hate Sarah herself, the urge to yank the blonde by her hair for everything she was saying, and Kiara was surely going to do so based on the way she was getting closer to the girl—Eden wouldn't stop her.  JJ and Pope let out sound effects at every back-handed comment, betting upon their girls over the Kook.

"Everybody shut up!" John B. finally yelled, getting tired of the commotion.  When he invited Sarah over, he expected them to have a nice, civil conversation about the plan, and about how she would be involved.  Not a screaming match between the three girls, with the boys betting money. 

The group all went quiet, Sarah sending a final side eye towards Kiara before turning her attention to the boy.  With everyone's eyes on him, he started speaking, "Kie, you are my best friend, right? And Eden? You're my honorary sister." Both girls gave quick nods, watching as he then looked at Sarah, "And Sarah, you're....you're my....."

"Say it." Sarah's eyes fell soft—far from the I'm gonna bitch slap you glare she'd sent Kie moments before.

"You're my girlfriend."

Everyone fell quiet.  While Eden had already spoken with Sarah—while she already knew she was in love with the Routledge—it still felt slightly off for him to say that the Cameron was his girlfriend.  When the Pogues were getting harmed by the Death Squad, John B. had been out asking the Kook to be his girlfriend. They had known each other mere days, and suddenly, she was the stars, the sun and the sky to him.

"Ohh....that's new." Pope muttered, feeling the additional tension that had just been added to the room. 

"She's your girlfriend, now?" Kie felt slightly betrayed.  She then started to hold the words he'd spoken the previous night against him, "What was all that talk about you just using her for information? Get a map, cut her loose."

Now Sarah was the one feeling betrayed.  She turned towards her boyfriend, "You said you were using me?"

John B. let his head fall into his hand, "No."

"Uh, yeah you did." Eden disagreed, crossing her arms over her chest as she turned her head towards her friend.  If he was lying about Sarah being his girlfriend, she wouldn't be surprised if he lied to get them to trust her too.  Still, she continued, "You clearly said 'I was just using her for information.'  But hey, you lied about dating the princess, might as well lie about using her too."

"You did." Pope nodded.

JJ agreed, "Yeah you said those things."

"Look, love just walked in, okay?" John B. admitted, causing Kie to turn around in disgust, the girl muttering 'Oh, vomit'.  While still feeling slightly betrayed that he'd lied to her, aswell as everyone else's faces, Eden tried her best to emphasize with her best friend—though it was hard when he sounded like he came from a romance novel. "I didn't expect it.  It just—it kind of happened.  And I'm not gonna deny it. Right?"

"Did you just walk out of a fucking romance novel?" Eden couldn't help herself—his words sounded corny, whether or not they were true.  That's the most bullshit phrase I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot of bullshit phrases from this group."

Kiara shook her head, "Look, cut the bullshit, John B.  If she's in, I'm out."

"I'm sorry JB, but me too." Eden gave a tight lipped expression.  She held a vendetta against the Cameron, and honestly, she didn't serve a purpose within the mission.  She wasn't a Pogue, and added relatively nothing—if John B. wanted her here, he could use her on the side.  "I love you, but this is just fucking stupid.  We didn't need Sarah at first, and we don't need her now."

John B. wasn't going to choose like this.  Not between Kie and Eden, two girls who'd been through thick and thin with him—who were like his sisters—and Sarah, who'd made him feel truly happy for the first time since his father's disappearance. "I'm not doing this right now—"

"You are gonna decide." Kie fired.

"I can't!"

"John B., this shouldn't be so difficult." Eden was actually slightly hurt at the way he denied to answer.  Why couldn't he choose between them and Sarah? In her eyes, it was a simple choice.  Pogues first. "It's over a decade of friendship against a girl who you literally started talking to mere days ago.  A girl whose dad fired you, who tattled on you stealing the scuba gear—" Sarah opened her mouth to deny the claim, but was cut off again but Eden, "—and who's brother and ex-boyfriend have done nothing but harm us."

Kiara gave a hard look, "I'm very interested, actually. Us or her?"

"Both." John B. firmly said.

Pope's eyes widened, "Ooh...."

"Went for the Hail Mary." JJ muttered quietly to Pope.

"No!"

With the Routledge's answer, Kiara turned on her heel and stormed out of the Chateau.  She shoved the screen door open and it slammed closed—showing just how upset his answer had made her.  JJ and Pope tutted from the side, adding unnecessary commentary.

Eden stood up from in between the couple with a frown.  She then turned to John B. and sent a solemn glare his way.  "I hope you don't think that shit's fair, John B."

With that, she walked away and followed Kie out the door without another word.

Eden was sitting on John B.'s deck with Kiara Carrera at her side. 

After leaving the Chateau, Eden was quick to spot the girl taking a seat near the water, and when the Bexley met her side, she was quick to see that the curly haired girl was crying.  John B. not being able to choose had really hurt her feelings, and Eden didn't blame her at all.  Kiara had really expected to be chosen by John B., and instead had been left in the dust.

It had been a couple of minutes now and no one had come out to check on them.  Not John B. to apologize for what he'd said, not Sarah to make a final jab, and honestly, the fact that it was just them made her feel more hurt.  John B. couldn't even grow the balls to come out and see them.

"He's not going to choose us, is he?" Kiara sniffled with a frown.  She hated that she was getting so emotional over her friend's choice, but she couldn't help it.  It hurt that he was choosing Sarah over her.  

Eden gave a solemn look, "Probably not. I mean, he looks at her like she put the stars in the goddamn sky."  The girl almost scoffed at her own words, but it was true.  John B. looked at Sarah with pure adoration, and she honestly couldn't blame him for it.  She made him happy, and if anyone deserved to be happy, it was John Booker Routledge.

"I know." Kiara sighed, lip trembling.

The sound of footsteps traveling down the dock caused Eden to turn her head towards the house again, hoping that maybe John B. was finally coming to tell them that Sarah wasn't a part of the plan anymore, but her hopes were crushed when she was met with the figure of Pope Heyward instead.

"I take it he hasn't decided yet?" the Bexley girl looked at Pope, watching as he shook his head.   With a sigh she stood up, leaving the Carrera girl alone on the deck.  There was a reason Pope had come down, and she was sure it hadn't been to talk to Kie and herself.  "I'll leave you to it."

Pope sent her a small smile, one that Kiara didn't catch.  Honestly, Eden was sure she was the only one who sensed the crush the Heyward had on the curly haired girl.   It started with the way he'd watched John B. and Kie dance—the small, almost jealous glare.  Then it was the frown he'd fought off when Eden revealed the kiss between her and the Routledge

Whether or not 'Pogue on Pogue macking' was a top rule, Eden was far more supportive of the Heyward and the Carrera than she was of the Routledge and the Cameron, and if Pope liked her than there was nothing she could do than just allow the scene to unfold.

So, she walked off the deck and back towards the house.  No one was on the porch anymore—she assumed John B. and JJ were inside, the blonde trying to convince him that he needed Kie and Eden—so she decided to wait for further instruction there instead.  If John B. noticed her sitting by herself, maybe he'd explain his case further in a manner to which Eden could emphasize more.

But, instead of John B. coming out of the door......JJ did. 

"How're you feeling?" the blonde boy spoke up, keeping slight distance from the Bexley girl in case she wasn't in the mood to talk.  Eden rarely held a grudge against any of the Pogues, but John B. picking Sarah Cameron over her and Kie could do it. 

"I'm fine." Eden replied, because sort of was.  Kie had been the one crying, the one truly upset.  Eden had left because of Kie—because she was going to stick by the Carrera girl over the Cameron any day of the week, no matter the case. "It's Kiara who's not."

"That's what I thought." JJ sighed, before looking towards the empty spot next to Eden on the couch, "Can I sit?"

"Go for it."

He did as told, taking a seat next to the Bexley girl.  He and Eden were never one to have serious conversations together—they were always making back-handed comments at each other or just being sarcastic—but he could tell she had something to say, and was there to listen.

"We need you and Kie, Eds." the Maybank stated, glancing over at her.  If John B. wasn't going to say the truth, he was.  Without Kiara—the environmentalist with her very strong opinions keeping them grounded—and Eden—the Queen of Pogues, who cared for them with her motherly manner—the Pogues weren't the Pogues.  They were just three boys getting into trouble.

"Oh believe me, I want to help, J." The brunette girl slightly laughed. She hadn't gotten involved within this mission just to quit over Sarah Cameron, "I'm too invested in this whole treasure hunt to stop.  I—I'm just pissed off at John B. right now."

JJ agreed, "He's an idiot for not picking you and Kie.  Because when I say I choose you two over her by a long shot, I mean it." 

"I know you would." the Bexley softly smiled, "You can't tell right from left without me."

"Ouch." 

"You know it's true." the smile on Eden's face faded away once again, "Another reason as to why I don't want to ditch this whole gold thing.  But, I can't work with John B. if he's just going to ignore the problems Sarah's causing—if he's going to act like she didn't make Kie hate herself for weeks."

"I agree." the Maybank nodded, listening to her words.

"I remember the first day of freshman year at the Kook academy." Eden wasn't sure why she was bothering to retell the memory she had, but she did so anyway.  JJ wasn't going to judge.  "I only had Kie, and I was fine with that.  You boys were always waiting for me when the final bell rang and with you guys I could forget about all the douche's I met at school and just be me."

"But, Kiara wasn't the same." Eden continued, "She wanted to fit in at the Kook academy, and we both knew she didn't—we were Pogues at heart.  But then, she came to me one day at lunch with a huge smile on her face, and started telling me that Sarah Cameron wanted to go save baby turtles with her."  The girl smiled at the memory, "Later that night, after returning back to my place, Kie showed up at my door with sand all over her legs and told me that she'd had the best night of her life.  She spent all night ranting to me about how amazing Sarah was.  I've never seen her happier, J."

"I didn't know how happy she'd been." JJ admitted, "I mean, she chose Sarah over us for a good while, but I just thought it was because they had so much more in common than us and her.  I'm surprised you didn't venture off with them, because well...."

"Because I'm Kook?" Eden laughed, the blonde giving a nod, "Believe me, I thought about it.  But, when Kiara came to my door in tears and showed me an Instagram post of Sarah's birthday party, I realized I'd made the right choice by staying away.  She had broken Kie's heart, and that's why I'm standing at Kiara's side here."

JJ nodded, and the brunette continued her small rant, "Kiara spent the whole night at my place sobbing into my arms about how much of a backstabber Sarah Cameron was, and I even helped her call the cops on the birthday party.  I can't ignore how much Sarah hurt Kie, how much she made Kiara think something was wrong with herself.  I was there then, and I'm gonna be here now." 

"As you should be." the Maybank fully agreed, "John B. just doesn't understand."

"Yeah, but he's in love." Eden frowned, thoughts fighting against thoughts, "He knows what happened, he saw the way Kie wasn't herself for weeks but love has blinded him.  Sarah makes him happy, and I know he deserves to be happy after Big John's......death." She'd never claim John B.'s father was dead in front of the boy, but, let's face it, there was no way he was alive.  He'd been lost for months.  "I guess my point is that he doesn't have to bring Sarah in.  He's only making Kiara relive her pain.  If he wants to use her on the side, date her or whatever, he can do so but she doesn't need to be fully involved." 

"He'll come to his senses eventually." JJ nodded, not speaking on the fact that she'd used the word death over disappearance.  He agreed—while it was sad, there was no way he was still alive. 

"Thanks for listening, J." Eden gave a small smile towards the blonde.  It felt good to finally speak her thoughts, even if it wasn't to John B. himself.

"Anytime, Eden." 

mara's misc!

 a bonding moment between eden and someone other than john b? couldn't be me writing......

no bc i actually love eden telling jj about how happy kie was bc it's just so precious to me.  eden is standing by kiara's side even tho sarah has never attacked her personally and it shows how much she values her friendships......unlike jb.  (love my man but......)

also i saw the barbie movie today and all i have to say is wow.  it was good, and cute and i love ryan gosling as ken and margot robbie as barbie.  the ken song was a fever dream and there was a shit ton of feminism (im all for women having equal rights but they were literally shoving this down my throat.  i felt mad for the group of boys in front of me) but i enjoyed my time. 

i enjoyed writing this chapter a lot.  my obx inspo is finally coming back, (now im failing to find any for gone, someone help.  im trying to write the next chapter and its so eh) so expect updates sooner than later fr. 

hope you enjoyed <3 see you back with chapter seventeen!