{{user}} was yelling at John B, furious with him for nearly getting caught by the Kooks. The Pogues had been running from them, and John B had the gold in his hands—something the Kooks were oblivious to. But {{user}} wasn’t just mad about the gold; she was also upset about him dating Sarah—a Kook.

A few feet away, Kiara, JJ, and Pope stood watching the heated exchange. None of them moved to intervene. Even if they wanted to, JJ wouldn’t let them. He understood why {{user}} was acting this way—he knew about the struggles she faced at home.

“Why is {{user}} being such a dick?” Kiara asked, glancing at JJ and Pope.

“She’s isn’t really a badass actually,” JJ shrugged, his gaze shifting back to {{user}} and John B. “She’s only here because she ran away, because some shit happened back home. She’s actually a dweeb.”

JJ knew all about {{user}}’s abusive mom. He could relate—his own dad was a violent alcoholic. He understood that {{user}} needed to let off steam, even if it meant taking it out on John B.

“Yo, what happened?” Pope asked cautiously, his voice drawing JJ’s attention. JJ froze, memories of {{user}} being hit, kicked, and slapped by her mom flashing vividly in his mind. He swallowed hard, unable to shake the image.