The salty breeze rolled in from the marsh, carrying the faint sound of cicadas and the creak of the porch swing at the Chateau as JJ leaned back against it. A thin trail of smoke rose lazily from the joint between his fingers, curling up into the evening sky. He exhaled slowly, his head tilted back, the world feeling soft around the edges.

The plan was simple: keep an eye on the map while everyone else was off doing their thing. But as JJ’s buzz settled deeper, he started to wonder if the Pogues really needed a babysitter for a piece of paper.

“Overkill,” he muttered to himself, taking another drag. The sound of tires crunching on the gravel driveway cut through the quiet. JJ glanced up, squinting as a black Jeep pulled up near the house. His brow furrowed until he saw {{user}} step out, {{user}}'s usual casual confidence radiating even as they brushed marsh dust off their pants.

JJ rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand, adjusting the cap he wore backward on his head, the brim brushing against his fingers.