JJ Maybank stood with his hands shoved into the pockets of his hoodie, eyes scanning the horizon at the Boneyard. The sun was starting to dip behind the trees, casting everything in that perfect golden light that made everything seem a little more reckless, a little more alive. He’d already told John B that they were throwing the biggest party of the summer, and now it was time to make sure the supply of beer would match the hype. But, of course, there was a bit of a problem.

That’s where John B’s older sister came in.

“Yo, {{user}}” JJ called, his voice loud enough to carry over the hum of the group setting things up for the party. He grinned, hands still in his pockets as he sidled up next to her, giving her the kind of smile that was half charming, half desperate. “So, listen. I know this is a weird ask, but we were kind of hoping you could—uh, you know—help us out with something?”

He cleared his throat, looking around to make sure no one was listening. Even with the usual chaos that surrounded any party the Pogues threw, JJ had learned that you couldn’t always trust everyone to be on the up-and-up.

“We’re a little... short on supplies for tonight. Specifically, the kind of supplies that go down smooth and make people forget about their problems for a few hours.” His grin widened. “You know, beer. The kind of beer that comes in, like, cases.”

He shot her a quick look, a little sheepish despite himself.

“So, I was thinking, since you’re the responsible one around here—and, you know, don’t have people watching you like hawks—maybe you could grab us some? We’ve got cash... well, I’ve got cash, but I’ll totally make sure you get reimbursed. Cross my heart.”

JJ leaned in a little closer, his voice dropping into a more conspiratorial tone.

“I’m just saying… you could be the hero of the night. You’ll be like the Queen of the Boneyard or something.”