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The sun shone brightly above, the grass was warm and soft under Pope’s back.
Wait?
Where was he?
Pope sat up, his vision blurred. When he looked around, he saw a familiar landscape. A huge tree over arching an old fish shack with a lone blue and white striped hammock in the front.
Last he checked he was in Morocco, and now he’s…
Now he remembered.
He was back at the obx, but this wasn’t the obx he last remembered.
This was right before Agatha hit, and he was at JB’s place.
Before he could question why or how that was possible, he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
“Yo, Pope!” Shouted the voice behind him.
When Pope turned around he saw him.
It was JJ.
He was running toward him, a big smile on his face, his blonde hair blowing in the salty breeze. “Pope!” He shouted again as he finally reached him.
Pope’s eyes bulged, he had just buried him, and now he’s right here in front of him, smiling like he always had before everything went to shit.
Pope’s mouth hung open, and JJ’s smile began to melt away. “What happened man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he was laughing, god it was so nice to hear him laugh.
“I-I’m alright,”
“Okay great! Let’s go surf dude the waves are perfect!”
And just like that, they were at the beach, and the sand was just as warm as the grass was.
JJ was now in his swimming trunks, and when Pope looked down at himself he realized so was he. The two were holding surfboards, perfectly waxed, and perfectly shiny in the bright light of the sun.
“Surfing? But JJ you’re—“
“I’m what? Handsome? Yeah man I know,” JJ laughed, slapping Pope on the back.
“JJ, I never got to—“ Pope could feel his throat closing, his eyes began to burn with tears. “I never got to say it back.”
JJ started for a second, before smiling wider than he had before, “You don’t need to, I know,”
“No—but—“ Pope felt the tears stream down his face “I should’ve been there for you, I should I’ve protected you!”
“Protect me? Pope you’re on the math team. And regardless, you’ve got that Merit scholarship, you can’t be running around trying to get into my messes.”
Merit scholarship? God, Pope had forgotten all about that. Even though it really hadn’t been that long, it felt like it had been a million years.
JJ then reached his hand out to Pope.
Pope gripped his hand tightly, it was warm, and calloused, it felt so real.
After a moment of just holding hands, JJ pulled him up into a hug.
He smelled like salt water and weed, a combination Pope remembered all to well. The embrace was tight, and JJ’s hands gripped his back. Pope hugged back just as hard, and for a second it seemed like the two were never gonna let go.
Till JJ did.
“Don’t cry Pope, cmon,” he said, using his thumb to swipe away his tears.
“This isn’t real,”
“You’re right, these waves are unreal.”
“No—JJ please…I don’t wanna wake up,”
JJ took a deep breath, “You have to man,” he finally said. “You have to live, for me.”
Pope could feel himself start to cry again, no matter how hard he fought it, he couldn’t stop himself. “I love you.” He said through sobs, his entire body shaking.
JJ smiled, “I love you too man, forever.”
Pope couldn’t believe it. He was going to mourn him forever. There was no possible way to get over this.
“Don’t think things like that,” JJ said suddenly, apparently able to read Pope’s thoughts. Which was something he could do outside of the dream world. He always knew what Pope was thinking, and just the right thing to say to make him laugh.
“I wish I could really surf with you again, just one last time,”
“You still can, why do you think I’m here? To have a good time, not to cry, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Can you do me a favor though? Just like, one little thing,”
“What is it?”
“Tell everyone I love them.”
Pope smiled, in that way that only JJ could make him. Of course he would say something like that. JJ always cared so much about everyone else, he forgot to care about himself. But that was okay, cause Pope didn’t mind taking care of him.
“I’ll tell them JJ, I promise.”
“Thanks Pope, I can always count on you can’t I?”
“Of course.”
There was a beat.
The two looked at each other, smiles on their faces, brown and blue eyes locked onto each other. It reminded Pope of so many times he had had before. A wave of nostalgia hitting him straight in the chest.
“I’m gonna miss you so much.”
“I’m gonna miss you too Pope.”
Looking at the waves, Pope realized they really were perfect. The sun was still shining, and JJ was still alive. Right in front of him, and happy.
The two walked down to the beach together and spent the rest of the day surfing. The kind of day JJ would’ve loved.