Johnno — Chapter 5

On the Folly battlements, Johnno and Will share Guinness while Johnno apologizes for forgetting his suit. Will brushes it off but warns Johnno to stay away from Jules’s fragile half sister, Olivia, revealing a protective and controlling streak. They discuss Will’s survival show, hinting at staged elements and his vanity.

Johnno reflects on Will’s attraction to money and status, then the ushers—Femi, Angus, Duncan, and Pete—join them. The mood shifts to laddish banter, drugs are hinted at, and Angus’s fear of heights is mocked. Johnno feels sidelined hearing the others met without him at the RAC, underscoring his insecurity and distance from the group.

The men reminisce about their brutal school, Trevs: contraband booze, racist teachers, breakdowns, a boy who died, and a culture where “only the strong survived.” Careers and status updates follow, and Johnno touts his new whiskey brand, Hellraiser, to mixed reactions.

Will toasts “the survivors,” momentarily recapturing their past unity. As Will leaves to greet arriving guests Charlie and Hannah for Jules’s planned jetty welcome, Johnno wishes for more private time with Will, noting how deeply they know each other—and hinting at buried history.