"Don't you dare fucking talk to me like that." I snapped at the seething boy in front of me.
"Like what, princess? Like you're full of shit? Someone had to say it!" He yelled back.
"No, don't talk to me like you're better than me! You and I are the...
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★★★
We all went up to the dock to report our findings to the coast guard but little did we know they would be absolutely no help to us. We made our way to the building where John B. and about a thousand other Kildare residents went to deal with the aftermath of the storm. We waited outside for him, but he didn't take long. He came outside looking frustrated as ever as we all sighed.
Finder's fee wouldn't be happening, I guessed. "What's the plan?" We asked him, and he reached into his pocket. He fished out the motel key, holding it up and jingling it around. "We're gonna find the owner of the boat," He said.
"That key could be anyone's, how do we know it's Mr. Grady-White's key?" I asked, and John B shrugged, "Finder's fee. Just sayin'."
That was all it took to convince me, so I gave in. Pope seemed unsure, but Kie gave incentive, "Come on, I'll be lookout."
"Come on, bubba," John B. said and we headed back to the boat. "Where are we going, there like three motels on the cut," Kie spoke up. JJ had the key, so I held my hands up, signaling for him to throw it to me, which he did. I looked at the tag attached to the key, identifying the motel to my friends. We took off towards the motel, but when we arrived, it was a mess.
"Holy shit," I breathed out, surprised at the condition of the motel. "I thought the Chateau looked bad," John B. said while JJ let out a whistle. "This doesn't look like the kind of place a person with a Grady-White stays," Pope said, and I scoffed. "It looks like a crack house," I added.
"Motel or meth lab?" Kiara joked, and I laughed. She handed me the string bracelet she had been working on and I picked it up with my fingers, weaving the multicolored strings in and out to continue the pattern.
"Hey girl scout, when am I gonna get one of these," JJ said, pointing at the strings I was weaving back and forth. I looked up at him and squinted, "I feel like I'm ten but what colors do you want?"
He smiled and picked at his fingers, presumably thinking about it. "Green and white," He said, and I looked at Kie to make sure we had those colors. She simply nodded and I gave JJ and thumbs up. "Your order has been confirmed," I said with a simple nod. JJ laughed lightly, leaning his head down and running a hand through his hair.
I blushed at this simple reaction, not realizing that I had done it, and Kie gave me a look that made me regret everything. I mentally face-palmed, but we had docked at the motel and John B. and JJ got out. JJ tied up the boat so we wouldn't drift, and I tossed the key back to John B.
The two boys decided to go up to the room, but I stayed on the boat with Kie and Pope. We were lookout, but once John B. and JJ were out of earshot, Kie whipped violently around to look at me, her eyes wide and trained on mine.
