MATILDA , jj maybank

19

MATILDA! CHAPTER NINETEEN:
THE OLD BAT TRICKED US
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Liz, Sarah and Kie all sat in the van, looking at the horrid drawing Pope had drawn to show what the plan was. Liz's mind kept going back to last night, when JJ kissed her. It was like an itch she'd finally been able to scratch but now she was confused... did the kiss mean anything to JJ?

"He said it looked something like this. So..." Kie explained

"That's 50 feet down, and they're using 100-feet rope." Liz said "So I guess this little wagon will go...straight to the gold room."

"Who drew this?" Sarah asked with a laugh

"Who do you think?" Kie said as they looked out to Pope who already looked at them with a small smile.

You'd think Kie was blind to see the way Pope looked at her. He's looked at her since they'd become friends and it seemed like Liz was the only one who noticed.

"Buffy, This better work." JJ said as he tossed the three pieces of gold down on the inside of the van "We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it."

"It's gonna work." Liz said while pointing to Kie who held up a fire torch

After Kie had melted the wheat sign on the gold it was now just a huge hunk of gold. They pulled up to the pawn shop, that traded gold for money "Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein." JJ said as they got out

"Like you could've done any better."

"I could have, I took a welding class."

"You--when?" Kie asked

"Whoa, whoa. Hey. Sh! Chill out, okay?" John B said trying to stop the two from bickering

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one
that has to pawn this piece of shit off. How did I get this job anyway?" JJ asked

"Cause you're the best liar." Liz said before they went inside

"Afternoon, ma'am. Afternoon." JJ said "I see you buy gold."

"That's what the sign say, don't it?" The lady asked

"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because I'm about to blow your mind." JJ put his bag on the counter

"I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it." JJ took out the gold and put it in front of the lady

"How about them gold apples?" JJ asked as he placed the gold down in front of the lady

"That ain't real." She said

"That ain't real?" JJ repeated

"It can't be."

"Feel how heavy it is. Mm-hm. Mm-hm! Let's get some light on that."

"Spray-painted tungsten."

"Spray-painted tungsten? Really? Okay. Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?"

"You mind?"

"No, go for it."

"Wow. Would you look at that?"

"Hold your horses. We ain't got to the acid test yet."

"Ooh! The acid test. My favorite, guys." JJ said and he looked around at them and Liz giggled a bit

"Well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted."

"Ma'am, I'm telling ya, this is as real as the day is long."