ocean • jj maybank

1.18

"what happened?" she asked.

"John B's pissed. he found out his girlfriend cheated on him and he's now cooling off with JJ." he sighed sitting on the sun chair.

"and JJ?"

Zachery looked at her and shook his head, "he didn't say a word. all i got was a nod. guessing more stuff happened between you two?"

"you can say that." Caroline looked at the water.

"you know whatever he said he probably didn't mean it. he says things he doesn't mean when he's upset we all know that."

Caroline shook her head, "i think he meant it this time, dad."

in all the years Zachery had known JJ and seen the relationship he had with Caroline. he'd never seen it this bad. JJ was like another son to Zach, he spent more time at the house than John B's, he never left Caroline's side but now seeing them apart, he knew something was wrong.

"remember that bracelet you made him? the blue one?" Zach asked.

"what about it?"

"he was holding onto it. kept putting the bracelet to his mouth because you made it and gave it to him years ago," Caroline looked at her father seeing the worried look on his face, "whatever he told you, baby girl. i know he didn't mean it."

her father stood up walking inside the house, Caroline laid back on the ground looking up at the stars. she stayed outside until the following morning, instead of going to bed, Caroline changed into shorts and a crop top. she grabbed her shoes on her way out the door making her way to the car driving off to the animal hospital to open up.

__

"one more day and back home you go." Caroline whispered to the dolphin that was fully healed from it's sunburn.

"let me talk to her!" a voice yelled out, she turned around seeing Rafe arguing with one of the guys who worked with her.

she rushed over grabbing Rafe's arm pulling him away, "it's okay, Max. i'll talk to him."

"you sure, Caroline?"

she nodded dragging Rafe outside pushing him back, "what the hell are you doing here?" she snapped.

"i need to talk to you." he looked down at her.

"about what? stealing from the Pogues? daddy issues? whatever you have to say i don't wanna hear it Rafe. i really fucking don't so please just leave!" she yelled pointing around.

"Caroline i need to-"

"i don't care, Rafe! i don't! leave!"

Rafe stepped back nodding his head and scoffed leaving the building, she let out a breath sitting down on the bench running her fingers through her hair.

"fuck!" she screamed kicking an empty bucket.

"Ace-"

"what!" she looked over quickly covering her mouth seeing Pope and Cleo, "i'm so sorry."

"are you okay?" he rushed over to her.

"i don't know how to answer that."

Pope sadly smiled at her, "why don't we go on an adventure and go see Kie? we have a lot to tell you."

"i'd like that." Caroline says as Cleo held her hand out.

"let's go." Cleo smiled at her friend.

__

once arriving at the wreck the three walked up to the side door already seeing Kiara and her parents, Pope knocked and waved, "hi, Mr. and Mrs. Carrera."

"uh, i'm gonna get that." Kiara stood up walking over to her friends ignoring her parents, "guys, what's up? now is not a good time. my parents are on a literal warpath about my future."

"this'll only take a second. do either of you still have that picture you took at Singh's?" Pope asked the girls, "the one of the painting?"

"yeah, obviously." Kiara pulled out her phone when Pope took it from her hand walking away.

"oh." Caroline watched him.

"that was rude." Kie says.

"Pope, what are you looking for?" Caroline asked following her friend.

"something Cleo found, actually." Pope sat down followed by Cleo.

"okay."

"here it is. it's a letter Denmark Tanny wrote to his daughter." Pope handed her the letter as she and Kiara started reading it.

"we found it last night. family heirlooms and thingums." Cleo smiled at Pope.

"we think we found a connection to the idol. look, check this out. see the king sun glyph here?" Pope turned the phone and pointed at the paper, "it matches the one in the painting at Singh's house."

"couldn't that mean it's pretty common?" Kie asked.

"actually, no. these glyphs are Kalinago, which has never been deciphered." Pope informs the girls.

"never?" Caroline asked. 

"never ever." Cleo says.

"never ever." Pope shook his head, "some people believe that the captain of the San Jose actually found somebody who knew how to translate these glyphs because he found El Dorado."

"the priest that talked to Denmark Tanny, that was on the Royal Merchant." Kiara's eyes widened as did Caroline's.

"exactly. every glyph that is in this letter is in the artifact. this isn't just some Rosetta stone for Kalinago. this.. this is a direct translation key for the idol!" Pope says.

"and we can use this to save Big John." Cleo added.

"we have to give this to John B. like, yesterday." the four stood up starting to walk away.

"hey!" Mike called out, "where you going?"

"uh, to the break. we're gonna go check out the surf. can we finish this later?" Kiara asked her father.

"yeah. have fun. tell your mother where you are Caroline." Caroline furrowed her brows at Mike's words.

"yeah." Kiara nodded walking off with her friends.

why are Mike and Anna talking with Melissa so much about? Caroline couldn't wrap her head around it, since yesterday at the party where Melissa and Anna were talking, she knew something was going on but didn't know what it was exactly.