✧*̥˚RISK TAKERS *̥˚✧ J.M 3

024

┊͙✧˖*°࿐
They say these are the golden years
But I wish I could disappear.
Olivia Rodrigo

Aria had her knees to her chest, sitting beside Kiara on her bed, watching Sarah freak.

"I mean, like, even after he was down, John B was still hitting him." Sarah zipped up her fly, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I've never seen him like that." Kie leaned up on her elbow.

Aria watched Sarah disappear around the corner of Kie's room as she laid her head against the headboard. "Do you actually think he'll get arrested?"

"He can't." Sarah reappeared, a blue shirt adorning her body now. "Not now. If he gets arrested, he can't help his dad. I have to fix this." She packed her things, looking between her two friends. "Can either of you give me a ride to Toppers?"

"Don't you think this plan can make things worse?" Kie asked, sitting up fully.

Sarah brushed her hands over her bare thighs with a sigh. "I don't know. And I don't know what's gonna happen with me and John B. But what I do know is I just can't sit and watch him get arrested while his dads abducted."

Aria swung her keys around her fingers after driving Sarah to the Thorntons, watching Sarah hurry up the stairs in search for the Kook.

After a few minutes, Sarah returned, her feet hammering against the deck of the Campbells boat, making Aria cock her head up.

"They're pressing charges." Sarah breathed, rubbing her hands over her face in complete agony. "They want me to testify against him."

Aria parted her lips, gripping the steering wheel. "Fuck. Now what?"

"My dad." Sarah nodded, earning a wearily glance from Kiara. "You know where he's staying, Aria. Please. It's my last plan."

Aria agreed, shaking her head with a curse as she headed towards the safe house. "You're sure about this? Like, you're completely sure?"

Sarah nodded, looking towards the disheveled looking home as Aria docked. "I'm gonna go in alone."

"If you scream or something, we'll come in." Kie narrowed her eyes, watching Sarah climb out of the boat.

After a few minutes, Sarah returned once again. Nodding towards the girls as they all began to venture back to the main island.

"Look, I gotta pop back in at home and make sure everything is locked down." Aria swallowed, remembering her mother's face from the night before. "Can I drop you at Kie's?"

"Yeah. We can stay at mine." Kiara nodded, Sarah agreeing.

Aria could feel her heart racing as she dropped her friends off, going another mile before docking her family's boat.

She came through the back of the house, seeing her mother sitting at the counter, shuffling pamphlets.

"What are you looking at?" Aria asked, attempting to ease into a conversation as she set her things down on the counter.

Belle locked eyes with her daughter. "Didn't know you were taking the boat out."

"Yeah." Aria nodded, sliding her fingers towards the pamphlet as she began to read it, her brows knitting. "I thought we were passed this."

"I thought we were passed a lot, too." Belle hummed. "You've never liked school. So, I've found other options."

Aria shook her head with a chuckle. "Don't pretend like this is about school. This is about keeping me away from the Pogues. And, she's painting rocks. This is bullshit."

"Maybe not that one then." Belle took it from her grasp, sliding another one towards her. "This is all wilderness. You seem to love adventures. This is perfect for you."

"Okay, mom." Aria licked her lips. "I get it. I went off the rails and I disappeared, like, many times. But shipping me off to a, uh, camp...isn't gonna help."

The two were interrupted by a knocking at the front door, Aria taking a few steps back as she looked through the windows.

"What the fuck." She mumbled, turning back to her mother. "Just give me, like, five seconds."

She rushed to the door, ignoring her mother's pleas as she threw it open. "What a nice surprise. What?"

Pope had guilt written all over his face. "I'm sorry, okay? I was just upset about the cross and I shouldn't have blamed you at all."

"All good." Aria nodded, looking between him and Cleo. "Now, what's that look on your face for?"

"Do you still have that picture you took at Singhs?" Pope asked, stepping back as Aria came out front, shutting the door behind her. "The one of the painting."

Aria reached for her phone in her back pocket. "Yeah, obviously." She pulled it open, showing Pope as he ripped her phone from her hand. "Wow, okay. Thanks."

Pope hurried down her steps, towards the side of house, the two girls following as they sat by her table. "What's going on, Pope?"

"It's something Cleo found." Pope sat. "Here it is. The letter that Denmark Tanny wrote to his daughter."

Aria took the paper from his hands, running her eyes over the words. She lifted her eyes, watching Cleo smile proudly towards Pope.

"Check this out." Pope sat up. "This is the sun glyph. It's the same from the painting in Singhs house. It has to be a connection to the Idol."

"Can't that just mean it's common?" Aria furrowed her brows, bringing her lips to the corner of her mouth.

Pope shook his head. "No. These glyphs are Kalinago, which has never been deciphered. Like, never ever. Some people believe that caption of San Jose actually found somebody who knew how to translate these glyphs because he found El Dorado."

Aria parted her lips, resting her chin on her hands. "The priest. The one that talked to Denmark and was on the Royal Merchant."

"Exactly." Pope hummed. "Every glyph that is in this letter, is in the artifact. This isn't just some random some from Kalinago. This is a direct key for the translation of the idol!"

"And we can use this to save Big John." Cleo smiled, holding the paper between her fingers.

Aria nodded quickly. "We need to get this John B. Like, right now."

The three stood, halting at the sound of Belle's voice. "Where are you going, Aria?"

"To the break. We're, um, gonna go surf. I'll pick up Sarah, too." Aria forced a smile, watching her mother nod, shooting daggers at the Pogues as Aria rushed them.

running away era 😍