𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 ➝ 𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧

𝟏𝟔. 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐌𝐎𝐕𝐄, 𝐃𝐔𝐃𝐄

𝐈 𝐏𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐘 wet hair behind my shoulders, feeling the water drip down my back. The group and I had just finished testing out the drone, but we needed to wait for the dead calm, which was the slack tide, to use it.

I fixed my sweater and made my way over to Heyward who was handing us bags of groceries. I grabbed two bags from his hand and set them down on the table inside the boat. "You guys get these groceries over to Figure Eight. Get straight back here when you're done, no fishin'. I promised delivery by this afternoon. Rich folks don't wanna wait for you lazy sons of..."

"We'll be done pretty quickly, maybe even stop for a surf trip," Pope said to me as I fixed a few of the plastic bags, and pushed them together.

"I need a surf after everything that's happened," I replied, and immediately Pope started questioning me.

"I know you don't mean the treasure hunting... what happened?" He asked and I sighed.

"Just everything with the compass and now the drone, it's just a lot," I lied, knowing that I couldn't tell him about Rafe. 

"I see your point, but if we do find the gold..." Pope led off and I knew where he was going. If we find the gold, our lives would be changed completely. I'd be able to help my mom, pay for textbooks, and maybe even have a few hundred to spend on myself. 

"Are y'all ready for some deliveries?" JJ asked as he sat on the ledge next to Pope, "We're about to make some bank,"

"True," I commented, "Thanks for letting me tag along,"

"Aye, no problem," JJ replied as he twirled a knife between his fingers. Don't even ask me where he got it from, because I have no clue.

"It doesn't even look like the storm hit there," Pope said as he looked at Figure Eight, the houses all lit up.

"That's because they got generators, bro, get used to it," JJ answered, "And then they say the juice will be out all summer at the cut,"

"It's nice to be a Kook," Pope mumbled and I agreed. The boat pulled into the dock and I made my way off of it, two bags in each hand. The boys followed my lead and we separated at the end of the dock.

The four places I had to stop by were Ms. Walters, Mr. Donavon, Mr. Frenken, and the Godwins. I walked down the beach and up to the front door of the first house. I rang the doorbell and a minute later, an older woman opened the door with a smile.

"Good morning, Ms. Walters. I have your delivery," I held out the bag and she took it from my hands.

"Let me go grab my wallet, dear," She turned away and left the door open while I waited patiently. She came back a minute later with some cash in her hands. "Here you go, twenty for the food, and ten for the beautiful young lady who's helping out,"

"Thank you," I said gratefully as she handed me the thirty dollars, "Have a nice day," She waved goodbye and shut the door as I slipped the money in my pocket and grabbed the bags.

Twenty minutes had past and I was on my last trip. I walked past the golf course and towards the beach house of the Godwins. The sand filled my shoes as I walked up the stairs. I knocked on the door and a girl around my age opened the door.

"I have your delivery," I told her and she nodded, handing me forty dollars and I traded her the bag. I turned away and climbed down the stairs, as I counted the money and put it in my back pocket.

"Y/n?" I turned around to see Topper and Rafe holding golf clubs, "What are you doing here?" Rafe asked with a smile and my heart skipped a beat.

"I'm helping Pope with some deliveries," I told them as they walked closer to me. I looked up at Rafe and notice he had something red, maybe blood, across his cheek. "You have a little... on your cheek," I told him as I motioned to his cheek.

He wiped his cheek and looked back at me, "You're helping Pope?"

"Yeah, makes good money," I replied and he nodded, "Anyways, I should probably head back, it was good seeing you," I told him and I walked away from the two boys.

As y/n walked away, Topper pulled Rafe aside, realizing what was going on. "Dude, are you serious?" Topper asked, golf club in hand, but Rafe was confused. "You and that Pogue chick, are you kidding me,"

"She's not just some Pogue chick," Rafe shot back, defending y/n, even though she wasn't there. "You don't even know her,"

"Yeah, and you do?" Topper snapped and Rafe ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I do. Look, I don't want to start this now, let's just head back," Despite the fact that Topper despised all Pogues with a passion, and that they were dirt under his shoe, he had never seen his best friend act this was around a girl. He wasn't sure when this started but he knew that he needed to have his friends back, no matter the cost.

I met up with JJ as he called Pope's name, talking about how much money he made. As we stepped onto the boat, Pope was quiet, and he quickly pulled away from the dock. "When I say count me in on all these grocery deliveries, Pope, I mean it," JJ commented as we walked into the little captain's area.

"Pope... you okay?" I asked when I realized that he wasn't talking. JJ looked at me then back at Pope.

"Yo, what happened to your face, dude?" JJ asked as he lifted his hat.

"Jesus! What happened?" I exclaimed as I saw the huge cut on his forehead which was still bleeding.

"Rafe and Topper jumped me," Pope said and my eyes widened; that was Pope's blood. "They said no Pogues on their side of the island,"

I could tell that JJ was pissed, his jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed. "Jackasses," I spat as a tear rolled down Pope's cheek. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him while JJ watched the steering wheel.