fade away youth// rafe cameron

13-IN A WORLD OF BLACK AND WHITE

"Um..." John B starts.

"This is gonna be good," I taunt.

"Sarah, um, she-she got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and that's where I got the letter," John B explains.

"You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?" Kiara asks.

"Yeah, um..." John B starts.

"He was mackin' on her," JJ states.

"I wasn't macking," John B states.

"You were totally macking Sarah Cameron," JJ argues.

"I wasn't macking on her, okay? I was using her for access," John B says.

"There was access, all right," JJ mutters.

"Did you tell her about the treasure?" Kie asks.

"I was trying to get into the archives," John B reasons.

"Is that a yes?" Kie asks.

"I... I left out key details," John B states.

"Yo, what? You let a Kook in on our secret? What about Pogue Lyfe? What about the T-shirt company, bro?" Kie questions.

"I was just using her for information," John B insists.

Kie gives him a look. "Why don't I believe you?"

"I'm trying to make us filthy rich here. Okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or... or, uh..." John B gestures to Pope, "Send you to autopsy school to study dead bodies. Look, you guys know me. Do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?"

"Uh..." I trail off.

"Do you want us to answer that, or..." Pope starts.

John B waves his hand. "Just... just stop."

"Look, you don't know her yet. I do! You can't trust her," Kiara warns.

"What did she do to you, exactly?" JJ asks Kie.

"She's like a... like a spitting cobra. First, she... she blinds you, and then..."

Pope cuts her off, "This is a bad analogy."

"Listen to me!" Kie shouts. "Whatever we get, she's gonna try to take."

We pull up to the Hawk's Nest where we're supposed to be meeting Sarah.

"All right. Hit it, boys! We're goin'. Recon mission," JJ states.

John B turns around to face us. "Yo, uh... so, uh, I think I'm gonna do this one by myself... tonight."

Kie looks annoyed and I don't blame her.

"Really?" I ask.

"What?" John B questions.

I shake my head. "Nothin'."

"I just don't want to spook Sarah with the peanut gallery," John B explains.

"I just don't understand why we're involving her at all," Kie states.

"Kie, we're not involving her, okay?" John B says. Kie makes a face at him. "It's... it's just, uh, like a... a business meeting... thing." He gulps. "Look, once we get what we need, we cut her loose, all right? Plus, we need the map."

"Promise me nothing's happening between you," Kie demands.

"Nothing is happening, Kie," John B assures.

"I'm being serious," Kie states.

"Okay!" John B says.

"This isn't about you, and this isn't about us. This is about her. Dude, she's gonna get inside your head. Just promise me nothing's happening between you guys," Kie states.