zia
"What's this?" JJ leans forward and touches the joystick (or whatever the fancy term for it is ) on the console.
"Don't touch that." Pope smacks his hand away.
JJ says something about the drone while John B pretends to brush his teeth in the camera.
"It's not a drone. It's an ROV, it-" Pope begins to attempt to educate JJ.
"Shut up. Shut up. It's too early for that right now." JJ cuts him off.
I walk up next to JJ and push myself up onto the railing.
"Hey." He says quietly with a smile.
"Hi." I say back, with the same devilish smile.
We gaze into each other's eyes, and watch as our eyes flicker back and forth towards our lips.
God, I love this feeling.
But, the moment was soon ruined when John B and Kie emerged from the water, ripping my attention from JJ.
"Hey, once we get footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim." John B says as he attempts to catch his breath after being under water for so long.
"It's bullshit. Why do we have to do that?" JJ asks as leans against the railing.
"Well there is maritime salvage law. You can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a bunch of stuff up." Pope says as he comes up from the other side of JJ.
"I know. I know. It's just, lawyers aren't cheep, bro." JJ complains.
"Well good thing we'll have 80 millions dollars and we won't have to worry about it." I says with a smile as slide my fingers through his blonde hair and ruffle it, annoying him. He squints his eyes a little and lays attention to what John B is saying.
"As soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp." John B says as if we should know that.
"How do you know that?" Kie asks.
"Because my dad said it, like, a million times."
"That's fair." She replies as she swims back to the ladder.
"This tether is like, really long. In the wrong weather, it could get pushed around." Pope says, holding the bright yellow tether in his hand and gazing at it.
"So we'll go at dead calm." John B suggests.
"At slack tide?" I ask.
"Yeah. So now, we just gotta wait around for the right weather." John B says as a large thunder cloud rolls in from a distance.
"And today is not that day." Pope says. I watch as JJ turns to the thunder cloud, and turns back with a turnt up nose.
~
"You three get these groceries over to Figure Eight. Get straight back here when you're done. And no fishin'!" Heyward says as Pope, JJ, and I grab bags of groceries from him and set them on the boat.
Since I have a job at The Wreck, I usually wouldn't be doing this. Sure, extra cash is nice, but delivering groceries to a bunch of douches on Figure Eight isn't exactly my dream job. But, a few nights ago, the Pogues and I were out until 3:00 am, and the next morning I forgot cash. I had to bribe Heyward to give me a coffee in exchange for me helping out with today's delivery.
"I promised delivery this afternoon. Rich folks don't wanna wait for you lazy sons of.." Heyward starts, but pauses when he sees JJ with his arms out, already ready to help.
"Aww. JJ, thank you." He coos as he sets the bags on JJs arms, the weight causing him to drop his arms to his side.
"...sons of bitches." Heyward finishes, causing me to laugh.
We finished loading the groceries, and left the dock.
"So who's gonna take the golf course route, the dock route, and who's taking the housing track area?" I ask, attempting to sort through the bags.
"I'll take the housing track." JJ says as twirls a knife around in his fingers.
"Okay, Pope?" I say.
"I'll take the dock." Pope says.
"That leaves me with the golf course. Great." I say sarcastically.
I have done deliveries before, of course. I get the golf course every now and then, but I hate it. It's filled with Kooks, and there's a shit ton of uphill walking.
"I'll take it, if you want." JJ offers.
"No, it's fine. I'll suck it up." I say as I stand up and walk past the bags, into the captains room.
I walk up behind JJ and lean my head on his shoulder, watching as he plays with his luck and almost chops off his fingers. He wraps his free hand around my waist and pulls me in.
I practically melt into his chest.
And there it was.
That feeling.
The feeling of tranquility, and relaxation, and calmness.
The feeling I craved for almost always.
But the feeling that was once so rare, except now.
"Doesn't even look like the storm hit there." Pope says disgustedly as we pass a housing track on Figure Eight.
"That's because they got generators, bro. Get used to it." JJ speaks loudly.
"And then they say that the juice will be put all summer at The Cut." JJ adds, making another turn.
"Must be nice to be a Kook, huh?" I say as I step away from JJ and sit down on the seat next to Pope.
"Lucky bastards." The blond scoffs.
~
The hot wind is brushing against my skin as I walk through the golf course, bags of groceries in hand. My legs are already killing me from all of this bullshit uphill walking.
I'm almost done with my deliveries, I just have one house left.
"Hey, what's up?" I hear a familiar voice from behind me.
I turn around, only to see Rafe and Topper following me. Well, Rafe was following me, and Topper was kind of cowering behind Rafe with a scared look on his face.
Fucking great.
"Hey, how much for one of those beers?" Rafe asks, pointing his golf club at the box of beers I'm holding.
"They aren't for sale." I say annoyed, attempting to leave the two blondes behind.
"Oh wait, wait." Rafe runs up from behind me and puts his hand out, preventing me from walking any further.
"You can just give us one then right?" He ignorantly suggests.
"Are you dumb? Just order one like everybody else. Get out of my way, Cameron." I say with an attitude, attempting to push past him.
I barely get past him before he puts his hand on my shoulder and lightly pushes me back. I let out a scoff.
"You're not listening to me, you've got so many, Zia. And we- well, we've got nothing." Rafe scratches his nose and points to the box.
"First of all, they aren't mine. They're already paid for. And secondly, in what fucking world would I willingly give you a beer?" I cock my head and look him up and down.
"I doubt people paid for 'em. You probably stole 'em, right?" Before I could move, Rafe brought forward his golf club and stuck the tip into the bag, ripping it open, the contents falling all over the floor.
"What the fuck, Rafe?! You owe me for that!" I yell, lifting the other bag up to point at him, only for him to knock the other bag out of my hand.
"I don't owe you shit Pogue." He spits.
"Now give us a beer." He walk towards me and attempts to take the beer out of my hand.
I resist, pulling back and pushing him away. But considering he's so much taller than me, it was very difficult.
"Rafe, come on man." Topper says, attempting to diffuse the situation.
Rafe ignores him and continues to fight with me over the beer.
"Fuck off, Rafe!" I yell, trying to pull away from him, only for him to shove my shoulder, sending me crashing into the ground. My head hits a big rock and a sting gets sent through my body as I groan out in pain.
"Oh shit." Topper mutters.
I prop myself up on my elbow, as I do so, I feel a warm trickle of liquid go down my neck. I move my hand to where my head came in contact with the rock, only to feel blood all around the area.
"Fuck you Rafe." I say, spitting out the little blood that's coming out of my mouth.
"What was that, Zia?" He cocks his head at me.
"Fuck. You." I grit through my teeth.
"I'd be careful who you're talking to!" He yells as he lifts up the golf club sending it flying down right next to my arm, allowing it to slice it open. Not too deep, but enough to bleed.
I hiss in pain, dropping back down to the floor.
"Okay, Rafe! Come on, man! Let's go!" Topper pulls him away from me.
"Stay off Figure Eight, Pogue!" Rafe gets one last word out as I sit on ground rubbing my head, watching the two blondes run a corner and disappear behind a tree.
I immediately begin to dig around in my pockets to try and find my vape, only to remember that JJ had taken it this morning.
"Fucking great." I mutter, pushing myself off of the floor.
Now I'm gonna have to explain to Heyward why one of his deliveries didn't get delivered.
I begin to walk back to the boat, groaning in pain and rubbing my head on the way there.
You know, maybe it's better if I don't walk back covered in blood. It might draw suspicion, and what happens if I pass a cop?
I quickly take my black sweater off from around my waist and pull it on, covering the bleeding wound on my arm. My hair basically covered the hole in my head well enough.
I walk down the dock, only to see that Pope was already in the captains seat, waiting for JJ and I to return.
"Hey, how'd the deliveries go?" Pope asked happily as he turned the chair to face me.
"Just fucking perfect." I say sarcastically as I sit down on the bench.
"What happened? And why the hell are you wearing a hoodie? It's like a thousand degrees out." He tells me.
"Nothing, just the fact that Rafe's a fucking bitch." I spit through my teeth, resting my head on my hand.
"Why- Zia? What's on your hand?" Pope stops in the middle of his question only to ask another.
"Hmm?" I hum, lifting my head off of my hand and looking at it. I watch as the little bit of blood trickles down my arm, and land on the floor of the boat. I look down to see a few drops of blood next to my foot.
"Damn it!" I jump up from the bench, trying to prevent my crimson red blood from getting on the white seat.
Pope gets up too, he wanders over to me and places a finger on my wound.
I hiss and try to smack his hand away.
"The fuck is wrong with you? Ow!" I duck from his touch.
"Did Rafe do that?" Pope asks with wide eyes.
I nod.
"And this." I pull up my sweater sleeve.
"Oh my God!" Pope yells at the sight of my cut.
"Ar- are you okay?" He stutters.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." I assure him, I step back onto the dock and run my arm through the water in an attempt to clean it off a little.
"Guys! You are not going to believe what just happened to me, man! Woah!" A familiar voice booms from down the dock.
I jump up from the water and dry my arm, jumping back into the boat.
"Not a word of this to JJ. Who knows what he'll do." I harshly whisper to Pope. He nods and we watch as the blond comes bolting down the dock.
"That was the best hundred bucks I've ever made! When I say 'count me in on all of these deliveries' Pope, I mean it." JJ says through breathes as he steps onto the boat. I sit back down in the bench and Pope falls into the captains seat.
"Good tip, I'm guessing?" I say with a smile.
"Very." He nods.
I smile and look down at the floor.
Fuck.
I forgot to wipe up the fucking blood on the floor.
Before I had a chance to hide it from JJ, he already saw it.
"Why the fuck is there blood all over the boat?" JJ spit, immediately knowing something happened.
I close my eyes, hoping that Pope will figure out a lie. I hear nothing but silence.
"Z?" I hear JJ's footsteps approach me. I open my eyes, only to be greeted with looking down at my arm. The arm that I forgot to pull the sweater sleeve down on.
How the hell am I so bad at this?
"What the fuck is that?" JJ says angrily.
"Nothing. I slipped." I lie straight through my teeth.
JJ cocks his head and furrows his brows. He turns up his nose and says "Mhm. Yeah, okay. Pope!" He whips around and walks towards Pope.
"What the hell happened to Z?" JJ almost yells.
"I- I-" Pope stutters, his eyes bouncing between JJ and I.
"Some Kooks jumped her." Pope shrugs.
Okay. Not exactly lying but not exactly telling the truth. Respect.
"Which Kooks?" JJ says angrily.
"JJ, it's not that big of a deal. All they did was push me, it's fine." I try to assure him.
"Who's 'they', Zia?!" He yells again.
"Rafe and Topper!" I yell, not wanting to argue.
JJs eyes widen and he steps forward.
"You okay?" He says quietly.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Kind of tired, though." I smile.
"No, Zia. You can't fall asleep. What if you have a concussion?" Pope blurts out from the captains seat.
My head whips towards Pope, who's already covered his loud mouth with his hand.
"Why would you have a concussion?" JJ asks.
There's no point in trying to avoid this.
"I fell, my head hit a rock." I shrug as if it's no big deal.
Since JJ is a bit taller than me, he was already towering over my head in an attempt to look for a bruise or something.
"Jesus!" He shouts, throwing his hands down.
"That's not a little fall, Z!" He yells.
I stay quiet, afraid that if I say something he'll just get more angry.
"You know what? We're going off route today." JJ waves to Pope, and Pope gets off the captains seat. JJ takes a seat and starts the boat.
"JJ, what are you doing?" I shake my head.
"No ones gonna treat you like that and get away with it. Not while I'm around." JJ seethes through his teeth as he drives away from the dock.
I've gotta say, JJ being so protective of me is kind of nice.
"Don't do anything stupid, man." Pope says sternly.
JJ ignored him and continued driving to God knows where.
This can't be good.
~
"2020 Malibu, 24-MZC. The worlds finest wake setter." Pope says as we all watch the expensive ass boat float in the water.
"Number one in quality, luxury, and performance." JJ adds.
"Guys, we can't do this." I say, trying to prevent a lawsuit.
"This is war, Z. They hit us, we hit them." JJ confirms, putting his hand on my shoulder.
I look back at the boat, and remembered how badly that rock hurt.
"Fine." I say flatly, keeping my eyes on the boat.
"Do it." I hear JJ say.
I whip my head up, only to see Pope diving into the water.
I had no idea it was going to be Pope.
"This won't end well, will it?" I say, watching Pope climb into the fancy boat.
"Probably not." JJ says flatly.
"Great." I say, rubbing the cut on my arm.
JJ notices, and takes off his bandana.
He grabs my arm gently and ties the bandana around the cut.
"Thanks." I say quietly.
"Always." JJ looks up at me, and our eyes lock.
I feel like I'm falling through them. Falling into this deep ocean that I'll never be able to swim out of. Falling into an ocean that will inevitably be the death of me.
Our moment is soon ruined when Pope emerges from the water, gasping for air.
"Wow, you did it." JJ says with a smile as he watches Pope hold up a metal gear.
"I'm so proud of you right now! Holy crap!" JJ shots with excitement as I bend down to help Pope climb back onto the boat.
"JJ? Zia?" Pope asks seriously.
"Yeah?" JJ says breathlessly.
"Hm?" I hum.
"You can't tell anybody. I'm serious, not Kie, not John B. Nobody." Pope stresses.
"Of course, man." I assure.
"Yup, my lips are sealed. Give me that." JJ reaches forward and grabs the metal gear out of Popes hand and throws it far into the ocean. We watch as the boat slowly begins to sink into the water.
"Okay, let's go!" I yell, running into the captains room.
Okay yes ik this was short af but I've been busy and wanted to get this chapter out soon since I've taken so long to update so here I go 😁 also the chapter is shit and I didn't read it over so there might be mistakes so just ignore them