L I K E Y O U D C A R E
"I wasn't that drunk" JJ says to us, referring back to last night.
"You tried to color my face with highlighter, because you said I was important" I respond.
"Because you are" fake cries JJ. I give him a quick smile as a boat approaches. I know, from now on, you can't talk to JJ anymore. Once he sees an expensive boat, he tells all about it.
JJ whistles "you guys see that?"
We sit on the HMS Pogue, us girls in bikinis, the guys topless.
"That's the Malibu 24-MXZ, the world's finest wakesetter. Number one in luxury, quality, and performance." JJ sits at the top of the boat, with his sunglasses on. I try my best not to stare at JJ's upper body the whole time. And JJ seems to try the same in reverse.
"200k, easy," he adds.
"We picked the wrong parents," Pope says.
"I hate to break it to you guys, but that's Topper and his girlfriend" Kiara looks over at the two on the boat. "You don't have to act like you don't see us, bitch" she calls after them.
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"All right, keep a look out. We're behind enemy lines" JJ, sitting in the passenger seat of the bus, reloads the gun. We stop in front of a hotel.
"Yo, come on, man. Just put it back" says John b.
"You can never be too careful"
"Hey" Pope leans against the door to JJ. "I predict that bringing a weapon to a four-star hotel will likely cause more problems than they solve."
"Thank you Pope" John b mumbles.
"Yes JJ put that thing away" I take the gun from his hand. But he just takes it back again.
"I swear to god, I'm gonna throw that thing in the ocean, JJ. Put it back!" Kiara gets off the bus. John b grabs the gun and puts it away. "There you go"
"You can't grab a gun like that" JJ criticizes. "Can't forget my badge" he holds up his badge. "Professional busboy"
"So where are we going now?" Pope asks critically, as we are going towards the hotel.
"We're getting on the internet, because only rich people have electricity right now" JJ explains as we walk into the hotel, through the kitchen.
"Andrew! What's up bro?" JJ says to a man in the kitchen. "Mama L, good to see you!" JJ takes a schrimp from his plate.
"Hey, no! JJ!" She swats his hand away with a wooden spoon.
"Uh-huh" he mumbles back. "See, they got the backup generators going? Kooks don't miss a beat"
JJ leads us into a room with computers.
"Sweet Lord, the internet!" Pope runs toward the computer as JJ opens the door for us. "I've missed you."
"Let me get in there" JJ says, closing the room, then leans on my shoulders. "Gotta check out my insta models" I gives him a confused look. "Just kidding, sweetie" he whispers.
"We don't have time for that" Kiara says annoyed.
"Hey, hey, hey. I got the map!" John B puts the map on the table.
"Coordinates, please?"
"34° 57' 30" north. 75° 55' 42" west" John b reads aloud as Pope enters it into the computer. "Boom, continental shelf right there".
"Okay well, if it's off the deep end, it's not gonna be much of a treasure hunt, is it?" Pope looks questioningly at John b, who shrugs his shoulders in response.
"Come on, baby. Come on," says JJ from behind. The computer zooms in closer and closer to the coordinates.
"Shit, it's on the high side. It's only 900 feet," Pope gives John B a puzzled look.
"That's not too deep" JJ looks at the others.
"Is that doable or something?" Asks kiara.
"Yeah, totally doable."
"Okay, will we be taking your personal submarine?" Pope looks up at JJ questioningly.
"How do you know this, Mr. Dive Master?" John b asks the blond.
"The salvage yard. They got a drone that can drop a 1000. It has a 360 camera and everything. It's for like deep dives and stuff. It's exactly what we need" JJ informs us.
"Aaand, can your dad get his grimy little hands on that?" John b questions.
"Well, my dad's grimy little hands got his ass fired. I guess the salvage captain frowns on showing up shitfaced, turns out" JJ sighs. "But the drone's there. It's in the impound yard out back."
"How much did you say was on the Royal Merchant again?" Kiara asks.
"400 mil" say John b and JJ at the same time.
Pope gets up and stands in front of the door. "Pope! Move." Kiara gets up and goes to him.
"No. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. No!" Says Pope but Kiara shoves Pope aside. "Guys, that's too—"
"Come on" the three of them run out and Pope and I end up following them.
"Can't we do anything legal for money?"
I just sigh, going after them.
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"I can't believe we're actually doing this" Pope sighs in disbelief as we sit on the porch of the chateau to plan how to proceed.
"Come on Pope, it's the majority. Four against one, I'm just sayin" says Kiara.
"Actually—" I stand up and lean against the railing. "--I agree with Pope."
"Thank you!" Says Pope, relieved.
"Wait, what?" John b gives me a confused look.
"Yes JB, it's fucking illegal and dangerous. It would just be stupid to do that."
"Stupid?"
"Yeah, stupid. Just like everything else we've been doing the last few days because of—" I stop short, not finishing the sentence.
"Go ahead and say it," John b says, raising a hand.
"--because of you." I mumble.
"All right, here we go," John B mumbles with an ironic laugh.
"This is all crazy, John b. You're playing with your life here. All because of someone who disappeared a year ago!"
"Someone?!" John b comes closer to me. "Fuck Emilia, you're talking about our father! Our dad, who loved us, who we love. He was looking for this gold, and I'm going to end it!"
I feel a stabbing pain in my heart, as he yells at me. I know it's stupid but I'm the kind of person, that when someone yells at me, I just can't help but cry. So I do everything to hold it back.
"But you just put others in danger! John b how selfish do you have to be?"
"Oh wow" he mumbles.
"You're looking for something without thinking about the consequences and without any proof. That's pathetic."
"Yo Em" interrupts Kiara.
"Pathetic? Me?" John b is getting louder. "What about the girl that locks herself in her room at night and cries by herself? That keeps it all inside, and just "doesn't want to draw attention to herself."" John B makes quotation marks with his hands, making a little fun of me, his sister.
"Woah, easy man" JJ stands up, trying to calm his friend down.
"You think I want to lose someone else?" I get tears in my eyes. "I lost my dad too. And if you keep this up, I'm going to lose you too! Do you think I want that?" I say, upset, a tear rolling down my face.
"Yeah, maybe, yeah! Like you'd care. You didn't care when dad disappeared, and you still don't!" Shouts John b. That hurt.
"Yo John b!" Says JJ coming closer.
"Doesn't seem like we ever mattered to you at all!" shouts John b in conclusion.
"Enough!" Shouts JJ and grabs John b by his shirt.
I just run into the chateau to my room. I burst into tears and just hear Jj yelling at my brother.
"Have you lost your mind?!" JJ lets go of John B's shirt and yells at him.
"Wha-"
"That's your sister! You know exactly what she's going through right now! And you get the idea to throw things like that at her?"
"Oh my god JJ! It's always the same with her. I'm right about what I said I—"
"No you're not! You are not." JJ takes a step closer to him. "Do you think if she didn't care about you that she would be worried about your life? Do you think that if she didn't care when your dad disappeared that she would be crying herself to sleep every night?" JJ pulls his finger on the boy and John b is at a loss for words.
"Exactly! I know for a fact that you're going through the same thing she is, so don't give me that. But just because she doesn't show her feelings, does that mean you have to yell things like that at her?"
„Oh why do you care? Because you fucked her? Yeah that's probably—„
„Shut up, man! Don't bring that up now. I apologised and you said that its forgotten. So stop that!"
"Why do you care so much then? You weren't there! How would you know what she's like or how much she cares if you weren't there?" As John b says this, JJ clenches his jaw and looks off to the side with kind of an aggressive smile.
"Oh I was there John b." He looks back to the boy. "How many times was I there for her, and you weren't! So many times I'm with her when she gets panic attacks again. And you? She always cares for you and you don't care for her one bit, but still, still you mean to tell her that you don't matter to her!"
"I—I didn't know—"
"Of course you didn't know that! How could you, if you think you weren't worth anything to her? But now you know, so now go in there and apologize!" JJ takes a deep breath and gives the boy a serious look.
John b is shocked, and doesn't move a bit. So, instead, JJ goes into my room.
I sit on my bed crying. My eyes are red and swollen and the picture of my dad is on the bed again. I just pretend that I didn't listen to what they were saying.
"Don't beat yourself up" he says and gives me a tight hug. I cry into his shoulder. "I think there's someone who wants to tell you something," he looks over at the door frame where John B is standing. JJ gets up and walks out of the room.
"Hey Emmi" John B sits down next to me on the bed. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of that. I know how much you've always cared about me and dad. And I didn't know how many times you had panic attacks and JJ was with you. I would have been with you if I had known."
"But you weren't" I sob.
"I know. And I'm so sorry for that. But I need my sister with me. I can't go through this without you. I know I'm freaking out a little bit, but I just need to know the truth. And I know you don't believe in finding dad anymore, but I need clarity." He looks into my eyes, waiting.
"I know JB. I'll be there, no matter when. But please don't put yourself in danger like this all the time. I couldn't stand to lose you" he hugs me tightly.
"I promise."