SALVAGE YARD
"Pope we are not stealing the drone, we are borrowing it" John b drives the bus to the salvage yard.
"Humans are the only animals that can't tell fantasy from reality" Pope explains, sitting in the back with JJ and me. JJ rolls a joint.
"Wait, did you come up with that?"
"Albert Bernstein came up with that, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing".
"So, which is it?" Pope turns to John b. "Fantasy, or reality?"
"Why are you so weird, Pope?" the blond questions.
"It's fantasy, but possible reality" Kiara replies, looking over at John b.
"Reality" smiles John b.
"Virtual reality" mumbles JJ, lighting his joint. Pope gives me a little smirk and I flick the joint out of JJ's hand in response.
"Keep the signal clear" Pope says with a smile, and JJ gives us both an annoyed look. We then stop and get off the bus.
"You know what your problem is?" asks JJ.
"You?" replies Pope.
"No! It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense!"
"I mean, he's right about that." I murmur in agreement.
"I'm not too tense!"
"Hey, Kie!" I give the girl a small smile. "Keep the man busy."
"I will!" laughs Kiara back.
The plan is for Kiara to distract security while we somehow get the drone.
"still don't understand why she's doing this, I mean you're way hotter than her" JJ mumbles to me.
"Um, because you wouldn't let me?" I look at the boy with a questioning look.
"Right..." JJ turns to John b. We hide, waiting for security to come out. "How's it going with Kiara?"
"It's not awkward, weird, or anything" John b replies wryly.
"Honestly, I didn't think you were actually gonna listen to me." smiles JJ.
"Yeah, because it's best no one listens to you" JJ lightly nudges me in response.
"What?" whispers John b.
"I was 100 percent sure that she was into you, man.... Pope would agree"
"Ehh..." Pope shakes his head slightly.
"So, like, Kie, she, like, definitely gave you the Heisman?" JJ turns back to John b.
"Oh, no question. Yup," nods John b.
"Gotcha." chuckles JJ.
"Maybe she's just into somebody else" says Pope we all turn to him, giving him a confused look.
"Go, go, go, go!" the four run in as fast as they can while security is still out. JJ tries to open the lock with the code he has written on a piece of paper.
"Do you have the right numbers?" asks Pope.
"All right, so I might have the wrong numbers." JJ notes.
"Goooood." I sigh.
"Ah, damn it!" exclaims Pope as a dog comes running.
"Oh! Hey! Hey, hey" says JJ to the dog as John b runs away.
"That's a cougar. Never mind."
"No, stay there! Good boy. No, you're okay" JJ runs off to distract the dog I run after him.
"JJ he's only going to get angrier this way, you need to stay calm!" I call softly. I love dogs more than anything. I always have, and I've always wanted one. So I know a little bit about them.
"Pope, run!" yells JJ.
"Back off! Back off! Back off!" Pope flails wildly with some kind of pipe.
"I got a toy, boy!" shouts JJ, holding up a rag as the dog comes running."Wait, no. I was just kidding. Shit! Okay, sit!" JJ runs away from the dog, and I run after him, hoping to "save" JJ somehow. I wonder what his thought process was, holding up the toy, then running away with it.
We run up onto a ship to hide.
"What's that, huh? What's that, Tebow?" I hear a man say.
"Whoever's up there better come on out!" he yells. "I mean it!"
"Fuck, JJ, he's got a gun" I whisper as I take a quick glance at the security man. This is, as Pope would say, suboptimal.
"Don't make me go up there and get your ass!"
"Shit." whispers JJ. "Wait, Bobby" JJ takes my hand, stands up and pulls me up with him. Then he raises both hands in the air.
"Don't shoot. It's me, JJ. Luke's kid?"
"What are you doin'?" the security puts the gun back in his pocket.
"I swear, okay? I didn't want to, okay?" JJ's voice starts to crack. "My dad made me"
"Don't you lie" the man points a finger at JJ.
"He's telling the truth, sir" I say.
"Who are you?"
"This is Emilia, my girlfriend" says JJ. I kind of get a slight tingle in my stomach at his words, even though this is a serious situation right now. I so often forget that I have a boyfriend. That doesn't mean anything good, and everyone knows it.
"He told me Captain Leo kept his cutting torch" JJ breathes shakily. "You know, after he got fired. He said if I didn't get it for him, he was gonna...." JJ gets tears in his eyes. "..he was gonna hit me again"
I know how much JJ is hurting, even if it's all an act right now, in some way it's not an act. And I know it, so I hold his hand tight.
"Son of a bitch!" the man says.
"I'm sorry"
"Come on down you two. I almost killed you!"
"I know" snorts JJ and we go downstairs.
"Here, come on, come on." says the man to his dog.
"I'll just come up with somethin'. Tell him I couldn't find it" sobs JJ.
"Mm-hm. All right, all right"
"Sorry" JJ and I walk away from the security. JJ looks over at me and gives me a slight smirk.
"Girlfriend, huh?" I smile at him.
„Yeah, would be gerat, right?" He smirks. Yeah, would've been.
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"Stealing drones makes you hungry" says Kiara, getting out of the bus parked in front of the Wreck.
"What I would do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now" sighs JJ.
"It wouldn't be pretty" notes Pope. We walk into the wreck.
"Hey, dad" Kiara walks over to her dad and hugs him in greeting. Meanwhile, we walk over and stand in a corner. Kiara and her dad give us a quick look, and we just wave in response, while JJ gives him a peace with his fingers.
"Sit, down." Kiara says to us after a little conversation with her dad.
"Oh!" Groans John b out of delight, and we stand up.
--———————————-
At dinner, Kiara suddenly stands up and lures John b over with her finger to dance. As the two dance, I briefly look up at JJ, sitting across from me.
"No. Oh, no, no, no," he says, shaking his head.
"Come on, Jay."
"Let me have some fun" I smile.
"I- Mia..."
He always says I'm too shy and too tense, but then doesn't want to dance with me. He should take the chance...
"JJ when are you going to get another chance to dance with me so soon please?" I raise my eyebrows and that's when the boy doesn't hesitate.
"Well, persuaded" he stands up and holds his hand out to me. "My lady" he chuckles.
We all dance, having fun together while Pope sits alone and eats his food. Sounds sad already, I think so too. So I lure him to me and JJ with my finger.
"Ohh come on, I have you to myself for once" JJ grumbles softly.
"Don't be an ass" I whisper back as Pope gets up and walks over to the two of us. I love spending time with my friends more than anything. We just always have fun together, and always have a good time. I appreciate that so much.