Adrenaline was pumping through our veins, the rush still racing through our bones. We all were eager to see what was in the envelope, though none more than John B.
I wondered if the envelope really held much, I hoped it had and not only because John B dragged me from my room to do this. John B knew it was from his dad, I believed it I just was skeptical. John B took this as a sign he was alive, I figured it was just something he left.
I stood next to JJ by the counter watching as he grabbed a bag of old bread that was now moldy. The thought of JJ even touching it made me cringe but I watched him smear some jam on it. I felt myself gag, he was going to eat it. I made a disgusted face at the boy, hoping he'd have the common sense to throw it out.
"That bread had mold on it three days ago," Pope said to him. "I'll just pull off the bad parts. Plus, mold is good for you. It's just a natural organism." JJ said, shrugging his shoulders, finishing making his sandwich and walking past me.
"that is fucking disgusting you know that right?" I said, my face twisting as he shrugged his shoulders again.
"JJ!" Kie called out.
"-Yup, yup, yup! Hot damn! Let's do it." JJ said, walking over to the table.
I watched in disgust as JJ proceeded to take a bite of the moldy sandwich he made, although I laughed as soon as he gagged and spat his bite into his hands. The piece was still whole, it hadn't been chewed much. And for some reason, the sandwich stayed in his grip.
"Holy shit." John B let out unfolding a map. "Oh. X marks the spot." Pope said taking a look. All five of us looked at the map trying to make sense of it. " Longitude, latitude. Wait, there's something else in there." John B said, reaching his hand in the bag and pulling out a tape recorder.
"What's that?" JJ said, looking at it.
"It's a tape recorder, dumbass," Kiara let out looking at the boy. JJ sat back down, the tape becoming uninteresting to him now. He picked up the sandwich and brought it to his mouth, about to take another bite. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the bread from his hands, throwing it in the trash can next to us. I hit him in the back of his head as I sat down.
"dumbass" I murmured under my breath.
I focused back on John B, he was about to press the side and play the tape. My full attention went to listening to whatever came out. "Dear Bird." A man's voice filled the room. I let out a breath and my gaze focused on John B.
"Who's Bird?" JJ asked.
"That's what my dad called me." John B said, looking back at me. "I hate to say, "I told you so,' but I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspect at this moment, you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet, kid. I didn't expect to find the Merchant either." We all shared a look.
"You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly Father of the Decade. What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar shack down in Costa Rica, living off passive investments and pulling on permits. If not, and you find this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the wreck of the Merchant. If something happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kid. I love you, Bird, even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side." The tape cut, static playing, and John B clicked the player off.
John B got up from his seat and started to walk away from the group, breaking down at the side of the door frame. I could swear I felt my heart shatter as I looked at him. I turned my head, and none of the pogues knew what to do. I stood from my seat, not knowing if John B wanted this or not. I looked at Kiara who gave me a nod.
I took quiet steps, placing a hand on John B's arm, in an attempt to comfort the boy. He didn't stay for long, shrugging my hand off and walking out the back door.
"Holy shit, he did it! Big John-- He found the Merchant" JJ let out, shock evident in his voice. "Can you... can you please?" Kiara scoffed looking at him like he was insensitive. "Sorry." He apologized.
I stayed in the door frame, I couldn't really focus on anything other than John B and that scared me. He was consuming my thoughts and I felt suffocated by it. I wasn't one to get attached to someone after only knowing them for three days.
I looked back at the pogues, they were talking at the table and I didn't feel like I belonged there, truly I didn't think I belonged outside where John B was either but I made a decision. Even if he didn't want me there, John B shouldn't be alone.
My footsteps lead me through the back door and down to the dock. Somewhere I would have gone if I needed air. I took a deep breath, I looked over to John B who was leaning on the post of the dock as he looked out at the water. The waves were calm, the air quite still at the moment. There was only a light breeze, but it still felt nice against my skin.
I saw the way his eyes glimmered against the water, he really did have pretty eyes. I shook the thought from my head, approaching him slowly.
"Hey," I said, making my presence known. I stood next to him, looking out at the water too. I couldn't help but feel at peace there, in John B's presence.
"hey," He responded, numbly. He didn't seem to bother looking over at me. Just straight out, his vision only on the water. But the more I looked at him I could tell he wasn't looking at anything, not even the water. He was so in his head that everything else was blocked off.
"Listen, I know I didn't really think much about this all but this is something. Even if it's not huge." I told him, my eyes falling on the side of his face.
"yeah, I just wish I knew where he was" He admitted, and I sucked in a breath, trying not to say anything that would upset the boy.
"things are going to be okay" I reassured him, placing a hand over his on the railing. He finally looked over to me, this time not moving from my touch.
He watched me as I looked out at the water. He relaxed into my touch, looking back out to the water himself. The two of us just stood there in silence looking out at the water, our hands intertwined on the railing. Even though it wasn't much, the thought of it gave me butterflies. I felt so small, like a schoolgirl with a crush.
It didn't take long for the pogues to come out, John B and I moved our hands apart and I lifted myself so I was sitting on the railing.
Kiara had brought out her ukulele and she was fooling around and playing it, JJ weirdly dancing along to it causing me to laugh, getting off the railing and joining JJ.
Pope was hyping the two of us up and Kiara began playing faster music.
Once I had sat down again I looked over to John B, a smile still spread across my face. I sat back on the railing, the pogues going into a conversation about the royal merchant.
"How much was it again?" JJ asked, looking towards John B. "Four hundred mil," Pope answered as he tossed rocks into the water. I grabbed a rock from Pope's hand and tossed it, the rock skipping along the water slightly before sinking.
"All right, let's talk about the split. Now, before we say evenly, may I remind you that I am the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us. Protection? Not cheap, okay?" JJ said, holding his gun up.
I heard Kiara scoff lightly, focusing her vision on the blonde boy. "You haven't trained. You've done zero training." Pope argued. "YouTube, bro! That's at least a five percent bump right there. Any objections? Didn't think so.
"Yeah," Pope said, objecting. I watched as Kiara lifted up her hand."I don't hear any, so." JJ shrugged, ignoring the two.
"Okay well, what are you gonna do with your money, Pope?" Kiara asked, changing the subject. "Pay for college in advance. And also, textbooks. Those are expensive." Pope said having a reasonable but boring plan. I shifted in my spot, John B placing his arm out so I could use it to help. I smiled and held on making sure I wouldn't fall.
"What about you, Kie?" JJ asked the girl. "Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's rich?" Pope said, looking at the girl laughing a bit. "Just wanna make a double album. About OBX, the Pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. Record it at Marley Studio, Peter Tosh producing."
"Peter Tosh is dead." "Peter Tosh is dead. I know." Kiara said at the same time as Pope
"Spirit of Peter Tosh will never die." She continued raising her beer.
"I know what I'll do. I'm gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go, full Kook." JJ said smiling. "You're gonna go, full Kook?" Pope scoffed. "Yup. Gonna get a marble statue of myself, and then I'm gonna get a koi pond. Put a bunch of those fish" JJ said getting cut off by Kiara "I'm never visiting."
"What about you princess?" JJ asked me, and I laughed at him. "oh I am not a part of this thing" I said, not feeling like it was my place to invade.
"Oh you absolutely are," JJ argued and Kiara laughed. "I think it's time to grant you pogue status" She agreed, looking over at me. "Hmm, so does pogue status at least help get me into places?" I joked.
"more like kicked out" JJ teased, the group laughing. "But for real, pogue status is granted unless someone here has an objection," Kiara said, pausing.
"Everybody in favor of Laney joining the pogues?" She asked, each of the pogues raising their hand. I smiled, laughing slightly at JJ who was sticking his entire arm up, even getting on his tippy toes.
"Okay, so now that that's decided, what would you do with the money?" Pope asked me, and I took a second to think.
"I don't know, give some to my brother, enough for him to go back to school maybe. Start my own nonprofit organization for endangered animals" My comment made Kiara raise her beer as a toast. I couldn't really think of what I would actually do with all that money.
"Okay so, what are you gonna do, John B?" I asked, looking at the boy. He was silent for a moment but raised his beer to his friends. "To going, full Kook." He said looking at each of them, pausing at me. "To going full kook" The pogues cheered, each rising their beers and taking a sip.
I took a sip too, trying not to let the pogue status scare me off.