The room I woke up in felt unfamiliar. I slowly opened my eyes, barely awake. I took in my surroundings, my eyes scanning the room. It was the Chateau. I couldn't remember falling asleep there. The last thing I could think of was sitting on the dock with the pogues, drinking to going, full kook.
I let the thoughts of John B and me on the dock flood my mind, replaying the small moment we had. I had no idea why I felt the way I did around him.
The cold air brushed against my bare skin, my tank top and shorts leaving most of my skin exposed. A small blanket covered me and Kiara who lay sleeping next to me. I shuddered, the air sending shivers down my back.
I was barely awake when JJ came rushing into the room, yelling about god knows what. "JJ shut up" Kiara whined, grabbing a pillow and shoving it onto her face. I let out a groan, rolling over and planting my face into the pillow as I lay on my stomach.
JJ somehow took that as a request to jump on us. He flopped onto the bed earning groans from both of us. "JJ get off of us" I yelled, my voice muffled by the pillow. JJ huffed and moved off us but proceeded to grab a pillow we weren't using and attack us with it.
"We're up!" I yelled, grabbing the pillow from JJ's grasp. The boy stayed for a second but after looking at my expression, started running.
"How cozy," John B said, exiting his room as JJ zipped past him. Kiara and I looked at each other and laughed, both of us grabbing a pillow and chasing after JJ.
Eventually, JJ surrendered and we stopped pummelling him with the pillows. Laughs escaped our mouths as we tried to stay serious.
"So now what?" Pope asked, somehow sleeping through all the screaming that had taken place. I wished I could have been a heavy sleeper after always being woken up when I lived with my parents by their yelling.
The pogues and I got up, trying to figure out our next steps. We had the map, and Big John's tape, the only thing that seemed to be able to lead us to the gold. I couldn't say much or doubt much of the plan. This was the first time everything was legit.
JJ let out a loud whistle that caught my attention. She and the pogues were on the boat now, I was laying down soaking up the sun as Kiara sat by me on the edge of the boat. I sat up, and changed my position, looking to see a boat approaching them.
"You guys see that? That's the Malibu 24-MXZ, the world's finest wake setter. Number one in luxury, quality, and performance. 200K, easy." JJ let out looking at the other boat. I moved to sit by Kiara, my vision following the other boat.
"We picked the wrong parents," Pope said as he looked at the boat.
I didn't say anything as the boys geeked over the boat. Kiara seemed to wait and then cleared her throat. "I hate to break it to you guys, but that's Topper and his girlfriend." She told them, watching as I tilted my head, but I fixed my posture when I remembered who Topper was.
I raised my glasses, placing them on my head. Kiara leaned over and whispered in my ear that the girl was Rafe Cameron's sister. I bit the inside of my mouth, Kiara and I stifled our laughs. "back to reality".
I lowered my glasses back down as the boat passed ours. I watched as Sarah raised her glasses as she passed, eyeing us. "You don't have to act like you don't see us, bitch" Kiara scoffed, she and I laughed before turning forward.
I wasn't sure what the next step was, I knew though that I wanted to find the gold. I could feel that the pogues had gotten their hopes up, even if only the tiniest bit each of us believed we might actually find gold.
It was later in the afternoon when the pogues decided to go to the hotel. We needed to figure out exactly how we were going to get the gold.
"All right, keep a lookout. We're behind the enemy line" JJ warned us as we parked the van. He reached into his bag and grabbed the gun out, I rolled my eyes at the boy.
"Yo, come on, man. Just put it back." John B told the boy, trying to get him to put it away. "You can never be too careful," JJ argued, still holding onto the gun.
"Hey, I predict that bringing a weapon to a four-star hotel will likely cause more problems than they solve," Pope said, trying to reason with JJ.
"Thank you, Pope," I said as I got out of the van, Kiara leaning up between the seats. "I swear to God, I'm gonna throw that thing in the ocean, JJ. Put it back." Kiara told the boy before getting out too.
"You can't grab a gun like that," JJ said to John B after he took it from him. "Can't forget my badge. Professional busboy." JJ continued, as he got out of the van and started walking towards the hotel.
"so, what's the plan? What are we doing here" I asked, catching up with the boy, now walking side by side with him. "We're getting on the internet because only rich people have electricity right now," JJ explained to me, leading the way.
The pogues and I walked into the kitchen, passing by the workers. I was surprised no one even said anything to us. JJ greeted a few of the kitchen staff, slowing by an older lady. "Mama L, good to see you!" He said to the woman, trying to grab a bite of what she was making only for his hand to be swatted away, a sniffled laugh coming from Kiara and me.
We cut through the hotel to where the computers were, trying to act normal and blend in. Not trying to be caught. "See, they got the backup generators going Kooks don't miss a beat," JJ told us, walking through the doors. Pope rushed over to one of the computers immediately.
"Sweet Lord, the internet!" He let out, sitting down in a chair and turning on the computer. "I've missed you." He said, and I stood back to watch.
"Let me get in there. Gotta check out my Insta models." JJ said, running towards another seat. "JJ, no time for that," I told him. My attention focuses on John B. I watched as he pulled the map from his bag. Him and Pope searched the coordinates on the computer.
"Well, if it's off the deep end, it's not gonna be much of a treasure hunt, is it?" Pope said to us, the location being zoomed in on.
"Come on, baby. Come on." I breathed out, waiting to find out where the shipwreck was. "Shit, it's on the high side. It's only 900 feet." John B said, his face lighting up.
"That's not too deep." JJ shrugged, and I squinted my eyes slightly at the screen. "Is that doable or something?" Kiara asked, and I nodded at her question wondering the same thing.
"Yeah, totally doable," JJ told us but I looked to John B for an answer. "Will we be taking your personal submarine?" Pope's sarcastic tone was evident.
"How do you know this, Mr. Dive Master?" John B asked. I turned from the screen looking at JJ who was now standing straight.
"The salvage yard. They got a drone that can drop 1,000. It has a 360 camera and everything. It's for, like, deep dives and stuff. It's exactly what we need." As JJ talked I raised my brows, scoffing, in a good way.
"Can your dad get his grimy little hands on that?" I focused my attention on John B, JJ hadn't talked about his family so I wasn't sure if he had a relationship with his father, it definitely doesn't seem like if they did it was a good one.
"Well, my dad's grimy little hands got his ass fired. I guess the salvage captain frowns on showing up shitfaced, turns out. But the drone's there. It's in the impound yard out back." JJ explained to us.
"so, we're just gonna break in?" I asked, turning her gaze to JJ. "yeah pretty much" He confirmed and I nodded at him.
"What's the easiest way in?" Kiara questioned. "There's the gate, we could sneak in but distraction is probably best," JJ told us, slowly pacing back and forth behind them.
"There's this security guy, he'd definitely get in our way." JJ continued, scratching the back of his head "well, I'm sure me and Kie could distract this guy. The distraction of men is pretty easy" I said smirking while Kiara laughed beside me. The boys each wore a taken-back look.
"How much did you say was on the Royal Merchant again?" Kiara asked, looking back toward the computer screen. "400 mil."
"400 million dollars?" Kiara questioned, getting up from her seat. "Yep" JJ told her and I watched as she got closer to the door, Pope standing himself in front of it.
"No. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. No!" He protested. Kiara moved his arm and went out the door, the rest of us following behind. "Can't we do anything legal for money?" He let out, turning to follow after John B and I made it out the door.
I didn't quite know it yet, but this would change everything.