"So are we still talking about the gold?" Kiara asked as we sat around the fire. I held a stick in my hand as I was using it to play with the embers. The warm glow of the fire illuminated me and the pogues. Pope and Kiara were annoyed, they had left the party which was going to get them in trouble.
"Just hear him out, all right?" JJ instructed, silencing Pope and Kiara's arguments. John B's eyes glanced around the group before he spoke. Clearing his throat first. "it's been here the whole time, it's on the island" He said, once again, looking at each of the pogues. Waiting for our reactions.
"Are you serious?" Kiara asked, her eyes widening as she looked over at me. I just playfully shrugged my shoulders, a smile on my face. "I'd like to voice my skepticism," Pope said, all eyes directed to him.
"I'm sure you would Pope, but can I please present you with my evidence, sir?" John B asked, his bag by his side. "proceed," Pope told him, waiting for something good.
"So in my backpack-" John B started, leaning down and grabbing something from his bag. My attention focused on him. "I have a letter from Denmark Tanney," He said. I furrowed my brows together as I listened, looking across the fire to Kiara who looked just as confused.
"Who the hell is that," Both of us asked, slightly laughing when we spoke at the same time.
"Denmark Tanney was a slave that survived the Royal Merchant wreck. Check this out." John B told us, passing the note to Kiara. I was curious, I had only heard the bit about the gold not going down with the royal merchant before JJ and John B dropped me off.
"Okay, slaves weren't mentioned as crew members on the ship, but my dad, he found the complete manifest. That was his big discovery. So Tanney used the gold from the Merchant to buy his freedom. After that, he bought his farm. Drumroll, please, because that farm is..." John B paused and I humorously patted my legs, the pogues joining as we created a drumroll.
"Tannyhill Plantation." He said, the letter finally being passed to me. I sat, half blocking out what they were saying. My eyes scanned the paper, it was in a different language but I noticed the symbol at the bottom of the page.
"-and in the last line of that letter, he leaves a coded message about where to find the gold." John B tells us, standing now as he directed the story. "where?" Kiara let out, all of the pogues attention on the boy.
"Harvest the wheat in parcel nine, near the water. Except... there's no wheat. You see, wheat is code for gold." He continued, grabbing the letter from my hands. I leaned closer to him as he pointed out the symbol I was looking at.
"The gold is in parcel nine, near the water."
"holy shit" I let out, the others reacting similarly to me. I looked back to John B as JJ pulled the map from him, taking a look for himself. "All we need is an original survey map of the property, and we've found the gold." John B let out, the group all taking their own moment to let it sink in.
The smile on my face couldn't have faded faster when Sarah Cameron's name slipped from John B's mouth. My heart sank when he told them about where he had been the day before, with her. "He was mackin' on her" JJ joked
"I wasn't macking." John B argued. "You were totally macking Sarah Cameron." JJ continued, the conversation muting in my mind as I sat there, my mind rushing with thoughts.
I sat there, silent as they all argued. I brought my hand to my face, nervously biting at my nails. I didn't know how to feel or act. I wasn't sure, but it felt like if I looked up at John B I'd cry. It's not like I had known him long but yesterday morning he was in my bed, lying next to me as we slept. He was the first person I had kissed after Bianca. I didn't make the decision to trust him lightly.
Now I felt stupid. I knew better than to let my walls down, to let people in. Maybe trusting the pogues was too much, too fast.
It's not like I could sit there and act surprised that he would do it. I had no clue what kind of person he was. I had let myself fall for him without truly getting to know him. I thought the morning before was the beginning of that chance but as I sat in front of the fire, tears brimming in my eyes I knew I was wrong.
We had gotten up sometime later, getting into the van and driving over to the hawk's nest. I was sitting with Pope and JJ in the back, none of them knew about the morning before. Laying in bed with John B felt so far now, it felt foreign to think of.
"m'lady," JJ said, holding a joint in his finger. A light laugh finally escaped my lips as I accepted his offer. Somehow JJ had just what I needed.
"So I think I'm gonna do this one by myself.. tonight," John B said as we stopped, his eyes never once falling on me.
I couldn't bring myself to listen to the conversation. I just sat next to JJ with the joint in my hand. Occasionally taking a hit from it. When I did I would allow the smoke to fall slowly from my mouth.
"Just promise me nothing's happening between you guys." Kiara's words had brought me back to listening. "I promise." John B told her, his eyes falling on me. We made quick eye contact, I stared with cold eyes at him. He swallowed and turned back to the others.
"Anyways, um... I'm gonna take care of business." He said as he got out, the thunder louder as he opened the door. I let my head fall back, hitting the side of the van as I let out my breath. I was fine. I was okay. We were friends, and friends were allowed to kiss other girls.
Eventually, it had gotten too hot, and a bit too hotboxed in the car, so we opened the side door. The air was warm and sticky, though it was feeling better than the hot air the door being closed offered.
I sat next to JJ, my head resting on his shoulder. I let the numb high rack my body and wash away my feelings. JJ's head moved to rest on top of mine, the simple action enough to help me calm down and feel a bit better.
I could tell the pogues knew something was going on. It wasn't rocket science to figure out what spoiled the mood I was in when we were fleeing Midsummer.
"you guys hear that?" Kiara asked, the three of them silencing their conversation as they listened. I lifted my head, paying attention now. I focused, trying to figure out what Kiara was talking about.
We shared a look, the rolling thunder louder than anything. Although after a second I heard it. "Please somebody help!"
The pogues must have heard it too because we all stood." oh, I hear that" JJ said, jumping from his spot and rushing out of the van. The four of us ran over to where the screaming was coming from.
It didn't take long for us to run over, finding Sarah leaning over John B. "Sarah, what happened?!" Pope yelled as we got closer. "I don't know what to do. He needs help. Topper shoved him" Sarah cried out.
"Oh, please, please, please get help. I don't care who. Just call someone" She continued, her arms around John B.
"go! go!" JJ yelled to Pope who began running, JJ placed his arm around my numb body. "Pope hurry!" Kiara yelled to the boy.
I moved closer to JJ. Everything felt like it was collapsing around me. I felt like screaming, my lungs not able to hold it though as I let out a choked cry.
The feeling of answering the phone at Bianca's flooded my system and I felt myself begin to drop, my knees starting to let up. JJ immediately held me closer, keeping my body up, hugging me tighter as I cried. I couldn't help the way every thought came back to Bianca. Wanting the girl now more than ever.
I dug my head into JJ's arms, not wanting to look at Sarah and the boy any longer. The sight hurt me too much to watch as we waited for help. I felt useless, there was nothing I could do to help the boy.
No matter how much I wanted to.