"Kie this better work" JJ let out as he and I crossed the yard of the Chateau. "we can't pawn shit if there's a symbol" I commented and Kiara held up a torch,
"It'll work," She told us, grabbing a pair of safety glasses. "Let's melt some gold baby," JJ said, his arm finding its spot around my shoulders.
I stood next to JJ, across from Kiara as she torched the gold, the bar slowly turning into a melted mess. I couldn't help but notice how cuddled up John B and Sarah were as they sat against the tree. And the conversation John B and I had last night was on repeat in my brain.
I pushed the thoughts out, knowing it wasn't going to do any good to focus on it. We would get the chance to talk to each other more in private later.
"So you're a good liar Elle, right?" Pope asked me, looking up from his spot. "because we gotta pull this off and JJ, no offense. No one wants a sob story from you" He continued, insulting the blonde that stood next to me.
"Laney? A good liar? Oh, she's the best, truly" A voice said, catching us off guard. The boy approached the group and I smiled widely at him. "Hey Sammy," I said, leaning into the boy's hug.
"whatcha doing?" He asked and the pogues and I shared a look, not sure what to tell him.
"cmon, we both know if I tell you anything it's going to be a lie. So let's just skip that part, yeah?" I told the boy, looking up at him with my puppy dog eyes.
"Whatever, just be safe please" The boy pleaded and I responded with a nod of my head.
"you comin' home tonight?" He asked and I stood still, thinking momentarily. "not sure if I'm there i'll be there," I told him and he rolled his eyes.
"Okay, see ya later then" I smiled and waved to the boy. "bye Sam" John B called out, waving goodbye to the boy as well.
"You as good as he says you are?" JJ asked and I smirked. "guess we'll see," I told him as I sauntered towards the van.
We pulled up to a pawn shop a little later and JJ took a look at the melted gold in his hand. "Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein" JJ mocked Kiara as he got out of the van.
"oh like you could have done any better" Kiara defended, scoffing at the boy. "I could have done much better, I took a welding class" JJ argued.
"When?" Kiara retorted.
"whoa, chill out, okay?" John B said, stepping in between the two.
"easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off." JJ said to John B and I laughed. "Yeah and neither are you genius" I added, grabbing the melted gold from his hands.
"I'm gonna need at least three of you to stay outside, there's no way anyone's gonna take gold from the brat pack over here," I explained, turning to walk inside.
"hey princess" JJ let out as he caught up, John B next to him. "I was hoping for two of the others but oh well, this will do" I commented as I walked in, taking a breath to compose myself.
"hi" I sweetly greeted the older lady behind the counter, the boys quickly entering behind me. "afternoon" The lady responded coldly and I swallowed, it was easy if they were nice.
"I see you buy gold," JJ said and I nodded.
"That's what the sign says, don't it?" The lady sassed, John B shared a look with me. "Well, I have a bit in my bag here. One second let me just get it out" I told the lady as I reached into JJ's backpack and placed the chunk of gold on the counter.
"That ain't real," She said with a laugh and I raised my brows, "that ain't real? Feel how heavy it is" I told the woman and JJ made a few noises from beside me.
John B stood, off in the corner looking around while JJ and I stood at the counter with the lady talking about the gold. "It looks like somebody tried to melt it down" The pawnbroker told us and I glanced to the side.
"It was my mom," I said, "before she died she had all this gold jewelry, some of it stolen from her parents. They were horrible to her and she had no money so she uh, sorry, she melted it. Wanted to keep its value." I told the woman, adding in a tear or two.
"Seven pounds of jewelry must've been a lot," The woman commented.
"the last few years were the worst, with her dementia and all. She doesn't even remember the gold. I just want to be able to pay for her funeral and a gravestone for her." I continued, tilting my head down to 'wipe my tears. I sniffled and let a few more tears drop when I looked up.
"Give me a minute," She told me and I nodded. "No worries, take your time" I assured her and when the woman was out of sight I sniffed, a plain face replacing the sad one. I shrugged when I looked at JJ and his shocked expression.
"She's coming out," JJ whispered when the lady came back.
"So I uh. I talked to my boss." She started. "and?" JJ asked, watching her walk back around the counter. "and uh, this is what I can do." She put the slip on the counter and now it was JJ's turn to talk.
"fifty thousand?" He asked, not impressed with the price. Do you think I walked in here not knowin' the spot price? Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth one forty, at least." He told her.
"Well, sweetie, you in a pawnshop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?" She sassed, and JJ scratched his brow. "Ninety or I walk," He stated.
"seventy, half price. And no questions about where you got this" She offered and JJ, John B and I shared looks.
"I'm gonna need that in large denominations please." JJ asked and the lady looked between the three of us. "Well, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway. I can write you a cashier's check." She told him, shrugging at the boy.
"no ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what that sign says. Cash for gold. And that's what I expect. I'm gonna get it in cold hard" He demanded.
"Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that all right?" She asked and JJ thought about it. "Where's this warehouse?" He asked.
"Okay, how?" John B let out once we exited the store.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"Where did you learn to lie like that? That was crazy" He said as we got into the van. "old habits" I commented, sharing a knowing look with JJ.
"What happened?" Sarah asked, looking between the three of us.
"oh, we just watch the brilliant Elle Tate, act through the performance of a lifetime." JJ said with a laugh. "how did you learn to cry on the spot?" John B asked me, looking back from his seat.
"I dunno, I just can," I told him and he laughed.
"I couldn't imagine what would have happened if we had JJ do it all" He commented and JJ dropped his jaw, insulted by him.
"So where are we going?" Kiara spoke up, watching the window from where she sat. "some warehouse" JJ told them.
"This feels kind of sketchy, I hope you know that" I let out as we drove further away from the main part of the island. "I've never even heard of Resurrection drive," Sarah said from the passenger seat, looking back at us.
"Because you're rich" JJ stated but Kiara corrected him. "You've never heard of it either"
"There's nothing but trees back here" Kiara sighed, looking around as we continued to drive until we heard a siren go off.
"cops? Out here?" I said, looking behind us at the cop car that was approaching.
"god! Are you kidding me?" JJ shouted.
"What did we do?" Sarah asked, everyone's eyes on the vehicle behind us.
"stash that," John B told JJ. "Did you bring the gun?" He asked, looking at the blonde boy. "no, I left it at home. Everyone told me to leave it back at the place" JJ defended.
"Thank god," Kiara said, letting out a sigh of relief. JJ started grabbing everything and shoving it into the seat as Kiara and Pope freaked out. As the group sorted themselves out, a gun cocked.
Everyone's attention was on John B's and his side where someone held a gun up. "why don't I go ahead and see them hands in the air? All your hands up in the air right now! You, out of the car! Let's go!" He yelled, I took a shaky breath.
"out of the car! Let's go! Hurry! Let them out!" He ordered John B, the gun still very much pointed at him. "cmon, out of the car. There you go, pretty girl. Here we go! Get out of the car, let's go!" He continued yelling, holding the gun to each of us as we got out of the car.
The man continued to yell at us before ordering us to lie down in the ditch. My heart was beating rapidly and I squeezed my eyes shut. "That old bat shanked us" JJ let out frustration and I took a shaky breath, catching JJ's attention.
"fuck! God Dammit!" JJ snapped, punching the ground a few times making me wince. He let out a sigh before moving his hand to mine, squeezing once or twice. I moved my head against JJ's shoulder, trying to stay calm. He moved so his head was almost resting against mine.
"John B, don't be a hero" Pope whispered, catching JJ's and my attention. I looked up and saw John B moving towards the car that the man had come in. I looked worriedly at Kiara and Pope, trying not to make noise.
"all right, y'all stay just like that, unless you want your brains blown out all over this road, don't move your goddamn heads all right"
Once he had gotten to the car we all looked up, watching as John B attached him. We jumped up and JJ ran over first, the rest of us following behind. I got a punch or two in before he punched me and shoved me back.
I got back up and moved towards him, he was on the ground as Sarah repeatedly slammed the car door into him. Kiara and got a few kicks at him before we got him flipped. JJ reached for his mask and pulled it down.
"I know this piece of shit! He's a basehead!" JJ said, each of us looking down at him.
"probably knows my brother," Sarah let out. "He sells coke to my dad," JJ said disgustedly and I looked up, and even though JJ and I had talked about our parents it still hurt to see him go through it.
The guy started to talk but JJ took the end of the gun and shoved it into his face.
"JJ!" Kiara yelled, John B holding his shoulder. JJ leaned down to grab his wallet while Pope insisted we leave. "We got one last stop" JJ said as he held his id, walking towards the van.
The guy, Barry, yelled at us as we got in but I blocked it out, watching as John B tossed the keys to his vehicle into the bush. The drive wasn't long but as we pulled up, JJ got out and headed inside, John B quick to follow.
I stayed in the van with the others but I blocked their small conversation out. When JJ and John B came out of the house I almost didn't notice, swimming in my own thoughts.
"we're looking at four grand each for reparations for putting us through that bullshit. Sorry about that y'all." JJ said as he sifted through the bag he brought out.
"So that's what we're doing now? Were robbing drug dealers?" Kiara asked. "this Barry guy's gonna find out and he's gonna come after us," Sarah said as she tried reasoning with him.
"How'd you guys like having a gun pulled on you-"JJ asked, looking between them all.
"Relax," John B said, cutting him off and stepping towards him, getting in his face. The two boys went back and forth until JJ pushed John B up against the van.
"You feel like a tough guy? What are you gonna do when he comes after us? After Kie, Pope, Sarah? After Elle?" John B asked, hitting a nerve with our names, causing JJ to push him harder.
"We punch him in the throat," JJ told him, getting back in his face.
"I'm not putting it back," JJ told him, climbing into the van. "you guys getting in or what?" JJ asked, and after a moment he got back out of the van.
"What?"JJ asked, looking between us. I stood next to the van, trying to keep out of it. "we're sick of your shit," John B said, walking over to him again.
"oh, my shit? JJ argued and the group once again turned on him, attacking him and driving him to leave.
"JJ!" I called, trying to go after him with Pope but John B stopped us. "let him go," Kiara told the two of us, all of us just watching as JJ walked away.
I let out a frustrated sigh and ran my hands through my hair, this truly was uncharted area.