╔═══━━━─── • ───━━━═══╗
— THE FORBIDDEN ZONE —
season one, episode three, part two
❝𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬.❞
─── • ───
"Pope, we're not stealing the drone," John B tried to reason once they were on the road again. "We're borrowing it."
After leaving the hotel, the Pogues decided to make their way to the impound yard. Even though the Heyward boy still wasn't on board, he knew he wouldn't be able to convince his friends to turn back when there was four-hundred million dollars on the line.
"Yeah, stealing is a bit harsh," Nick agreed with a nod. "It's more like a temporary relocation, if anything."
"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality," Pope quoted, staring out of the window. Nick turned to look at him, raising his eyebrows, before his eyes landed on JJ, who was rolling a joint on the carpeted floor of the Twinkie, seemingly disconnected from the whole conversation.
"Did you just come up with that?" John B questioned the boy over his shoulder as he drove.
"Albert Bernstein came up with it, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing," Pope explained, matter-of-fact. "So, which is it? Fantasy or reality?"
"Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ countered, sealing the blunt he had been rolling.
"It's fantasy, but possible reality," Kiara answered.
"Fantasy," the Warren twins responded in unison, both of them with a mischievous look in their eyes.
John B thought for a moment, looking away from the wheel, "Reality."
Shaking his head, JJ put the blunt between his lips and got his lighter out. "Virtual reality," he mumbled as he flicked the lighter open and went to light the blunt.
Before he got the chance, Pope had reached across and taken it right from his lips, flicking it across the vehicle. When JJ looked over at him, throwing his hands up, Pope smirked, "Keep the signal clear."
JJ shut the lighter with a frown. It shouldn't have mattered considering that they had arrived at the impound lot, but JJ decided to make a comment anyway.
"You know what your problem is?"
"You?" Pope suggested, causing Nick to laugh.
"No! It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense!"
"I'm not too tense."
While the two boys were arguing, Kiara had gotten out of the Twinkie and walked around to John B's window. "Liv, c'mon," she beckoned of the girl in the front seat.
The Warren girl nodded, opening the door and joining Kiara. The plan was for the girls to distract the security guard while the boys went and found the drone. Olivia and Kiara might've been offended by the fact that they were just the distraction if it weren't for the four-hundred million dollars at stake.
"Hey, don't worry," John B reassured the girls. "You guys have got this."
Kiara gave him a tight smile, pointing to the boys in the back of the van. "It's not us that I'm worried about."
"Don't let them do anything stupid," Olivia tacked on, flashing a mischievous in John B's direction.
"Got it," the boy nodded, his cheeks rosy at the encounter. Neither John B or Olivia had even had a chance to think about the kiss they shared, but the tension was enough to cut through them like a knife.
The two girls moved into position to distract the guard, while John B, Nick, Pope, and JJ killed the lights to the Twinkie and hid off to the side behind an old, rusted boat stashed in the lot.
"So how's its going with Olivia?" JJ questioned John B, trying to make conversation as the four boys watched the guard on duty follow Olivia and Kiara to the people carrier.
John B shrugged, "I don't think it's weird or anything."
"Honestly, I didn't think you were actually gonna listen to me..." JJ replied, amused by John B's answer. "But hey, I was one-hundred percent sure she was into you. I'm sure the others would agree."
John B glanced between Nick and Pope, who was crouched at the end of the line. The Heyward boy refused to look at any of them.
"Ehh..."
"Can we not talk about this right now? Seriously, I'm gonna barf," Nick groaned, feigning sickness.
JJ turned to look at him, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Okay, fine, let's talk about you and Kie, then," he whistled, teasing. "Any updates? Any more Pogue-on-Pogue macking?"
"It's not like that between me and Kie," Nick rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"
JJ smirked, leaning in closer to the boy. "Aw, come on, Nicky. Don't tell me you're scared of a little crush."
Nick rolled his eyes again and opened his mouth to speak, but Pope was too quick. "How do you even know she has a crush on Nick?" he questioned the blond, and Nick noticed a hint of annoyance in his voice. "For all you know, she could be into someone else."
"What, someone like you?" JJ scoffed in a half-whisper, but luckily, before Pope could respond, Olivia and Kiara had managed to get the guard to go and unlock the gate.
The boys watched from a distance as the two girls led the guard away from his post, taking this as their cue to move. The four of them took off in a sprint to get into the yard before the gate closed behind them. JJ led the way, with John B, Nick, and Pope all following closely behind. By the time they got inside, Nick was out of breath. He couldn't remember the last time he ran this fast without being chased.
Silently moving through the salvage yard, the four boys arrived at the locked shed that JJ was convinced held the drone. The others tried to catch their breaths as JJ spun in the combination on the lock with slightly fumbling hands.
"Do you have the right numbers?" Pope asked as he watched the blonde boy tug frantically at the lock.
After a few attempts, it refused to unlock.
JJ sighed, giving up. "All right, so I might have the wrong combination..."
"Seriously, JJ?" John B rolled his eyes. "We came all this way for nothing?"
"Hey, I'm not perfect, okay?" JJ shrugged sheepishly. "I thought I had it right."
"Well, we can't just give up now." Nick chimed in, his voice laced with frustration. "We need that drone!"
Pope, always the voice of reason, stepped forward. "Maybe there's another way in," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "Let's split up and search the yard. There has to be another entrance or a clue somewhere."
The boys nodded in agreement and dispersed, each heading in a different direction. John B found himself wandering through a maze of rusted cars, his mind racing with thoughts of Olivia and the adventure they were on. He couldn't let her down. He wouldn't.
As he turned a corner, he froze. A low growl echoed through the air, sending shivers down his spine. His heart pounded in his chest as he slowly turned his head to see a massive guard dog standing just a few feet away, its teeth bared and eyes locked on him.
John B's mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. He knew he couldn't outrun the dog, and he definitely couldn't fight it off. He needed help desperately —
Meanwhile, Nick had stumbled upon an old shed tucked away in a corner of the yard. He cautiously approached, hoping to find a clue or a hidden entrance. As he reached for the door handle, he heard a loud crash from behind him.
Turning around, he saw Pope running towards him, panic etched on his face. "Nick, we need to go! John B's in trouble!"
Without hesitation, Nick followed Pope back to where John B was trapped. They found him backed against a car, the guard dog inching closer with each passing second.
"John B, what do we do?" Nick shouted in a half-whisper, his voice filled with urgency. "The girls won't be able to distract the guard for much longer!"
John B's eyes darted around, searching for a way out. Then, he spotted a metal pipe lying on the ground nearby. With a surge of adrenaline, he grabbed it and swung it at the dog, narrowly missing its snarling jaws.
The dog recoiled, giving John B a momentary advantage. He quickly motioned for Nick and Pope to grab the pipe and join him. Together, they formed a makeshift barrier between them and the dog, keeping it at bay.
As they stood there, panting and adrenaline coursing through their veins, JJ appeared out of nowhere, an idea forming in his head. Time was running out, and without thinking, he raised his foot and kicked at the lock with all his might. To everyone's surprise, the lock shattered, falling to the ground in pieces.
"Guess we won't be needing the combination after all," said JJ victoriously, a mischievous grin on his face. He quickly entered the shed and found the drone sitting on a table, just as he had hoped.
With renewed determination, JJ grabbed the drone and made his way back out to the salvage yard where John B, Nick, and Pope were still fighting off the rabid guard dog.
"I got it! Let's go!"
Excitement filled the air as they prepared to make their escape. The boys had to move quickly if they were going to make it out of the yard without being detected by the guard on duty, so Nick pushed the dog back with the metal pipe in his hands, giving them just enough time to turn and run towards the exit.
But as they turned to leave, they realized that the gate they had entered through was now locked. Panic set in as they scanned the perimeter, searching for another way out. The guard dog was back on their heels, and Nick knew his owner wasn't too far behind.
Pope's eyes widened as he spotted a tall chain-link on the other side of the yard, beyond it was the distant silhouette of the Twinkie. "Guys, we have to hop the fence," he shouted, pointing ahead. "C'mon, up and over! It's our only way out."
Without hesitation, the four boys made their way towards the fence, adrenaline pumping through their veins, the guard dog nipping at their heels. They knew they had to act quickly before the security guard spotted them.
One by one, they climbed the fence, their hearts pounding in their chests. Nick was the last to go, glancing back at the salvage yard one final time before leaping over the top.
As they landed on the other side, a mix of relief and exhilaration overcame them as they ran back to the Twinkie. They had successfully retrieved the drone and escaped the salvage yard, all while evading the vicious guard dog and any unwanted attention.
Breathing heavily, Nick pulled the door to the Twinkie closed after they had all piled inside. He looked at his friends, still panting, and said, "That was too fucking close..."
─── • ───
The four remaining Pogues drove the Twinkie back into town, towards Kiara's parents' restaurant, just as they all had agreed prior to their excursion at the salvage yard. When they pulled into the parking lot of The Wreck, John B honked the horn a few times to signal their arrival to the other two.
Without hesitation, Olivia and Kiara came running out the front door, each with looks of surprise etched across their faces. JJ stuck his head out the window and held the drone in his hands victoriously, celebrating like he'd just won the Stanley Cup.
"Holy shit," Olivia laughed as she approached the car, glancing back at Kiara. "They actually did it."
"Was there ever any doubt?" Nick asked as he climbed out of the car with Pope. He laughed a little, and added: "Actually, don't answer that."
"We thought you guys were goners for sure," Kiara tacked on. "So much for, like, being discrete."
"God, don't start," John B stressed, his hair ruffled as he and JJ joined them. "I swear that dog almost bit my arm off!"
"Nah, don't listen to him," Nick waved him off. "We had it under complete control."
"Aside from JJ not knowing the combination," Pope tacked on, earning a nudge from the blond boy. "Oh, and almost getting caught..."
"Just a few minor setbacks," JJ shrugged. "Look, it doesn't matter! We got the drone, okay? So let's celebrate the fact we're one step closer to finding four-hundred mil." He then rubbed his stomach, "First things first, I'm starving..."
"Stealing drones makes you hungry," Kiara laughed as they made their way inside her parents' restaurant, The Wreck.
"What I'd do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now," JJ stated, and Nick's stomach grumbled ever so slightly as he stepped over the threshold of the warmly lit building.
"It would not be pretty," Pope said in response.
Inside, Kiara's father was wiping down the countertop before he looked up and greeted his daughter with a smile. The rest of the group drifted towards a table big enough for them all. Mr. Carrera watched as the Pogues took their seats at the empty table, his lips pressed into a firm line at the sight of them. He and his wife weren't too fond of Kiara's choice in friends.
"Hey, dad," Kiara greeted him, as she walked around the counter. "How'd we do?"
"Didn't turn it over once," Mr. Carrera sighed.
"It's probably just bad luck because of the storm," Kiara theorised, hugging him in reassurance.
Mr. Carrera laughed in a rather tired manner as he returned the embrace. "Yeah," he said, "I'll be sure to tell the banks that."
After a moment, Kiara attempted to smoothly redirect the conversation. "Guess now is not the best time to ask for free food for me and my friends?" she asked.
Mr. Carrera pulled away from his daughter, hands on his hips as he looked down at her hopeful smile. His eyes then travelled to her five friends who stood just out of earshot, talking and laughing at a table nearby.
"Look at them," he said distastefully. "They're greedy pelicans."
Kiara looked at them like he had asked, but she didn't see what he did. She saw her friends, her chosen family. Sure, they weren't perfect, but they were loyal, fun, adventurous, and most importantly, they cared a lot about each other.
"I told you to stop hanging around them," Mr. Carrera reminded his daughter.
Kiara's smile immediately fell. "Well, everyone at the Kook Academy hates me, dad," she said in rebuttal.
"'Cause you never gave them a chance."
"I did give them a chance," the girl corrected. "They got all stuck up. They care more about shoes than surfing. What am I supposed to do with that?"
Mr. Carrera sighed. He understood his daughter more than her mother did, having lived as a Pogue before marrying his Kook wife. But he lived differently now and just wanted what was best for his daughter.
"These are my friends."
As if they could feel the two Carreras staring at them, all five of the other Pogues looked their way. Each of them gave a small wave paired with an awkward smile, fully aware of how Mr and Mrs Carrera disapproved of them. Kiara and her father stared at each other a little while longer, eyes pleading.
In the end, Mr. Carrera knew how hard-headed and determined his daughter could be. And if they weren't careful, all they would do was push her away.
Mr Carrera scoffed through a laugh, before sighing in defeat. "Well, I- I got- I gotta throw it out. Might as well take it."
Kiara broke out in a wide grin as she threw her arms around her father, hugging him tightly. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome. I'll bring it out."
As her father headed to the kitchen, Kiara moved back towards her friends. "Sit down," she instructed them, and without hesitation, the group cheered and rallied for the food that was about to come to them.
Nick beamed. "Kiara Carrera, you are a godsend!" he praised, draping an arm over her shoulders and holding her close. "Tell me, how'd you swing that?"
"I have my ways," the girl smirked in response, before wiggling out of his warm embrace to grab some jugs of water and carry them over to the table. She then took a seat next to Nick as her father had the waitstaff bring out the food they had been planning to throw out.
Shrimp, fish, grits, chips, and chowder – the Pogues thankfully welcomed the plates and took their own helpings just as fast as it was put on the table. The same arm that Nick had draped over Kiara's shoulders was now across the back of her chair, his fingers drumming against the wood ever so lightly. Of the baskets of food that Mr. Carerra brought out for them, Nick shared with Kiara. It wasn't even like he had to ask anymore, as sharing food and drinks had become second nature for the two of them.
They were best friends, after all. They all were. So much so that as they all sat there, with their plates piled high, they managed to talk and laugh with each other as the night went on until, eventually, they were the only customers left in the restaurant.
By the time they were each chasing down their food with water, Kiara had caught everyone's attention as she stood up from the table and began to dance to the music that was playing through the speakers nearby. Turning back to the table with a smile, she gestured for the other Pogues to join her.
When none of the boys moved, Olivia pushed the bowl of chips she was eating away and stood up. Kiara grinned as she saw the Warren girl dancing over in her direction and reached a hand out. Olivia quickly accepted, and they spun each other simultaneously, laughing as they danced next to each other. The boys sat there and watched them, gawking at the two as if this wasn't something they'd done before.
Nick nudged John B with his elbow, a mischievous grin on his face. "Come on, man. Let's show them how it's done."
John B hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering between Olivia and the dance floor. He couldn't deny the pull he felt towards her, the way her laughter echoed in his ears and her smile lit up the room. With a deep breath, he finally stood up and took Olivia's outstretched hand.
He held her close and danced with her to the beat, and Olivia focused her eyes solely on his. The way he watched her made the heat rise in her cheeks, which was something that usually never happened to her. She blushed nevertheless, as John B twirled her again.
On the other side of the room, Nick did the same with Kiara, and soon enough, they were moving together in perfect sync. Their laughter filled the air, their bodies swaying effortlessly to the beat. They had always been best friends, inseparable since they met, and it showed in the way they moved together. Nick spun Kiara around, his hand firmly clasping her waist, and she laughed as he pulled her back in, her hands quickly and effortlessly finding the back of his neck.
Once Nick and John B had joined Kiara and Olivia on the dance floor, the energy in the room shifted. The Pogues were known for their wild adventures and daring escapades, but dancing was a whole different kind of adventure. They let loose, moving to the rhythm of the music, their laughter filling the air.
Pope watched them from the table, a mixture of jealousy and longing in his eyes. He had always admired Kiara from afar – all of the boys did – but seeing her dance with Nick stirred something inside him. But he couldn't let his jealousy consume him, not when they were all having such a great time.
Summoning his courage, Pope stood up and walked towards JJ, who was still sitting at the table, munching on a shrimp. "Come on, JJ. Let's give them a show," he said, extending his hand.
JJ raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. "You sure about this, Pope? You know I've got some killer dance moves."
Pope chuckled, his eyes gleaming with determination, and he dragged JJ upwards without a second thought. With that, they joined the others on the dance floor, their movements a mix of awkwardness and pure joy. They laughed, they twirled, and they let go of all their worries, if only for a moment.
The waitstaff in the back of the restaurant couldn't help but watch in awe as the Pogues danced like there was no tomorrow. They were a sight to behold, a group of friends who had been through so much together, finding solace and happiness in each other's company.
As the night wore on, the Pogues danced until their legs ached and their laughter echoed through the empty restaurant. They didn't care about the world outside, the dangers that lurked in the Outer Banks. In that moment, all that mattered was the music, the laughter, and the bond they shared.
And as the six of them stumbled towards the door of The Wreck after dark, breathless and grinning, Nick thought of the gold situation again, about fantasy versus reality. And he decided, as he sprawled out in the back of the Twinkie, that his reality – the drone, the gold, the Pogues – seemed pretty damn good...
─── • ───
Nick woke up early the next morning, groaning as the sun poured in through the windows of the Chateau. He sat up slowly from his makeshift bed of blankets on the floor, careful not to wake the others as he stood up, stretching his limbs a bit from the stiffness that sleep had brought him.
Blinking in his surroundings, he saw that Pope was sprawled out on the couch beside him, while Olivia and Kiara were asleep on the pull-out bed. He could hear the sound of JJ snoring loudly on the floor in John B's room, despite the door being close halfway. John B, however, was already up and sitting out on the porch. Pulling on a shirt, Nick walked out to join him.
"Morning. How long have you been up for?" he asked in a quiet voice, mindful of his friends sleeping inside.
John B glanced at him with a smile. "Morning, bro. Not long."
Taking a seat next to him, Nick tried to get a better look at what he was poring over. "What're you doin'?" he asked through a yawn.
John B moved slightly so he could show his best friend what he'd been looking at. He was holding the map his father had left again and was comparing it with what little things they had been able to find in the ransacked office.
"Just trying to see if there was anything I missed, you know?"
"I get it. But try not to stress over it," Nick shrugged, shivering as the morning air nipped at his skin. "We have the coordinates, so let's just start with that."
"Yeah, Kie said the same thing," John B sighed. "I just... I don't want to leave anything to chance. Not when we're so close."
Nick could see how much this meant to John B. It wasn't just about the money for him. Sure, it was a big part of it, considering that the DCS were trying to take him away, but it was more than that. His father had made this treasure hunt his entire life, had gone missing in the process, and was now presumed dead; finding the Royal Merchant meant honouring his dad's memory in John B's mind, and Nick understood that better than anyone.
Nick threw an arm over John B's shoulder. "Your dad would be really proud of you, man," he told him sincerely. "You know that, right?"
"Thanks, Nick. I hope so," John B responded, his eyes still pouring over the map. Besides maybe JJ, Nick was one of the only people who knew the depth of his relationship with his dad.
Nick's eyes glanced over at the map too, unable to stop himself. He thought back to how deep Pope had said that area went, and asked, "Do you think the drone will work?"
"Only one way to find out," said John B, smiling, before he got up off the couch. "We should take the drone down to the dock. C'mon, help me wake the others."
And so, with a mischievous look in his eyes, Nick stood and made a beeline for the kitchen inside, with John B following closely on his heels. The two of them each grabbed a couple metal pots and pans, and when they walked back into the living room, Nick cleared his throat before he began clanging the pans against one another: "Everyone up! We've got work to do."
The loud clanging of the pots and pans echoed through the air, jolting Pope, JJ, Kiara, and Olivia out of their deep slumbers. They each groaned and rubbed their eyes, trying to make sense of the commotion.
Pope was the first to fully wake up. He sat up in his bed, his messy hair sticking up in all directions. "What's going on?" he mumbled, still half-asleep.
JJ, who had stumbled out of John B's room looking exhausted, walked over and collapsed onto the couch that Pope had left unoccupied. "Can't we sleep for five more minutes?" he grumbled, his voice muffled.
With a yawn, Kiara sat up and glanced at Nick and John B with a mix of annoyance and curiosity. "What's the big idea, guys?" she asked, trying to stifle a yawn.
Olivia rolled over and let her head fall into Kiara's lap, her dark hair cascading around her shoulders. She looked at Nick with a playful smirk. "You better have a good reason for waking us up so early," she said, her voice filled with amusement.
Nick grinned mischievously and pointed towards the window. "We're testing the drone down at the dock," he announced. "And we need all hands on deck, pun intended."
The mention of the drone – and the subsequent prospect of the Royal Merchant gold – instantly piqued everyone's interest. They quickly shook off their sleepiness and jumped out of bed, ready for the adventure that awaited them. Pope, as organized as ever, started gathering the necessary equipment while the others got ready for the day. Nick slipped on a pair of worn-out, faded swim trunks that hugged his hips just right. He paired it with a plain white t-shirt that showcased his muscly, toned arms. To complete the look, he slipped his feet into a pair of well-worn brown leather sandals, perfect for a day at the dock.
Within minutes, the rest of the group had assembled in the living room, ready to embark on their mission. The excitement in the air was palpable as they made their way towards the dock together, their footsteps echoing in the quiet morning.
As they reached the dock, the sun began to rise, casting a golden glow over the water. The drone, sleek and futuristic, sat on the edge, waiting to be unleashed into the water. Pope quickly managed to set up the monitor that was linked to the drone, and when they dropped it in the water, the screen lit up.
Pulling his shirt off, Nick dived off the dock into the water with the drone; John B and Kiara followed him shortly after. On the dock, Olivia, Pope, and JJ watched on the monitor above as John B took ahold of the device. He had sunk under the water with the drone, tapping the camera as if to check it was working. Getting closer, he pretended to use it as a mirror, polishing his teeth with his finger.
"What's this?" JJ asked as he went to touch a button.
Pope only hit his hand away in response, telling the blond boy not to touch anything. Neither of them had ever used anything like this before, and the last thing they needed was JJ to break it by touching something he wasn't supposed to.
Olivia hovered over the two boys on the dock, stifling a laugh at the sound of their bickering. She watched as Pope navigated and weaved the drone between the Pogues in the water. The picture was clear and the drone seemed to be doing its job, which provided them with some hope that it would be just perfect for what they needed.
"God bless geeks, Pope. Truly, man," JJ patted the Heyward boy on the back, in awe of the picture quality he was seeing on the monitor. "What we do without you to control the drones?"
Pope rolled his eyes. "It's not a drone. It's an ROV."
"Why are you only telling us this now? We've been calling it a drone this entire time," Olivia laughed. "You know what? I'm still calling it a drone, I don't care."
"I mean, technically –"
"Shut up. Shut up. It's too early for that right now," JJ said, just as Nick, Kiara, and John B resurfaced from under the water. "You guys good?" he waved at them.
Nick flashed a thumbs-up, and said, "How we lookin' on the monitor?"
"We're fucking set, bro!" JJ announced, and the Pogues in the water sighed a breath of relief.
"Good. Hey, look, once we get footage of the wreck we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim," John B told them all, slicking his wet and matted hair out of his eyes.
"That's such bullshit. Why do we have to do that?" JJ asked, not even bothering to hide how annoyed he was.
Pope stood up, looking over to the blond boy. "Well, there is a maritime salvage law. You can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a bunch of stuff up."
"But finders keepers," Nick shrugged nonchalantly, leaning his head back in the water.
"No," Pope responded, shaking his head almost instantly. "Nick, you can't just say finders keepers when we find four hundred million dollars worth of gold."
"Sure you can," the Warren boy countered, grinning when he saw Pope narrow his eyes at him in frustration.
JJ leaned against the railing of the dock, "Plus, lawyers aren't cheap, bro."
"Well, as soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp," John B answered from the water.
Kiara almost laughed at how he seemed to have an answer for everything. "How do you know all of that?"
John B shrugged. "'Cause, my dad said it, like, a million times."
"Yeah, that's fair," Kiara sighed, realizing that she should've been able to come to that conclusion on her own.
Nick and John B stayed in the water by the drone as Kiara swam over to the ladder on the dock. Leaning down, Olivia reached out and offered a hand out to the girl. Kiara took it with a smile, allowing her friend to help her up onto the dock.
"In the wrong weather, this thing could get pushed around," Pope thought aloud, staring down at the bright yellow tether that was connected to the drone.
John B moved his arms slowly in the water to keep him above the surface, listening as thunder rumbled in the distance. "Then we'll go at dead calm," he said nonchalantly.
"At slack tide?" Kiara asked, wringing the water out of her hair.
Pope nodded, "So now, we just gotta wait around for the right weather. And today is not that day."
Watching the sky and seeing the dark clouds rolling in, Nick released a sigh before he swam back over to the dock. "Well, until then, I gotta get to work," he said, climbing the ladder.
"Yeah, me too. Pops wants me to run deliveries to the Kooks," Pope said, packing up the drone so that he could leave. Having noticed this, Olivia turned and helped him pack everything neatly away in the case.
"Meet up at the beach later?" John B asked, finally climbing back onto the dock after Nick, who was drying himself off with the same towel Kiara had brought down from the house.
"Obviously, dude," JJ agreed before turning to the Heyward boy beside him. "Yo, Pope, I'm tagging along with you."
"What?" Pope asked through a groan. "Why me?"
"'Cause I got nothing better to do," JJ grinned and gave the others a wave goodbye. "Have fun at work!"
Nick flipped him off.
"Have fun with the Kooks!"
─── • ───
Nick drove down to The White Shark just in time to start his shift, swapping out with his father who had been there since opening. From what Nick could tell, it hadn't been a busy day, with only a few surfboard rentals and a couple transactions on the books. Sure, it was much less than their usual, but it was better than nothing.
Before Mr. Warren left the store in his son's hands, he instructed Nick to help him in the back with a delivery they had received before Hurricane Agatha hit the island. They had planned to unpack it days ago, but the cleanup after the hurricane took longer than expected and it ended up getting pushed back, much to the disapproval of Nick's mother, Natalie.
There was only so much money in the Warren family budget set aside for emergencies, so they couldn't really afford low stock of their most popular items. They still had to find a way to put food on the table.
So Nick and his father painstakingly unpacked every last box, put prices on every item, and restocked the shelves before Mrs. Warren came back to close the shop up for the night.
And they did so in complete silence...
See, Nick and his dad used to be inseparable. They would spend hours playing catch in the backyard, going on camping trips, and sharing laughter-filled meals around the dinner table. Their bond was something most kids only dreamed of, and their conversations flowed effortlessly. But ever since Big John went missing, nothing felt the same in the OBX. Not even Nick's relationships with his parents.
Instead, a heavy silence often hung between them now, suffocating the warmth and connection they once shared. Instead of engaging in heartfelt conversations, Nick often found him and his father sitting in silence, their words trapped in the unspoken pain that had driven them apart. Even now, in the back room of the surf shop, surrounded by boxes of merchandise, they stood in silence. The air was heavy and thick with tension, a stark contrast to the once warm and jovial atmosphere they used to share.
After a while, Mr. Warren cleared his throat. "Are you and your sister going to be home for dinner tonight?" he asked, swiping a box cutter through a box of surfboard wax, attempting to make conversation.
Nick shook his head as he put prices on a few bottle of sunscreen. "Don't think so," he replied shortly. "We'll probably end up staying at John B's again."
"Right... Big John's boy. How's he doing?" Mr. Warren asked in a mumble, his head hanging low. "I've been meaning to ask."
Nick looked up at his father. "Why? You usually don't bother."
His voice dripped with bitterness as he stared into his father's eyes, the pain of their strained relationship evident. Mr. Warren flinched at the sharpness of Nick's response, realizing the truth in his son's words.
"Forget I asked, then," Mr. Warren sighed, unwilling to argue. He already did his fair share of that with his wife. But a flicker of guilt flashed across his face before he averted his gaze, his hands trembling slightly. "I... I just thought... maybe I should check in," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
Nick's eyes narrowed, suspicion and frustration intertwining within him. The revelation of his father's sudden concern for John B's well-being only fueled the fire of his curiosity. "Why now? Why all of a sudden, Dad?" he questioned, his voice laced with a mix of accusation and confusion.
Before Mr. Warren could respond, a sudden chime echoed through the shop, breaking the tension between father and son. Both of them turned their heads towards the sound, their attention shifting to the door.
"Go see who it is," Mr. Warren waved off his son, as he broke down another supply box. "I'll finish up back here."
Nick opened his mouth to protest, but just as quickly stopped in his tracks. There was no use, he knew that. His father was the best at deflecting; it's where Nick, himself, learned it from. So instead, without another word, the Warren boy turned and let his feet carry him out of the back room, the beaded curtain parting as he stepped over the threshold.
And there she stood... Sarah Cameron, the almighty Kook Princess.
Her eyes locked with Nick's, a silent challenge passing between them. Nick's heart sank as he remembered their recent confrontation, where he had accused her of betrayal. His jaw clenched at the sight of her, the memory of the stinging sensation from her hand slapping across his face sprung to the forefront of his mind.
"It's your turn," Sarah spoke before he could, her lips pursed as she watched him walk behind the counter.
Nick furrowed his brows. "Uh, for what exactly?"
"To ask me what I'm doing here," Sarah quipped.
Nick felt a mix of relief and frustration wash over him. Relief that Sarah's presence had removed him from an uncomfortable situation, but mainly frustration over his father's strange approach to the conversation about John B. The weight of the unresolved mystery hung heavily in the room, suffocating any hope of reconciliation between Nick and his father.
As Sarah's words lingered in the air, Nick's gaze shifted back to his father, hoping to find answers beyond the beaded curtains. But all he saw was the shadow of deep sadness and regret etched on Mr. Warren's face as he continued to break down boxes without so much as a glance in his son's direction.
And so, with a heavy sigh, Nick turned his attention back to Sarah.
"What do you want? I'm not in the mood for whatever this is," he sighed, unwilling to play her little game. The heat rising in his cheeks made the slap an all too familiar memory. "Besides, I thought I made myself pretty clear yesterday. I don't want to see you."
Sarah scoffed. Her voice was dripping with venom as she addressed him, her words biting and cold.
"See, but that's the thing. I didn't really get a chance to defend myself after you yelled at me and stormed off like a child," she started, her nose practically in the air. "So, first of all, I'm not a liar. I don't know how Ward found out about the scuba gear, but I swear it wasn't me. I'm not the reason John B got fired, okay?"
Nick didn't dare to look at Sarah as she stepped closer to the counter, emphasizing her words as she stared at him, waiting for his reaction. He didn't have anything to say to her, no matter if she was telling the truth or not.
The tension between them was palpable though, the air crackling with unspoken words and unresolved emotions. Nick's head pounded with conflicting thoughts as he processed Sarah's words. There was a part of him that wanted to believe her, to believe that she somehow defied everything he thought he knew about a Kook...
"Second of all," she continued, her eyes softened as she reached out to touch his hand. "I'm sorry that I slapped you. It was wrong, and I'm sorry it happened the way it did. I was frustrated. And every time I think that we can be friends, you just keep —"
"Okay," Nick said dismissively, swallowing hard. He pulled his hand away from her grasp, almost as if he was scared of the way it felt to touch her, of the way his skin ignited under hers. "That all? Some of us have jobs to get back to."
With a look on her face that Nick couldn't decipher, Sarah scoffed under her breath and shook her head.
"Yeah, I guess that's it," she said after a moment, her voice tinged with a hint of disappointment. "Good talk."
Sarah then turned on her heel and began to walk back towards the front door, aware of Nick's lingering eyes on her. She pulled her sunglasses back down to her nose before the door chimed again and she was gone, leaving Nick standing there, his mind spinning with confusion.
As Sarah walked out of the surf shop, Nick couldn't help but question their entire interaction. The way she had stood up to him, defended herself, and even apologized for her actions left him feeling unsettled. He even muttered a quick "What the hell?" to himself, trying to make sense of the conflicting emotions swirling inside him.
Lost in his thoughts, Nick hadn't even noticed that his father had emerged from the back room with a concerned look etched on his face. Daniel glanced in the direction Sarah had just left, his dark eyes shifting between the door and his son, who now stood in silence with a puzzled look on his own face.
"Was that Ward Cameron's daughter?" Mr. Warren asked into the silence, his voice filled with caution.
Nick jumped a little, snapping out of his own reverie long enough to acknowledge his father's presence.
"Yeah," he replied shortly. "That was, uh... Sarah."
His father blinked. "Oh, Nicholas..."
"What?"
"You guys close?" Daniel pressed his son further, yet his eyes remained set on the door.
"We're not," Nick shrugged, licking his lips before clenching his jaw. "I mean, we're in the same class. And her and Wheezy come for surf lessons sometimes, you know that."
"Surf lessons, right," Daniel responded shortly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nick asked, semi-defensively, which shocked even himself. He didn't know why he was suddenly so defensive over Sarah Cameron.
In an instant, Daniel turned and shoved his finger so hard into Nick's chest that the young man stumbled back a bit. Stunned, Nick's eyes opened wide, a part of him wondering if he'd just imagined the interaction.
"Because that family — !"
But Daniel cut himself off just as quick as he began. He unclenched his fists and smothered out the wrinkles he made on Nick's uniform shirt, taking a deep breath as he shook his head, "I'm sorry, I just... Listen, you stay away from that girl, you hear me? The Camerons are nothing but trouble."
Nick gulped, a little shaken up, before he gathered the courage to ask: "Dad, what's going on — ?"
"I'm looking out for you and your sister," Mr. Warren cut him off with an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Please don't tell your mother about this. Because I'm warning you, Nicholas, the Camerons are not people you should be involved with..."
And without so much as another word, Mr. Warren turned on his heel and disappeared beyond the beaded curtain once again, leaving his only son behind with a long list of unanswered questions.
─── • ───
Once his shift at the surf shop was over, and he had come to terms with father's reckless abandon, Nick stopped by his house and changed into a dark red pair of swim trunks, coupling it with nothing but a thin, silver chain hanging around his neck. He then grabbed his favourite surfboard and headed down to the beach to meet the others, just as they had planned.
As he walked down onto the sand, with his board under his arm, Nick squinted through the rays of sun to find that JJ and Pope had arrived just before he did, the two of whom were already strapping their leg ropes to their ankles. Out in the water, just under the horizon, Olivia, Kiara and John B were already sitting on their boards, floating on the surface and talking aimlessly.
"Hey," Nick greeted them, and he did the signature Pogue handshake with Pope before he threw his surfboard down on the sand. "How are you guys?"
"We're okay. How was work?" Pope responded shortly, and JJ shot Nick a look he couldn't decipher. The Warren boy's expression immediately fell, his features changing from jovial to concerned within seconds. See, Nick and JJ had always been the most protective over Pope, and they had developed a certain look over the years when it came to him.
Instead of replying, Nick settled down on the sand next to Pope and looked at him. The Heyward boy was wearing his signature backwards hat, though now it was facing forward and obstructing the view of his face. Tilting his head, Nick was able to see that Pope had an open wound on the right side of his forehead. He reached up before Pope had the chance to cover it up again, placing his fingers just to the side the gash.
Nick stared at him. "What the fuck happened?" he asked in a serious voice, brows pinched together in confusion.
"Nothing," Pope replied, pulling down the hat and knocking his friend's hand away. "I tripped during my deliveries."
Nick's eyes shifted between Pope and an uncharacteristically quiet JJ, searching for answers. "Really? That's what you're gonna go with? You tripped?" he repeated. "That doesn't look like you just tripped, man."
"I'm clumsy, what can I say?" Pope shrugged, avoiding his serious gaze.
"Pope, you–"
"Drop it, Nick," Pope snapped, cutting him off. When he saw the way Nick was looking at him, with wide eyes and his jaw clenched, the Heyward boy's expression immediately softened. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? Just... just please, leave it."
Nick didn't respond as he strapped his surfboard rope to his ankle. He wasn't going to ask Pope any more questions about it right now, but he sure as hell wasn't about to just drop it, either.
The wound on Pope's head wasn't from tripping or falling over — Nick wasn't stupid enough to believe that. Sure, he might not have known where it was from, but judging by the way that Pope had reacted, he knew something bad had happened. Or at least something that Pope didn't want the rest of them to know about.
"I'll see you guys out there," Pope mumbled, and he took off towards the water with the others, clearly not willing to entertain the conversation any longer.
When it was just the two of them left on the beach, Nick turned and looked up at JJ, who was hovering over him awkwardly, as if waiting for his own line of questioning. "So you gonna tell me what happened?" he asked in a low voice, staring out at the horizon.
JJ refused to look at him. He let out a sigh, stuffed his hands in his pockets, and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't," Nick scoffed, annoyed. He let out an exasperated sigh of his own. "Look, if something happened to Pope, you need to tell me. I'll have your back, you know that. If someone did that to him –"
"Look, we took care of it, okay? That's all I'm gonna say," JJ muttered, pulling his surfboard up from the sand. He tucked it beneath his arm and started towards the water. "C'mon. Let's go before all the good waves are gone."
Nick sighed as he stood and also picked his board up. "Yeah, alright," he said lowly, giving in.
And together, Nick and JJ joined the rest of their friends in the water. The rest of the afternoon and early evening were spent in the water, catching waves and soaking in the last of the sun. Nick, recovering from a near wipe-out, sat on his board just behind where the waves began to roll and curl, watching his friends let loose.
However, shortly after the sunset, it became too cold to stay in the water, so the Pogues headed back up to the Chateau to dry off and relax. The six of them piled into John B's backyard, and they dragged over some chairs so they could all sit together. Nick and Kiara sat on opposite sides of one of the hammocks, which was suspended by two trees, as the others sat around them.
Nick tangled and weaved his legs between Kiara's, the two of them swaying side-by-side in the nighttime air.
"You really think it's out there?" Pope asked, breaking the silence as the moon appeared in the sky. "Like, no bullshit?"
Nick couldn't see John B's face in the dark, but he could sense the hesitation. "My father thought it was," the Routledge boy replied, tucking an arm behind his head to use it as a pillow.
"But do you?" Nick asked, squinting through the darkness.
"After hearing his voice on that tape... I think I do," John B admitted, as Olivia fought off a yawn beside him.
"Only one way to find out," Pope stated, reaching a hand out to do some handshake he and John B had put together.
Kiara chimed in from the hammock, already sounding more optimistic. "Look, we're gonna find it, you know? Even JJ believes."
"Oh, my God, JJ, do you really believe?" John B teased in a ridiculous voice.
"Totally," the blond boy answered without hesitation. "Wait. Are we talking about four mil?"
"More like four hundred mil," Olivia corrected.
JJ shifted in his lawn chair, kicking his feet up on nearby tree. "Well, I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks. Good night, Bird!"
"Good night, bird shit!" John B shot back.
With that, the conversation halted, and each of the six Pogues seemed to doze off underneath the stars.
─── • ───
Bright and early the next morning, the Pogues found themselves on a larger, sturdier boat that they borrowed from Heyward. They cruised out on the water together, the sun already in the sky above them.
While JJ steered, Nick and John B stood at the back and watched the wake. Olivia and Kiara lounged on the deck, waiting their turns, while Pope set up the monitor for the drone camera. Judging by how far they were headed from the coast, each of the Pogues had opted to wear long sleeves and button-downs overtop of their various swimming suits.
A few short hours later, John B finally gave the call to stop, so JJ cut the engine and let the boat drift slightly.
"Alright, ladies and gentlemen... to going full Kook," John B declared as he dropped the drone into the water, directly where the coordinates had led them.
Both Kiara and Olivia fed the tether over the side of the boat, letting it sink lower and lower towards the ocean floor, whilst Pope navigated using the screen and controls. John B monitored the other screen that showed the exact location of the coordinates; .
"All right, JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest."
Doing as he was told, JJ maneuvered the boat slightly as Nick watched the coastline for the tide change, checking his watch every few minutes as a result. John B watched the tracker from the monitor as they moved towards the wreckage, growing more and more on edge as they neared their destination.
As the drone sunk lower beneath the water, Kiara grabbed a piece of chalk and drew a line on the boat. "One hundred feet," she informed them, still feeding the tether over the side, the red tape marker passing through her and Olivia's fingers.
Minutes melted into hours, and the two girls continued to mark the length of tether they'd fed over the edge in chalk on the side of the boat. The drone went lower, dropping closer and closer to the ocean floor.
"Four hundred feet!" Olivia called out, and Nick could feel the winds starting to pick up. The mid-day air was growing cold, and out of nowhere, the skies seemed to darken on the horizon.
Shivers running down his spine, Nick leaned over the edge of the boat next to Kiara, making note of the water patterns. "Do you see that?" he asked, as the two girls continued to feed the tether cable into the water. "Guys! The tide's turning!"
John B eyed the tracking monitor carefully, measuring the movement beneath them so that they wouldn't lose their position. "Hey, JJ? Ten seconds easy, all right. South-southeast."
"Copy that!" JJ acknowledged.
Backing away from the edge of the boat, Nick knelt down beside his sister and Kiara as John B called out more directions.
"Mid-speed, twenty seconds. South!"
"Copy that! Aye, aye."
While trying to reposition the boat, JJ made a harsh jolt of the wheel, leaving the girls to struggle with the drone's tether as it moved aimlessly beneath them.
"Keep the tether out of the prop!" Pope yelled over the rising winds.
"We're trying!" Olivia snapped at him, and Nick almost instantly grabbed hold of the tether to help as a collection of black clouds began to roll in, the smell of impending storm now flooding their nostrils.
"Alright! We're at seven hundred!" Kiara informed them all, as they regained control of the tether feed with Nick's help. The waves began to get vicious, to a worrying degree, as they all tried to keep their footing. In hopes of speeding the process up, the three of them started releasing the tether faster.
"JJ, keep going! Keep it steady!" John B instructed.
But the winds were getting stronger, and the waves were beginning to thrash along the side of the boat. Despite how sturdy it was, the large charter boat began to rock unsteadily, causing the Pogues to lose their footing ever so slightly. Kiara stumbled as she tried to regain her balance, and having noticed this, Nick caught her arm and held her as tight as the tether in his hands.
Together, Nick, Kiara, and Olivia grabbed ahold of each other and continued to let the tether sink deeper into the water, marking the distance with chalk on the side of the boat.
"Nine hundred!" Olivia yelled over the biting winds. The boat rocked again, and she almost thought she was going to get thrown over the side by the motion.
Over his shoulder, Nick called out, "JJ, we'll turtle in this storm, man!"
"We're so close!" John B tried to encourage. "Crank it north by northwest! Ten seconds!"
A gust of wind overtook them all as they got closer and closer to the desired depth of the wreckage.
Kiara made another chalk mark, "Nine-twenty!"
"John B, there's too much current! We're gonna lose it –" Nick was interrupted by a near-deafening crash of thunder almost directly overhead now. He gave a harsh pull on the tether to keep it steady, simultaneously lowering more of it into the water.
But John B ignored any protests from his friends and continued to yell more directions to JJ. "South, southwest, JJ! Hard!" he yelled. "Half speed. Steady at the bearing, JJ!"
JJ kept spinning the wheel wherever John B told him to go, trying to keep the boat in place as best he could. The clouds darkened and gathered in the sky, almost as if it was trying to warn them away, telling them to go home.
"Steady here. Quarter speed, all right?" John B instructed, shouting, before he rushed over to Pope. "What do you got, Pope? Come on, man. What do you see?"
"Nothing! A whole lot of nothing!" Pope yelled back, disappointed as he maneuvered the drone.
"We should be right above it!" John B slammed his hands down on the table, frustrated. "What depth?"
"Nine-sixty," Olivia stated over her shoulder.
Then, a few seconds later, Kiara added: "Now nine-eighty!"
"You should be seeing something!" Nick yelled out.
"I know, I know! I'm at the bottom! Steady here, JJ!" Pope replied frantically, and the others stopped releasing the tether into the water. "Wait, wait –"
Without hesitation, Nick stumbled to his feet and ran over to the monitor. Except for JJ, the Pogues all surrounded the screen and watched, with bated breath, as the camera began to focus.
"Oh, my God," Pope exclaimed, and Nick could've sworn he felt his eyes bulge out of his head.
"Is– is that...?" he trailed off, in complete shock.
"The Royal Merchant," John B declared, a victorious smile forming on his lips, despite the impending storm lingering over their heads.
─── • ───
author's note:
*this chapter was not proof read*
*gasp* they found the royal merchant! hope you guys are enjoying this story <3 lmk what you're hoping to see in the future! whether it's nick/sarah related or pogues or family dynamics idc! i want to hear it all!
more updates coming soon <3
[insert begging for comments and votes here]
sending so much love!
xo, selena
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