𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 the gold, we went to the pawn shop. "Hell of a job melting it down, Dr Frankenstein," JJ complained, climbing out of the Twinkie.
Kie scoffed, "Like you could have done any better."
"I could have. I took a welding class." He told us.
I frowned, "When?" I asked, but I was ignored.
"Hey," John B spoke up. "Chill out, okay?"
The blonde rolled his eyes, "Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to pawn this piece of shit off. How did me and Hales get this job anyway?"
Pope shrugged, "Cause you're the best liars."
I nodded, "That's fair. Afternoon, ma'am." I greeted the woman as we entered the store.
"Afternoon." She frowned suspiciously.
"I see you buy gold." The Maybank boy smirked.
"That's what the sign says, don't it?" She sassed.
"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it because I'm about to blow your mind," JJ said, pulling the gold out of his backpack.
"I ain't got much mind left to blow to have at it." She chuckled, seeing it. "That ain't real. It can't be."
I smirked, "Feel how heavy it is." The woman picked up the piece, struggling to lift it. "Let's get some light on that," I told her to which she complied.
She frowned, "Spray-painted tungsten."
"Why don't you see how soft it is?" JJ spoke up.
"You mind?" She asked.
I shook my head, "No, go for it." When the gold didn't make a dent she frowned. "Would you look at that?"
"Hold your horses." She told us. "We ain't got to the acid test yet."
"The acid test." The blonde boy smiled. "My favourite, guys."
The old woman shook her head, "Well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted."
JJ scoffed, "Ma'am, I'm telling you, this is as real as the day is long."
She frowned, "It looks like somebody tried to melt it down."
"My mom." The boy said quickly before I could come up with something. "She had all this jewellery lying around the house, and she thought it was best to melt it down. To 'consolidate' it." He motioned for quote marks with his fingers when he said the word 'consolidate'.
I was trying to hold in my laugh when she placed the gold onto the scale, "Seven pounds? That's a lot of earrings."
"To be honest, ma'am, it's really hard to see my mom fall apart, with Alzheimer's." He lied, fake tears pricking his eyes.
"Give me a minute." She told us before making her way into the back.
I scoffed, "Alzheimer's? J?"
He shrugged, "I didn't know what else to say."
I chuckled, "This is why I should have done the talking."
"Hey," The lady interrupted. "I talked to my boss. And this is what I can do." She said, placing a cheque in front of us.
The blonde boy scoffed, "Fifty thousand? Do you think we walked in here not knowing the spot price? Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth one forty, at least."
"Well, sweetie, you're in a pawnshop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?" She smirked.
I scratched my head, "Ninety, or we walk."
"Seventy." She negotiated. "Half price. And I don't ask questions about where you got this."
J and I shared a look with the Routledge boy who subtly gave us a thumbs up. "We're gonna need that in large demonisations, please," I told her.
"Well, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway." She spoke quietly, "I can write you a cashier's check."
"Cash?" I scoffed. "No. I want the cold hard. That's what that sign says. Cash for gold. And that's what we expect."
She frowned, "Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that all right?"
"Where's this warehouse?"
𝐖𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐖 in the Twinkie driving to the warehouse but I couldn't help but have a bad feeling, "So, they keep money out here?" Pope questioned, having the same thoughts as me.
"That's what she said." JJ shrugged.
I chuckled, "That's what she said."
"Stop." The Heyward boy said with an annoyed expression.
"I've never even heard of Resurrection Drive." The Cameron girl spoke up.
I scoffed, still not liking the girl. "Cause you're rich."
Kie frowned, "You've never heard of it either." I looked down into my lap. It was starting to seem like now Kiara had Sarah and Olivia back that she didn't need me. "There's nothing but weeds back here."
"All right, just cause it's just weeds, doesn't mean it's, like-" JJ said, trying to think positively but was cut off by the sound of sirens.
"Cops? Out here?" I asked in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me?" JJ yelled.
"What did we do?" Liv questioned.
"Why are we getting pulled over?" Pope asked, rhetorically. I then turned around to see a man walking towards the van. He didn't look like a cop.
"JJ, where's your gun?" John B asked.
He mentally cursed, "It's at the Chateau."
"Thank God." Kie whisper-yelled. "Please, it's just everything else in your bag. How much weed do you have on you?"
"Why don't I go ahead and see them hands up in the air?" The man yelled, but the mask over his mouth and yelled made it muffled. The gun was pointed at John B and I looked around to see everyone's scared faces and the two Kooks began crying, of course. "All ya'll's hands up in the air now! You, out of the car! Let's go! Hurry and let them out." He ordered as the brunette boy moved to open the door for the rest of us. The Pogues all climbed out of the car one by one but the man let out a chuckle once he saw me, "Get out now, pretty girl."
We all ducked down as we lay our heads on the ground. He scuffled through the van until he eventually found what he was looking for. The gold.
I brought my head up to realise John B was gone until I realised that a fight had broken out with him and John B by his car.
𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 had happened with Barry, I had got the Twinkie and driven to his house after stealing his ID. I didn't know what I was looking for. Just something that would piss him off.
I hadn't spoken since I had started driving. I didn't know where I had planned on going. I just ended up here. "Welcome to Crackhead Wasteland," Sarah spoke up hesitantly.
Pope frowned, "I don't know about this, Hayley. Why are we at Barry's?"
I ignored his questions, jumping out of the van. "This will only take a second," I mumbled.
"Where are you going?" JJ yelled after me but I didn't say a word as I entered the dealer's trailer. I flipped things upside down, looking for anything that could piss off Barry.
"What are you doing, Hales." Kiara's voice spoke up from behind me. I didn't say anything as I entered the man's room. "Hayley, he knows who we are. Are you really willing to put us all in danger? Including you?"
I didn't say anything to the girl. I didn't even look at her as I was rummaging through his closet and pulled out a duffel bag. "Here we go." I smiled, picking out the wads of cash from it.
The curly-haired girl frowned, "What are you doing?"
"Getting even," I replied as I moved to leave the property but she blocked my way. "Why do you care so much?" I yelled.
I could see the tears pricking her eyes, "Because your my best friend, Hayley. I love you."
I looked down, with no emotion in my eyes. "Didn't think I held that title anymore with the Kooks being back in your life."
The girl scoffed, her breathing heavy as I pushed past her and made my way outside. "All right, so we're looking at five grand each for reparations for putting us through that bullshit."
"So, that's what we're doing now? We're robbing drug dealers?" John B spoke up.
"This Barry guy's gonna find out. And he's gonna come after us." The Thompson girl said, her voice shaky.
I scoffed, "You're not a part of this Kook Princess."
"Hayley, this is not the time for this." Pope frowned.
I chuckled sarcastically, "How did you guys like having a gun pulled on you?" I scoffed, waiting for a reply.
No one said anything as I began to walk away.
"Hey, pretty girl." The Maybank boy called out to me but I didn't stop until we were out of sight of the rest of them. "What was that?"
I shrugged, "I just want to protect you. I don't know what I would do without you, J."
He held my face in his hands, "I know, baby. But you can't keep putting yourself in danger to save me and everyone else."
I nodded, trying to keep the tears from falling. "I know. J, I've got your restitution money." I smiled, holding up the wads of cash. "It's just about enough. Go take it to the station."
"Your fucking crazy, Hayley Madison." He chuckled, pulling me into him by the waist. Our faces were so close, our lips inches away from each other. It reminded me of that time at the Chateau when we almost kissed. But now, there didn't seem to be any stopping us. Without thinking, I pressed my lips to his.
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄
they kissed!!!!! finally
xoxo