SEASON THREE,
CHAPTER 20:
FULL KOOK
"I've watched Pirates of the Caribbean."
✦ · · · · ──────────── · · · · ✦
EIGHTEEN MONTHS CAN change someones life around, for the good and for the bad. People grow as humans by learning from their personal experiences, hoping not to repeat any of the mistakes that they've made in the past and may deeply regret. Mindsets can change drastically too; some people can feel the happiest they've ever felt before, whereas others are clinging to a reason to get out of bed of every day.
For Delilah, it's been 18 months since her and her family finally came to an end with treasure hunting. It's been 18 months since they successfully found the gold and claimed it as theirs. Many people had tried to cross their paths, doubted them, yet they won the battle every single time. They stuck together through thick and thin, coming out of it with a bond stronger than ever — they are Pogues for life, and no Pogue is left behind.
However, it's also been 18 months since Big John Routledge died in his son's arms, unable to relish in the wealth that the gold he so desperately searched for had now brought them. It's been 18 months since Ward Cameron sacrificed himself to save his eldest daughter; no one knew whether he did it as a way to redeem himself for past actions or if it was just out of pure love, but Delilah had wordlessly thanked him for saving Sarah's life that day on the mountain.
18 months ago the teenagers were on their way back home from El Dorado, but now they find themselves getting ready for a ceremony where members of the public will celebrate their discovery of the treasure. The four girls (Delilah, Cleo, Sarah, and Kiara) are currently sitting in the former's bedroom, wanting to spend time together this morning and also help each other get ready. This also silently comforts them all because they are feeling nervous about being in the public eye for so long.
Delilah currently sits on the edge of Kiara's bed, her legs dangling off of the side. She's dressed in a small black crop top and an emerald green skirt that stops at her knees with a slit on the left side. The girl has paired this with black strappy heels, which are thick because she refused to risk snapping her ankles with stilettos. In addition to that, Delilah is wearing some jewellery to pull the outfit together.
Delilah's ginger hair has been straightened by Sarah, who curled the ends inward to accentuate the layers that Lila has. As well as that, she has also never been the one for wearing makeup, so Kiara helped curl her long eyelashes and is now applying mascara in order to make the girl's green eyes stand out. However, it's a struggle for Delilah to keep still because she wants to freely move around.
"Do you think this will be fun?" Sarah asks.
"Being in the publics main focus? No way." Delilah replies.
"We've been their main focus for ages. We helped John B escape the police and also came back 'from the dead' after living on an island for a month." Kie reminds, still holding the mascara wand.
"True." Delilah agrees with a sigh. "But at least we didn't have to sit there in front of a crowd of people."
"Lila, stop moving or I'll accidentally poke your eye out." Kie warns.
"At least I would have an excuse to miss this stupid thing." Delilah comments.
The curly haired girl stops what she's doing, pulling away slightly to stare at Delilah with an unimpressed look. Delilah just flashes an innocent smile to Kiara, but Kie just ignores this and leans forward again to continue applying the mascara. This causes Sarah to laugh at both of the girls as she finishes curling the last few strands of hair.
"It's okay, it'll be over quickly." Sarah assures. "We don't have to make any speeches so we just have to listen, spend some time there, then leave."
"You done this a lot?" Cleo asks the blonde.
Sarah nods. "Yeah, I've had my fair share of going to stuff like this, being a Cameron and all."
"Glad I've never had to." Cleo says.
"Okay, done." Kie informs.
Delilah stands out from the bed, smoothing her skirt out before then walking over to the desk that Sarah's sitting at. She looks into the clean mirror from over Sarah's shoulder, who has finished spraying her hair with hairspray and has now turned to look at Delilah with a smile. As the girl takes in her appearance, she can't help but feel beautiful, causing a smile to tug at the corners of her lips.
"You look so good!" Sarah exclaims as she leans her head against the girl's arm. "You made a great choice with the green skirt too."
"Yeah, you did." Kie agrees with a nod. "It brings out the green in your eyes more and compliments your hair perfectly."
"Looking good, Delilah." Cleo adds.
"Thank you." Delilah replies with a warm smile, appreciating their compliments. "I love you, guys."
"Don't go getting sappy on us, firecracker." Cleo jokingly comments.
Delilah grins. "I would never."
"I hope none of us fall walking onto the stage. That would be embarrassing." Sarah suddenly says.
"Don't jinx it!" Kie exclaims.
"Why would you say that?" Delilah whines. "If I fall, I'm putting all the blame on you, Barbie."
"Hey, Lila?" Kie calls, receiving a hum in response from the girl. "You have a text from JJ."
Delilah turns away from the mirror and walks over to her phone, which lays discarded on Kie's bed. She picks it up to see multiple texts from JJ asking her to meet him at the pier, needing help with tying his tie because he's been struggling for fifteen minutes now. Del breathes out a light laugh through her nose, but quickly replies back to him saying that she would be there soon.
"Does the boyfie miss you?" Kie jokes.
"He's so whipped." Cleo comments.
"Shut up." Delilah tells them with a laugh. "He's just struggling with his tie and wants my help."
"Excuses. He just wants to see you." Sarah tells her.
"I already promised I would meet with him once I'm done getting ready with you guys so that we can go together. He was going to see me anyway." Delilah states.
"You leaving then?" Cleo asks.
Delilah nods. "Yeah, I am. Thank you for helping me out. I'll see you guys later, yeah?"
"Anytime, Lila." Kie replies with a smile.
"See you later!" Sarah adds.
The redhead smiles widely at her best friends before then leaving the room so that they can finish getting ready for the ceremony. The three already knew that Delilah would be leaving earlier when they originally planned this, so none of them were upset about her going to meet with JJ; they all know that the couple are the most nervous and reluctant about attending this ceremony, but the pair know that they have to.
The redhead smiles at her best friends before leaving the room so that they can finish getting ready for the ceremony. The girls already knew that Delilah would be leaving earlier when they originally planned this, so none of them were upset about her going to meet with JJ. But they are beyond grateful that they got to have some girls time, which is something that they found that they really enjoy doing.
✦ · · · · ──────────── · · · · ✦
Delilah walks along the wooden planks as she makes her way over to JJ, who is standing at the end of the pier and is overlooking the water below. He turns at the sound of her soft footsteps, a smile only splitting across his face at the mere sight of her. JJ extends a hand out for Delilah to take, twirling her around as his gaze drifts down to get a better look at her outfit. Blue eyes then meet green once again as JJ pulls her closer to his body, hands settling on her waist.
"You look so beautiful, Ly." JJ compliments.
"Thank you." Delilah softly replies. "You don't look too bad yourself, J."
The girl leans up and plants a gentle kiss on his lips. JJ immediately melts under her touch, smiling into the kiss. Delilah's arms loosely wrap around his neck while she feels his hands lightly squeeze at her waist. She then breaks the kiss, her fingers gently combing through the ends of his blond hair as she stares into the ocean blue eyes she's so deeply in love with. She watches his gaze flicker back down to her outfit and her lips before meeting her green eyes once more.
"My pretty girl." JJ whispers against her lips, kissing her once more. "I love you."
"And I love you." Delilah tells him with a smile once he pulls away. "Now let me help you with your tie."
Delilah's hands then slide down from the back of his neck to his chest, grabbing the tie that hangs loosely around his collar. JJ watches the girl with so much love swimming in his ocean blue eyes. His heartbeat rapidly increases, even despite the fact that he has been this close to her many, many times before; the pair don't realise just how nervous they can still get around one another.
The girl can feel JJ's eyes boring into her, as well as the way that his thumb brushes against the bare skin at her waist (between her skirt and top). This causes heat to then rise to Delilah's cheeks as she becomes flustered, continuing to fiddle with his tie so that he is ready for the ceremony later. Once she's done with this, she fixes the collar of his shirt that rests under his leather jacket before allowing her green eyes to meet his blue ones.
"Couldn't be seen in a proper suit, huh?" Delilah comments, playfully.
"Of course not." JJ replies with a smirk. "I'm not going to go all out for this stupid thing. If they want to get upset over a leather jacket, they can fuck off... As long as you like it."
"I love it." Delilah assures as she smiles up at the boy, pausing slightly. "Are you nervous about the ceremony?"
Ever since Delilah and JJ have known one another, they have always been quick to trust each other with anything. That trust only grew stronger as the teens became closer and more comfortable with each other over the years. Which is why, after Delilah asks him this question, JJ finds himself immediately telling her the truth.
"Yeah." JJ quietly admits, fiddling with the ring on her finger. "I hate these kinds of things. But I want to be there for you as well because I know you get anxious about these things too."
"I know, it's okay." Delilah tells him, softly. "I'll be right next to you. And I'll be okay as long as you're there with me too."
"Trust me, I'm not leaving your side. I promise you that, angel." JJ informs with a smile.
A smile splits across Delilah's face as she then wraps her arms around JJ's torso while dropping his hand in the process, causing his fingers to slip away from her ring he was anxiously playing with. Ly rests her head against JJ's chest while his arms wrap around her, holding the girl close to his body. Both of them want nothing more than to just stay in this moment forever and never have to attend the ceremony.
✦ · · · · ──────────── · · · · ✦
Being in the public eye, especially for ceremonies, will be the death of people who are riddled with anxiety. Sitting on the small wooden porch, which is currently acting as a stage, makes Delilah want the ground to open and swallow her whole; she doesn't like how many rows of chairs are placed upon the large patch of grass in front of them, all occupied by guests that have chosen to attend the ceremony. Everyone is silent as they stare at the seven teenagers seated in a line in front of them, politely listening to the dignitary give out his speech.
Delilah can feel the sturdy walls that she put up around herself slowly crumbling down as anxiety races through her body right now. She's never had to do anything like this before; she can easily laugh along with her friends if they're just being pogues, but she (and her friends) are getting praised for something they so recklessly chose to do despite the many warning signs screaming at them not to. Her heartbeat has rapidly increased, and she's surprised the microphone hasn't picked it up yet.
In the corner of his eye, JJ can see Delilah's leg bouncing up and down at an immense speed, which is one of her many nervous habits that he's picked up on over the years. Her hand is currently clutched in his own, fingers tangled together as they rest in his lap. However, without removing his hold on her, JJ shifts their hands to rest on top of her thigh as a way to silently provide comfort and get her leg to stop bouncing. The redhead glances over at her boyfriend and flashes him a small smile, feeling his hand gently squeeze hers in response, beginning to fiddle with the ring on her finger once again.
"An expedition of one man, John Routledge, and a group of teenagers, who are here with us today. Locals who grew up here and who succeeded where centuries of conquistadors, explorers, and admirals failed Today, we come together to celebrate these teens, friends from both sides of the islands, who came together to solve this 500-year-old mystery." The dignitary explains. "Let's hear it for them!"
Cheers and claps begin to fill the air, belonging to the crowd of guests that are seated in front of the stage. Pope and Kiara's families are seen among the crowd, proud of their children. Delilah, on the other hand, would argue that the Carreras have no right to celebrate after everything they put their daughter through. They watch as the teens then rise to their feet with smiles on their faces, their gazes dancing between the many people that they have come to recognise and know after living on the small island for so long.
However, Delilah doesn't dare try to stand up from where she sits out of fear that her knees will buckle and cause her to tumble off the stage. So, instead, she and JJ remain seated in their chairs, hands clutched in one another's, as if their lives depend on it. It may look rude to just sit there with blank stares, but neither of them could care. The pair has been through many life-or-death situations, but somehow this is arguably the worst thing to ever happen to either of them.
"Can't wait for this shit to be over." JJ mutters.
"Yeah, me too." Delilah agrees with a sigh.
✦ · · · · ──────────── · · · · ✦
To Delilah's dismay, even though the public speaking part is over, the little celebration party for her and her friends is still going on; however, she and JJ managed to find a quiet spot where they could just be alone together, away from everyone else. If it were any other party, then the pair would be enjoying themselves, but here they stand, side by side, as smoke slowly seeps into the air after being exhaled from their mouths, a result of smoking a joint that JJ had secretly rolled.
"I needed this reset. This has been a lot." JJ admits. "Even Pope took a hit so that says a lot."
"I hope we never have to do this again." Delilah mutters.
"The only upside is getting to see you dressed up like this." JJ comments, wrapping an arm around her waist with a wide grin. "Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?"
"No, tell me again." Delilah playfully replies.
"Fishing for compliments, huh?" JJ jokes while he pushes his face closer to hers.
"Hm, maybe." Delilah quietly hums.
The girl tilts her face upwards, allowing her lips to softly brush against his in a teasing manner. A smile splits across JJ's face as he tightens his grip on her waist, pulling her closer while his thumb subconsciously brushes against the bare skin of her waist. Delilah closes the distance between the two of them, kissing his lips softly.
"You never have to ask me, Ly." JJ whispers with a smile. "You look beautiful."
"I was joking, you know." Delilah informs.
"I know, angel, but I will happily compliment you whenever I get the chance." JJ states.
Delilah rolls her eyes at him, playfully hitting his arm. JJ grins as he raises the joint back up to his lips, taking another drag from it. His arm is still wrapped around her waist, but Delilah doesn't mind and instead leans into his side. Lila always appreciates the times where she can just be with JJ, whether he's holding her or vice versa.
"Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt." A man suddenly says, apologetically.
All eyes immediately snap over to the older man that stands in front of Sarah and John B. Delilah and JJ quickly make their way over to the couple (followed by Pope, Cleo, and Kie) while quickly wafting the smoke away. They stand by John B and Sarah's side in an almost protective manner; ever since the chaos that they experienced during their adventures, they have grown more wary of new people. Besides, if the man is attending the ceremony because the group were the ones to find the gold, then he most likely wants to talk to all of them, not just Sarah and John B.
"Can we help you?" Pope kindly asks.
"Yes, I wanted to tell you all that it is remarkable what you did. Royal Merchant. El Dorado. Denmark Tanny. Impressive resume." The man tells them.
"Thank you." Pope replies.
"I was wondering if you would all be so kind as to look at an item of mine." The man continues.
"What type of item is that?" Cleo asks, intrigued.
"It's a manuscript. I would investigate it myself, but I'm too long in the tooth. I need partners, and you were all first on my list." The man explains.
"May I?" Pope questions.
"I was hoping you would." The man replies.
Carefully, Pope takes the manuscript out of the mans grasp. He slowly opens it up and finds his eyes then falling on the sight of cursive letters written across the slightly discoloured pages. Pope can feel all of his friends edge closer to where he stands, peering over his shoulder as curious eyes stare down at the pages.
"1718. This is old." Pope mumbles, flicking through the manuscript. "Exhibition notes. Dates."
"This is a captain's log. It shows the exact position of the ship." John B states.
"The exact location where the ship sailed and where it stopped." The man adds.
"Who is the captain?" JJ asks, intrigued to know.
"Edward Teach." The man replies.
"Blackbeard?" Delilah exclaims in surprise before clearing her throat, lowering her voice. "Sorry. Do you mean Blackbeard?"
"How do you know that?" John B asks with a frown.
"I've watched Pirates of the Caribbean." Delilah replies.
"Although that film may be fictional, you are correct with Edward Teach being Blackbeard." The man informs.
Blackbeard was a famous pirate that was feared by many; he had a reputation for being dangerous and wicked, being labelled as one of the most notorious pirates in history. Blackbeard died in 1718 with no gravestone, but his name and his actions alone are enough to keep his stories alive, even in the present day, whether it's by teaching lessons to students or including him into fiction.
The teenagers exchange glances at one another. JJ's eyes immediately find their way to Delilah, who is standing next to him. Grins then split across both of their faces, feeling excited at the fact that they have an opportunity to go on another adventure together. Even though it has been 18 months since then, the group of friends are still just as wild and reckless as ever.