MY PURPOSE - JOHN B ROUTLEDGE
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - RAFE CAMERON
"Stealing drones makes you hungry" Kiara said when the Pogues and Eleanor arrived at the wreck for some food after a long day.
"What I would do for a beer, shrimp and grits right now" JJ commented, jumping out of the Twinkie.
"That would not be pretty" Pope said as they walked into the restaurant where Kiara's dad was.
"Hey dad!" She walked over to him with a smile because she now had the job of convincing him to let the group of teenagers eat for free.
"Tell your dad I'll pay for the food" Eleanor whispered to Kie when she walked by and the girl nodded with a smile. So of course with that added to sweeten the pot, Kiara came over to them in no time.
"Sit down" She ordered playfully and the boys were quick to listen. Kiara then sat down next to Eleanor "Thank you" She whispered.
Eleanor smiled "Don't worry about it" After eating the best food El had ever tasted, Kiara stood up from her seat to go put some music on the speaker since they were now the only people in there.
Riptide By Vance Joy came on and that's when Kiara came back over to the table to grab Eleanor's hand. The two girls started to dance with each other with no care in the world while the boys just looked at them in awe. Kie then stopped dancing with El and motioned for Pope to come and dance with her while Eleanor went and grabbed John B's hand.
The Routledge boy smiled and twirled the brunette around making her laugh before bringing her closer into his chest as they began to slow dance. Minutes passed as John B twirled the girl out and back in and that's when Eleanor realised that JJ was now sat at the table on his own.
"Come on blondie, get over here" She shouted over to the blonde and he couldn't help but smile when John B and Eleanor both opened their arms for him.
"Don't act like ya don't wanna come over here"
John B said and JJ threw another frie in his mouth before walking over to the two. JJ then danced with her before twirling her to John B as Pope and Kiara came over to join them.
And when Mike came out of the kitchen, he couldn't help but smile at the five teenagers dancing like nobody's watching because no matter how much he hated the Pogues, he couldn't deny that the smile on his daughter's face was fake. They all brought out the best in each other, they brought out the change and most of all, they brought each other back to life.
-----
It was the next day now and the Pogues plus Eleanor were standing on the dock where Pope was trying to figure out the ROV and El, John B and Kie were all in the water with the drone.
"What's this right here?" JJ asked Pope, pointing to one of the buttons.
"Don't touch that" Pope smacked the blonde's hand away "I'm trying to work this thing out"
"God bless geeks, Pope. Truly, man cause what we do without you to work the drones" JJ joked.
"Technically it's not a drone" Pope started making JJ groan, wishing he never said anything now "It's an ROV"
"Shut up, shut up" He silenced him "It's too early for this shit right now"
"Hey JJ" Eleanor called and swam over to the dock, she then put her hand out to the boy "Help me up will ya?" JJ didn't even think twice about it and grabbed her hand but what he wasn't expecting was Eleanor to pull him in with her.
"Oh shit!" He yelled before falling into the water, wiping his hands over his face when he resurfaced.
Everyone chuckled as Eleanor hauled herself back onto the dock with a smirk "Sorry JJ but it was just too easy" She then thanked Pope when he passed her a towel to dry off.
"You better watch your back Toretto" JJ said in a playful tone while pointing his finger at her before also making his way back to the dock. Eleanor looked at him like it was a challenge "No I'm serious, you just started something you might not be able to finish"
"Whatever ya say blondie" Throwing JJ a towel she then turned her head to look at John B who was still in the water with Kie.
"So once we get the footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim" He told everyone.
"See it's bullshit why we even have to do that" JJ stated while drying his hair with the towel.
"Well, there is maritime salvage law. You can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a bunch of stuff up" Pope added in.
"You read my mind Pope" Eleanor sent him a smile and he sent her a small one back.
"Yeah but lawyers aren't cheap, guys" JJ reminded them.
"As soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp" John B assured him.
Kiara frowned "How do you know all of that?"
"Cause my dad said it, like, a million times" John B shrugged like it was obvious.
"Yeah, that's fair"
"This tether is, like, really long. In the wrong weather, it could get pushed around" Pope looked at the group.
"Then we'll go at dead calm" John B finalised.
"Which is defiantly not today" Eleanor said as thunder could be heard and the clouds were already getting darker. Everyone started to leave the dock after that but Eleanor was still sat at the edge of the dock with her feet in the water.
"Yeah I'll catch up with you guys" John B shouted to his friends before sitting down next to the brunette "You alright?"
"Do you think this is all worth it?" Eleanor randomly asked, looking over at John B who frowned at her question.
"Woah, hold on, if you don't wanna do this anymore you can back out anytime you know that right?" He rambled.
The girl nodded "Yeah I know and trust me, I don't wanna back out of anything it's just. . .I don't know" She muttered "I can't explain it" She was scared, scared that she was gonna lose Leon and the relationship between them both just for some gold that she didn't even want any part of.
"Well you don't have to explain anything to me" John B smiled.
Eleanor nodded and looked down at her hands when she sighed "Hey, do you remember when we almost kissed?"
"Yeah, yeah. I remember" John B nodded awkwardly.
"Did you tell JJ?" She looked back up at him.
"Erm, I had to. I mean, Pogues don't lie to Pogues, right? Plus, JJ just laughed at me because you shot me down, so. . ."
"Hold on, are you saying I'm a Pogue now?" Eleanor smiled at him "I'm flattered John B, I really am" The boy looked down at his lap as he laughed "Seriously though, I didn't shoot you down. I mean, it was really bad timing and if I'm honest, I don't think I was ready for that commitment just yet. You know?"
John B nodded "Yeah, yeah. I get that, I totally do. Erm, why do you ask?"
Eleanor just shrugged "I was just wondering, no big deal"
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Eleanor was in her dodge charger driving through the cut to where Pope's dad works because JJ had asked her if she wouldn't mind helping him and Pope with delivering some groceries to Figure Eight. And of course she said yes.
"There's the princess" JJ teased when he saw the girl get out of her car.
"Hey JJ" She smiled "Hey Pope" She called out to the two boys and then she saw Pope's dad, Heyward, coming out the shop with some more bags.
"Ah you must be Eleanor, it's nice to finally meet you" El smiled and shook the man's hand, not wanting to make a bad impression on the first day of meeting him.
"Likewise Mr. Heyward" The girl then took JJ's hand to help her into the boat before she started to help load the groceries up.
The man smiled "I like you already" He then grabbed some more bags "Ya know rich folk don't wanna wait for you lazy sons of. . ." He stopped when he turned around and saw JJ stood in front of him with his arms out "Oh, thank you JJ. . .sons of bitches"
Eleanor chuckled "Couldn't of said it better myself, Mr. Heyward" After loading up the rest of the bags, the three teens were on their way to Figure Eight.
"Looks like the storm hasn't even hit there" Pope said, looking at Figure Eight.
"That's because they got generators, bro. Get used to it" JJ glared at that side of the island "And then they saw the juice will be out all summer at the cut"
"It's nice to be a kook"
Eleanor just stayed quiet during their conversation because even though she was neither, yet technically a kook because of the money she had, she wasn't at first when her family was relying on street races to pay the bills, the mortgage and to even put food on the table. Just like Leon, who may be a kook now, but was still the same boy who was robbing to stay alive and she thought the Pogues forget that sometimes.
-----
Eleanor had decided to go with Pope to do their deliveries and they were having quite a nice conversation when a guy who looks about their age came jogging over to them from the golf course.
"Hey, what's up?" Rafe Cameron came walking over with Topper behind him and a golf club rested on his shoulder.
Eleanor could tell just by looking at him he was trouble "Who's this asshole?" She said it loud enough for Rafe to hear.
"Sorry, did I hear that right?" Rafe frowned but still had a smug smile present on his face "Me an asshole?" He pointed to himself and chuckled before looking at Pope beside her "This your girlfriend Pope?"
"I didn't stutter the last time I checked and I'm his friend, got a problem with that?" She replied, glaring at him.
"No, no, I haven't got a problem. What about you Top?" Rafe turned his head to look at Topper who nodded.
He too had a smug smile on his face "Yeah, I'm good Rafe"
"So, how much for one of those beers?" He questioned, pointing to the case of beers Pope had in his arms.
"Their not for sale" Pope finally spoke up, his glare darkening.
"You can just give us one, then, right?" He smiled and looked back at Eleanor "You wouldn't tell, would ya sweetheart?"
The girl visibly cringed at the nickname "Don't call me sweetheart and how about ordering one like everyone else does" She went to walk around him but he put his hand on her arm to stop her.
"Listen, you've got so many and we've got nothing. D-do you understand me?"
Ripping her arm out of his grip as Pope stepped forward and put Eleanor behind his back and out of their view "Their not even ours. They're already paid for" Pope snapped.
"Already paid for?" Rafe repeated "You probably stole em, right?" He then swung the bag of groceries out of Pope's hand with the golf club resulting in the bag splitting and the shopping going everywhere.
"What the hell? You owe me for that!" Pope yelled.
"Oh!" He smiled while shaking his head "I don't owe you shit, Pogue"
Pope suddenly shoved Rafe in the chest causing him to stumble back "Buy your own shit!"
"Hey, whoa, we just want one off these beers! Just give us one of these-"
Topper then tried to take the case of beers out of Pope's hands but Eleanor stood in the way "You guys are freaking crazy!" Pope shouted.
Eleanor watched in horror as Rafe started to lift the golf club up into the air and in no time El had her pistol in Rafe's stomach making him pause "You still want one of those beers?" She asked with smirk, clicking the safety off.
"Alright, alright" He held his hands up in surrender "We get it, we're leaving" She watched them both walk away before putting her gun away and turning around to see Pope with a shocked and scared looking expression on his face.
"Hey, you okay?" Pope gave her a small nod as the two bent down to start picking up the shopping "Do you mind me asking who the fuck them two were?"
Pope sighed "Rafe Cameron and Topper Thornton. The biggest Kooks on Figure Eight you're ever gonna meet"