𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚 𑁍 𝙟𝙟 𝙢�...

By jjsjunkie

184K 3.6K 11K

𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙖𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙖𝙮... More

ꕥ 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 ꕥ
꧁ 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩 ꧂
シ 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙮 シ
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗡𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗢
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗫
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗩𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗜𝗫𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗢𝗡𝗘
☆ 𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 ☆
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗪𝗢
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗜𝗫
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗘𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗪𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘
𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗬

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡

4.8K 82 187
By jjsjunkie

"𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨, 𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨, & 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨"


𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨...

𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠, 𝙞 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 - 𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩 ♪


BLUE WAS UNCHARACTERISTICALLY QUIET.

It was now deeper into the night; stars had awoken in bright flares, parties down the road had come to an end, and the only sounds to be heard were those of gentle waves and various critters roaming about the marshlands. Crickets chirped, fireflies hovered above the tall grass, and squirrels climbed up and down tree trunks. It was peaceful.

But Blue's mind was anything but. There was a storm raging on, one with crackling thunder and unforgiving winds. Though on the outside, she simply seemed tired or indifferent, inside she was a hurricane.

It had been a couple hours since they listened to Big John's message. Once John B and Blue were finally out of tears, the Pogues had come to an unspoken agreement that the night could not and would not end on a sour note. JJ and Pope had dragged John B to the closest corner store to grab some beer, and Kiara had accompanied Blue in going over to the neighbor's house to retrieve her kitten, Rain. Luckily, Blue had dropped her off that morning before heading out to Lana's since no one would be home to care for her, and the decision proved to be a good one. Although the Routledge girl was quietly sitting in cyclone of grief and regret, she was grateful that her small friend had not been present for the tragedies that had occurred at the Chateau.

So now they all sat on the dock, beers in hand and Blue's kitten in her lap. While John B had decided to sit further away from the group to sit in his sadness, Blue was practically glued to JJ's side, his arm thrown around her shoulders to keep her plastered there. She hadn't even asked him to hold her - she didn't have to. He just did, because he knew that she needed it. Simple as that.

Although it was clear that JJ was worried about the girl, she simply acted as though she was fine. She had run out of tears, her mind had shut down in order to avoid a slew of immense thoughts, and she was just done. Done with talking about what was hurting her, done with feeling anything other than numb, and just simply done with the horrendous day that was now thankfully coming to an end. As much as she cherished his attentiveness, she just needed to forget for a while. And he seemed to respect that.

Kiara had begun strumming her ukelele, the instrument sending a soft and sweet melody into the warm summer air. The music helped in calming Blue's nerves, aiding in sending away some of the overwhelming thoughts that swirled around in her brain. She gripped the can of beer that had been resting in her hand, fingers denting the aluminum, trying her best to fight off the sorrow and exhaustion that threatened to take over. Her eyes were droopy and she had started to rest her head on JJ's shoulder. Blue probably could have fallen asleep right then and there, but then conversation began to strike, and she found herself focusing on her friends' words instead of searching for slumber.

"How much was it again?" JJ asked, referring to the amount of gold that had been left on the Royal Merchant, the wrecked ship Big John had found.

"Four hundred mil." Pope answered.

Blue's eyeballs nearly popped out of her head at that. She felt more awake then, sitting up in her spot on the wooden railing. While she had known that the gold had been a significant amount, she never would have dreamed of that number - never could have even imagined it. The girl had never had more than $200 to her name, so knowing that they were going to hunt down millions in solid gold was a little insane and hard to wrap her head around.

"That's mega Kook money." She said, her voice so tired and strained that it was practically a whisper. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw JJ turn his head towards her, seemingly surprised that she had spoken.

Instead of pointing out that she had talked for the first time in almost two hours, he went forward with the conversation, seemingly deciding not to bring attention to it - which she was grateful for. "All right, let's talk the split." The blond said, getting straight down to business. "Now, before we say 'evenly', may I remind you that I am the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us." He held up his stolen gun with pride as the words left his lips. "Protection? Not cheap, okay?"

Blue rolled her eyes, "You tried to shoot Pope down from a fence; I wouldn't say that's proper."

The Heyward boy agreed with her. "You haven't trained. You've done zero training." He pointed out.

"YouTube, bro!" JJ replied. Blue couldn't help but laugh at that. "That's a least of five percent bump right there."

"You haven't-" Before Pope could finish his rebuttal, he was interrupted by the blond, who was dead set on receiving his extra cut.

"Any objections? Didn't think so." JJ asked, and while Blue, Kiara, and Pope all raised their hands, he didn't even look their way. "Yeah, I don't hear any, so..."

The Pogues gave up, knowing JJ was too stubborn to listen to them. Blue doubted he would end up getting that five percent bump, anyway.

Kiara rolled her eyes, deciding to change the subject before it could descend into something even more ridiculous. "What are you gonna do with your cut, Pope?"

The question surprised Blue. Her friends had been very hesitant about her father's disappearance and the hunts they had been on recently, so hearing them talk as if finding the gold was such a sure thing was a little shocking. She had expected them to try to reel her and John B away from the treasure, to convince them it was impossible, but they didn't. It confused the girl, but also gave her a little sense of hope - which she desperately needed.

Pope answered in a way that was completely expected, yet somehow still mind boggling to their friends. "Pay for college in advance. And also, textbooks. Those are expensive."

Kiara looked annoyed while Blue just smiled, knowing Pope wouldn't dream of spending his potential riches on anything but education. "Sounds like a good plan, dude." She muttered, tipping her beer can in a sort of salute. She then turned to Kie, switching the question towards her. "What about you, Kie?"

"Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's rich?" Pope asked. Blue decided not to point out that technically, she was already rich, so the answer was already known.

Still, Kiara answered after scoffing at the boy, an ambitious smile on her face as she spoke. "Just wanna make a double album." She shrugged. "About OBX, the Pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. Record it at Marley Studio, Peter Tosh producing..."

Pope chimed in once the last part was spoken. "Peter Tosh is dead-"

"Peter Tosh is dead. I know that, Pope." She replied before holding her drink up similarly to the way Blue had done moments earlier. "The spirit of Peter Tosh will never die."

"Amen." Blue nodded.

Suddenly, JJ turned to her, a kind smile on his face as they made eye contact. "What about you, Blue? What would you do with your share?" His arm was still resting on her shoulders, and she realized how close they had been this entire time. She was surprised John B hadn't said anything about it, but he seemed to be off in his own world, not even paying attention to what was going on around him.

"Um..." Blue hesitated before answering. The girl had always assumed she would be poor for her entire life. She always thought that being rich or even middle class was never in the cards for her. She had hopes, of course, of reaching new heights but she never truly thought it was plausible. But now, it kind of was. "I'd start an animal rescue. Save the turtles and all that." She smiled small as she glanced down at her kitten, running her fingers through her gray fur as she spoke. "And I'd give a good amount to the businesses on the Cut. Invest in them, or something. And to the shelters, too, like the women and children's one down on Main Street. Oh, and I'd probably travel, too. South America sounds cool." The girl tiredly rambled, not realizing that she was dragging on and saying much more than her friends had. Good thing she was too exhausted to be embarrassed.

Blue glanced up at JJ to see that he was already looking back at her. His eyes were bright, containing a gleam full of admiration that she hadn't been expecting. The corners of his mouth were set into a loving grin and she couldn't help but melt at the softness of his features. "South America does sound pretty cool." He agreed, his tone quiet as if they were the only ones present.

She knew she was blushing without even having to check her reflection. Heat was present in her rosy cheeks and she could feel a slight wave of nervousness roll over her skin as they looked at each other. How he still had this effect on her, she had no idea - though she supposed she should have been used to it by now.

But when Pope not-so-subtly cleared his throat, she was brought back to reality, breaking away from the blond's stare and anxiously glancing around at her friends. Kie and Pope were staring at the two with knitted brows and weirded-out expressions. Blue tucked her hair behind her ears as she avoided looking at her brother to see if he noticed her and JJ's little moment, selfishly hoping he was still mentally clocked out so he wouldn't try to hit JJ or yell at them to separate.

"Anyways," Blue laughed in a nervous fashion. "What would you do with your cut, Jayj?" She asked, returning the question to him.

"I know what I'm gonna do." He said, a cocky smirk replacing his sweet smile. "I'm gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full Kook."

All of them laughed and scoffed at the idea, not being able to imagine the blond boy switching sides. While Blue knew she was not suited for the life of high-maintenance dinner parties and Mai Tais, she was even more certain that JJ Maybank would never and could never fit that mold, either. He was a Pogue through and through.

Pope was first to question the blond. "You're gonna go full Kook?" He asked incredulously.

JJ nodded, sure and unbothered. "Yup. Gonna get a marble statue of myself, and then I'm gonna get a koi pond." Blue, Kiara, and Pope all giggled at the absurd plan. "Put a bunch of those fish-"

"I'm never visiting." Kiara interrupted, still smiling as she shook her head.

Blue bumped her shoulder with JJ's. "I'll visit you, J." She said, even though she knew that if JJ were to ever get rich, he still wouldn't willingly settle down in Figure Eight. But even if he did, she would still follow him anywhere.

"Visit?" JJ questioned, a playful expression taking over his face as he looked at her. "You're gonna live there with me, Bluey."

Her eyes went wide, and in order to stop herself from becoming a blushing mess like she did just moments earlier, she let out yet another laugh. "Mm, I don't know, dude. I really like the Chateau."

"I'll get you your own marble statue."

"Oh, then I'm sold."

As the pair giggled and bantered back and forth, their focus was quickly stolen when Pope spoke up, directing his words towards John B - who hadn't glanced at them once since they all first sat at the dock.

"What are you gonna do, JB?"

Silence followed the question. Everyone's eyes were locked on the Routledge boy, who sat with his back against a wooden pole as he faced the waters of the marsh. Blue watched intently as her brother turned around. While she was fairly worried that he was getting lost in his own hurricane of grief and regret, her unease was quickly quelled when she saw a small smile gracing the boy's face.

"To going full Kook." He said.

They all grinned at his answer, standing up and making their way over to John B. As they raised their beers in the air, aluminum cans clinking together, they all repeated the sentiment at the same time, setting a new goal for their summer adventure.

"To going full Kook!"

𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

TWO DAYS LATER, THE POGUES decided to take their small boat through the marina, passing by docks and stores that had yet to fully recover from Hurricane Agatha's rude awakening. The Cut's residents and business owners were still slaving away outside, working tirelessly to make their property look like it did before the storm. It brought a strike of pain to Blue's heart to see such good people desperately try to get back what they once had.

John B sat in the driver's seat, as always. The envelope from Big John was beside him, the white material practically shining from the sun's blazing rays, bringing attention to the scratchy letters written in dark ink. The map and tape recorder had become like an accessory to the Routledges; they never left home without it. It was the last thing that their father had given them, and after the square groupers ransacked Big John's office, they didn't want to risk losing such an important and sentimental thing.

Especially not when they had treasure to hunt.

While Blue sat on the edge of the HMS Pogue, clad in her sage green bikini, she heard JJ whistle as a boat began to approach them on the other side of the water. The blond boy sat on the bow, shirtless with a pair of sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose, slightly shaggy blond hair resting in perfect layers. While her eyes were slyly raking the toned plains of his chest and the impressive muscles on his arms, his went back and forth from his friends to the luxurious vehicle on their left.

"You guys see that?" He asked, motioning to the boat that was still too far away to see who was on board. "That's the Malibu 24-MXZ, the world's finest wakesetter. Number one in luxury, quality, and performance. $200K, easy."

Blue smiled as the blond most likely relayed information from some boating catalogue or website. He was an island boy down to his core, and Blue couldn't imagine him some place without an ocean or a surfboard or some kind of boat at his disposal. She was sure he wouldn't be able to function in a big city like New York or Vegas. No, he belonged with the sea and the sand just as much as she did.

"We picked the wrong parents." Pope said with a sense of envy accompanying his joke.

Kiara spoke up next, "I hate to break it to you guys, but that's Topper and his girlfriend."

Unfortunately, she was right. As the boat got closer, Blue was able to recognize the Kook couple that stood at the steering wheel of the opulent vessel. Topper Thorton was steering with one hand as the other was wrapped around his girlfriend's waist. Sarah Cameron, who was wearing her boyfriend and his boat like an accessory, raised her designer sunglasses up in order to give the Pogues a nasty glare.

Blue simply scoffed and rolled her eyes at the sight. Although she knew the rich girl's glower was most likely pointed at her brother, seeing as though the two had spouted off at each other after her father fired him, she still shamelessly returned the glare back to the blonde. While Blue was normally not one to hold grudges, Topper was an exception, as she hadn't forgotten what happened at the Boneyard and didn't plan to. As for Sarah, well...she was an accomplice. Plus, she seemed to be the reason John B got fired, so that was all the more reason to fix a pointed stare towards the Kook couple with no remorse.

Sarah looked away from the Pogues as their boat continued to drive by. As soon as the girl's head was turned, Kiara spoke up, not having an ounce of shame, either. "You don't have to act like you can't see us, bitch!"

"Get your asses back to Figure Eight!" Blue shouted to the retreating couple, laughing once the words were out of her mouth. JJ playfully shoved her shoulder but gave her a nod of approval for her outburst. "Why are they over here, anyway?" Blue's voice went back to her normal volume as she spoke to her friends.

Kiara rolled her eyes before answering. "Beach clean-up day. All the Kook parents force their kids to do something charitable so it looks good on their college applications. Not out of the goodness of their hearts or because the earth is dying or anything." Her tone was full of resentment as she spoke, and Blue couldn't blame her.

"Well, at least they're picking up Pogue trash for once." Blue shrugged, managing to find a bright side to nearly everything. The teenagers all hummed in agreement, liking the idea of roles being reversed, even if it was just temporary.

As Blue watched Topper Thorton sail away in his luxurious boat with his rich girlfriend, she couldn't help but feel as though their little 'rivalry' was only beginning. It was clear that there was tension between John B and Sarah, and Blue would never be able to get the image of her brother being forcefully drowned out of her mind. No, the feud between the Routledges and Topper ran deeper than a simple Pogue versus Kook strife.

And it was definitely far from over.

𑁍 𑁍 𑁍

THE ISLAND CLUB WAS NOT A PLACE FOR POGUES. Well, at least not ones that weren't employees. The large and well-known establishment was created by Kooks and meant only for Kooks. It was a place for lavish events and tennis matches and networking. It was not a place for five Pogues to sneak around while off the clock. But obviously, the group of derelicts didn't care - and that was nothing out of the ordinary.

The Twinkie pulled into the Island Club's parking lot, stopping near a Range Rover and a Jaguar, clearly out of place. Just as the van was parked, JJ, who was sat in the passenger seat, pulled out his beloved gun from the glove compartment. "All right, keep a look out." He spoke. "We're behind enemy lines."

John B interjected before Blue got a chance. "Yo, come on, man. Just put it back." He pleaded as the blond began to inspect his weapon, making sure it was loaded and holding it like it held no weight.

"Could never be too careful." JJ simply responded.

Pope, who was the first to exit the Twinkie, stood next to the passenger door and spoke to JJ through the open window. "Hey, I predict that bringing a weapon to a four-star hotel will likely cause more problems than they solve."

"Thank you, Pope." Blue chimed in.

Kiara crawled her way in between the front seats in order to take her turn in reprimanding the blond. "I swear to God, I'm gonna throw that thing in the ocean, JJ. Put it back!"

"That's littering." Blue joked to herself, earning an eyeroll from Kie, but she just returned the gesture with a playful giggle.

John B forcefully grabbed the gun from JJ's hand, not brothering to handle the weapon properly as he shoved it back in the glove box. "There you go." Pope cheered.

"You can't grab a gun like that." JJ scolded his friend; clearly upset he wasn't able to bring his favorite toy. As Blue began climbing out of the van, the blond boy reached into his backpack and pulled something out. "Can't forget my badge." He said before opening the door and stepping onto the parking lot, holding up his employee tag with a humorous sense of pride. "Professional busboy!"

The group of five began to fall into step, making their way towards the country club. "So, where are we going now?" Pope asked, a slight tinge of annoyance present in his tone. Blue supposed she couldn't blame him - talking JJ down from his hijinks could be very taxing.

"We're getting on the internet because only rich people have electricity right now." JJ answered in a straightforward manner.

Sadly, that was true. The Cut had yet to revive after Agatha's appearance, and no one was really doing anything to help them. While the lower-class residents of Kildare were struggling nearly two weeks after the hurricane, Figure Eight had been thriving since the storm first left the island. It was unfair and completely aggravating, but Blue was not surprised. It was the same cards they had been dealt time and time again, so any shock had been faded long ago.

"This way!" JJ said in a funny voice, pointing towards the front door as the group followed him into the luxurious building.

Moments later, the Pogues were slipping into the Island Club's kitchen. While a majority of them definitely did not have permission to be there, JJ strolled in like he owned the place, nodding to his coworkers and saying hello.

"Andrew!" The blond smiled at one of the grill cooks. "What's up, bro?"

Although Blue felt bad for intruding and possibly making the workers' day even harder, she still followed along and offered kind smiles to whomever she passed. Luckily, they didn't seem to mind her presence very much, as they simply smiled back as they continued their work.

The Pogues began to pass Mama L, the head chef, as they walked down to the end of the kitchen. JJ was not hesitant to swipe some fries off the plate she was preparing as he spoke to her. "Mama L, good to see you!" He exclaimed.

The older woman quickly smacked his arm, "Hey, no! JJ!" The blond only hummed in response.

"I'm sorry, Mama L, he's not house trained yet." Blue apologized to her, ignoring JJ's offended expression as she did so.

"Oh, don't I know it, Miss Blue." Mama L laughed as she conversed with the young girl. "Here, baby, have some fries." The chef passed over a handful from the plate she was working on.

Blue grinned as she popped a fry in her mouth. "Thank you!"

JJ scoffed, "How come she gets some and I don't?!" He complained.

"Cause I'm nice." The Routledge girl shrugged, walking past the blond as they finally left the hot kitchen.

"No, it's cause you're a witch." JJ replied, tickling the girl's sides as she walked, making her jump up and surprised giggles to fall from her lips.

The Pogues were then speed-walking through one of the club's lounges, trying their best not to get noticed by lingering guests and employees. Blue couldn't help but notice all of the lit sconces as they passed through.

"See, they got backup generators going?" JJ pointed out. "Kooks don't miss a beat."

"Lucky bitches." Blue said. Even though she was not shocked, she was still angry, and definitely jealous. She figured she had every right to be, considering she couldn't even shower in her own home and there was no food in her fridge. Yeah, she had definitely earned the right to complain.

Finally, they made their way to the computer room that was located in the back of the building. JJ ushered them all inside, quickly shutting the door once they all walked through. "Sweet Lord, the internet!" Pope cried out once his eyes landed on the computers that sat on a large desk near the windows. He ran to the chair and sat down, not wasting any time as he turned the machines on and opened a browser. "I've missed you!"

"Let me get in there." JJ chimed in, peering over Pope's shoulder to look at the screens. "Gotta check out my Insta models!"

Blue felt her stomach sink at the joke. Her insecurities began to eat away at her as she pictured the beautiful women that JJ followed on the internet. She knew she looked nothing like them, it wasn't even close. She would never be what he wanted.

She tried to mask the rush of jealousy and diffidence by rolling her eyes, fighting a frown by replacing it with a small smile. "That's not what we're here for, JJ." She said, hating how her voice seemed dull and weighed down. She hoped no one would notice.

"We don't have time for that." Kiara agreed with Blue as she took a seat at one of the computer chairs next to Pope.

John B began to frantically search his bookbag, hurriedly pulling out the white envelope and pulling out the large piece of paper that rested inside. "Hey, I got the map!" He exclaimed, setting it down next to Pope, pointing at the coordinates written in black marker.

"Coordinates, please?" Pope asked as he pulled up a website that would map out the digits for him. John B recited them as the Heyward boy typed them in. The screen zoomed in on a map of the United States, focusing on the Outer Banks before stopping at the edge of Kildare, dropping a red pin in place.

"Boom, continental shelf right there." John B said. Blue suddenly recalled the map that was in the motel room and could see all of the dots connecting in her mind. How had she not noticed earlier?

"Okay, well, if it's off the deep end, it's not gonna be much of a treasure hunt, is it?" Pope remarked. John B just sighed in response.

Pope zoomed in, watching as the placement of the pin became clearer. "Come on, baby." JJ spoke in an exaggerated country accent as they waited for a hopeful outcome. "Come on."

Blue could hear voices traveling from outside the door, and both her and JJ looked over anxiously at the noise. Their time was dwindling down and they needed to hurry before they were booted out of one of the only public places with internet access.

Just as Blue looked back to the computer screen, she saw that the map had zoomed in all the way. John B perked up with excitement. "Shit, it's on the high side. It's only 900 feet."

Blue pulled a face. "Only 900 feet?"

"That's not too deep." JJ chimed in.

"Is that doable or something?" Kiara asked, looking at the boys with confusion etched on her face.

The blond boy nodded with certainty. "Yeah, totally doable."

"Will we be taking your personal submarine?" Blue remarked sarcastically, knowing damn well 900 feet was not a shallow dive.

John B started to doubt the boy as well. "How do you know this, Mr. Dive Master?"

"The salvage yard." JJ began his rebuttal. "They got a drone that can drop 1,000. It has a 360 camera and everything." He spoke with pride, seemingly happy that he knew more than his friends on a subject for once. "It's for, like, deep dives and stuff. It's exactly what we need."

While the rest of the teenagers mulled the information over silently, John B was quick to voice his doubts once more. "Can your dad get his grimy little hands on that?" He asked. Blue couldn't help but stiffen at the mention of Luke Maybank. He was practically the Pogues' Voldemort - a 'he who shall not be named' type of thing. The girl instantly looked over at JJ in order to witness his reaction.

"Well, my dad's grimy little hands got his ass fired." JJ stated. Blue frowned, not knowing Luke had lost his last job. She wasn't surprised - the man couldn't stay employed for longer than a couple months at a time - but she was a little dismayed that the blond boy hadn't told her. He usually told her everything; especially when it came to his father. "I guess the salvage captain frowns on showing up shitfaced, turns out." The Pogues awkwardly sighed and shook their heads at the news. JJ was obviously trying to make a joke of it, but it really wasn't that funny - and he knew it. "But the drone's there." He got back on track. "It's in the impound yard out back."

Before Blue could say anything to JJ about his dad, Kiara cut in, effectively changing the subject. "How much did you say was on the Royal Merchant, again?" She asked John B, gouging if stealing from the junk yard would turn out to be worth it.

"400 million." All of them answered at once, recalling the number that quickly became a huge motivation for their treasure hunt.

Kie was silent for a moment, seemingly realizing that this was quickly becoming very real, and the stakes were extremely high. "400 million dollars?" She spoke as she began to sit up.

"Yep." Blue confirmed.

As the girls conversed, Pope raced to the door, trying to block it by holding his arms up in a 'T' stance. Blue rolled her eyes at the sight, wondering why he thought that would actually work. "No. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. No!" The Heyward boy exclaimed as the Pogues came up to him.

"Pope, move!" Kiara yelled as she pulled one of his arms down with ease.

Blue sent him an apologetic smile as she shoved him away. "Love ya, but that's a lot of money. A little theft is worth it."

"Guys, that's too-" Pope was interrupted before he even got a chance.

"It's 400 million dollars!" JJ shouted.

"Come on!" Kiara groaned, leading the teenagers out of the room as she left.

Pope sighed as he finally gave up, following John B as he made his way out the door. "Can't we do anything legal for money?" He asked.

"Nope!" Blue responded without a care in the world.

As the five of them left the Island Club, they devised a plan to steal the drone from the salvage yard (much to Pope's displeasure). While Blue was sure she would do anything to fulfill her father's last wishes, she knew she was going to have to prepare herself for all that it entailed. Hunting for treasure was not an easy game, and she just hoped they would be able to win.


𝗼𝗺𝗴 𝗵𝗶
𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮!!! 𝘆𝗮𝘆!!!!
𝗹𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶'𝗺 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁, 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗳𝗿
𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗷𝗷 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 👀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 👀 𝗹𝗶𝗹 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗴𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀2 👀 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁
𝗼𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝘂𝘆𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 7𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀!!!! 𝗶 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆'𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗺 💋
𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶'𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼...
𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀

𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗷𝗷 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀:

(𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗴𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝗶𝗱 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴)

𝗼𝗸𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝘆𝗲 𝗹𝘂𝘃 𝘂

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