CHAPTER SEVEN
DEAD CALM
"wonder if me if he's
judging me like i am"
˚✧₊⁎*⁎⁺˳✧༚
MAYHAPS it was cliche to say, but Farrah Montgomery felt like a teenager in love.
Then again, she was a teenager in love.
The overthinking, the sweaty palms— even the rapid heartbeat all started when Kiara Carrera and Sarah Cameron pointed out something she had been entirely blind to. Whether it was a blessing or a curse, Farrah didn't know. All she knew was that the all consuming feeling of love and light was making her heart swell in joyfulness. This wasn't her first rodeo; Farrah's list of lovers were long. But none of which had ever made her feel quite like this, and certainly none of which had ever made her mind go places it was currently going. Normally she'd beat herself up over looking and acting like such a dork, but somehow it didn't matter to her that she was stumbling over her steps or stuttering the sentences out. Because whenever JJ glanced over at her, an onrush of emotions lapped into her soul like waves to the shoreline. A feeling so all consuming it made her want to listen to every song out there claiming it as a drug. The feeling so possessing that it made her truly believe she was capable of something pure. Something kind.
Farrah tried her best to maintain her usual persona in front of the pogues, but with every passing second it grew more and more challenging. Not that this childish crush had suddenly changed her entire personality, but she found it to be increasingly hard to pretend not to care about anyone but herself when all she did was care. It would be a cold day in hell before Farrah admitted to it, but sitting in the back of the Twinkie looked at the bar of gold firmly in John B's clutch made her want to hug everyone in the van ( with her disaffected somewhere in that house, there was just no way she was touching anyone ). The Montgomery girl settled for blaming it all on trauma bonding. After all, getting shot at by some old bat had to count for something, right?
The gold bar in John B's hand had symbolised a lot of different things. For Pope it meant a secure future at college— a future where his father didn't have to shed blood, sweat and tears merely for his son to have a better life than him. For JJ it meant getting the heck away from his piece of crap father. And for John B it meant honouring everything his father had worked all his life for. Farrah's wide eyes had stayed glued to the gold bar as if she was afraid it would disappear if she looked away even for a second. It represented so much. Safety and security, everything she had ever wished for. When she had been roped into this treasure hunt she never really believed, but the heavy bar of gold was proof enough for her to want to dive head first into the mess.
The plan going forward was seemingly easy enough. They were to melt down the bar of gold to make it untraceable, then they would pawn it off at some shop. Once they had the money, they could buy the equipment they needed to retrieve the rest of the gold securely waiting for them underneath the house. But before doing that, Farrah had taken a detour home to take a much needed shower alongside getting a change of clothes.
Relief had washed over Farrah when she snuck home that night. She had been out way later then intended, but both her dads were fast asleep when she returned home. Sleep had taken over her as soon as her head hit her pillow, and by the time she woke up she was by herself. One of the perks of her dads growing closer to the Cameron's was that Ward had covered bought them a power generator, meaning that the Montgomery's were probably the only ones on the Cut who had access to an actual working shower. Farrah was eternally grateful when she felt the water flow down her body, leaving no dirt or mud behind as she scrubbed harshly on her skin.
By the time she was ready to get back to the others the sun was beaming down at its peak. Dressed in fresh clothes with her hair forced into a sleek ponytail, she exited the house. She didn't get far, however, before a car pulled up in her driveway.
¨Wow, you look just like this girl I'm friends with.¨ Lance drawled dramatically as he rolled down the window to his car. ¨She's about yee tall, a bit of a bitch. You haven't seen her by chance?¨
Farrah rolled her eyes at him. ¨I've been totally MIA, I know.¨
¨Uh yeah you have. Millie's convinced you're either dead in a ditch somewhere, or some sugar daddy flied you to Dubai or something.¨ Lance joked.
¨I'm sorry.¨ Farrah apologised. Wrapped up with the other pogues she had totally spaced out on her actual friends. Everytime Lance and Millie had texted her, she had intended to respond, but every single time they either got shot at or something else happened that distracted her.
¨All is fine. You can make it up to us by covering beers. Party at the beach tonight.¨ Lance grinned, motioning for her to get in the car. His face fell when he saw the expression on her face. ¨Oh come on Farh. What plans could you possibly have that's better than getting shitfaced at the beach right now?¨
¨It's barely even noon, L.¨
¨So? That's never stopped you before.¨ Lance argued. ¨Don't tell me you've been blowing us off for Rafe Cameron.¨
¨I haven't.¨ Farrah debunked. ¨I'll make it up to you I swear, but my dads got me roped in on this thing today.¨
¨Fine, whatever.¨ He sighed. ¨Do you need a ride?¨
Farrah shook her head. ¨No I'll be alright.¨
She almost regretted rejecting his offer to give her a ride, but the bike ride to the chat had gone by rather quickly. Soon enough she stood outside of the pawnshop with the rest of the pogues. JJ held the messily melted down gold nugget, giving Kiara a stinky look.
¨Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein.¨ JJ spat sarcastically as he stared down at the lousily melted down gold.
Kiara shot him a look of annoyance. ¨Like you could've done better.¨
¨I could have. I took a welding class.¨ JJ argued.
¨Literally when?¨ Farrah questioned with her arms crossed over her chest.
¨Chill out, okay?¨ John B interfered.
¨Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off.¨JJ scoffed. ¨How did I get this job anyway?¨
¨'Cause you're the best liar.¨ John B stated.
¨Actually, because I'm the best liar, but none of you trust me to do the job so.¨ Farrah corrected as she took the lead. JJ clumsily followed after her, the bell chiming loudly as they entered the pawnshop. The rest of the pogues scattered across the shop as Farrah and JJ halted at the cash register.
¨Afternoon, ma'am.¨ JJ greeted the cashier. ¨I see you buy gold.¨
¨That's what the sign say, don't it?¨
¨Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because I'm about to blow your mind.¨ JJ stated as he placed his bag on the register.
The woman remained unimpressed with them. ¨I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it.¨
JJ grinned widely as he pulled the gold out. ¨How about them gold apples?¨
A look of disbelief graced her eyes when she saw the gold. ¨That ain't real. It can't be.¨
¨That ain't real?¨ JJ repeated, looking around. ¨Feel how heavy it is. Mm-hm. Mm-hm! Let's get some light on that.¨ Farrah had to refrain from rolling her eyes at JJ as he cockily ranted on about the gold.
¨Spray-painted tungsten.¨ The woman decided.
¨Spray-painted tungsten? Really? Okay. Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?¨ JJ jeered on. Farrah impatiently waited at his side.
¨You mind?¨
¨No, go for it.¨ JJ encouraged. ¨Wow. Would you look at that?¨ A smirk graced his lips as he watched the pawnbroker test the softness.
¨Hold your horses. We ain't got to the acid test yet.¨ She said, turning to find said acid.
¨Ooh! The acid test. My favorite, guys!¨ JJ announced, earning a slap from Farrah. However thought he was the best liar out of them all needed a brain check. He couldn't lie for shit.
¨Well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted.¨ The woman said.
¨Ma'am, I'm telling ya, this is as real as the day is long.¨ JJ confirmed.
Still not fully convinced, the woman glanced between the two teenagers. ¨It looks like somebody tried to melt it down.¨
JJ hesitated for a moment, trying to think of an excuse. ¨It's mine. My piece of shit boyfriend cheated, so I melted down all of the stupid jewelry he got from me. Surprisingly enough the only thing he didn't lie about was if it was real gold.¨ Farrah lied, earning an impressed look from JJ.
The pawnbroker offered Farrah a look of distrust, obviously hesitant to believe them. ¨Seven pounds? That's a lot of earrings.¨
¨He bought me something everytime he fucked up. Spoiler alert, he fucked up a lot.¨ Farrah continued.
The woman hummed. ¨Give me a minute.¨ With that, she disappeared into the back. Farrah sighed in annoyance at having to wait. Fortunately it didn't take long for the woman to return. ¨So, I, uh I talked to my boss.¨
¨And?¨
¨And, uh, this is what I can do.¨ She slapped a note down on the register, the number written down.
¨Fifty thousand? You think I walked in here not knowin' the spot price?¨ JJ said in disbelief. ¨Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth 140, at least.¨ He argued.
¨Well, sweetie, you in a pawnshop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?¨ The woman shrugged.
JJ was not about to back down. ¨Ninety, or I walk.¨
¨Seventy. Half price and, um I don't ask questions about where you got this.¨ JJ and Farrah exchanged glances before JJ turned to the woman with a smirk.
¨I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please.¨
¨Well, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway. I can write you a cashier's check.¨ She explained.
¨Cash. . . No, ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what that sign says. Cash for gold. And that's what I expect. I'm gonna get it in cold hard.¨ JJ shook his head.
¨Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that all right?¨ The woman offered.
Once again the two teenagers looked at each other. JJ sighed deeply, turning to face the woman.
¨Where's this warehouse?¨
Raggae music played from the stereo of the car as the Twinkie drove down the road, John B sitting behind the wheel. Farrah was slumped down next to JJ in the back of the van, the six of them headed in the direction of said warehouse. Farrah was rightfully suspicious of it all as she watched beatdown houses and weeds surrounded them. She coulnd't shake the suspicion that it all was a setup.
¨So they keep money out here?¨ Kiara questioned.
JJ nodded. ¨That's what she said.¨ He began chuckling. ¨That's what she said.¨
¨Stop.¨ The grin was wiped of his face when Pope reprimanded him for the lame joke, Farrah snickering from beside him.
¨I've never even heard of Resurrection Drive.¨ Sarah voiced from the passenger seat.
¨'Cause you're rich.¨ JJ pointed out.
Kiara rolled her eyes at the Maybank boy. ¨You've never heard of it either.¨
¨Thank you.¨
¨There's nothing but weeds back here.¨ Kiara pointed out as her own suspicion grew.
¨All right, just 'cause it's just weeds, doesn't mean it's, like--¨ JJ was interrupted by the sound of whooping sirens.
They glanced behind them, blue and red light flashing. ¨Cops? Out here? God! Are you kidding me? What did we do? Why are we getting pulled over?¨
¨Shit, this is just peachy.¨ Farrah groaned.
¨Stash that.¨ Pope instructed, pointing at the gold.
¨Chill, guys.¨
¨I hate cops.¨ The Maybank boy announced as he shoved the gold into his backpack.
¨Did you bring the gun?¨
JJ shook his head. ¨No. Okay? Farrah told me to leave it back at the place, she wouldn't let me bring it.¨
¨Thank God.¨ Kiara sighed in relief.
¨No, thank Farrah.¨ The Montgomery girl corrected.
¨OHow much weed do you have on you, bro?¨ Kiara asked as JJ hid the gold.
¨He's walking up.¨ Pope announced, trying to appear nonchalant.
¨Sir--¨ Farrah's eyes widened at the sound of a cocked gun, looking up to see a guy shoving a shotgun in John B's face. You've got to be shitting me, she thought.
¨Why don't I go ahead and see them hands in the air?¨ The guy barked, a mask pulled to his eyes to conceal his identity. ¨All y'all's hands up in the air now! You, out of the car! Let's go! Out of the car! Let's go!¨ He instructed John B. ¨Hurry! Let them out! What are you waitin' on? What are you waitin' on? Let them out!¨ He kept the shotgun pointed at John B as the others piled out of the car. ¨All y'all! Go on! Go on! Let's get out the car! Let's go!¨ He shoved the gun into Farrah's chest, forcing her to the ground. ¨There you go, pretty girl. Here we go! Get out the car, let's go! Hurry up! There you go!¨
¨Get that gun off of me or I swear--¨
¨Shut the hell up! All right!¨He yelled at Farrah, shutting her up. ¨I'll blow your damn head off! Lay down in the ditch! Lay down in the ditch! On your goddamn hands and knees! Down! Put your face on the ground! Stay here just like that! Put your head down! Don't let me see you look up! All right? That's all y'all gotta do.¨ He instructed. His eyes lingered for a moment longer on Farrah. ¨Shit, I've seen you 'round. You're that pretty thing country club keeps running around with.¨ Farrah bit her tongue to refrain from answering, instead glaring at him.
¨It's a setup, guys.¨ Kiara stated the obvious.
JJ was laying next to Farrah. ¨That old bat shanked us. Fսck! Goddamn it!¨ Farrah put her hand over his clenched one, her eyes begging him to refrain from doing something stupid. The last thing they needed with a gun to their heads was for JJ to act reckless.
But as they were all focused on the Maybank boy, they didn't manage to stop John B from playing the hero. He slowly got to his feet as the masked man searched their van, crouching as he hurried over to the blue car. ¨Wait. No, no, no, no. John B.¨ Sarah called after him, but to no avail.
¨John B. Don't be a hero, man.¨ Pope whisper yelled after the boy. John B was already climbing into the car, snatching the keys stuck to the ignition. Farrah cursed under her breath when he didn't return to them, but instead hid in the backseat of the car. He was going to get himself and the rest of them killed.
¨All right, y'all stay like that. Unless you want your brains blown out all over this road, don't move your goddamn heads, okay?¨ The gun wielding man ordered as he got out of the van. Farrah glared wildly at him when she saw the gold firmly in his clutch. He didn't seem to care, simply sending her an infuriating wink.
They obliged by his order, each and every one of them remaining glued to the ground. He cockily walked back to his car, not bothering to double check if one of them were missing before getting in the drivers seat. Not until he reached to switch on the engine after dumping the gun in the passenger seat did he notice that the keys were missing, but by then it was too late. John B shot forward, landing a punch to the guy as he pulled the gun from the front seat. The pogues flew to their feet at the struggle, JJ already running over.
¨Guys, I got the gun!¨ John B exclaimed loudly, throwing it aside. JJ landed a punch to the guy right after he sent John B flying to the ground. He returned the favor by throwing a punch square in JJ's jaw. Kiara grabbed a hold of his upper arm, trying to pull him away from JJ and John B, but with one shove she was on the ground. Farrah scrambled to pluck the shotgun from the ground, cocking it loudly to get his attention. He turned around slowly, fear stricken eyes staring at the Montgomery girl as she pointed the gun at him.
Sarah dug through his car holding the gold up high when she found it. ¨I got the gold!¨ She shrieked loudly. JJ pushed the guy to the ground, watching him slump up against his car as JJ pulled the mask off of his face.
¨I know this piece of shit! He's a basehead!¨ JJ spat in disgust, glaring at the guy.
¨Probably knows my brother.¨ Sarah added. Her words jabbed Farrah in the stomach. Having Sarah mention her brother made Farrah realise how none of them really knew about everything that had gone down between her and Rafe, nor did they know that despite having ended things she still cared for him. A deep frown was etched across her face at the thought of Rafe every getting involved with someone like this.
¨He sells coke to my dad.¨ JJ realised, his rage spiking.
¨Listen, I couldn't hurt any single one of y'all--¨
JJ's fist cracking against his jaw shut him up. ¨Dude, chill, man. Come on.¨ Pope interfered, pulling JJ aside to keep him from throwing yet another punch.
¨Come on, let's get outta here.¨ John B said, more than ready to get the hell out of there. They began moving towards the Twinkie, but JJ crouched down to pull the wallet out of the guy's pocket. He threw it aimlessly aside as he glared as he read the name and adress off of the card inside.
JJ threw the card to the ground. ¨We got one last stop.¨ He stated. ¨Let's go see where this son of a bitch lives.¨ Farrah trailed behind the angry Maybank boy as they returned to the van. John B made sure to throw the keys to the guy's car as far away as he possible could before climbing into the drivers seat.
The sound of yelling hailed on them from the beat up guy. ¨I'm gonna remember this shit! You can't hide from me!¨ He yelled as the engine to the Twinkie roared to life. ¨I know exactly who y'all are! Huh? You're gonna see me again! You hear me? You hear me? I'mma see you again!¨
The car whizzed down the road, leaving him in a cloud of dust as they disappeared from view. Farrah sat in the back of the van with an uneasy feeling resting in her stomach. Now, all she could hope for was that he didn't live up to his promise.
˚✧₊⁎*⁎⁺˳✧༚
¨Welcome to Crackhead Wasteland.¨
JJ Maybank was a boy packed full of bad ideas, but this one had to be the worst one he had ever had. Not that Farrah would know as she didn't really know him that well, but it was safe to assume that the shit he was about to pull was a whole new level of stupid. Farrah got it, okay? She really did. This Barry guy had a gun pointed at them, shit, he even shoved the gun into her chest hard enough to leave a bruise. The point wasn't that Farrah couldn't possibly understand why JJ wanted revenge. That part she understood. The point was that the Maybank boy was royally screwing all of them over on his little trip down vengance lane. Apparently he had zero ability to think forward, which was why he was currently executing his idiotic plan.
Pope was the first to voice his doubts as JJ parked the Twinkie infront of the beat up old house. ¨I don't know about this, man.¨ He said. ¨Dude, why are we at Barry's?¨
JJ ignored them as he climbed out of the car. ¨This'll only take a second.¨
¨Where you going?¨ John B queried as JJ made his way up the stairs to the porch.
¨Yo soy justicia.¨
Pope glanced over at John B. ¨Did you glean anything from that?¨
¨You know somebody should probably. . .¨ Sarah trailed off, looking around to see who would volunteer.
John B sighed deeply, opening the door to the passenger seat. ¨Yeah, I got it. Right.¨
In truth Farrah was glad John B had been the one to go. The small amount of time she had known them she had realised just how reckless and stubborn JJ could be, but the side of him she was currently witnessing she had never seen before. And quite frankly, she was convinced that whatever she decided to say to him would only make it worse. So she decided to leave the intervention to the ones who actually knew him.
Pope, Sarah, Kiara and Farrah all sat in the back of the van waiting as John B disappeared into the house to talk JJ down. ¨Does he do this a lot?¨ Farrah wondered after a few moments of silence.
Kiara let out a deep sigh. ¨It's JJ.¨ She began. ¨He gets like this sometimes and it's hard to talk him down.¨
Farrah nodded, not knowing what else to say. JJ Maybank was reckless, impulsive and hotheaded. Watching the boy from afar had Farrah judging him off of those glaringly obvious qualities. Perhaps spending this time chasing after treasures had showed her a new side to JJ. Farrah was uncertain. All she knew was that what Sarah and Kiara had said on the boat wasn't complete bullshit, and that scared her. How could someone like Farrah Montgomery ever possibly like someone like JJ Maybank? If someone like Rafe Cameron couldn't even please, if even his love wasn't enough, how could JJ's ever be? Farrah pursed her lips, attempting to rid her mind of the taunting thoughts. Chances were that the Maybank boy didn't even view her as anything but the bratty diva she played the part of.
¨All right, so we're looking at five grand each for reparations for putting us through that bullshit. Sorry about that, y'all.¨ JJ announced loudly as he exited the trap house. Everyone looked in his direction as he carried a bag full of money, John B trailing behind him. Farrah scoffed at the sight.
¨So that's what we're doing now? We're robbing drսg dealers?¨ Kiara voiced in disbelief.
Sarah stepped up to JJ wearing a look of annoyance. ¨This Barry guy's gonna find out. And he's gonna come after us.¨ Farrah crossed her arms over her chest, hoping they'd be able to talk him off this cliff he was so fond of.
¨Yes, he will. This is not the time to start wilin' out.¨ Pope added.
Farrah locked eyes with the Maybank boy. ¨JJ just do all of us a favor and put it back.¨
Her hopes of getting through to him died quickly. ¨How'd you like havin' a gun pulled on you?¨JJ questioned loudly, looking between them.
John B stepped up to him. ¨Relax.¨
¨He had it right here on you, bro.¨ JJ pointed his fingers in the form of a gun to John B's forehead, trying to get his point across.
¨Look. We've gotta go get the gold, okay? Just give me that shit. We're putting it back.¨ John B went to grab the dufflebag filled with money from JJ's hands, but JJ aggressively shoved him up against the van, his back slamming into the side of the car. ¨Do you feel like a tough guy? Huh? What are you gonna do when he comes for us?¨ John B's tone lowered as he stared into JJ's eyes.
JJ narrowed his eyes before responding. ¨We punch him in the throat.¨
Farrah scoffed in disbelief of his answer. ¨Yeah, good fսckin' idea, JJ.¨ She spat sarcastically.
¨I'm not putting it back.¨ JJ stated, brushing past John B to climb back into the car. The others remained outside, looking at each other. ¨You guys getting in or what?¨ Instead of getting any response, he received looks mixed with annoyance and disappointment. ¨What?¨ He questioned as he got back out of the car.
¨We're sick of your shit.¨ John B let out, speaking everyones mind.
¨Oh, my shit?¨
¨Yeah. Yeah. Your shit.¨
¨Yes. Your pulling guns on people shit.¨ Kiara added. Sarah and Farrah shared a look.
¨Pope: You acting like a maniac--¨ Pope didn't get to finish the sentence before JJ cut in.
¨Okay, Pope, I took the fall for you, man! Know how much I owe because of you?¨ JJ yelled in frustration.
¨I'm gonna pay you back, and I didn't ask you to do that!¨ Pope argued back loudly.
¨I just did! Pay it back. Right here, right now, by myself.¨ Silence hung thickly in the air for a moment before JJ spoke up again. ¨You know what? That's exactly what I'm gonna do. Go off by myself.¨ He grabbed the bag full of cash from the van, turning around to leave.
¨JJ, hey, don't. JJ!¨ Farrah called after him, but to no avail. He continued walking ahead. She contemplated whether chasing after him or not was a good idea, but Sarah's warm hand on her shoulder stopped her.
¨Just let him go.¨ She sighed, the others already getting back into the car. Farrah reluctantly did the same, her tawny brown eyes catch a glimpse of the blonde headed pogue one last time before he disappeared out of sight.
˚✧₊⁎*⁎⁺˳✧༚
Look, he'll come around, all right? It's. . . He's doing a JJ thing.¨
The three pogues of which included Pope, John B and Kiara as well as honorary pogue Sarah Cameron and whatever the hell Farrah was to be considered were now regrouping at the Wreck. JJ had walked off with the money, and they all had went to the Wreck to sort out what their next move would be. Farrah didn't complain as she munched on fries, her mind much to occupied with the blonde pogue to even care to join in the conversation about how to retrieve the gold.
¨You think he'll go home?¨ Kiara wondered.
Pope shook his head. ¨There's about a zero percent chance that JJ goes home.¨ Farrah frowned at that, silently wondering where the hell he had run off to, and if he was alright. It gravely pissed her off how he could throw a tantrum like that and run off without even telling them where he was going. If that was the norm with them, Farrah was going to go insane.
From there on out Farrah pretty much tuned them out. It was an unusual feeling, but lately she'd been so caught up in her own head she'd missed about seventy percent of everything going on around her. With the gold to think about she had completely lost track of time. She was feeling like a complete shit friend lately. She had swore alongside Lance and Millie that this would be their best summer yet, but she had complete neglected her friends ever since falling in with the group of pogues. There was no way she could explain it. Lance and Millie wouldn't understand. They were demanding answers, their passive aggressive text messages told her so much, but she was avoiding them for as long as humanely possible. At least until she came up with a somewhat plausible excuse.
Her dads were on her mind as well. Bryan and Phillip were luckily too busy to keep up with everything their daughter was doing, but her absence had been noted. And with the amount of times her friends had come by asking for her Farrah could no longer excuse it as her hanging out with them or being out partying. Farrah was well aware that questions were waiting to be answered the second she returned home, but how could she possibly tell her dads about being shot at, breaking and entering into an axe murderer's home and four hundred million in gold bars tucked away waiting for them to collect it? She was trying her best to stay focused at the issue at hand; how to retrieve and store the gold safely. Until then, her friends and dads were going to have to wait a little longer.
¨Okay. It's too dangerous to pawn this thing off piecemeal.¨ Pope sighed loudly when Farrah tuned back into reality. ¨So our best bet is to go down there and get the rest of it. Bring it all up at once. Put it in. . . in a safe or a vault or something. I-I don't know. Just until we can find someone who won't rip us off.¨Farrah nodded along. ¨I can figure it out tonight, get it done, and we can be out there tomorrow morning.¨
¨Yeah, alright. Let's do it.¨ Farrah agreed.
¨Let's go.¨ John B said, grinning widely.
¨What about that thing with my dad?¨ Sarah queried, earning looks of confusion from the others.
John B's face fell. ¨Shit.¨
¨What thing?¨
¨I have to go fishing with Ward.¨ John B admitted. Farrah snorted, thinking he was joking. But when he didn't laugh, her chuckle faded.
¨You can't get 400 mil 'cause you're gonna go kill fish?¨ Kiara spat in disbelief.
¨Look, I have to go.¨ He defended.
Pope furrowed his brows. ¨Blow it off. It's 400 million in gold!¨
¨Make something up!¨
¨Let me feel your forehead, are you running on a fewer or something?¨ John B swatted Farrah's hand away as she reached to feel his forehead. ¨Maybe you're brewing on something. Because that's the craziest thing you've ever said. You are not gutting fish over getting rich, right?¨
¨Look. . . I-I have to go, okay? He. . . he saved me, alright? If it weren't for Ward, I'd be in foster care. So I have to go. Plus it'll be better to do it at night. Right?¨John B tried explaining. Sarah smiled warmly at him as he did. Farrah glanced between the two, fighting the urge to scoff.
¨Fine. Fine, go fishing.¨ Pope sighed.
¨And at least JJ will probably have washed up by then.¨ Kiara added.
Farrah folded her arms over her chest. ¨If you're not back in time, we're splitting your share evenly and you get exactly zero.¨ She warned.
Now all that remained was locating JJ and waiting for John B to get done fishing, and the gold would be secured. . .
˚✧₊⁎*⁎⁺˳✧༚
Once they had come to the agreement that they'd let John B go fishing, there was little to nothing to do but to wait. Pope was handling the planning on how to get the gold out while they waited for JJ to wash up, so when Bryan called his daughter up asking her to come home she said she would, knowing she wasn't doing anything to help Kiara and Pope anyways. They agreed to meet up at the chateau when they were finished, and with that Farrah began her walk home.
The sweltering sun kissed her glistening skin as she walked along the graveled road. It was nice to have a minute to herself where she could let her mind wander without being interrupted. Farrah was rehearsing what to tell her dads when she come home, barely hearing the familiar rumble of a motorcycle closing in. Her eyes widened when Rafe Cameron flew past her, the gravel flying when he braked. He kicked the stand out, leaning the bike on it as he got off. He ripped the helmet of, hanging it off the handles before storming towards Farrah with large strides. She halted in her step as he towered over her.
"Rafe what the hell—"
"What the fuck is it that I hear about you running 'round robbing Barry for twenty five K, huh?" Rafe cut her off. Farrah took a step back, surprised by his words. She had anticipated that Rafe would find out about it, just not this fast. Not had she expected for him to be this angry.
"It doesn't concern you, Rafe." Farrah let out.
A dry, humourless chuckle erupted from the boy. "It doesn't concern me? Really? Then why the hell did Barry just pull up on me telling me to keep you on a tighter leash. You're barking up the wrong tree, Faye."
"No, you're barking up the wrong tree, Rafe. What I do is none of your business because we're not together!" Farrah yelled back, her anger flaming.
"Everything you do is my business! I'm not gonna let you get hurt because you're too reckless and naive!" Rafe argued.
"Naive?" Farrah laughed. "How am I naive?"
"You're hanging around these pogues. That's not you, Faye. You're better than that." The word felt like a stab leaving his mouth.
"News flash Rafe— I am a pogue."
"You know what I mean."
"I don't."
"How many times do we need to have this same conversation? You're not like them. They-they are petty criminals and—"
Farrah gagged loudly, taking a step back. "I'm sorry, but your complete lack of self awareness is making me sick. You do know that you're either beating someone up or getting high, right? In what world are they any worse than you are."
Rafe grabbed a hold of her hands harshly. "Listen to me, Faye. That guy you robbed, he's dangerous. If you're not careful he's coming after you. I don't want you to get hurt."
"I'm capable of taking care of myself." Farrah spat.
"So what— you think that because you can handle yourself I'm gonna stop caring?" Rafe queried. "I won't. I don't care if you think you've got it all under control. Listen to me when I tell you, those boys? They're bad for you. They don't care about you like I do. They are going to drag you down with them, and I'm not gonna let that happen."
"Rafe please just leave it. Please." Farrah begged, her frustration evident. The last thing they needed was Rafe poking his nose in business that wasn't his. The pogues would shun her if they knew she still had a sweet spot for the Cameron boy, and Farrah couldn't let that happen.
"This is just a phase, Faye. And when you realise that, I'll be waiting. Yeah, I'll be waiting." Rafe nodded, his grip on her hands softening.
Her eyes softened as she stared into his azure ones. Rafe was such a complex person. One day she'd look at him and see someone capable of loving her, someone whom she was capable of loving. And then she'd turn around and his once soft eyes would hardened and go dark, replacing that caring boy with someone capable of hurting her. He scared her all the while making her feel safe at the same time. It was eerie how easily Rafe convinced her to not leave him for good— convinced her of how he was the one looking out for her.
When Farrah said they were over at midsummers, she had genuinely meant it. In that very moment she had decided that she couldn't continue excusing everything Rafe did. Not for what he did to her or to anyone else. But standing her, listening to him tell her he cared for her and would wait for her, it pulled on the strings of her heart. His words were hitting every soft spot she held for him, so much so that she couldn't help but to feel herself getting pulled back into his arms. Rafe wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting on the top of her head as he held her tight.
Farrah was at an emotional crossroads. With Rafe's arms around her, she truly believed he had her best interest at heart. But she knew the second they walked their separate ways, the empty feeling in the pit of her chest would swallow her whole. And though she knew it was wrong, she couldn't help her mind wandering to a certain blonde pogue as she stood there, wondering if he was okay and if Kiara and Pope had found him yet.
"Be careful, okay?"
"I will." Farrah hummed in response, allowing herself to selfishly relish in the feeling of his arms wrapped around her for a moment longer.
˚✧₊⁎*⁎⁺˳✧༚
Farrah was almost home when Kiara called her, informing the girl that she and Pope were headed over to the chateau and for her to join them. With Sarah and John B off fishing, and JJ doing god knows what, Farrah, Pope and Kiara were in charge of mission collect the gold.
Relief had washed over the Montgomery girl when she received the phone call. It gave her an excuse to put off seeing her dads for one more hour, and though she wanted to change clothes desperately, she was willing to wait however much longer if it meant protecting her peace for another day.
Her steps had been quick on her journey to the chateau. Pope and Kiara arrived at the very same time as her, the three of them strolling up to the chateau indulged in conversation. Farrah neglected to mention her run in with the Cameron boy, knowing that it would simply stir drama she was in no mood to handle. Yes, she did enjoy a tad bit of drama— just not surrounding herself. And after everything went down with JJ at Barry's house, Farrah figured they'd had enough drama for today.
Their chatter died quickly when their eyes fell on the jacuzzi placed in front of John B's house. Farrah's mouth fell agape at the sight. A visibly drunk JJ Maybank sat in the tub, sunglasses hanging low on the bridge of his nose as he poured himself a glass of champagne. Tiny little flamingo floaters danced at the top of the water as JJ grinned at his friends.
"What the hell?¨ Was the only words that Kiara managed to say when her eyes fell on JJ. Disbelief mixed with confusion painted their faces as they watched him pop another bottle of champagne, the cork flying aimlessly.
Pope looked around, trying to piece together what the hell was going on. ¨What did you do, JJ?¨
¨I got a jet going straight in my butt right now.¨ The blonde boy grinned childishly. ¨Y'all should get in immediately, you hear me? Salud!¨ He exclaimed, carelessly discarding of the champagne filled glass and instead opting to chug directly from the bottle. Lights were adorning the branches of the trees around them, illuminating the area in the otherwise dark night.
¨How much did this cost?¨ Pope questioned, all three of them afraid to know the answer.
¨Uh. . . Well, with the generator, the petrol, and oh, hey, express delivery.¨ He paused to let out a chuckle. ¨Pretty much all of it, yeah.¨ Farrah pulled her hand to her forehead, feeling herself fill with frustration.
¨All of it?¨
¨Yeah, all of it.¨ JJ confirmed.
¨You spent all the money in one day?¨ Pope repeated.
¨Yeah, burned a hole right through my pocket.¨ JJ shrugged. ¨But, I mean, like, come on, guys, like, look at this! Finest in jet-based massage therapy, that's what they told me. Farh, what?¨ JJ stop to look at the girl, her expression bugging him. ¨Can't a man have a little luxury in life? Come on, all this scrimpin' and scrapin'. . . I mean, like. . . guys, we. . . You only live once, right?¨ His voice cracked as he spoke. Farrah noticed how red and swollen his eyes were when he pulled off the sunglasses, the tone of his voice letting them all know he was drunk. ¨Enough of this emotional shit. Get in the Cat's Ass. Come on.¨
¨In the what?¨ Kiara questioned.
¨In the Cat's Ass. That's what I named her.¨ He explained with a look easily mistaken for pride. ¨Oh, hey, yo, I almost forgot.¨ He leaned over to flip a switch, lights whirring to life. ¨Yeah, that's right, I know. Disco mode. That's right, baby!¨ JJ chuckled proudly as he showed the hot tub off.
The three teenagers in front of him was nowhere near impressed.
Pope was the first to voice his disappointment. ¨Are you kidding me? You could have paid for restitution!¨
¨Or literally given it to any charity!¨ Kiara added.
¨You could have helped us buy supplies to get the rest of the gold out of the well!¨ Farrah finished off, all three of them burning with annoyance directed at the Maybank boy.
They continued yelling at him until he finally yelled back. ¨Okay, well, you know what? I didn't do that!¨ JJ exclaimed, abruptly standing up. A gasp fell from Farrah's lips when her eyes fell to the three huge bruises he was sporting over his abs. Her hand flew to her mouth at the sight, sad eyes staring up at the evidently broken boy. ¨I got a hot tub! For my friends. I got a hot tub for my friends. You know what? No, you know what? Screw friends. I got a hot tub for my family! Guys, look what I did for you! All right? Look at this! Look at this!¨
¨Jay-J. . .¨ Farrah began as she finally looked back up into his eyes.
¨No, you stop being emotional. It's fine, okay? I mean, it's sweet, right? Just get in!¨ Farrah didn't bother curling up her pants as she kicked off her shoes, stepping into the warm water. Instinct drove her to wrap her arms around JJ, sobs errupting from him at her gentle touch. His arms wrapped around her waist as he crumbled, sobs wracking both of their bodies. Farrah remained silent as she instead held him as close as she possible could, letting his tears soak her top. ¨I just couldn't do it. I can't take him anymore! I was gonna kill him. I just wanna do the right thing.¨ He sobbed, Farrah's heart wrenching in the process.
It didn't take long for Farrah to feel another pair of arms wrap around them, and then another. Pope and Kiara joined them in the hot tub, creating a group hug around the broken boy. No one dared say a word, all of them simply holding each other. Right now, that was all that was needed. JJ Maybank was just a broken boy, and for tonight, his heart would heal just a tad bit from the embrace of his friends. . .
word count; 7357
a/n
although i do feel dramatic feeling writing this, i truly am so happy and proud that i've for once actually managed to set up a schedule for my book and ACTUALLY follow through with it. it's kept writing this so much more fun and planned out, and though there's been a hell of a lot back and forth whether i wanted farrah with john b or jj, i have finally decided it'll be jj. at least for act one. can't promise who will be the main interest for act two etc, so don't give up on john b just yet ! also, that last scene with the hot tub is always so painful and depressing it actually hurts writing. . . with that said, stay tuned for the final three chapters of act one !
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