𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣'𝙨 𝙋𝙊𝙑
"John B said it looked something like this" Kiara tells Sarah and I, showing us the paper as the three of us sit in the back of the van together.
My eyes skim over the diagram drawn on it and I giggle a little at the messy drawing, almost as if it was drawn by a child.
"That's 50 feet down, and they're using 100 feet rope. So I guess this little wagon will go straight to the gold room" Kiara shows us and we all burst out laughing, not being able to contain it.
"Who drew this?" Sarah laughs.
"Who do you think?" Kiara snorts and we all turn around to look at Pope who smiles at us sweetly from where he stands next to John B.
"Kie, this better work" I hear JJ speak and I turn to see the boy approach the van.
He drops the bars of gold on the carpeted floor and leans against the van door.
"We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it" He adds.
"It's gonna work" Kiara assures him, lifting up a blowtorch.
The girl sets up a pot outside before she slips on a pair of goggles and heat proof gloves, grabbing her blowtorch from the van. I grab the bars of gold for her and drop them in the pot.
"Thank you, sunshine" Kiara winks at me and my cheeks heat up.
She turns on the torch and begins heating up the gold as Makoa swings his arm around me from the right, JJ smirking at me from my left.
We watch the gold start to melt and I grin excitedly, turning my head to look back at Sarah and John B who are sat together by the tree. The couple smile at me happily and I look back to Kiara, trying my best to ignore the heat that stirs in my stomach.
Once Kiara is done melting the gold down, we hop into the van and John B drives us to the nearest pawn shop so that we can get rid of this lump of metal.
"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein" JJ says sarcastically, hopping out the van as we reach the pawn shop.
"Like you could've done any better" Kiara scoffs.
"I could have done much better. I took a welding class" JJ retorts.
"That you failed miserably" Makoa comments and JJ turns to him to start an argument but John B steps in.
"Whoa, whoa. Hey. Shh! Chill out, okay?" The Routledge boy warns them.
"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off" JJ grumbles, holding up the chunk of gold "How did I get this job anyways?"
"Cause you're the best liar" Pope answers simply.
JJ enters the shop and we follow a little behind as not to raise too much suspicion. The blonde heads to the desk and we all spread out, listening closely.
"Afternoon, ma'am" JJ smiles at the woman.
"Afternoon" She nods at the blonde.
"I see you buy gold" JJ then observes.
"That's what the sign say, don't it?" The woman with the name tag 'Wendy' retorts and I frown at the woman's rude tone.
"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because I'm about to blow your mind" JJ tells the woman, putting his backpack onto the counter.
"I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it" Wendy shrugs.
"How bout them gold apples?" JJ asks sarcastically, placing down the chunk of gold.
"That ain't real" Wendy laughs.
"That ain't real?" He repeats in disbelief.
"It can't be" The woman continues to laugh.
"Feel how heavy it is" JJ replies.
Wendy tries to swiftly pick up the gold but her face twists when she realises how heavy the gold is and I can't help but smile at how her tune changes from bored to interested.
"Mmhm!" JJ hums smugly "Let's get some light on that"
The woman inspects the chunk of gold closely with a magnifying glass and I share a grin with Sarah who is stood next to me.
"Spray painted tungsten" Wendy announces loudly.
"Spray painted tungsten? Really? Okay. Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?" JJ retorts.
"You mind?" Wendy asks, bringing out a hammer.
"No, go for it" JJ assures her.
She checks how soft it is and sure enough she realises that the blonde may actually be telling her the truth which seems to shock her.
"Wow. Would you look at that?" JJ says sarcastically.
"Hold your horses. We ain't got to the acid test yet" Wendy grumbles.
"Ooh! The acid test. My favourite" JJ chirps, looking at us all with a grin and I giggle quietly in amusement.
The woman drops a little acid on the gold and nothing happens, making JJ grin smugly at the older woman.
"Well, it ain't plated and it ain't painted" She drawls off.
"Ma'am, I'm tellin' ya, this is as real as the day is long" JJ assures her.
"It looks like somebody tried to melt it down" Wendy states.
"My mom" JJ declares with a sad look on his face "She had all this jewellery laying around the house, and she thought it was best to- to melt it down. To 'consolidate' it"
Sarah purses her lips to hold in a laugh and I look at the blonde boy in disbelief at how he managed to string together that lie so quickly.
"Seven pounds?" Wendy says, weighing the gold "That's a lot of earrings"
"Okay, to be honest, ma'am...it's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimer's" JJ lies through his teeth.
"How does he do this?" I mumble to Makoa in awe and he shrugs with a dopey grin, his eyes glued onto the blonde boy.
"Give me a minute" Wendy says.
"Take your time, ma'am" JJ tells her as she walks off.
John B and Pope turn to talk to JJ while Kiara walks over to Sarah, Makoa and I as I play around with a dainty gold heart necklace.
"You like it?" I hear the Carrera girl ask behind me and I turn my head to see the trio looking at me, causing me to feel a little bit like a kid who's hand was caught in the cookie jar.
"It's cute" I nod with a small smile.
"She's coming!" I hear John B hiss and I'm thankful for the distraction as I wander down the aisle a little to look at the random variety of trinkets.
"So, I, uh...I talked to my boss" Wendy declares as she walks in.
"And?" JJ asks.
"And, uh, this is what I can do" She tells him, placing a slip of paper on the counter.
"Fifty thousand?" JJ asks in disbelief "You think I walked in here not knowin the spot price? Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth 140, at least"
"Well, sweetie, you in a pawnshop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?" Wendy asks sarcastically.
"Ninety, or I walk" JJ snaps.
"Seventy. Half price and, um...I don't ask questions about where you got this" Wendy states and I turn my head, making eye contact with an amused looking Makoa.
"I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please" JJ declares.
"Well, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway. I can write you a cashier's check" Wendy tells us.
"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 rants sternly.
"Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that all right?" Wendy asks.
JJ thinks for a moment, narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips. I notice Makoa staring at the blonde with a dreamy expression and I swallow down a giggle while Sarah and Kiara do the same.
"Where's this warehouse?" JJ asks.
The woman writes down the address on a slip of paper and as she does that we all exit the shop, waiting outside for JJ. Sarah and the boys hop into the van but before I can do the same my wrist is gently pulled back and I turn to look at Kiara.
"Here" She smiles, holding out an object that glints in the sun.
I notice that the object is the necklace that I was playing with in the shop and I look at her in confusion as I take it from her hand, heat zapping up my fingertips when our hands brush against one another.
"Did you steal this for me?" I question, not being able to fight off the smile that tugs at my lips.
"You said you liked it" She shrugs nonchalantly and my heart swells at her gesture "Do you need help putting it on?"
I nod silently, handing her the necklace and turning away from her. Now that I'm facing the van I spot all our friends staring at us, but they quickly look away and distract themselves when they see i've caught them being nosy.
The feeling of Kiara's soft hands pulling my hair to the side makes me forget all about our friends sitting in the van and I grab my hair to keep it out of her way.
As the girl fastens the necklace around my neck, her fingers set my skin aflame with heat and my baby pink sundress suddenly feels as though it's too much to be wearing in this hot weather.
"Okay, pack it up, love birds. We don't have time for this" JJ claps his hands at Kiara and I as he passes us.