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"..where have you been!?" JJ exclaimed as Valera came over to the pogues.
"With Rafe. Topper snitch on me, and he wouldn't let me leave his sight." Valera replied with a small shrug
"People tried to kill us today, and you were hanging out with your brother?" Kiara asked in disbelief.
"Yo, hey! I get that we are all stressed, but you don't have to take it on Lera," Pope spoke up, defending Valera.
"And what difference would it make if she was with us? People would still try and kill us." Pope told them.
"Okay, do you guys want to explain what happened, or do I have to play the guessing game?" Valera questioned, glancing at her friends.
"I'll explain. You guys just calm down," Pope said before pulling Valera to the side.
"I'm sorry about them. JJ had to kill his rooster earlier.." Valera gasped, "No, that poor baby," Pope raised an eyebrow at her, "talking about the rooster, Pope, continue." Pope nodded, and he continued to tell her what happened.
"Are you okay?" Valera asked after Pope was finished explaining the events that happened earlier.
Pope nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay, a little freaked, but I'm okay." He smiled at her, and she smiled back.
The two walked back to their friends,
"So, what now?"
🌊
".. Great, great grandmother Oliva Redfield. That was her maiden name." John B told his friends,
The pogues stood in the cemetery, and it was dark outside. Valera stood next to Pope, feeling eerie but a little excited.
"Help me with this door." Pope went to help John b with the door, and JJ did too.
Valera stood next to Kiara, wanting to help, but she didn't want to get in the way.
A hissing sound made the three boys rush back to the girls. It was a snake.
JJ started barking at it. "JJ, shut up!" Kiara told him,
"You're gonna wake the dead, man."
"They're afraid of dogs. Everyone knows that." JJ defended himself.
Valera grabbed the snake by the end before tossing it somewhere far from them.
She looked at her friends, who were staring at her. "What?"
"You.. just touched that snake with your bare hands and toss it like it was nothing." Kiara told her, sharing a look of disbelief with the others.
Valera shrugged, "I used to have an obsession with snakes, I know a few things about them, and I'm pretty sure if there's one snake, there's more,"
"I'm going in." She added,
"What, no, are you insane?" Pope instantly protested,
"I'm coming with." Kiara spoke up, and Valera looked at her, both sharing a grin.
"Did you two forget about the snakes?" JJ questioned,
"No, I want to see if there's any baby snakes." Valera said, walking over to the wall,
"One of you boosts me up." She said, as Kiara spoke to John B.
Pope leaned against the wall and put his hands out in front of him, and JJ did the same next to him.
She took JJ'S headlight, "Hey!"
"I need it, J."
Valera climbed through the small hole with the help of Pope and JJ before Kiara climbed through, and Valera helped her a little.
"Are you guys alive?" John B questioned,
"Uh, yeah." Kiara replied, and Valera raised an eyebrow at the two. Definitely, something was going on there, but it was none of her business, and she was gonna stay out of it.
"No baby snakes, " Valera said in disappointment, sighing. "Oh, wait, I see something, " She reached her out and pulled out a package. It said John B.
"It's for you." She handed it to John B before she helped Kiara climb out, and she climbed out herself,
Pope kept her from falling face first, and she sent him a grateful smile.
"Code red! Code Red! Square groupers, square groupers." JJ announced,
"Go, go."
"It's the guys that robbed your house."
"Lights, lights."
Valera quickly turned off the light, and John B struggled to turn off the light, but he turned it off.
"Yeah, I'm not sticking around for this." Valera said as Kiara said, "screw this."
Both girls took off running first before the boys followed towards the gate.
Pope got stuck on the fence, "You're gonna rip me, you're gonna rip me." He told Valera and Kiara who were helping him.
His shorts ripped, but they got him down. The girls giggled at him as they ran to the twinkie.
🌊
"..natural organism." JJ said, and Valera shook her head before taking the moldy sandwich from him.
"It's also a heath hazard. Here, it's been in my bag since this morning, but it's still good." Valera pulled out a plastic bag that held a sandwich inside.
JJ instantly took it, giving her a grateful smile.
"Lera, JJ." Kiara called them over, and they went over to John B, who opened the package, and it was a map.
"Holy shit."
"X marks the spot." Pope said, pointing to the X on the map.
John B pulled out a tape recorder from the package, and he pressed play a second later.
"Dear, bird.."
"Who's bird?" JJ questioned,
"That's what my dad called me." John B replied
"..i hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. And you doubted your old man, I suspect this moment, you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight,but don't kill yourself just yet, kid."
"I didn't expect to find the merchant either."
Everyone glanced at each other, "You were probably right to call me out. wasn't exactly the father of the decade. What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn,"
"Hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, living off passive investments and pulling on permits. If not, and you find this for less optimal reasons , well, that's what the map is for,"
"There she is. The wreck of the merchant. If something happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kid. I love you, bird, even if I didn't always act like it."
"I'll see you on the other side."
That was the end of the recording. John B stood up , he was crying.
Valera went over and pulled him into a hug, and John B cried into her shoulder.
🌊
"..what are you gonna do with your mil, lera?" JJ questioned,
"Yeah, what does a rich girl do with a hundred mil?" Pope questioned , and Valera shrugged,
"Honesty, I don't know. I mean, I've always wanted to travel around the world, maybe I'll travel around, take wheezie with me, and bring Rafe along," Valera replied
Traveling around the world was always a dream of hers. She wasn't of age to just leave by herself, but maybe if she asked Rafe, he could take her, and they could bring wheezie, maybe even Sarah, if she wanted to.
"Oh, speaking of my brother, I have to get going before he sends out a search team for me." Valera said, standing up,
"Need a lift?" John B quietly asked, and Valera shook her head.
"Nah, nice night to take a walk." She replied, and she walked over to him, giving him a side hug.
She didn't need to say anything, but John B appreciated it. "Thanks, lera."
"Okay, I'll see you guys later." She waved goodbye before she started to walk.
"Dude, walk her home." JJ whispered, shouting to Pope, shoving him, and Pope looked at him.
"Should I? What if she doesn't like that?" Pope questioned,
"Dude, go." Kiara told him, "now is your chance." John B encouraged, and Pope nodded before standing up and rushing to catch up to Valera.
"Fifty bucks, Lera makes the first move." JJ commented, and Kiara scoffed, "Sixty." She challenged
Pope caught up with Valera, "Um, mind if I walk with you?"
"Sure." Valera replied with a smile, and Pope chuckled, walking beside Valera.
"So..you really want to travel the world?" Pope questioned after a while, and Valera hummed,
"Yeah, I think so, but that's only wishful thinking."
"Well, it doesn't have to be wishful thinking, I mean,..if your brother doesn't want to travel, I can go with you..I mean only if you want me to." Pope told her, stammering over his words.
He cursed himself in his mind. Why was he so nervous around Valera.
Valera paused her walking, turning to face Pope, who paused his walking. "You do that for me?"
Pope nodded, not trusting his voice, and Valera smiled,
Did she seem to be getting closer? He was leaning in. He was gonna kiss her. This was his chance. It was now or never.
The sound of a motorcycle startled both of them before a motorcycle parked in front of them.
It was Rafe. He took off his helmet and glared at Pope as he got off his motorcycle.
"Get away from my sister, pogue." Rafe pushed him back, and Pope glared at him.
"Rafe, don't!" Valera grabbed his arm, and Rafe looked at her. "Leave him alone."
Rafe scoffed, "Get on the bike." Rafe handed her another helmet, and Valera looked at Pope, giving him a small smile.
"See you tomorrow?" She mouthed, and he nodded.
Valera put on the helmet and got on the motorcycle.
"Stay away from my sister, pogue." Rafe told him once more before putting his helmet on and getting back on the motorcycle.
Valera wrapped her arms around him, and she waved at Pope as Rafe drove off at a dangerous speed.
Pope sighed, "Well, there goes my chance," he muttered to himself, shaking his head.
"I was this close! Thank you, Rafe, for taking my chance to kiss your sister away!"
🌊
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