DRONE
"Pope, we're not stealing the drone. We're borrowing it." John B attempted to reassure Pope, while he drove.
"'Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality.'" Pope quoted.
"Did you come up with that all by yourself?" River asked sarcastically with a grin. She glanced at JJ who was currently rolling a blunt. She almost scoffed at the boy. She knew that he knew that she didn't like him smoking weed, but he did it anyways. She'll admit, from time to time she had a drag or two, on a really bad day she'd have a blunt. But it didn't mean that she liked the idea of it.
"No, Albert Bernstein came up with that it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing." Pope explained as he glanced at River.
River playfully stuck her tongue out at Pope.
"Oh." John B merely nodded.
"So, which is it? Fantasy or reality?" Pope questioned, looking around at everyone in the van.
River moved to the opposite side of the van from JJ and the others so that she could write in her book.
"Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ questioned, he looked up at River and pouted, causing her to giggle.
"It's fantasy, but possible reality." Kie mumbled, glancing at John B.
"Reality." John B concluded. He knew what he believed, that was always something River admired.
"Reality." She answered, if John B believed, then so did she. She knew that he needed his friends to beleive in him.
"Virtual reality." JJ going to light his blunt, but Pope quickly pulled it from in between his lips and threw it to the opposite end of the van.
"Keep the signal clear." Pope muttered. JJ sent Pope a sharp glare and shut his lighter.
River closed her book and made her way back in between Pope and JJ. She rested her head on JJ's shoulder and grabbed his hand. She began to fiddle with the friendship bracelets on his wrist, they all had one. River remembered when Kie and herself made them for the boys three years ago, when she first met the Pogues, and how they haven't taken them off since.
"You know what your problem is?" JJ questioned Pope as they pulled to a stop.
"You?" Pope questioned frustratedly, raising his brows. River chuckled lightly at his statement.
"No. It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense!" JJ said rolling his eyes.
"I'm not too tense." Pope disagreed.
"Alright ladies, stop it." River said, butting in the conversation.
~
"How's it going with Kiara?" JJ questioned as they watched the girl talk with the security guard. River fliddled with her red friendship bracelet, a small smile forming on her face.
"It's, uh, not awkward, weird or anything." John B shrugged as they hide behind a old dock.
JJ laughed before saying, "Yeah. Honestly, I did not think you were gonna actually listen to me." JJ smugly stated.
"What's going on?" River whispered.
"What?" John B furrowed his brows angrily.
"JB kissed Kie." JJ informed the girl. River couldn't help but let out a loud gasp. JJ quickly covered her mouth, so that Bobby, the sercurity guard wouldn't hear her and blow Kie's cover. "I was 100 percent sure she was into you, bro. Pope would agree."
"Ehh." Pope shrugged.
River pulled JJ's hand away from her mouth and smacked John B. "Ouch!" John B pulled away from the girl.
"How could you not tell me. I'm your best friend." River huffed angrily. Her and John B shared all their silly little secrets, which included whenever they had a crush, kissed or hooked up with someone.
River hadn't told him about her and JJ's relationship.
"I'm sorry!" John B said wrapping his arms around the girl. "Forgive me R.C?" He questioned with a smile, that everyone adored.
"Always." She sighed and relaxed into his arms. JJ clenched his jaw and tried not to let his jealousy get the better of him. He knew that John B was like her brother, so he trusted him. He also knew that John B knew that he loved River.
"So, like, Kie, she like, definitely gave you the Heisman?" JJ questioned, River slowly reached over and grabbed his hand, she saw his jaw clench, she didn't understand or know why. She assumed it was because the sercurity guard was flirting with Kie. JJ smiled softly at the action.
"Oh, no question, yeah." John B nodded, a light blush coming to his cheeks.
"Gotcha." JJ hummed, a smirk almost formed on his face.
"Maybe she's just into somebody else." Pope shrugged.
River scoffed. "Trust me guys, if Kie liked any of you three, I'd know." She paused as all the boys turned to look at her. "I-"
"So which one of us does she like?" John B questioned curiously. His grip on her, loosened slightly.
River tapped her chin, pretending that she was thinking. "None of you." She mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Go. Go, go, go!" JJ shouted as the four saw Kie and the security guard heading over to her car with the boat on the back.
JJ lead them into the scrap yard, they ran in and only just managed to fit through before the gate closed.
They sprinted towards the back of the scrapyard, towards the locker. JJ had the code for the padlock already wrote down on a crumpled post it note. Once JJ punched in the numbers he tugged at the lock.
"Do you have the right numbers?" Pope questioned as John B kept watch.
"Alright so I might have the wrong numbers." JJ sighed.
"Ah damn it." Pope paced around, frustratedly.
"Dog." River mumbled.
"What did you just call me?" JJ questioned with a hint of amusement in his voice. She wasn't usually one to throw around insults.
"No-" River was cut off by the short haired German Shepherd barking and running towards them.
"Oh, dog." JJ nodded. "Oh, hey!"
"That's a cougar. Never mind." John B said as he ran around the locker, leaving the other three to fend for themselves.
"Hi, no stay there! Good boy." The dog continued to bark at JJ. "No, you're okay."
"Hey buddy." River slowly started to walk towards the dog, but it growled at her so Pope pulled her back.
JJ ran in the opposite direction to John B. Pope grabbed a old pipe and held it up. "What are you doing?" River snapped grabbing the pipe from his grip.
"Ri. Pope. Run!" JJ shouted.
"Back off. Back off. Back off." Pope said, slowly pushing River behind him.
"I got a toy boy." JJ shouted as he held up a red cloth. The dog ran towards him. "Wait. No, I was just kidding." JJ started running away, River stifled a laugh. "Okay sit!"
"You were gonna hurt that dog." River snapped at Pope as they ran off in attempts to help JJ. Thanks to Kie she was a huge animal lover.
"I-" Pope tried to make excuses for himself, but River wasn't focused on that. She was only bother about JJ and John B. Right now, they were her main priority.
"You find John B, I'll look for JJ." River said, pulling the pair to a stop.
"Do you think it's wise that we split up?" Pope questioned, almost breathlessly. He wasn't an athlete. "Cause I really don't think it is-"
"Pope." River placed her hands on his shoulders. "Go find JB."
River started running in the opposite direction to Pope, hoping to find the boy. "J!" She whisper shouted.
"Up here." JJ shouted as the dog shouted at the bottom of the boat.
"Ah shit-" River turner and saw the security guard walking towards her, he had his hand hovering over his gun, that was in his pocket.
"Don't you move!" He pointed straight at River. Her heart started to race and her hands began to shake. She couldn't control this situation, neither her, JJ or the security guard really knew what was going to happen next, and that panicked her.
"Fuck." She mumbled looking around. She was in trouble. River was going to make a run for it, but his hand wrapped around her wrist.
"Whoever's you there better come on out!" The bald man shouted making River jump. "I mean it. Don't make me go up there and get your ass."
"Wait. Bobby." River relaxed once she heard JJ's voice. "Don't shoot." JJ slowly stood up with his hands raised. "It's me JJ, Luke's Kid. And that's my girl, River."
"What are you doin?" Bobby questioned, his mouth opening slightly in shock.
"I swear okay? I didn't want to, okay?" JJ eyes filled with tears. "My dad made me."
"Don't you lie." Bobby pointed you to JJ.
"He told me that Captain Leo kept his cutting torch. You know, after he got fired. He said if I didn't get it for him, he was gonna-" JJ stumbled over his words. "He was gonna hit me again." JJ lowered his head sadly.
Bobby released his grip on River. "Son of a bitch."
"I'm sorry." JJ mumbled, "River tried to tell me to just talk to you but-"
"Come on down." Bobby said. "I almost killed you."
"I know." JJ said as he climbed down.
"Here. Come on." Bobby said trying to calm his dog.
River instantly hugged JJ, part of her knew he was only acting so they didn't get into trouble, but the other part of her knew that he was telling the truth about his dad hitting him and that's what hurt her. She knew what his dad was like and it pained her to know that JJ went home to him.
"I'll just come up with something." JJ shrugged and wrapped his arms around River's small waist. "Tell him I couldn't find it."
"Alright." Bobby nodded.
"Sorry." JJ mumbled, the second that they were out of Bobbys view,
SMIRKS COMING ONTO THEIR FACES.