CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
( ! pawn the gold ! )
MARLEY LAUGHED AS JJ held her over his shoulder. she playfully slapped his back as a way to tell him to put her down because she was unable to speak with how much she was laughing.
the two were sent to grab the gold but where more invested in each other at the moment. jj finally set the girl down when he knew no one could see them and slammed his lips onto hers.
she smiled as she kissed the boy before pulling away, "we have a job to do." jj looked at marley with a pout before laying his hands at her shorts as she put hers on his hips.
"what if we just stay here forever?" questioned the boy and while the girl took it as a joke, part of him really wanted to just stay in the moment forever.
"i'd love too, but then everyone would be mad at us so we need to go grab the gold." replied marley as she quickly kissed jjs lips once more before ducking under his grasp and going to grab the gold.
jj was quick to run after the girl and wrap an arm around her waist as they walked towards the gold. the group had been able to collect three pieces before mrs. crain began shooting at them and they wanted to pawn them off.
marley grabbed the gold in her hands before jj took it and ran. marley laughed to herself and quickly chased after the boy until he began walking. she walked next to him as he threw down the gold in front of sarah and kie, who had both been staring at pope and john b.
"kie! this better work." stated jj as he and marley stood in front of kie and sarah. "we can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it." continued the boy as kie picked up the torch they'd be melting the gold down with.
"it's gonna work."
kie, jj, pope, and marley all had safety goggles on as they watched kie torch down the gold. john b and sarah sat off to the side together just watching.
pope and jj high-fived as kie and marley chuckled to each other. the boys had been goofing around and it was very amusing to watch. the two boys did the groups handshake as the girls continued the hard work.
the group quickly pulled up to the pawn shop and they all got out as jj began to complain, "hell of a job melting it down, dr. frankenstein."
"like you could've done any better." replied kie before jj responded, "i could have done much better. i took a welding class."
kie made a face and looked at jj annoyed, "when?" john b quickly got between the two, "woah, woah. hey. sh! chill out, okay?"
jj scoffed, "easy for you to say. you're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off. how did i get this job anyways?"
marley scoffed, "jj we were both put on this job, not just you." pope decided to answer jjs question, "because you and marley are the best liars."
marley turned to pope, "i'm taking that as a compliment even if that's not how it was meant."
the group had decided that jj and marley would be pretending to be a young couple trying to get money to leave the island and the gold was their ticket off.
jj grabbed marleys hand, it seemed like something that the characters would do, but she knew he was just nervous. she quickly squeezed the boys hand before the two of them walked up to the cashier while everyone else tried to act casual.
"afternoon, ma'am." stated jj as he and marley walked towards the lady. "afternoon." she relied. "i see you buy gold." voiced jj as the lady just looked at the two, unimpressed, "that's what the sign say, don't it?"
marley smiled, "we sure hope you buy a lot because we are about to blow your mind." the women just chuckled at the girl, "hunny, i ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it."
jj sent the gold in front of the cashier, "how about them gold apples?" she just laughed, "that ain't real." "that ain't real?" repeated jj as the lady continued to laugh, "it can't be."
"feel how heavy it is." offered marley as the women picked up the gold only to understand the weight. "let's get some light on that." added jj as the lady put light on the gold.
she looked at the two, "spray-painted tungsten." "spray-painted tungsten? really? okay. why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?" offered jj as the lady questioned, "you mind?" while she held up a tool.
"be our guest." responded marley as the women hit the tool into the gold, before sticking her finger on it to try and press down.
"wow. would you look at that?" acts jj and marley almost let's out a laugh, but keeps it in. "hold your horses. we ain't got to the acid test yet." stated the lady as jj and marley look at each other with fake shock.
"the acid test? sounds fun." smiled marley as jj nodded in agreement, their friends in the back just rolling their eyes at the two.
"my favorite guys." smiled jj looking back at everyone before the lady applied the acid to the gold.
"well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted."
"ma'am, i'm telling ya, this is as real as the day is long." states jj as marley nods in agreement with his statement before the lady sighs, "it looks like somebody tried to melt it down."
"uh, his mom." improvised marley as jj nodded, "she had all this jewelry laying around the house, and we thought it was best to- to melt it down."
marley continued, "see, we are trying to get out of this town and start our own family where we can actually succeed." jj nodded his head, liking the idea of the two of them starting a family someday.
the lady put the gold on the weigher, "seven pounds? 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 and we are trying to live the life she has always wanted for me." voiced jj as marley wrapped her arm through his, to make it more believable.
"give me a minute." stated the women as she headed out back. "take your time, ma'am." spoke jj, his voice breaking.
once she was out of sight, marley and jj quietly did the pogues handshake.
she soon came back out and kie and pope left jj and marley, as the four had been chatting. the lady went behind the register, "so, i, uh... i talked to my boss."
"and?" questioned jj as she continued, "and, uh, this is what i can do." she dropped a paper in front of the duo with fifty thousand written on it.
"fifty thousand? you think we walked in here not knowin' the spot price? ma'am, i know for a fact this is worth one hundred forty, at least." bargained jj as the lady smiled, "well, sweetie, you in a pawnshop. this ain't zurich. do i look swiss to you?"
"no ma'am." responded marley as jj sighed, "ninety, or we walk." "seventy. half price... and, um... i don't ask questions about where you got this."
jj and marley turned to john b, who gave a small sign indicating to go for it. the two turned back around to the lady as jj began, "we're gonna need that in large denominations, please."
the lady looked between all the smiling kids, "well, here's the snag. i don't have that much denominated, not here anyways. i can write you a cashiers check."
marley shook her head, "no disrespect, ma'am, but that sign says cash for gold and that's what we expect when we bring our business to you."
"well, i have to send you to the warehouse. i have the money there. is that all right?" questioned the lady as jj looked at her for a second, "where's this warehouse?"
she quickly wrote down the address and the group was off. john b drove them out towards the middle of no where when pope questioned, "so they keep money out here?"
"that's what she said," responded jj before chuckling, "that's what she said." pope looked at the boy, "stop."
marley gave jj a high-five from her seat next to kie.
"i've never even heard of resurrection drive." states sarah as jj responds, "cause you're rich." marley rolled her eyes, "jj, you've never heard of it either."
"thank you." thanks sarah as she and jj give each other a look before sarah turns back around. kie looks out the window, "there's nothing but weeds back here."
"all right, just cause it's just weeds, doesn't mean it's, like..." before he could finish, they heard cop sirens and marley silently cussed to herself.
"cops? out here?" wondered kie as jj groaned, "god! are you kidding me?" "what did we do?" questioned sarah as marley sighed, "nothing! we didn't do anything. not yet at least."
"why are we getting pulled over?" sighed pope as john b instructed jj to stash the gold. john bs eyes light up in worry, "did you bring the gun?" jj sighed, "no. okay? everybody told me to leave it back at the place."
"thank god." spoke kie as pope and jj stashed jjs bag into the secret compartment in the van.
the group suddenly hear the cock of a gun and looked out to see a gun pointed right at john bs face.
"why don't i go ahead and see them hands in the air?" questioned the man with the gun before he shouted, "all of yalls hands up in the air now!"
everyone put their hands up as the man continued his orders, "you, out of the car. let's go!" john b slowly got out of the car and shut the door before the man had another order.
"let them out! what are you waitin' on? what are you waitin' on? let them out!" sarah let out a small whimper as the gun got closer to her.
"all y'all! go on! go on! let's get out the car! let's go!" the man continued to shout as john b opened the back door. sarah quickly got out as the man pointed the gun her way, "there you go, pretty girl. here we go! get out the car, let's go! hurry up!"
marley got out behind sarah, "that's right blondie, keep it moving. let's go!" "we're broke-" began jj before the man shouted, "shut the hell up!"
"all right! just relax!" yelled back jj as the man got closer to him while screaming, "shut the hell up! shut up!"
"blow your damn head off! law down in the ditch! lay down in the ditch! on your goddamn hands and knees! down!"
everyone began to follow the orders and laid on the ground. marley was visibly shaking in fear, not even think about herself. she was freaking out that jj would say something to get his head blown off.
the worst part was, the girl wasn't near him so she couldn't make sure he was okay. "don't let me see you look up! all right?" yelled the man as he went into the van.
"it's a setup, guys." freaked kie as jj sneered, "that old bat shanked us. fuck! goddamn it!" jj punched the ground in anger as everyone else watched john b slowly begin to stand.
"wait. no, no, no, no. john b... no..." cried out sarah as john b continued to stand. she reached out for him but he kept moving and pope whisper shouted, "john b. don't be a hero, man." john b just shushed him.
john b quickly ran into the back of the man's car and grabbed the keys before he hid. marley felt tears she didn't know where there run down her face as her body continued to shake.
the man walked out of the van with the gold in hand, "all right, y'all just stay like that. unless you want your brains blown out all over this road, don't move your goddamn heads, okay?"
they all stayed down as the man ran back into his car. once inside, john b quickly pushed him before going and grabbing the gun. the door of the car flew open and john bs voice rang, "guys, i got the gun!"
they all quickly shot up and went to help their friend. jj automatically went in and started fist-fighting with the guy. he punched jj in the face before kie was able to punch him in the face, before he threw her away.
he began going after sarah when john b used the butt of the gun and slammed it into the man's back as hard as he could, sending the man down.
"i got the gold!" yelled pope as sarah quickly grabbed the open car door and hit the man with it. marley, kie, and pope all began kicking the man over and over till pope kicked him into the car.
john b pulled the man's bandana down and jj yelled, "i know this piece of shit! he's a basehead!"
sarah scoffed, "he probably knows my brother." "he sells coke to my dad," continued jj before the man begins speaking, "listen, i could've hurt any single one of y'all-"
before he can finish jj slams the gun into him, john b and pope pulling the boy back as marley winces.
kie wraps her arms around marley and yells, "jj!" "dude, chill, man." states pope trying to calm jj now.
the dealer was on the ground gasping for breath when jj reaches into his pocket and grabs the guys wallet, before pulling out his ID.
"come on, let's get out of here." states pope as marley nods in agreement. jj throws the wallet back down, "we got one last stop."
"hey!" shouts john b as jj walks past everyone, "let's go see where this son of a bitch lives." kie quickly leads marley to follow jj as the rest of the group follows behind.
"i'm gonna remember this shit! you can't hide from me! i know exactly who y'all are! huh? you gonna see me again! you hear me?"
john b quickly throws the man's keys far into all the trees before hopping into the van.
jj drives them all the way to a run down house. "welcome to crackhead wasteland." remarks sarah as pope sighs, "i don't know about this, man."
"dude, why are we at barry's?" questioned pope as jj opens the car door, "this'll only take a second."
he begins to head towards the drug dealer, barry's, home when john b questions, "where you going?"
"yo soy justicia." responds jj heading into the house. pope looks at his friends, "did you glean anything from that?"
"you know somebody should probably-" before kie can finish john b opens his door, "yeah, i got it."
"right." responds kie as she pulls marley closer to her and hugs the girl. marley sighs, the fear from the earlier situation dying down in her mind as she pulls away from the hug and steps out of the van.
everyone else follows as they wait for jj and john b to come back.
when jj comes back everyone turns to him as he starts, "all right, so we're looking at five grand each for reparations for putting us through that bullshit. sorry about that, y'all."
"so that's what we're doing now? we're robbing drug dealers?" questioned kie as sarah continued, "this barry guys gonna find out. and he's gonna come after us."
"yes, he will. this is not the time to start wilin' out." shouts pope as marley looks at jj, "please just put it back."
"how'd you guys like havin' a gun pulled on you?" questions jj as john b gets in his face, "relax." jj points in john bs face, "he had it right here on you, bro."
"look. we've gotta go get the gold, okay? just give me that shit. we're putting it back." states john b as he takes jjs bag before jj slams john b against the van.
marley winces as john b looks at jj, "do you feel like a tough guy? huh? what are you gonna do when he comes for us?"
"we punch him in the throat." responds jj automatically. marley looks away from the boy, not liking this side of him at all.
"yeah, good fuckin' idea, jj." responds john b as jj grabs the bag, "i'm not putting it back." he hops back into the van and everyone just looks at him, each having a different emotion run through them.
"you guys getting in or what?" questions jj and when no one makes a move, he quickly hops back out.
"what?" questions the boy as john b gets closer to him, "we're sick of your shit." "oh, my shit?" responds jj as john b nods, "yeah. yeah. your shit." "yes." adds kie likes it's the most obvious thing.
"your pulling guns on people shit." continues kie before pope adds, "you acting like a maniac-"
"okay, pope, i took the fall for you, man! you know how much money i owe because of you?" questions jj as pope snaps back, "i'm gonna pay you back, and i didn't ask you to do that!"
"i just did! pay it back. right here, right now, by myself." jj looks at all his friends and when he sees that marley can't even look at him, he continues, "you know what? that's exactly what i'm gonna do. go off by myself."
jj begins to walk off as marley goes to follow him, "jj w-" before she can finish she feels two sets of arms pull her back and she knows it's kie and sarah.
"just let him go." mumbles kie as she sees marleys eyes begin to brim with tears. kie leads the girl back into the van, sarah on their heels and sits marley down in the middle of herself and sarah.
marley was worried for jj, and worried of what he'd do next.