Sleep? Never heard of her. I spent my entire morning at the emergency clinic waiting to be seen for my forearm. The nurse was skeptical when I told her it was a fishing accident, but she didn't bother to push me for more details. She stitched my arm, bandaged it, and then prescribed ibuprofen. I tried to get something stronger out of her, but she was far too smart to fall for that.
I was surprised to see my friends waiting outside the clinic for me, but as I realized the pawnshop was around this area, everything made much more sense. I climb in the back, taking a seat on the floor next to JJ. Kiara sent a warm smile my way, offering a new shirt. I looked down at the one I was wearing, the dried blood giving the illusion I got shot in the chest. I wondered how sleep deprived and gross I looked as I quickly switched shirts.
"How's the arm, Bee?" Pope asked, grabbing my arm to inspect the gauze and tape contraption the nurse made. He pulled the bandage back, inspecting the stitching and the irritated skin surrounding it. "Looks like the old bat got you good."
"She did," I mumbled, gently pulling my arm back, giving Pope a weird look for grabbing it in the first place. "I'm on some pills for the pain."
"Pills?" JJ tuned in, his head snapping up from looking at a clump of gold in his hands. "You have pills?"
"Fucking ibuprofen, idiot."
JJ nodded his head as if he knew that all along. "No, yeah. Totally. Makes sense."
Our ride down the road to the pawnshop wasn't long, and before I knew it, we were jumping out of the van. I sighed, wishing I could just stay in the van and sleep, but the lingering question on how much we were going to get for the gold motivated me to get up.
Over all this time I still didn't care for the money. Of course, it's exciting and exhilarating to go on a treasure hunt, but at the end of the day it wasn't about the treasure. For me, it was about the hunt and the time I've been spending with my friends. Life hasn't felt this fulfilling since my parents passed, and now that I had a taste of this feeling, I was scared to let it go.
"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr Frankenstein," JJ taunted Kiara as we stood outside the pawnshop doors. Kiara placed her hands on her hips as she stared at the golden blob in JJ's hands. "Like you could've done any better," she retorted.
"I could have," JJ said matter-of-factly. "I took a welding class."
They were about to get into a dispute about JJ's welding skills, but John B put himself between the two of them, urging them to calm down. "Chill out, okay?"
"Easy for you to say. You're not the only that has to pawn this piece of shit off," JJ muttered, holding up the lump of gold. I looked over his face, noting for the first time his bruises had cleared up. I smiled to myself, loving that I could see his sun kissed skin without the additional colours. The only reminder of ever being hit on his face was a slight cut on his lip. "How did I get this job anyway?"
"Because you're the best liar," Pope answered without missing a beat, following JJ into the pawnshop. I entered but opted to stay by the door, toying with all the little trinkets.
"Afternoon, ma'am."
"Afternoon."
"I see you buy gold," JJ started off smoothly.
"That's what the sign say, don't it?" An older woman said sassily, turning her nose up to JJ as he shrugged off his backpack.
"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it because I'm about to blow your mind," He warned, fishing in his backpack for the lump. He set the lump on the table, the sound of gold clunking against glass filling the shop. We watched quietly as the lady chuckled while looking at the gold. "How 'bout them gold apples."
"That ain't real," The woman said chuckling.
"That ain't real?" JJ repeated.
"It can't be."
"Feel how heavy it is," JJ urged her. The pawnbroker struggled to lift the gold off the counter, her face contorting with confusion as she grabbed a magnifying glass with a light and observed the lump.
"Spray-painted tungsten," she stated, flipping it over to the other side.
"Spray-painted tungsten? Really? Okay," JJ laughed, crossing his arms over his chest. As I listened to the interaction, I grew increasingly bored fiddling with the coffeemakers and stand mixers on the wall. I wish this old lady would hurry up and confirm it's real gold. "Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?"
She took a nail and a tiny hammer to it, and when that didn't give her the result she wanted, she brought out the acid test. She looked confused at the lump of gold, deciding that it really could be gold. She looked up at JJ, who was radiating triumph.
"Ma'am, I'm tellin' ya, this is as real as the day is long." I ran my hand down my face, growing increasingly impatient with this woman.
"It looks like somebody tried to melt it down?" She looked up at JJ accusingly, her eyebrows raising as she clicked her tongue.
"My mom," JJ started, putting on a serious face. "She had all this jewelry laying around the house, and she thought it was best to melt it down. To 'consolidate' it."
The woman weighed it and whistled, "Seven pounds? That's a lot of earrings."
"Okay, to be honest ma'am," JJ cleared his throat, putting on his best pained expression. Which, by the way, was nothing compared to when he really looked upset. "It's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimers."
The woman tsked, not falling for his sob story. She told him to wait a minute while she went out back. I let out an irritated breath, wishing this old lady would give us the results we wanted already. As if on cue, she came strolling back in.
"So, I talked to my boss. And, uh, this is what I can do," she said, placing a piece of paper in front of JJ.
"Fifty thousand?" He scoffed. "You think I walked in here not knowin' the spot price. Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth one-forty at least."
"Well, sweetie, you in a pawnshop. This ain't Zurich," she bit back. "Do I look Swiss to you?"
I snorted, covering my mouth as I turned the other way, going back to looking at coffeemakers and stand mixers.
"Ninety, or I walk."
"Seventy. Half priced, and I don't ask questions about where you got this."
"I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please," JJ agreed, bending his knee to her terms. I smiled, finally seeing the end of this long tunnel.
"Well, here's the snag," she sighed. "I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway. I can write you a cashier's check."
JJ shook his head immediately. "No ma'am. Cash. I want the cold hard. That's what the sign says. Cash for gold. And that's what I expect. I'm gonna get in cold hard."
"Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that alright?"
JJ narrowed his eyes, looking straight at the woman. "Where's this warehouse."
As we got into the van, I had a sick feeling about this warehouse. But, along with every gut feeling I've had over the past couple weeks, I brushed it off, opting to close my eyes in the back of the van as we drove there.
➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵➶➴➵
I was half asleep while we listened to reggae music on the way there. I could hear the conversations going on around me, but I found it hard to move my lips, the sleepiness possessing my body. I listened to Pope and JJ as Kiara stroked my hair, braiding some pieces as I laid across the floor of the van.
"So they keep money out here?"
"That's what she said," JJ said. He stopped to chuckle, repeating what he just said but in a suggestive tone. "That's what she said."
"Stop."
I lightly chuckled, that being the only sound I could manage other than groans of disapproval.
"I've never heard of Resurrection Drive," Sarah confessed as she turned to look at everyone in the back.
"That's becuase your rich," JJ stated. I growled, feeling my tired head become more clear as I peaked open an eye to look at JJ.
"Leave her alone," I warned him, but underneath I was begging for him to continue so I could start a petty spat. Something about having a lack of sleep makes you easily irritable, but then again, JJ irritates me easily on a good day.
"You've never heard of it either," Kiara said.
Sarah thanked Kiara and I before turning around to face the road again. I sighed, sitting up from my position on the ground, rubbing my eyes until I entered another dimension. I leaned against the side of the van, blinking away the black spots and stars.
"There's nothing but weeds out here," Kiara observed as she looked out the window.
"Alright, just 'cause it's just weeds doesn't mean it's, like..."
JJ was cut off by the sound of a cop car whooping. I furrowed my brows, confused as to why a cop car was out so far in the middle of nowhere. "Cops? Out here?" Kie questioned, voicing my thoughts.
"God! Are you kidding me?" JJ cursed,
getting angry with the predicament we found ourselves in.
"JJ, stash the gold and any weed you have on you," I told him, suddenly feeling more awake.
"Chill guys," Kiara mumbled.
John B pulled over and stopped the van, quickly spinning around to look at JJ. "Did you bring the gun."
I could've screamed. I completely forgot about the gun. I grew worried as I waited for his answer. I rubbed a hand up my face, pushing back my hair in the process.
"No. Okay? Everybody told me to leave it back at the place."
I breathed a sigh of relief as I visibly relaxed. JJ and Pope fumbled with the bag, rushing to put JJ's backpack with everything that could get us in trouble into the seat JJ was sitting on. My body froze as I heard the cocking of a gun. I looked to see John B with the barrel of a gun pointed at his face.
"I wanna see them hands in the air," A masked man demanded, pushing the barrel farther into the vehicle and closer to John B's face. "All y'all's hands up in the air now!"
I put my hands up timidly, not knowing what else to do other than to comply. He ordered John B out of the van, keeping the gun pointed at him the entire time. John B slowly got out, keeping his hands where the masked man could see them. He instructed John B to open the door for us, letting everybody out.
One by one we got out of the car, making sure the man could see our hands. JJ got out after I did, picking a fight with the armed man, getting into a yelling match. I swallowed, clenching my jaw as the man threatened to blow JJ's head off.
"Lay down in the ditch!" He yelled. Slowly, we listened, laying with our stomachs on the dirt. I fought against the tears that begged to fall. I was trying to keep this man from getting the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Disgustingly enough, he probably got off on making girls cry.
I shook uncontrollably as I laid with my head in the dirt, both hands placed on top of my head. I felt an arm brush with mine, followed by fingers rubbing the back of my hand. I looked up to see JJ, but he wasn't looking at me. His gaze was fixated on the man with the gun. My heart swelled at the gesture as I calmed down a bit.
"Don't let me see you look up! Alright?! Ay– keep yo' hands to yo' self!" He growled, kicking dirt in JJ's face. I could feel JJ seething next to me. I knew JJ was the type to fight back, and that made me nervous. I quietly pleaded with JJ to calm down, but he wouldn't look at me. His eyes were trained on the attacker. Our attacker trusted us to stay put while he searched the van.
"It's a set up, guys!"
"That old bat shanked us!" JJ growled, punching the ground with all his might. "Fuck! Goddammit."
I heard whimpering from the other side, and I looked up in time to see John B getting up on his feet. I trembled as Pope and Sarah tried to convince John B otherwise, but he didn't listen. He crouched all the way to the masked man's car, hiding in the backseat while we stayed put.
"Alright, now y'all stay jus' like that. Unless you want yo' brains blown out all over this road, don't move yo' goddamn heads, okay?" He yelled, pointing to each of us with the gold in his hand.
I watched nervously as the masked man got back into his vehicle. We gasped as the car started to shake, loud grunts coming from within. The driver's door opened, and that's all JJ needed before sprinting over to help his friend.
We rushed over just as JJ dodged a punch from our attacker, then sent one right at his face. Kiara charged at him, getting thrown off to the side with ease. John B smacked him down with the barrel of the gun, making the man fall to the ground. Sarah started to hit him with the door just as Pope yelled that he found the gold.
We took turns kicking the man, pouring all of our fear and frustration into every hit. The man panted against the door, fighting to get air into his lungs. John B pulled down his mask, revealing his face.
It felt like an episode of Scooby Doo as we surrounded him, looking at the true identity of our attacker. "I know this piece of shit!" JJ spat. "He's a basehead."
"Probably knows my brother," Sarah mumbled, running a hand through her hair.
"He sells coke to my dad," JJ growled.
"Listen, I coulda hurt any single one of y'all–"
Before the man could finish, JJ's fist collided with his face. I grabbed ahold of JJ, pushing him away from the man. We couldn't afford a murder charge on one of our heads right now. JJ moved past me easily. But instead of hitting the man, JJ searched his pockets, pulling out a wallet and taking his ID.
"We got one last stop," JJ spat angrily, pushing away anybody who tried to get close to him. I pursed my lips, sighing as I followed him. "Let's go see where this son of a bitch lives."
I got into the van, but knew this was a bad idea. JJ was mad, and probably wasn't going to make any good decisions. But, I stayed silent, letting things unfold.
Author's Note:
Enjoy :) Don't forget to vote & comment!
xx Juno