"Yeah" Alana whispers softly as her eyes read over the big letters a few more times before putting her hand through the gigantic crack for John B to grab the FedEx envelope. Alana takes a deep breathe before bringing herself back up, her small body crawling back out the hole. She lets out a small grunt as the fresh night air welcomes her. A pair of blue eyes greet hers on the other end, waiting to help her get down without harming herself.
"Here" JJ reaches his arms out. "Jump and I'll catch"
"Don't let me fall" she teases but all the same hoping the boy does not drop her.
"Never" JJ whispers mostly to himself. Alana places her hand on his shoulder and pushes her body forward. JJs arms tighten around her waist as he carries her down, gently helping her to the ground. The crack isn't that far up from the ground but Alana didn't want to risk it because with her luck she would have somehow broke her ankle or scraped her entire knee. Something like that. Once she was up and standing back on earth she gives JJ a small smile.
"Thanks" she says.
"Welcome" a warm smile playing on his lips.
"Holy shit" John B's heart rate was accelerating as he held the envelope out in front of him not being able to believe what he was seeing. "This is from my father" the corner of his mouth slowly twisting up into a smile. Alana couldn't tell if John B was feeling excited or sad, or maybe both. Kiara looks at John B with a warm hearted grin, not saying a word as she allows her best friend to process his emotions. Alana is about to ask Kie something but is cut off by JJ.
"Code red code red. Square groupers!" A vehicle approaches from around the corner and all five of them break into a run. Kie looks over to Alana, a wild look in her eyes. Alana's mouth breaks into a wide smile. She knows she looks insane smiling as they're running away from trouble but she can't help but feel so young and alive at the moment. It's something about doing risky things and nearly being caught that excites her. I'm crazy, Alana says to herself. A part of her wishes Sarah Cameron was here to experience all of this with her, having the time of their life together being young and reckless teens but she knows there's still a conversation that needs to happen between Sarah and Kiara. Until then Alana is going to have to deal with having all these wild adventures without her cousin.
A wave of energy courses through her veins as she jumps over the fence. Without trouble she makes it to the other side with the rest and she continues running until she hears Pope call out. When she turns around she tries to hold in her laughter. Pope had just thrown his leg over but the front of his pants got stuck on the gate.
"Seriously Pope" Alana says.
"Pope come on!" JJ shouts. His hand digs into his pocket fishing out a gun. Not again, Alana shakes her head. What is it with this boy and that gun?
"I got you." Kie reaches up Pope's shirt tugging hard to get him down. The boy nervously asks her to stop.
"No, Pope don't move, okay?" JJ holds one hand up as he steadies the gun in the other.
"You're gonna rip me!" Pope tells Kiara. John B swats the gun away from Pope's direction, fed up with JJ constantly resulting to the gun for everything.
"JJ dude" Alana throws her hands up as he mouths 'what?'
"You could've easily hit him in the wrong place and it would've been lights out down there" Alana clicks her tongue sliding her finger over her throat, "No kids for Pope."
"My aim is pretty good" JJ says confidently.
"Yeah okay"
"Pope come on!" John B is ready to get the hell out of this place before being caught. Kiara finally succeeded in saving Pope but not so much his pants as they hung on the gate. Popes hands immediately covered his front as he catches up with his friends. JJ lets out a whistle.
"Nice, come on dude"
"It's a little Tootsie roll." Kie and Alana laugh in unison, breaking into a run again to the bus.
"Get in!"
"Stupid!" Kie chuckles.
Alana jumps in behind Pope who was still holding his friend. The tires screech as John B whips the old bus getting them out of there before the vehicle pulled up to the front gate. She giggles to herself as she looks out the window her eyes falling on Popes pants left behind as a small gift for the square groupers.
🌊🌊🌊
"Want a sandwich?" JJ asks Alana as he smears peanut butter on molded bread. She twists her face up in disgust.
"That's gross"
"You don't like sandwiches?" He licks the peanut butter of his thumb, glaring at Alana. His hair looked crazy sticking out in all places. For some reason Alana wanted to bring her hand up and run her fingers through his hair, pushing it back so it wouldn't be in his face as he made his sandwich.
"I do but not with bread that has mold on it..."
"That bread had mold on it three days ago" Pope says from the other room.
"I'll just pull off the bad parts, plus mold is good for you. It's just a natural organism."
"Yup... I'll pass" Alana shakes her head, walking away from the kitchen and into the next room where John B sat, Kie and Pope on either side of him waiting for everyone to be there so John B could open the envelope. He didn't want to do it alone. Alana stood next to Kiara, now they waited for JJ. Kiara called out for the boy to hurry. He rushes over with his sandwich in his hand.
"Hot damn, lets do it!" He takes a big bite out of his sandwich while John B starts opening the envelope. The look on JJs face said it all. He leaned over towards Pope, gagging and spitting it out into his palm.
John B pulls a large paper out of the envelope, unfolding it to lay it out on the table for everyone to see. He flattens the paper.
"Holy shit."
It was a map but of what Alana couldn't tell right away.
"X marks the spot." Pope points at an x on the paper marked next to the lighthouse and the cut. There were coordinates written out and a hurricane symbol. John B glides his finger over the paper but when he does he pauses.
"Wait there's something else in there." He lifts the paper up grabbing the envelope from underneath. A small device is in John Bs hands.
"What's that?" JJ asks. John B looks over the tape recorder with a hint of recognition on his face.
"It's a tape recorder, dumbass." Kie says.
John B pushes a button playing the message. The voice belongs to a man and judging by the expression on John Bs face, Alana knew it was his father.
"Dear bird."
"Who's bird?" JJ asks the question Alana was also wondering.
"That's what my dad called me."
Alana thinks to herself if that what the B in John B stood for. Or if it were just a nickname from his father. She stood in silence with the rest of the group as they listened to the audio, John Bs father talking finding the Merchant. The room felt still.
"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." Then a small crackling before the audio stops. Alana feels like the voice of his father lingered in the room, his words sounding very faint in the back of her head. There she is, the wreck of the merchant. This means he found it. He found the gold. Kie looked over to Alana who looked back at her. They stood in silence for a moment before John B stood up, walking away. She watches him stop at the doorway, holding himself up as he starts sobbing. Alana could feel a pinch in her chest. She slowly starts walking towards him but stops a few inches away from him, hesitating to reach her hand out to him. She knows this is a lot for him.
"Holy shit, he did it!" JJ exclaims but now is not the time. "Big John—- he found the Merchant—" Kie sighs in frustration.
"Can you... can you please?" Her nostrils flare while looking at JJ. The sobs from John B continue and Alana can't take it anymore. She wraps her arms around him from behind, resting her head on his shoulder. His body shakes causing her head to move along with his movements. She rubs her palm gently along his arm, comforting him the best she could though she knows it might not be doing much. Alana pulls away from John B, looking over to Kie who nods her head. She knows he needs his best friends. She might be part of the group now but she hasn't been there by his side as long as they have. So she knows Kiara might be better at comforting him in a situation like this. Without taking a look towards JJ or Pope, Alana walks out to the front porch.
After listening to the tape Alana finds herself in doubt. In the beginning she had high hopes that Big John is alive but now...well she isn't sure anymore.
She feels for John B. If it were up to her she'd sacrifice her own father so John B could have his back. Brian is a sorry ass excuse of a father anyways. Thinking he should be the one who should've gone missing instead of Big John is wrong, she knows that, but Alana still can't help herself from having these kind of thoughts. That man has caused her so much pain. So many nights she cried herself to sleep wondering why he couldn't love her. He made her feel worthless. She wonders what she did to deserve Brian as her father. He doesn't love or care for Alana. Why would he? She is the reason her mother left after all. That's what he always said. She never really knew the entire truth behind her mother leaving and didn't dig into it because she was too scared of finding out the truth. If she were to ask her uncle she knows he wouldn't tell her either. What would life have been like if her mother was still in the picture? Would Brian have ever moved to Jamaica? Would Alana have been beaten almost every day after school? Would she have actually had a normal life? Maybe Brian wouldn't have become an abusive drunk and Alana could've had many friends here, she could've even known Kiara, JJ, John B and Pope sooner. Her life could've been simple. Better. But no...life is never that simple.
Please let John Bs father be alive.... please...why couldn't you take my father instead? I would've been fine without him. Alana looks up to the night sky.
"Alana Cameron" she doesn't turn around to the sound of her name rolling off JJs tongue. Her eyes remain staring up at the stars.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" The door slams shut behind him as he walks over to Alana stopping as he stands next to her, only inches between them. His eyes scan hers as she looks at the small white dots scattered above them.
"How is John B?" She doesn't answer his question. If she tells him everything that is going on in her head she fears she might scare him away. Her mind hasn't been explored by anyone else. She hasn't allowed that. JJ sighs.
"Kiara is still with him... he just needs a minute to.. ya know." He struggles to find the words but she knows what he means. To deal with his emotions.
Silence falls over them. Alana closes her eyes for a few seconds before bringing her eyes to meet JJs. They're so blue even in the dark.
"What is it?" JJ inches closer to Alana making her hold her breathe as he stands in front of her now, his head slightly tilted to one side, hands deep into his pockets.
"Too much" she whispers.
"Tell me" he pushes.
"I don't think I can. You'd probably run the other way if I let you into my head..."
Alana chuckles at her own words. Nothing funny was said, it was just her thoughts.
"Let me in, Alana Cameron... what's the worst that can happen?" He leans forward balancing on his toes. Alana crosses her arms at her chest as she glares at the boy. What's the worst that could happen? There were plenty of ways this can go bad. But you love bad ideas. Her subconscious never ceases to be correct. She hated that.
Alana looks back over her shoulder.
"He'll be okay, Kie's got him... here come with me" his hand reaches for her and before she could protest he is dragging her out towards the back and onto the dock. Does she want to let JJ in?
All it took was one look into those blue eyes of his. For the first time she finds herself giving in.
What's the worst that can happen? She repeats to herself.
(Sorry for the wait! I haven't read over this chapter so sorry for any errors. I wanted to create a part where Alana and JJ have time alone together which I will continue into the next chapter<3 )