"Hey guys, so like my dad's already gonna kill, so what's this mandatory meeting about?" Pope said sitting down on a log. John B and JJ were having some silent conversation between one another seeing who would break the news.
"Might as well tell him man, before we're gaffed." JJ said. Emery had her legs over his and her head laid on his shoulders. Whenever he would talk or laugh she could feel and hear the vibrations through his chest which made her relax for some reason that she has no idea why.
"You ready?" John B asked.
"Yeah." Kie replied.
"So, the gold never went down with the royal merchant." John B said.
"Oh my God. Here we go again with this." Pope sighed.
"Yea John B. I thought we were done with all the Royal Merchant stuff." Emery said. She thought the whole adventure was fun but, they did almost die a few times and she did not think that was fun.
"No, wait. Hear him out alright." JJ said. Emery was surprised that JJ was all for this. He was the one who didn't originally think that all this was true.
"It's been here the whole time. On this island." John B smiled.
"Are you serious? Oh my God." Kie breathed out.
"I'd like to voice my skepticism." Pope said. Emery could hear JJ's laugh through his chest and the vibrations. It almost sounds like a bass in some music made in a recording studio. That's the only Emery could really compare it to.
"I'm sure you would Pope, but let me voice my evidence sir." John b said standing on top of a log and walking across balancing himself. "Alright so in my backpack, I have a letter from denmark Tanny."
"Who's that?" Emery asked.
"Denmark Tanny was a slave that survived the Royal Merchant Wreck. Check this out." John B said opening the letter for all of them to read.
"What?" Kie questioned.
"Okay, so slaves were mentioned as crew members on the ship and my dad, he found the complete manifest of it. That was his big discovery. So Tanny used the gold from the merchant to buy his freedom. After that, he bought his farm. Drumroll please, because that farm is-" John B said dragging out the last few words while everyone hit their knees creating a drumroll. "Tannyhill Plantation." John B continued.
"Tannyhill?" Kie asked.
"Let me see that." Emery whispered to Pope reaching for the letter to look over.
"Yeah. So, after that he used his money to free even more slaves, and then he sold a shit-ton of rice which pisses off all the white planters and then they decide to lynch him. So on the day they were coming to get him, he writes a letter to his son as a farewell, and in the last line of that letter he leaves a coded message where to find the gold." John B said continuing his 'evidence.'
"Where?" Kie whispered, smiling. Emery couldn't tell if she was genuinely excited or she was just being sarcastic.
"Harvest the wheat, near the water, in parcel nince. Except theres no wheat. You see, wheat is a code for gold. Check this out." John B said grabbing the letter out of Emery's hands.
"The gold is in parcel nine, near the water. All we need is an original survey map of the property, and we've found the gold." John B said excitedly, smiling.
"Dang, John B you might've actually done it." Emery smiled.
"Okay, so this might have a small chance of being actually true." Pope said. JJ moved Emery's legs off of his and stood up walking over to John B.
"Dude, it's like king tut." Kie said making Emery laugh.
"I am a genius. Hey!" John B said getting hugged by JJ. "Hello! Fire!"
"JJ you're gonna burn yourself!" Emery yelled laughing at the bro-mance happening.
"I'm so proud of you right now." JJ said pulling away from John B.
"Thank you." John B said doing the same.
"Okay, so guys. What's the plan?" Pope asked.
"Good question. Sarah Cameron is coming tonight. She'll bring an original survey map-" John B said.
"Hold on. Sarah? Why Sarah?" Kie interrupted him.
"This is gonna be good." JJ sighed looking down.
"She uh got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday and that's where I got the letter." John B said hoping that Kie wouldn't get mad.
"You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?" Kie asked.
"He was mackin' on her." JJ said
"JJ!" Emery yelled. They locked eyes with each other, Emery giving him a look that said he's probably making this worse.
"I wasn't macking." John B defended.
"You were totally macking Sarah Cameron." JJ continues ignoring Emery.
"Oh God." Emery sighed resting her head in her hand. JJ looked over to Pope mouthing a 'what' which led Pope to laugh.
"I wasn't macking on her, okay? I was just using her for access." John B defended.
"John B!" Emery yelled, surprised he would even say he was using her.
"Did you tell her about the treasure?" Kie asked.
"I was trying to get into the archives." John B replied.
"Is that a yes?" Kie asked again.
"I left out key details." John B said, his voice raising up a notch.
"Yo, what? You let a kook in on our secret? What about pogue lyfe? What about the T-shirt company, bro?" Kie asked. Emery wondered why Kie didn't want her in this. She didn't know if it was because of their past or because she still might have feelings for John B. I mean Emery would rather Sarah not be in this since she had been a brat multiple times to her but, she was sure she could be nice to her and just get over it.
"I was just using her for information." John B said. Emery groaned at what he said feeling bad for Sarah almost. If he was mackin' her and she figured out what he was saying right now it would really sting.
"Why don't I believe you?" Kie asked. She was really full of questions that night.
"I'm trying to make us filthy rich, here. Okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or send you to autopsy school to study dead bodies. Look you guys know me. Do I look like the type to fall for Sarah Cameron?" John B asked.
"Yea you kinda do." Emery mumbled loud enough for them to hear.
"Uh.." JJ started.
"Do you want us to answer that, or-" Pope asked?
"Just stop." John B said realizing that he had just dug himself even farther down the hole.
"Look, you guys don't know her yet. I do! You can't trust her." Kie said desperately trying to get them to realize what she was saying.
"Her brother did hit me in the back with a golf club." Pope said.
"Rafe and Sarah are different human beings." John B said defending her.
"What did she do to you, exactly?" JJ asked Kie.
"She's like a spitting cobra. First, she blinds you, and uh and then-" Kie started trying to figure out what to say.
"Kie. Just-just stop." Emery said trying to stop her from embarrassing herself further
"This is a bad analogy." Pope agreed.
"Listen to me!" Kie yelled. "Whatever we get, she's gonna try to take." Kie said. Emery locked eyes with JJ trying to figure out what that meant but, shrugged it off and headed to the van, ready to meet Sarah Cameron.
✰✰✰✰
You guys are going to hate me for what happens in the next chapter but, I promise eventually they will get a relationship going. I've gotten an idea for maybe another book but, it might take me a while to publish so be on the lookout! I'll probably post something on here when I do.
Thank you my loves!!