CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
a sea of chaos
LAST NIGHT'S EVENTS continued to linger in the back of Nova's mind. Even after a long nights rest, the girl continued to replay the night before on an endless loop in the back of her mind, almost as if her memories were repeating themselves, like a broken record, but one Nova would gladly relive over and over again. Despite how terrifying it was, sneaking into a creepy old lady's house and almost getting her head blown off in the process, Nova had the time of her life alongside her friends, especially since it paid off in the end.
They got the gold. Not all of it since there was no way they could have dug out four hundred million worth of gold from the well, but they got a few bars thanks to John B, and were still recovering from the rush they felt knowing they were going to be filthy rich. Out of everyone who could have found the gold, generations upon generations of people wasting all their resources to find the famous shipwreck and the treasure that came with it, Nova and her friends were the ones to emerge victorious.
The very thought was enough to make Nova's body pump with adrenaline, her every pore flooding with excitement, and that excitement would only continue to grow as Nova woke up the next morning in the comfort of her bed, the girl still reeling from her and the Pogues discovery of the gold. That was only the start of what was to come because Juno was quick to tell her that they had to get up and meet with the others so they could pawn off the gold they already had, which was useful since Nova knew JJ could easily pay his restitution fees after he took the blame for sinking Topper's boat.
And then once they come up with a plan to get the remainder of the gold out of the well under the old Crain Estate then they were all going to be filthy rich. Sure, Nova was already rich, but to have that much cash and not have it come from her parents, giving her the freedom to do whatever the hell she wanted with it without the harsh input of her parents was an exhilarating thought that rushed through her mind like wildfire.
Nova Van Kirk never really dwelled on what she would do with the huge chunk of her earnings from finding the gold ( well, it wasn't like she needed it, but the group agreed everyone involved got a fair cut ). Nova was pretty much clueless on what else to do with her eighty million dollars. She had everything the world had to offer her thanks to her parents income which often scaled up to a couple thousand a month, so what else could a rich kook spend her money on?
She always dreamed of leaving Outer Banks and travelling world. Sure, she had gone for some week long vacations in certain areas, but she never truly got to see the world. She dreamed of backpacking across Europe with Juno at her side, or spend a weekend in Mexico, or even travel through the outback of Australia. There was so many places she wanted to see, but school always seemed to get in the way. Maybe she could live out her dream after graduation.
Then there was the important stuff. For example, college. Nova never really thought about going to college before, like, yeah, she had good grades, but since she never really knew what she wanted to do, Nova never gave college a real thought. It was never even something that crossed her mind, until now, that is. Truth is, even though Nova could list a million things that she would do with the earnings in her head, she never really knew the answer to that question until she was holding the heavy chunk of gold in the palm of her hand.
That was all that ran through her head whilst she sat in the back of the Volkswagen, her eyes focused on the chunk of deformed gold placed in her hand, an unfortunate turn of events when Kiara tried melting it down earlier the same day. Nova couldn't believe she was holding real freaking gold in her bare hands, her eyes still glistening with amazement with disbelief still evident in her features. There was no denying the rush she felt when holding the gold. Even as a Kook, the girl has never seen gold up close like this before, so it was pretty surreal. Well, that was just Nova's opinion. She couldn't speak for rest of her friends.
Nova was then dragged out of her thoughts and back to reality when John B parked the van outside of a dodgy looking pawnshop, her weary eyes peering out the windows of the vehicle with so much uncertainty. There was no denying the place gave her bad vibes.
The girl spared the building one last look and handed the gold over to JJ, the pair smiling at one another for a short moment, her hand brushing against his as they exchanged a few glances. This caused for chills to run up Nova's spine, whilst JJ was quick to look away from the girl, flashbacks of their little moment at the beach still lingering in his mind. JJ couldn't exactly get over it. The thought still constantly gnawed on his brain, a part of him still wondering what made him impulsively pull away when all he wanted to do was close that gap between them both.
However, JJ wasn't given the chance to dwell on it, before he sighed to himself and pulled the side door open. He was the first to climb out of the van, a scoff escaping past his lips whilst he wrapped the gold up in a cloth. "Hell of a job melting it down, Dr Frankenstein." He chimed, his voice dripping in sarcasm whilst he glanced over at Kiara.
Kiara rolled her eyes in response to JJ's remark. "Like you could've done better." She muttered under her breath, but loud enough for the rest of them to hear.
"I could have done better." JJ retorted, shooting Kiara an irritated glance, whilst Nova and the others begin to get out of the van, now surrounding the bickering pair. "I took a welding class."
JJ's words were more than enough to make Kiara square up to the boy, folding her arms over her chest. "When?" She questioned.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." John B warned, coming in between the two as they continued to squabble back and forth like a pair of children. Nova couldn't help but hold back the laughter that threatened to escape past her lips, whilst she stood next to Sarah, amusement evident in her eyes. John B then turned to glance over at JJ. "Hey, chill out, okay?"
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off." JJ explained, gesturing towards the chunk of gold in his hand, before he began to walk ahead with another annoyed sigh ringing through the air. "How did I get this job anyway?" The blond questioned.
Pope begins to follow the boy closer towards the entrance, shrugging his shoulders in the process. "'Cause you're the best liar." He answered.
JJ is the first to walk into the pawnshop, the boy pushing the door open, causing for a bell to ring through Nova's ears. "Afternoon, Ma'am." JJ greeted in a polite manner, nodding his head over towards the elderly woman standing behind the counter located at the front of the store.
"Afternoon." The pawnbroker replied with a frown plastered across her face.
One by one, Nova and her friends pile into the establishment as they begin to wander around and act casual, like nothing was suspicious other than a group of kids who come from nothing trying to pawn off a block of gold worth over a hundred thousand dollars. Whilst JJ walked over to the front desk, Pope and Kiara walked down one of the aisles, and Nova and Juno down the other, whilst Sarah and John B browsed the items collecting dust on the shelves at the front of the store, listening in as JJ tried to sell off the goods.
"I see you buy gold." JJ stated with a firm nod, perching himself in front of the front desk.
Nova glanced over her shoulder to see the elderly woman raising a brow in disbelief, her dry lips parting to speak. "That's what the sign say, don't it?" She asked in a rhetorical manner.
"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because I'm about to blow your mind." JJ mused with an excited tone, and Nova could see the gold clasped tightly in his hand, knowing it wouldn't be long until they had a load of cash in their hands.
The woman sighed with an amused look evident in her eyes and wrinkly features. "I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it." She replied.
"How about them gold apples?" JJ questioned, taking out the heavy chunk of gold and placing it down on the counter in front of him, the sound of the gold clattering against the wooden desk echoing through the air.
All of a sudden, a roar of laughter ripped through the air and Nova's eyes flickered back over to the woman to see her staring down at the gold with a teasing look in her eyes. "That ain't real." She remarked, shaking her head in the process.
"That ain't real? Feel how heavy it is." JJ responded, watching as the pawnbroker picked up the gold, the weight of it making her hands tremble at first whilst she adjusted to the large amount fo weight in the palm of her hand. JJ nodded his head, and hummed to himself. "Let's get some light on that."
The woman picked up a small light and shined it on the block of gold, and Nova couldn't help but watch with a hopeful look glazed over her eyes. She had her doubts in JJ and whether he would be able to sell off the gold. But despite all his faults, he was a great liar and Nova knew he could twist a good tale to ensure the group got what they wanted. At least, that was what the girl silently hoped whilst she watched him converse with the woman at the front of the store.
"Spray-painted tungsten." She assumed, nodding her head as if she was sure of her answer.
"Spray-painted tungsten?" JJ repeated, sounding surprised by the pawnbrokers answer, whilst Nova and Juno glanced at one another with smiles tugging at their lips. They all knew the gold was as authentic as gold could possibly be. "Okay. Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?"
The woman takes out a couple of tools and hammers into the gold, before pressing her pointer finger into the metal, testing the strength of the metal. When the material ended up being real, JJ nodded his head with a small smile ghosting across his lips. "Wow. Would you look at that?" He mused.
"Hold your horses." The woman admonished with a disapproving look burning in her eyes, whilst she placed the tools back down on the counter. "We ain't got to the acid test yet."
"Ooh!" JJ beamed in an excited manner, his amusing response being enough to make Nova crack another smile, whilst JJ looked over his shoulder to glance around at his friends. "The acid test. My favourite, guys." He told the group, before turning his attention back to the woman in front of him.
Nova watched as the pawnbroker took out a pipet filled with chemicals and dripped some onto the gold, the elderly woman face contorting into confusion that accompanied her wrinkled features. It was clear to Nova that she was surprised to find out that the gold may actually be a hundred percent authentic. The sight was enough to make Nova's smile widen across her lips, believing this could actually work.
JJ nodded his head. "Ma'am, I'm telling ya, this is as real as the day is long." He made an attempt to reassure her.
The woman stared closely at the gold for a moment, analysing the item for a moment with a suspicious look glazed over her eyes, before she lifted her gaze to look back at JJ. "It looks like somebody tried to melt it down." She informed him.
"My mom." JJ paused, a shaky and harrowing breath escaping past his lips. "She had all this jewellery laying around the house, and she thought it was best to melt it down. To 'consolidate' it." He further explained, lifting both of his hands to do little air quotes to emphasise his words.
Nova listened to his little white lie, her stomach tying knots whilst she listened to JJ's story. He always acted like it didn't bother him, but deep down, Nova could tell there was some hurt about his mother abandoning him with his disgusting excuse of a father that remained. A part of Nova couldn't help but feel dreary sadness for the boy, but if it was any constellation, he was twisting his history into a good enough lie.
Nova then felt her smile fade away from her lips at the thought, her eyes focused on the woman whilst she weighed the gold on a scale, her eyes widening in shock when she turned around to face JJ once again. "Seven pounds. That's a lot of earrings." She gawked.
"Okay, to be honest, Ma'am..." JJ trailed off, clearing his throat for a moment, before he parted his lips to speak. "It's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimer's—"
"Give me a minute." The woman interjected, before she walked out from behind the desk and into the back of the store.
Nova furrowed her brows together in confusion and turned back around to face Juno once again, the two girls staring at one another with puzzled looks in their eyes. "Alzheimer's, really?" Nova questioned, earning a shrug from Juno in response. Whatever lie JJ managed to cook up, it always seemed to work, so she wasn't complaining too much. As long as it worked then she was fine with it.
Shortly after, the woman comes back out and walks behind the desk with a slip of paper in between her fingertips. "So, I, uh...I talked to my boss. And, uh, this is what I can do." She informed him and handed over the piece of paper to JJ.
"Fifty thousand?" JJ exclaimed, his words making Nova glance over at the two with a surprised look. They all knew the gold was worth more than they were being offered, the news making JJ shake his head in response. "You think I walked in here not knowing the spot price?" He then questioned. "Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth a hundred and forty, at least."
"Well, sweetie, you're in a pawnshop." The woman laughed. "This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?"
JJ shook his head once again. "Ninety, or I walk." He bargained, hoping it would work.
"Seventy." The woman counter-offered, looking around at the rest of them for a moment, before she leaned closer to JJ. "Half price, and I don't ask questions about where you got this."
Nova watched as JJ turned to glance at John B, who was leaning against the front desk, watching as John B nodded and gave him a gesture with his hand which signalled to take the deal. And with that. . . JJ turned back around with a nod. "I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please." The blond spoke up in a polite manner.
However, the woman sighed and placed her hands firmly on the counter in front of her. "Well, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway." She informed him, earning a look filled with frustration from JJ in response. "I can write you a cashier's check." She offered.
"No, Ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what the sign says. Cash for gold. And that's what I expect. I'm gonna get it in cold hard." JJ explained, his stubbornness peaking through his shining personality.
"Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that alright?" The pawnbroker offered.
JJ turned back around to seek approval from the rest of them, causing for Nova to nod her head in response, knowing that going to a warehouse to grab some cash was an easy job for them. This caused for JJ to turn back around, now facing the woman with a heavy breath slipping past his lips. . .
"Where's this warehouse?"
Shortly after being given the location of this so-called warehouse the lady at the pawnshop told them about, the group were already on their way whilst John B drove the old Volkswagen down the road into the middle of nowhere. Well, that was all Nova saw as she peered out of the dust covered windows, her eyes scanning over her unfamiliar surroundings to see nothing other than trees and overgrown weeds scattered all over the area.
The sight was more than enough to make Nova knit her brows together as a form of confusion, suspicion rising in her stomach and scorching across her chest whilst she wondered why a warehouse filled with cash would be stationed in the middle of nowhere. The thought was something that made the palms of Nova's hands clammy, the constant fear that someone was indeed wrong gnawing at her brain, the girl already believing there was something off about the address the lady must have given them.
Pope begins to look out the window, her eyes flickering between all the overgrown weeds and trees they passed along the way. "So they keep money out here?" He questioned, furrowing his brows together with a puzzled look plastered across his face. It was clear he shared Nova's suspicions, which only seemed to alarm the girl even more as she grew weary with each waking second that passed bye.
"That's what she said." JJ answered, before coming to a swift pause, the blond chuckling quietly to himself as he lifted his gaze from the chunk of gold in his hand and over to Pope. "That's what she said—"
"Stop." Both Pope and Juno interjected, speaking in unison with each other. Juno then shakes her head with a disapproving look evident in his dark eyes, whilst JJ tilted his head down in embarrassment.
Nova sighed quietly to herself and stared outside the van, her eyes scanning over the surroundings that created an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Nova had never been over to this part of The Cut before, and it gave her the creeps. There was even a small part of the girl that wanted nothing more than to plead with everyone else to turn back around, and figure out another way to get money in exchange for the gold. But instead, Nova bit down on her own tongue and stayed silent, despite her obvious worries and paranoia.
"I've never even heard of Resurrection Drive." Sarah informed the group, snapping Nova out of her dazed state and back to reality. Nova then glanced over at the blonde sitting in the front seat next to John B, knowing she had a point.
"Me either." Nova spoke up, nodding her head in agreement with her friend.
JJ shrugged his shoulders in response. "'Cause you're both rich." He argued with an amused look gleaming over his bright iris', causing for Nova to roll her eyes.
Nova lifted her gaze to stare back at JJ with a look filled with annoyance, another sigh slipping past her pink lips as she began to speak, "None of us have heard of it before, JJ." Juno corrected, rolling her eyes soon after, before she glanced back at the window, peering out at the dozen overgrown weeds that they drove past.
"Thank you." Sarah chimed, a small smile forming across her lips whilst she stared back at Juno for a moment, before she turned back around to look at the road in front of them.
Kiara cleared her throat with a suspicious look of her own burning in her eyes, swallowing the lump in the back of her throat. "There's nothing but weeds back here." She pointed out.
JJ scoffed in response to Kiara's words, his response making Nova turn her attention back to him, lifting her brow in the process. She was surprised over how unbothered he seemed to be by all of this. "Alright, just 'cause it's just weeds, doesn't mean it's like—"
Suddenly, the all too familiar sound of police sirens ripped through the air, causing for Nova to look over her shoulder and peer out the back window to see flashing blue and red lights tailing them from behind. The sight was enough to make Nova and her friends panic as they began to look at one another frantically, blue and red lights flashing in the corners of Nova's eyes whilst she turned back to JJ to see him growing angry at the sight of the police coming after them.
"Cops?" Kiara questioned with shock written all over her face, her eyes flickering between Nova, Juno, Pope, and JJ. "Out here?"
JJ groaned in frustration and looked around with fury glazed over his eyes. "God! Are you kidding me?" He snapped in a loud and vigorous tone.
"What did we do?" Sarah asked, disbelief evident in her eyes as she looked around in search for answers. However, nobody actually knew how to answer that question, knowing the Pogues were always the person of interest more times than they could actually count without any real explanation to why.
John B sighed to himself and pulled the van over to the side of the road, slowly hitting the break and making the vehicle come to a quick and sudden halt. Nova released a shaky breath past her lips and watched as the car behind them parked closely to their van, worried about the officer and what he would find if he asked to search the vehicle. Nova didn't want them finding the gold, or worse. . . JJ's fucking gun. She knew he must have it somewhere. He was already in trouble after Pope sunk Topper's boat. She didn't want to see things get worse for him.
John B quickly looked over his shoulder to see JJ wrapping up the chunk of gold in cloth and shoving it in his backpack. "Did you bring the gun?" He asked, sharing the same worries as Nova, the rest of them staring at JJ in search for answers.
"No, okay?" JJ replied, his answer making Nova sigh with relief. But it didn't erase the crippling anxiety she felt as the figure left their vehicle and began to approach there's. "Everybody told me to leave it back at the place."
"Okay, okay, okay..." Nova whispered quietly to herself, staring back at JJ whilst she did her best to hide her worries by masking them with confidence. "Just put the gold in the bag, and hope he doesn't ask to search it." She told them, hoping this would all be over soon.
All of a sudden, the sound of a gun cocking made Nova's entire body tense, her eyes flicking over to where the frightening sound came from to see a shotgun being held directly at John B's face, only inches away from his skull. The person holding the gun at her friend's face, from what Nova could see, was male, a skull bandana wrapped around his face to mask his identity. The sight of the gun alone was enough to make Nova's blood run cold, her bones turning into ice, sending chills up and down her spine as her heart began to race, fear coursing through her bloodstream as her entire body began to tremble right where she was sitting.
"Why don't I go ahead and see them hands in the air?" A thick southern accent echoed through her wars, his orders making Nova raise her shaky hands into the air. She was terrified right now, the thought of her or any of her friends getting their head blown off making her entire body freeze in place. "All y'all's hands in the air right now!" He shouted this time, his booming voice making Nova flinch in response.
Once the stranger with a gun knew everyone in the back had their hands raised, he turned his attention back to John B and nodded towards him. "You, out of the car! Let's go!" He yelled, inching the barrel of the gun closer to John B's face, sending another shockwave filled with crippling fear through Nova's body. Nova couldn't imagine what would happen if one of them did something wrong, the overwhelming fear of losing her friends latching onto her and never letting go.
She couldn't suffer another loss.
John B wrapped his hand around the door handle and pushed it open slowly, not daring to make any sudden moves as he climbed out the van and began to walk around the vehicle. Nova then turned around to look over at JJ, who stared back at her with a nod from his head, his eyes telling her to do whatever the hell the stranger tells them to do. If there was one thing JJ knew for sure, he was going to make sure Nova didn't do anything to get herself hurt, or worse. . . killed.
"Let them out!" Nova heard the man instruct in a loud voice, and it didn't take long for John B to pull the side door open, allowing the rest of them to get out the vehicle. "Let's get out the car! Let's go!"
Sarah was the first to slowly climb out the vehicle. "There you go, pretty girl. Here we go! Get out the car." The stranger demanded this time, before the blonde was followed by the rest of them, starting with Pope, Juno and Kiara, and ending with Nova and JJ, their hands remaining raised in the air to show they weren't a threat.
"Look, we're broke." JJ informed him, his voice shaky with dread. But he was doing his best to mislead the stranger from the gold located inside the van.
However, this only seemed to infuriate the guy with the gun a little more as he quickly approached JJ with the shotgun clasped firmly in his hand, before he shoved it closer to JJ's face. "Shut the hell up!" He shot back, the sight of the gun inches away from JJ's face being enough to make fear rush through Nova's bones once again.
"Alright! Just relax!" JJ replied, a mix of blazing anger and chilling fear flaring up within the blond boy.
"Get down, or I'll blow your damn head off!" The stranger threatened, his words being enough to make Nova and the rest of her friends slowly get down to their knees, listening closely to his demands to ensure their own survival. "Lay down in the ditch! Lay down in the ditch!"
But it seemed that Nova wasn't doing it fast enough, because it didn't take long for the stranger to come up to the girl and point the gun closely at her head. "I said, down in the ditch!" He barked, his words making Nova flinch. The stranger with the gun then took the butt of the weapon and jabbed it violently into Nova's back, sending the girl to the ground with a wince escaping past her lips, a scorching pain shooting through her body from the impact, spluttering from the winded feeling in her chest as a cry of pain eventually followed.
"Hey! Don't you fucking touch her!" JJ warned, his loud and angered voice ringing like sound waves through Nova's ears. He even made an attempt to get back up from the ground, but Nova didn't hesitate stretch out her hand wrap it around his arm securely.
"JJ, no." She warned, her voice shaky.
"Shut up!" The man fired back in a threatening manner. "On your goddamn hands and knees! Down! Put your face on the ground!" He demanded once again, causing for Nova to remain on the ground, dirt covering her skin where she had been kicked down violently. The stranger then backed away towards the van. "Don't let me see you look up! Alright?"
Nova tilted her head up slightly, quiet whimpers slipping past her quivering lips to see the man jumping into the van as he began to search the vehicle. He must have known about the gold they had in their possession. That had to be the only reason why this guy was holding them at gunpoint, making an attempt to rob them, right?
"It's a setup, guys." Kiara announced, her voice cracking slightly as she looked over at Nova and JJ.
"That old bat shanked us." JJ spoke through gritted teeth, before he punched his tight fist into the dirt repeatedly. But his anger was eased for a moment when he heard a quiet whimper come from Nova, who lied helplessly beside him, making JJ turn to her with his eyes softening at the sight of the girl. "Hey, Nova, look at me." He told her, causing for the girl to glance back at him with her teary eyes locking with his. "It's gonna be okay." JJ reassured her, reaching out and grabbing her hand with his own.
And for a moment, whilst Nova stared deeply into JJ's eyes, her hand latching onto his like her life depended on it, she felt a small fragment of her fear fade away from her mind, her erratic breathing becoming a little more steady. It wasn't much, and it definitely didn't erase the fear she felt. But JJ made her feel a little more safe in an incredibly unsafe situation.
But the sound of Sarah's whimpers were enough to make Nova turn her attention away from JJ, her hand slipping from his when she noticed Sarah was trying to stop John B, who was slowly pushing himself onto his feet and backing away from the rest of them. The sight was enough to make Nova panic once again, wondering what the hell he was going to achieve by disobeying orders given from a man with a shotgun in his hand.
Pope shook his head, lifting his head with his eyes widening in worry. "John B, don't be a hero, man." He begged him.
However, John B dismissed Pope by putting a finger to his lips in an attempt to keep him silent, before he backed further away and made his way over to the car parked close behind the van. Nova felt her bottom lip quiver as she held back the tears that threatened to fall, wondering what her friend was thinking. John B couldn't die, Nova thought to herself, he just can't.
The stranger jumped out the van and pointed his gun at them once again. "Alright, y'all stay just like that...Unless you want your brains blown out all over this road, don't move your goddamn heads, okay?" He threatened them as he slowly backed away, before turning around and making his way back to the exact same car Nova just witnessed John B climb into.
And when they thought it was all over, the group lying on the ground with their heads in their hands look up when they witness a struggle taking place between John B and the stranger. "Guys, I got the gun!" Nova heard John B yell over to them. This gave the group the perfect opportunity to fight back and get back what was rightfully there's.
Nova quickly scrambled to her feet along with the rest of her friends, an aching pain lingering in the bones from when she was hit with the gun. However, the girl chose to ignore the pain she felt, and ran over to the vehicle to see the stranger climbing out of the car, but he was quickly knocked down by JJ, who had punched him in the face, before Kiara raised her fist and did the same.
The stranger quickly regained his balance after the two violent blows to his face, and shoved Kiara down to the ground with a groan escaping past his lips. But John B quickly comes over and hits him in the back with the gun in his hand, sending the man to the ground as he began to splutter everywhere, trying to catch his breath from the nasty blow.
"I got the gold!" Pope exclaimed from the other side of the car with Juno at his side.
The man quickly tried to get back up onto his feet, but he was soon stopped by Sarah, who grabbed the car door and slammed it into his body multiple times, followed by Nova as she kicked him twice in the gut, wanting some sweet revenge after he hit her only moments before. And after the beating was over, the stranger rested his back against the car, erratic breaths escaping past his lips whilst he did his best to recover from the blows inflicted on him, before John B walked over and pulled down the bandana from his face to reveal the culprit was none other than Barry, a notorious drug dealer around Outer Banks.
"Barry?" Nova questioned, almost breathless.
The man lifted his gaze to stare back at her, a bitter chuckle leaving his lips. "No way!" He exclaimed, a taunting smile forming across his lips. "I haven't seen you in a while, darlin'." He mused, the nickname sending shivers up and down Nova's spine — a comment the girl gladly ignored as she backed away from him and stood beside Juno, who reached out and grabbed Nova's hand, giving her hand a tight squeeze filled with reassurance.
"I know this piece of shit!" JJ exclaimed in a loud voice laced with frustration, taking a step closer towards Barry. "He's a basehead!"
Sarah combed her hand through her blonde hair, staring down at Barry with a sigh slipping past her lips. "Probably knows my brother." She commented.
"He sells coke to my dad." JJ stated, his words making Nova's eyes soften at the news. Well, it wasn't exactly news to them that Luke Maybank was a junkie. But the pain in JJ's voice spoke more than a thousand words ever could, knowing his father's addiction was always a big reason for why he left bruises on his own son.
Barry breathed heavily, looking up at each of them with a quiet and tormenting chuckle ripping through the air. "I could've hurt any one of y'all but I didn't." He reminded them, his gaze flickering over to Nova again. "Hey, Darlin', how about you talk to your friends and—"
He was quickly cut off by JJ, who had snatched the gun away from John B and hit Barry in the gut with the weapon. The sight was enough to make Nova step back in shock. Of course, she had witnessed JJ get into his fair share of fights that flared up his anger more times than she could count. But Nova has never witnessed anger like this before, and it was fucking terrifying.
The blond even attempted to do it again, but he was quickly stopped by John B and Kiara, who took the gun away from him and tossed it to the ground far away from the rest of them. This caused for JJ to sigh in frustration, before he rummaged through Barry's pocket, pulling out his wallet, and then his drivers license.
Nodding to himself, JJ looked around at his friends. "We got one last stop."
━━━━━━━━━
After leaving Barry on the side of the road, gasping for air after the beating they gave him, Nova and the rest of the group all piled back into the van and JJ drove them down the road and into unknown territory. Well, it wasn't unknown to Nova — the trailer park. It left most of them confused at first, none of them actually knowing why JJ wanted to go to Barry's place. But what they did know, it was for revenge and the thought of that left an uneasy feeling in the pit of Nova's stomach. She didn't know what JJ's plan was. She just knew it was something driven out of anger and impulse, which meant this wasn't going to end well.
So when Nova stared out the window and looked around as the mess scattered across the trailer park, the unfamiliar place being surrounded with trailers sprinkled with rust, remnants that remained littered across the ground, and overgrown greenery, she couldn't help but shiver at the sight. Nova thought that once she got clean again, she would never have to return back to this place, but it was almost like JJ was driving her back to the Devil's door.
"Welcome to crackhead wasteland." Sarah chimed in a low voice, her face scrunched up in disgust.
JJ eventually parked the van outside of Barry's home, switching off the engine in the process, causing for Pope to slide the side door open. Nova then got a closer look of the place to see it looked worse than any of the other trailers they passed along the way. The front was littered with scrap metal and all types of rubbish, the paint chipped at the sides. It wasn't exactly a pleasant sight for any of them to see as they stared at the place from afar.
"Dude, why are we at Barry's?" Pope questioned, staring at JJ with a confused look plastered across his face. The rest of them nodded their heads, all eyes now on JJ as they stared back at him with puzzled looks, making it clear they all shared Pope's confusion.
"This'll only take a second." JJ sighed, opening the door and jumping out of the vehicle, before he walked around the van and made his way closer towards Barry's place.
John B poked his head out of the van, shooting JJ a look whilst the blond made his way up the steps of the porch. "Where are you going?" He asked. No one other than JJ actually saw the importance of being here. Truth is, if Barry came back and found them at his home, then they would be in just as much trouble than they already were.
"Yo say justicia!" JJ called out to them, before he walked up to the porch and entered the trailer, leaving the rest of them to sit in silence.
Pope turned around to glance over at Nova, who was staring back at Barry's home with a worried feeling erupting in the pit of her stomach, her crippling anxiety flaring up in her chest as her heart began to race again. "Did you glean anything from that?" He questioned, watching as the worry became more evident in the girl's eyes, her bright blue gaze wandering all over the shifty looking home.
And without giving it a second thought, Nova released a shaky breath past her lips and began to climb out the vehicle, knowing she had to know what JJ was up to and why he dragged the rest of them here to do it. "I'm gonna make sure he's okay." She informed the group, before she made her way over to the trailer, up the porch and into Barry's home to see JJ was rummaging through cupboards and drawers.
Nova's eyes scanned over JJ with a frown forming across her features, the girl watching as JJ pulled open another drawer as if he was searching for something. Nova's brows then furrowed together, a puzzled look glazed over her bright blue eyes whilst she parted her lips to speak. "JJ, what are you doing?" She asked. Deep down, she knew the answer wouldn't be good. . . Far from good, actually.
JJ walked across the room and began to flip through some items, a bitter chuckle slipping past his lips. "Well, as thou hath stealeth from us, we shall stealeth from ye." He answered, speaking as if he was Shakespearean, his words making Nova arch her brow and fold her arms over her chest. It was clear she didn't have a clue what JJ was actually saying.
Nova sighed to herself once again in frustration, watching as JJ began to rummage through more cupboards and drawers. "Would you care to translate?" She inquired in a rhetorical manner.
"An eye for an eye, Nova." JJ elaborated, his choice of words making realisation hit Nova like a ton of bricks. Not only had they just beat the crap out of Barry and left him in the middle of the road covered in blood and bruises, but they were now also stealing from him, like he had tried stealing from them. There was no telling what Barry would do if he knew they robbed him, the thought alone being enough to send chills up and down Nova's spine.
Shaking her head, Nova approached JJ with a serious look glazed over her ocean blue eyes. "No, JJ, listen to me..." She trailed off, now standing barely a meter apart, her eyes locking with his as she began to speak. "You can't be stealing from a drug dealer. Barry will come back and he'll know it was us. There's no telling what this guy will do." She explained, hoping to drill her words into his head, wanting JJ to know how terrible this plan of his actually was. How dangerous it could be for them to steal from one of the most dangerous people in Outer Banks.
JJ simply ignored the girl and tried to push past her to get into the bedroom in the back of the trailer. However, Nova quickly stood in his way and prevented him from going anywhere else other than the room they were standing in. This caused for JJ to take a step back, his nostrils flaring in frustration. "Move out of my way, Nova." He demanded, speaking through gritted teeth, hoping the girl would move out of his way. But she didn't move, not even an inch.
"JJ, just think about this." Nova admonished, a sharp and harrowing breath escaping past her lips. "We just beat the crap out of Barry and left him hurt on the side of the road. You heard his threats. He already wants to make us pay for beating him. He's gonna know this was us, and when he does he's gonna hunt us down. JJ, this guy is dangerous." She elaborated, hoping her words were enough to make JJ stand down from his anger-induced vendetta against Barry.
JJ shook his head in response to Nova's words, before he pushed past the girl and entered the bedroom. "I'm not scared of this guy." He told her.
Nova groaned in frustration and followed the boy into the bedroom to see he was already searching every corner and crevice of the room. "Yeah, well, I'm scared of him." She retorted, a thought creeping into her mind when she watched JJ rummage through the room again. It sparked a feeling Nova has never felt for the boy before, but it was the same feeling she had earlier today when she witnessed JJ hit Barry with the gun. She felt it before, and now she was feeling it again. "And now you're scaring me."
The second those words flew out of Nova's mouth, JJ stopped what he was doing and turned around to face the girl, his entire body tensing in the process whilst he stared back at Nova with a hurt look gleaming over his blue iris'. There was no denying that he felt hurt upon hearing those words roll off of her tongue, knowing that was never something he wanted. He never wanted Nova fearing him, the thought causing for JJ to bite down on the inside of his cheek as those words continued to echo through his mind on a constant loop.
However, JJ was fast to shake it off, not wanting to show his vulnerability to Nova in this very moment. "Yeah, whatever." He muttered bitterly under his breath, before turning around and searching the closet until he found something that seemed to catch his eye. "There we go." He mused, tossing a small duffle bag into the bed and opening it up to reveal a load of cash, the sight of the dollar bills making Nova's eyes widen in surprise.
"Alright, took care of business." He chimed and walked back out into the other room with the money in hand.
Before following JJ, Nova froze for a moment and thought about the events leading Nova into the centre of a drug dealer's home, and not just any drug dealer — her ex drug dealer. How she was only here because JJ couldn't let go of what just happened to them earlier today when a gun was shoved in their faces, and how it started a chain of events that were slowly spiralling out of control. JJ was out of control and it was freaking her out more than ever.
Nova rushed out of the bedroom and pushed past JJ, before she stood in front of the blond. "JJ, stop. If you keep acting like this, putting yourself and all of us at risk, then you're gonna end up just like your dad." She warned him.
"Watch your mouth, Nova." JJ grimaced, narrowing his eyes into a sharp glare whilst he stared back at the girl.
It was clear to Nova she must have hit a nerve when bringing up his father, a sense of guilt already seething through her body as she stared back at JJ to see the hurt in his eyes, but he was doing his best to cloud up his hurt by acting tough. Nova instantly regretted her choice of words and wished she could take it back, mentally slapping herself for thinking it was a good idea to bring up his dad after everything the man has done to him. It even made her feel like a terrible person at heart.
However, instead of arguing back with the girl, JJ brushed past her once again and rushed back outside, leaving Nova alone. This caused for the girl to sigh in frustration as she scanned her eyes over the crowded room. That was until something caught her attention, a thick lump forming in the back of her throat when her eyes landed on the stack of pouches filled with white powder laid out on the table.
Nova then slowly approached the table, a sense of urgency pulsating sharply through her veins as she looked down at the pouches filled with the deadly drug Nova had become addicted to over the past couple of months. Nova knew it was bad for her to even consider it, but after the day she's had, she couldn't think of a better way to ease her worries, causing for the girl to stretch out her hand and snatch one of the small pouches off the table, stuffing it into the back pocket of her denim shorts, making sure it was hidden from the rest of the group.
Nova then swallowed thickly, before she followed the boy back outside, trying to act as innocent as possible. Nova looked ahead to see everyone else had already climbed out the van, the rest of them shifting their eyes between JJ and Nova, causing for the girl to shake her head, confirming that this situation was going to get worse.
"Alright, so we're looking at five grand each for reparations for putting us through that bullshit. Nova made it pretty clear she doesn't want to be involved, so that's more for the rest of us." JJ spoke up, his words making Nova roll her eyes in response. "Sorry about that, y'all." He apologised in a jokingly manner.
Nova stopped and stood beside Kiara, who was staring daggers into the back of JJ's skull. "So that's what we're doing now?" Kiara questioned, a sharp glare burning in her dark eyes. "We're robbing drug dealers?"
"This Barry guy's gonna find out. And he's gonna come after us." Sarah reminded the rest of them, speaking what they were all thinking. They all knew this was a bad idea to be robbing twenty five thousand off a drug dealer, and not just anyone. One of the most dangerous people in town. All of them knew this, other than JJ.
Juno shook her head, "I really don't want a repeat on what just happened on the side of the road today, JJ." She spoke up.
Pope nodded his head in agreement with Juno's statement, his lips parting to speak in the process with a frantic look glazed over his eyes. "This is not the time to start willin' out." He added, beginning to approach JJ.
JJ laughed bitterly and turned around to face Pope, squaring up to the boy. "How'd you like having a gun pulled on you?" He asked, causing for John B to insert himself between JJ and Pope, before he pulled the blond away, which only seemed to infuriate JJ more. "He had it right here on you, bro." He reminded John B, indicating the distance between the gun and John B's face with his finger.
Nova approached the two boys. "It doesn't mean we should rob this guy, JJ." She argued.
"What about you, huh?" JJ asked, turning around to face Nova with an angered look plastered across his face. "He beat you with a gun and you don't seem to care. Well, I do. So I'm doing this for you and everyone else here."
"For me?" Nova exclaimed, glaring wt the boy as she finally reached her breaking point. "If you were doing this for me then you would have never dragged me to the house of my old dealer. You talk about me getting better but then you drag me back into this mess—"
JJ breathed heavily, his eyes focused on the blonde. "Nova—"
"Fuck you, JJ." Nova snapped, the harshness in her voice surprising the entire group. "The only person you're doing this for is yourself."
JJ parted her lips to speak, but before he had the chance to even utter a word, John B spoke up once again. "Look. We've gotta go get the gold, okay?" John B interjected, before reaching out to snatch the bag from JJ. "Just give me that shit. We're putting it back—"
Suddenly, JJ grabbed John B by the collar of his shirt and pinned the boy up against the van behind them, the sudden and violent action being enough to make the rest of them freeze in place, watching as the scene displayed in front of them slowly unfolded. There was no denying that the two boys often disagreed and fought on many occasions, but never over something like this. And they never got violent with each other until today. It was enough to make Nova back away, her mouth popping open in shock with her frantic eyes flickering between JJ and John B.
"Do you feel like a tough guy? Huh?" John B exclaimed, getting in JJ's face with an irritated look washed over his face. Nova then felt a lump form in the back of her throat at the sight of the two of them, wishing she could get involved and separate the two. But it was clear John B had him under control for now. "What are you gonna do when he comes after us?"
"We punch him in the throat." JJ seethed through gritted teeth, venom laced in his threatening tone.
John B nodded his head in response to JJ's words, clenching his jaw in the process. "Yeah, good fucking idea, JJ." He grimaced, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"I'm not putting it back." JJ announced, before he proceeded to climb back into the van. "You guys getting in or what?" He asked and looked out at the rest of them to see no one was willingly joining him, not even Nova, who only stared back with a mix of sadness and frustration burning in her eyes. This caused for JJ to sigh in annoyance, before he hopped back out of the vehicle and looking around at his friends. "What?"
"We're sick of your shit." John B informed him, glaring back at his friend with anger evident in his eyes. None of them could even blame John B for the anger he felt, because they all felt it towards the blond and his reckless actions.
JJ scoffed in response to John B's words, pointing at himself. "Oh, my shit?" He questioned, a look filled with disbelief plastered across his face.
"Yes. Your pulling guns on people shit." Kiara interjected, shooting JJ a disapproving look.
Pope began to approach JJ once again. "You're acting like a freaking maniac—"
JJ gently shoved Pope away, his temper at an all time high, turning to his friend with all types of emotion flooding his gaze. "Okay, Pope, I took the fall for you, man! Know how much money I owe because of you?" He exclaimed, the emotion in his voice making Nova's eyes soften at the sight of JJ.
She knew how much taking the fall for sinking Topper's boat effected JJ, and it was more than a twenty five thousand dollar fine. He suffered because of his dad and the pain that was inflicted on him. JJ still had some bruises scattered across his skin to prove the suffering he was forced to face from his father's knuckles. They might have already began to fade, and over time they would disappear for good, but the memory of the cold and callous beating he endured was a kind of pain that would never fade away.
"I'm gonna pay you back, and I didn't even ask you to do that!" Pope quickly fired back.
"I just did. Pay it back. Right here, right now, by myself. You know what?" JJ spoke up, walking past them and grabbing his bag, before he turned his back on them and thew his bag over his shoulder. "That's exactly what I'm gonna do. Go off by myself."
Nova watched as JJ made an attempt to leave them all, guilt flaring up in her chest once again and creating an overwhelming sense of regret as she watched him walk further away with every step he took. And without thinking about it, Nova took a step forward in an attempt to chase after the blond boy. "JJ, wait." She called out to him. But before she could catch up with JJ, Kiara stretched out her arm and grabbed Nova's hand with her own, pulling the girl back and preventing her from going after him.
"Let him go." Kiara told her in a comforting voice.
A shaky breath escaped past Nova's lips whilst she watched as JJ walked further away from them, a bad feeling erupting in her chest, her heart beginning to ache. She wanted nothing more than to chase after JJ and tell him she was with him every step of the way. But his choices today put them all in danger and Nova didn't think she could support him with something that could potentially get them killed. So the girl watched with her heart slowly crumbling into pieces as JJ disappeared behind the large expanse of greenery.
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authors note.
In honour of this story hitting 100k I thought it would be fun to get a new chapter up to celebrate!! I know I already said it before but thank you to everyone who's been reading and following Nova's story so far, and I can't wait for you guys to read what I have planned because it's going to be A LOT akskskkssk
Anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll update again soon!!