"Hi, I'm looking for JJ Maybank," I rushed out once I got to the front desk of the Police station. The cop sitting at the desk furrowed her eyebrows.
"He just got bailed out by his father," she said, and I groaned. I ran out of the building to see JJ and his dad walking towards a car.
"Get in the car," his dad snapped, pointing to the car. Luke went to the other side, but JJ hesitated. "Let's go," his dad called when he saw JJ standing there.
JJ got in the car slowly, but it didn't zoom off. Instead, it just sat there, Luke not baring to look at the blonde.
I was about to walk back to my car since JJ would clearly get home when I saw something through the back window that was so horrible that I almost started crying. I felt sick to my stomach as I witnessed JJ's father punching him across the face. Making him hit his head on the window and blood to spit out of his mouth.
"Thirty thousand dollars!" Luke screamed as he kept slamming JJ's against the window, punching his stomach. I ran up to the car, and my eyes widened when I got a better view of what was happening. Luke glanced up for just a second and saw me. He immediately stopped and kept staring at me. Tears flooded my face as JJ gave his father a puzzled look through his groaning and turned towards the window.
Once he saw me, his eyes popped out of his sockets, and his jaw dropped. Luke got off him swiftly, and before I could reach over to open the door, he drove off.
~:*:~
"I still don't know why I have to wear this monstrosity?" I spat at Topper, playing with the orange and white floral dress my mom forced me to wear (Outfit at top). Topper rolled his eyes as we pulled up to midsummers.
"Just suck it up, you whiney bitch," he growled and parked his jeep, "if I have to wear a suit, then you have to wear a dress."
I groaned, "I hate you."
"I hate you too," he replied, and we got out. Mom and dad refused to drive us because we had been arguing the entire day about the boat and my friends.
"You know, if it wasn't for you and your stupid Kooks versus Pogues shit, JJ wouldn't have gone to jail and gotten a 30K restitution that he clearly can't afford," I argued with him as we walked into the growing party.
"Well, actually, he didn't have to take the blame for his girlfriend, so it wasn't my fault. He's just stupid," he chuckled, which made me grab the jacket of his tux and bring his face close to mine, a snarl playing at my lips.
"Say that again," I hissed, and he stayed silent, "you're my bitch, Topper." I spat on his face before walking over to Pope, who was working for his dad.
"Excuse me, sir. Do we have to shuck theses ourselves?" I asked in a fake British accent. Pope's muscles tenses signaling he was annoyed and turned around, "'cause it might mess up my costume," I added, and we both laughed.
"We wouldn't want that now, would we?" Pope said and gave me a light hug, "that accent was bad."
"It was. I was gonna let it go," I joked, "you ever seen this many Kooks in one place?" I questioned.
"Yeah. Last year," Pope said.
"We're in the lion's den," I sighed.
"Exactly," Pope said, and we looked at Topper and Kelce. I glared at them and shook my head.
"Hey, have you heard from JJ?" My breath hitched.
"Yeah, well kinda. I went to the station to see him, but his dad already picked him up," when I was done, I closed my eyes, thinking of everything his dad did to him.
"It's all my fault," Pope huffed.
"Uh -- you didn't do this, Pope. Topper almost killed you. Remember?" He nodded, and then Kiara walked over to us.
"Hey, Kie," me and Pope said in sync.
"Hey. Dreading this night?" She asked us.
"Of course."
Everyone then started applauding, and the Cameron's walked in. "Here come Lord Capital and the Expoliters," Kie teased, and I nudged her a little.
"She's gonna poke somebody's eye out with that," Pope said, gesturing to Rose, who had a large gold crown thing on her head. She looked like she's trying to be Lady Liberty. I waved at Sarah, who waved back, a help me look on her face, but I shrugged.
~:*:~
Sarah and I were dancing with Wheezie later in the party, us all laughing when Sarah attempted to spin Wheezie but failed epically, making her slip and fall into my arms. I kissed Wheezie on the forehead, and we smiled at each other. She was like the sister I never had, along with Sarah.
"JJ?" I heard Sarah gasped, and I snapped my head up, seeing JJ hand a piece of paper to Sarah.
"I got uh, a note from Vlad," he told her, and Sarah was about to say something when he shushed her, starting to dance around a little to act normal.
"From Vlad?" Sarah asked, hopefully. Who the hell was Vlad?!
"Yeah, read the note," JJ said to her. He looked at me and winked before turning around. Sarah started reading the note while Wheezie continued dancing, but my eyes remained on JJ as he walked away. He looked handsome in his suit, but I couldn't deny cuts and bruises on his face.
That's when he was stopped by Rafe and Kelce, "I'm wonderin' if you could get me a mai tai, my friend," Rafe said.
"Pogue, how about you make that two?" Kelce asked.
"I'm on the clock right now. You guys look spiffy. You know, uh, I got a couple of orders ahead of you, so why don't you guys just go ahead and wait by the bar?" JJ said, trying not to snap at them.
"No, we're going . . . ." Rafe trailed off.
"Help yourself to hors d'oeuvres," JJ said.
"Oh, yeah. Guys, JJ's gonna serve us some hors d'oeuvres. Right?" Rafe called to his other friends. I walked up to them as JJ started backing up.
"Well, here are the hors d'oeuvres," JJ pointed to a table where some food was placed.
"Okay."
"I'll be right back, okay?" JJ panicked and walked quickly inside.
"We're actually gonna follow you in here just to make sure . . . ." Rafe told him, and that's when JJ ran inside, all the boys and me soon following.
We ran through the restaurant, people all jeering at us about how stupid kids we were for running through a place where people are eating.
"Rafe!" I yelled as they chased him into the boys' bathroom. I was seconds away from going in when a security guard ran up to me.
"Excuse me, ma'am. That's the gentlemen's bathroom," he said, and I tried to play dumb.
"Oh, oh, I didn't know," I said innocently. Really trying to listen in on what's happening inside. I heard some cursing and yelling at each other, but nothing much.
"I'll just go, but thank you," I smiled at him before walking away slowly.
But not long after, I heard Rafe yell, "tell Eleanor she looks pretty hot for a filthy Pogue!"
I heard JJ start yelling, and I sighed as the door opened. Another security guard hauled out JJ. I walked back outside and started talking to Kie when we heard JJ's shouts again.
"Look -- look, man, I can walk myself. I got legs. Can you see that, bother?" JJ snapped, but the guard kept dragging him out.
"Come on," he complained.
"I really appreciate what you did back there. Let me just walk out myself. Mr. Dunleavy, I see you got your drink. Good, that's really nice of you. I'm actually gonna down that," JJ commented and chugged a man's drink in one go, making me hold back a laugh.
"What the hell's the matter with him?" the man gawked.
"Sorry, sir," the guard apologized through JJ's laughs and yelled in excitement.
"I really appreciate the discretion, Daryl, you know? It's okay, everybody! Do not panic. Leave it to the men and women in uniform. Let's hear it for them," JJ screamed, catching everyone's attention, and he started clapping obnoxiously. "Rose! You look like Lady Liberty," I smiled when I remembered I had thought the exact same thing. Good minds think alike, I guess
"It's good to see you again. Hey, buddy, can I have one of those?" The blonde questioned and pointed to some food, which he snatched.
"Let go of him!" I blurted out, randomly catching everyone's attention. My parents and Topper all looked at me with dirty looks, especially Topper, "you can't boot him!"
"Excuse me, ma'am?" The guard asked, and JJ smiled at me.
"I invited him here. I'm a member of this club," I spat. JJ then shoved the guard and sent him a fake apology.
"Hey, mandatory power hour at Rixon's, babe. Kie, Pope, you as well, all right? Rixon's Cover. Let's roll," JJ announced and patted Pope on the shoulder as he passed him, "all right, baby girl, come on. Workers of the world. Throw off your chains!" JJ exclaimed, and I smiled widely. I looked at Kiara, who nodded.
"No, Kiara!" Her parents yelled at her as we ran towards JJ.
"Eleanor!" My mother shouted after me. Pope argued with his dad but ultimately ran into John B's hug, who I had just noticed was here.
"Elle!" Topper roared, but I ignored him. I ran into JJ's arm, and he spun me around. I pecked his lips, and we all ran into the woods towards Rixon's.
~:*:~
"Hey, guys. So, like, my dad's already gonna kill me. So what's this mandatory meeting about?" Pope asked with an edge. John B gestured to JJ, who sighed.
"Might as well tell him, man, before we're gaffed," JJ replied and pulled me onto his lap.
"You ready for this?" John B asked us.
"Yeah," I said, leaning into the blonde who kissed my ear.
"So, the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant," John B stated, and Pope groaned.
"Oh, my God. Here we go again with this," the black boy rolled his eyes.
"No. All right, wait. Hear me out, all right?" John B cut in, "it's been here the whole time. It's on the island."
"Are you serious?" Kiara asked, "oh, my God."
"I'd like to voice my skepticism," Pope said.
"I'm sure you would, Pope, but can I please present you with my evidence, sir?" John B stood up.
"Proceed."
"All right. So, in my backpack, I have a letter from Denmark Tanny," John B pulled out a piece of paper from his bag.
"Who the hell's that?" I interrogated.
"Denmark Tanny was a slave that survived the Royal Merchant wreck. Check this out," he handed me the letter, and I examined it.
"Okay, slaves weren't mentioned as crew members on the ship, but my dad, he found the complete manifest. That was his big discovery. So Tanny used the gold from the Merchant to buy his freedom," John B explained, and I handed the letter to Kie.
"After that, he bought his farm. Drumroll, please because that farm is . . . ." Everyone started drumming on their laps, JJ slapping my knees since he couldn't get to his lap."Tannyhill Plantation."
"Tannyhill?" I gasped, and Kiara handed the letter to Pope, who read it with a flashlight.
"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 about where to find the gold," John B said, and everyone had giddy smiles on their faces except for Pope who was still reviewing the letter.
"Where?" Kiara whispered excitedly.
"Harvest the wheat in parcel nine, near the water. Except . . . . there's no wheat. You see, wheat is code for gold. Check this out. The gold is in parcel nine, near the water," by the time John B had finished me and Kiara's jaws were on the floor.
"Holy shit," Pope mumbled.
"All we need is an original survey map of the property, and we've found the gold," John B smiled.
"Okay, so this might have a small chance of being actually true. Dude, it's like King Tut," Pope said, finally looking up from the letter. JJ got up, setting me down on the log under him, and walked over to John B. Giving him a huge bear hug that lifted him off the ground.
"Whoa! Hello! Fire! You're near the fire. You're gonna burn," John B panicked, not taking his eyes off the flames in the middle of all the logs we layed out.
"I'm so proud of you right now," JJ praised.
"Thank you. That's really sweet of you," John B grabbed a side of JJ's face and shook hit slightly.
"Okay, so, guys. What's the plan?" Pope interrupted their cute moment.
"Good question. Sarah Cameron's coming tonight she'll bring an original survey map --" John B started.
"Hold on," Kie cut him off, "Sarah? Wh-why Sarah?"
"Um . . . ."
"This is gonna be good," JJ whispered and walked back over to me, resting his large hands on my bare shoulders.
"Sarah, um, she -- she got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and that's where I got the letter," John B stumbled over his words.
"You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron?" Kie snapped.
"Yeah, um --"
"He was mackin' on her," JJ said, and my jaw dropped.
"I wasn't macking."
"You were totally macking Sarah Cameron."
"You were macking my best friend!" I barked at the brunette.
"I wasn't macking on her, okay? I was using her for access," John B said loudly at Kie and me.
"There was access, all right," JJ teased, and I hit his chest, standing up abruptly.
"So first you mack my best friend since I was little and now you used her? Wow, John B, that's really shallow," I sneered.
"You're being so childish right now," John B moaned and ran a hand through his hair.
"Ay!" JJ warned him. I gritted my teeth together, my jaw clenched.
"Did you tell her about the treasure?" Kie questioned.
"I was trying to get into the archives," John B yelled.
"Is that a yes?"
"I -- I left out key details."
"Yo, what? You let two Kooks in on our secret now? What about Pogue Lyfe? What about the T-shirt company, bro?" Kiara scolded him.
"Two Kooks?" JJ asked.
"I was just using her for information," John B reasoned.
"Why don't I believe you?" Kie retorted.
"I'm trying to make us filthy rich here. Okay, so that we can pay off a boat, or -- or, uh . . . . send you to autopsy school to study dead bodies. Look, you guys know me. Do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?" John B said in a much softer tone.
"Do you want us to answer that, or --" Pope said.
"Just -- just stop."
"Look, you don't know her yet. I do! You can't trust her," Kie argued, and I bit my lips harshly, trying to restrain my anger at Kie for insulting Sarah.
"Her brother did hit me in the back with a golf club and hit his best friend's sister several times," Pope stated.
"Rafe and Sarah are different human beings," I cut in.
"What did she do to you, exactly?" JJ asked Kiara.
"She's like a -- like a spitting cobra. First, she -- she blinds you, and then --"
"This is a bad analogy," Pope cut Kie off.
"Listen to me! Whatever we get, she's gonna try to take."
~:*:~
"All right. Hit it, boys! We're goin'. Recon mission. Yo, uh . . . so, uh, I think I'm gonna do this one by myself tonight," John B said, and we pulled up to the Hawk's Nest.
"Really?" Kie asked, rolling her eyes.
"What?"
"Nothin'."
"I don't want to spook Sarah with the peanut gallery."
"I just don't understand why we're involving her at all," Kiara said, getting her annoying attitude back that I was getting sick of right now.
"Kie, we're not involving her, okay? It's -- it's just, uh, like a -- a business meeting thing," John B stuttered, and JJ lifted his blunt, mimicking a blow job which made me hit him across the head and snatch up the blunt. I pulled out his lighter from his bag and lit the weed, putting it to my lips and taking a drag.
"Look, once we get what we need, we cut her loose, all right? Plus, we need the map," John B continued to argue with Kie.
"Promise me nothing's happening between you."
"Nothing is happening, Kie."
"I'm being serious."
"Okay!"
"This isn't about you, and this isn't about us. This is about her. Dude, she's gonna get inside your head. Just promise me nothing's happening between you guys."
"I promise."
"That was really believable," JJ cut in.
"A hundred percent believable," Pope agreed.
"Anyways, um . . . . I'm gonna take care of business," John B sighed.
"You're gonna take care of it," JJ commented.
"I tell you. We'll just sit here . . . ." Pope added, and John B got out.
"Oh, he's so going to get laid," JJ chuckled.
"JJ, can you just shut the fuck up? These are my two best friends you're talking about," I snapped at him, and he shut up.
"Sorry, babe," he whispered, and Pope smirked under his breath.
"I don't see why you're friends with her. She's an evil snake --"
"Kie, don't start, okay?" I cut her off, and she huffed.
"Why did we involve her?" She muttered to herself, but JJ heard.
"Hey!" He yelled, "Kie, you aren't doing anything but damaging our friendship by complaining, so stop. Elle is my girlfriend, so hell yeah, we're going to involve her!" Pope and Kie looked shocked when JJ called me his girlfriend.
"What did you say?" Kie asked.
"I said that Elle is my girlfriend! So you won't be talking shit about her! Alright?" Kiara rolled her eyes again and looked away from us all.
"It's like all she's made of is weed, money, and that annoying voice of her's," she muttered.
"What?" Pope asked.
"It's like all you're made of is weed, money, and that annoying voice of yours!" Kie suddenly yelled at me, and I raised my eyebrows.
I took the blunt out of my mouth and licked my lips, "fuck you, Kiara," I spat.
"Hey! Stop it!" JJ shouted even though now one besides Kie was raising her voice.
"Kie, just drop this whole Sarah Cameron thing. John B is telling the truth. And Elle never did anything wrong. And you," Pope said and pointed to me, "no offense, Elle, but I really don't care. You have a friendship with Sarah. Who cares? It doesn't define who you are?" He continued, and everyone went quiet.
We then heard a girl yelling, and we looked out the front window, "wait, do you guys hear that? Sh," Kie shushed everyone even though no one was talking.
"What?" We all asked her.
"Please, somebody help!" We heard it again.
"Oh, wait, no, I hear that," JJ said as we all rushed out.
"What the fuck?" Kiara asked, and we all ran towards the Hawks Nest, where we saw Sarah hugging John B's limp body on the ground.
"Sarah! What happened?" I screamed as we sprinted up to them.
"I don't know what to do. He needs help. Topper shoved him," Sarah sobbed, and I looked around frantically for my brother.
"Where the hell is he?" JJ questioned.
"Oh, please, please, please get help. I don't care who. Just call someone," Sarah pleaded, and Pope ran off.
"Go! Go!" JJ yelled at him.
"Help, please," Sarah muttered, and I went over to her, sitting next to her. I pulled her into my arms. She was still clutching onto John B.
"Pope, hurry!" Kie cried.
"John B, stay with me," Sarah whispered and leaned down to kiss his lips, making all of us stare at her in disbelief, "please don't leave me. John B?"
"Pope! Come on!"