𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝗃𝗃 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖺𝗇𝗄

4: "𝚙𝚘𝚙𝚎'𝚜 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎."

The group of five all sat together on crates right beside the docks. Them and other teenagers watching the scene happen in front of them. A pale man laid on a stretcher, strapped to it as the paramedics had started to lead the man away. But they were stopped when a woman came running to them, stopping right in front of the stretching, looking down at the man, sobbing as she cupped his cheeks.

Just seeing the woman's state made the e/c eyed girl's heart break.

"Who's that?" John B questions.

"It's Scooter Grubbs." A girl responds. "He was out during the storm. Check out this pic I got." The girl continues, showing them her phone. "Dead body."

"What kind of boat did he have?" JJ asks.

"Somehow, that dirtbag copped a brand-new Grady-White. Everyone's out looking for it." The girl responds.

The five friends all share a knowing look, knowing exactly that they're the ones who had found the boat just this morning and still haven't reported it to the coast guards.

***

The five friends were still processing the news about the dead body and the boat as they were all together in the Chateau. They were all panicky, Pope more than the rest. Y/n sat in the chair next to JJ, her legs resting on his lap, playing with her fingers.

The blonde's hand rested on her leg, occasionally rubbing his thumb against her skin to give her comfort.

"Okay. We didn't see anything. We don't know anything. We need to have total and complete amnesia." Pope states.

"Actually, Pope's right for once." JJ speaks, agreeing with the boy. "See, I agree with you sometimes. Deny, deny, deny."

"Guys, we can't keep that money." Kie speaks up.

"Not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara." JJ retorts.

"We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs. Otherwise, it's bad karma." Kie insists.

"Bad karma to be implicated in a felony, too." Pope adds. "We gotta go dark."

"If that means we get to keep the money, then I agree." JJ says.

"I don't agree." John B speaks.

"What? Why?" JJ asks.

"Just think about it. This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about. Same dude that's buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. Shit, one time I saw this dude begging for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than 40 bucks in his pocket, and all of a sudden, he's got a Grady-White? Just sayin'." John B explains.

***

The five all stood together on the docks, JJ and Pope fishing while John B, Y/n, and Kie sat on the ledges, listening to John B rant to Pope.

"Think about it, Pope. How does a marina rat get a Grady-White?" John B asks.

"Prostitution." Pope replies after taking a breath.

"Square groupers, bro." John B shakes his head, correcting the boy. "Okay, flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance. They don't do that stuff during a hurricane. What does that mean? JJ?"

"They were straight smugglin'." JJ replies.

"Smugglin'." John B repeats. "And I guarantee there's a serious amount of contraband in that wreck."

***

"For the record, if that is a smuggling ship with illegal contraband on the inside of it, it probably belongs to someone else." Pope begins, all of them now sitting in John B's bedroom.

"Minor details." Kie cuts in.

"They could come looking for it." Pope continues, ignoring the girl. "Taking it would be catastrophically stupid."

"Right. Well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time." JJ replies, holding a stack of money in his hands. "All we need to do right now is just figure out a way to get into that cargo hold of that wreck. Until then, we just lay low. Just act normal."

"Right. And how exactly do we do that?" Pope questions.

"Kegger?" Y/n suddenly suggests, lifting her head up from JJ's shoulder.

Kie and the boys all exchange a little glance, then turning to the youngest, nodding and shrugging their heads and shoulders in agreement.