Inside the Outer Banks || JJ

26. The Set Up

The next morning, I climbed out of bed and dressed in some denim shorts and a pink top, throwing my hair in a bun before climbing out of my window, knowing that we were all meeting at John B's. I walked across town, reaching the house in about half an hour. I walked around the back to where I saw the girls sitting in the van and Pope and John B were working on something. "Good morning everyone!" I smiled as I got closer.
"Morning Allie!" Pope called back.
"Allie! Come here." Kie ordered so I walked over to her, climbing in the van as well and sitting next to Sarah to see that Kie was holding some sort of diagram. "He said it looked something like this."
"Wait, this is... the well or what?" I asked back moving to get a better look at it.
"Yeah, so... That's 50 feet down, and they're using 100-feet rope." She continued before laughing slightly, "So I guess this little wagon will go... straight to the gold room." 
"Who drew this?" I asked laughing as well at the child-like drawing.
"Who do you think?" Kie answered, looking over to Pope and John B for a moment.

"Kie! This better work." JJ's voice sounded as he walked around to the van, "Oh hey Allie."
"Hey." I answered, unable to hide my smile, receiving a look from Sarah.
"We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it." JJ continued, holding the bars of gold in his hand.
"It's gonna work." Kie answered, picking up a blow torch off the ground. We climbed out of the van, walking down to Pope. Sarah and John B sat down near a tree while us other four started to attempt to melt down the gold. Pope held the torch, blowing onto the gold. It seemed like this wasn't going to work for a while, until I noticed the sides of the wheat symbol starting to move.
"Wait it's working." I smiled, glancing at the group as JJ and Pope high fived.
"I told you it would." Kie shook her head with a smile. When the gold had finished melting so there was no trace of the wheat symbol, we filed into the van. Sarah and John B in the front with the rest of us in the back as we drove to the 'Gold for Cash' shop.

"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein." JJ said, holding the gold in his hand as we climbed out of the van.
"Like you could've done better." Kie retaliated, JJ swinging around to face him.
"I could have." He insisted, "I took a welding class."
"When? Hmm?" Kie asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest as John B hushed them.
"Whoa, whoa. Hey. Sh!" He started, "Chill out, okay?"
"Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off." JJ shook his head, "How did I get this job anyway?"
"'Cause you're the best liar." Pope answered and I nodded as we walked into the shop, spreading out throughout the store as JJ walked up to the counter.
"Afternoon, ma'am." JJ called out as we entered.
"Afternoon." The elderly lady behind the counter replied.
"I see you buy gold." JJ continued and she nodded as she looked up at him.
"That's what the sign say, don't it?" She replied sarcastically.
"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because I'm about to blow your mind." JJ answered, finally walking up to the counter.
"I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it."
"How about them gold apples?" JJ smirked, placing the gold on the counter.
"That ain't real." She shook her head in denial as she laughed. "It can't be."
"That ain't real?" JJ asked back, "Feel how heavy it is!" He ordered humming in agreement as she attempted to lift it, when she did lift it, he grabbed the light. "Let's get some light on that."
"Spray-painted tungsten." She answered as JJ's brows furrowed.
"Spray-painted tungsten? Really? Okay." He nodded slightly, "Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?"
"You mind?" She asked back as JJ shook his head.
"No, go for it." He agreed, watching as she hit it with a small hammer. "Wow. Would you look at that?"
"Hold your horses." She replied, "We ain't got to the acid test yet."
"Ooh! The acid test." JJ smirked, glancing around at all of us, "My favorite, guys."
"Well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted." She spoke to herself.
"Ma'am, I'm telling ya, this is as real as the day is long." JJ insisted.
"It looks like somebody tried to melt it down." She stated, looking up at JJ.
"My mom." He spat out, "She had all this jewelry laying around the house, and she thought it was best to... to melt it down. To "consolidate" it."
"Seven pounds?" She asked, "That's a lot of earrings."
"Okay, to be honest, ma'am, ...it's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimer's." JJ stuttered as I glanced at Kie, whose brow was furrowed.
"Alzheimer's?" She whispered to me, me biting my lip to hold in my laugh.
"Give me a minute." The old woman stated before walking into a separate room. Pope and I walked up to the counter.