FUMES [2], jj maybank

6. THESE DREAMS, THEY'RE TAKING HOLD

  "GOD BLESS GEEKS, POPE. Truly man," JJ says with a pat on the back.

  Pope set up the drone and the camera to it so easily. It's cool seeing Kie and John B just—under the water. "We'd be lost without you, Pope," I take off his hat and placed it on my head. "Give me that—" He snatches it off my head and I gasp. John B goes on about what happens after we get proof of the wreck and how all the legal shit will work.

  I keep thinking about Piper and JJ. I don't recall a time where she was ever in his life to dislike her as much as he does. "Lawyers aren't cheap, bro."

"Well, as soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp," John B says from the water. "How do you know all that?"

"Cuz my dad used to say it all the time." Thunder rumbles in the distance. The plan is to go when the waters calm but, it doesn't seem like that'll happen soon. "So, we're not doing it today, right?" I stand next to JJ and watch the storm clouds roll in.

  After the drone testing I decided to go home as the others got busy. I invited Bailey over and now Blake, Bailey, Vanessa and I were sitting in my room. We invited Marcus but God forbid he gets off the game. "How's Zander?" I wiggle my eyebrows at my brother. "Stop, don't be gross. He's nice. Very nice." He tries to hide the smile but he sucks at it and smiles really big.

  "You like him!" Vanessa shouts from the beanbag chair in the corner. "Settle down! Maybe I do." All of us scream at Blake's confession. "Yay! Blake's got a crush!" Vanessa is more excited than Blake. "Zander's great. Don't fuck it up," Bailey says as she points at him. "Guys, it's just a crush—"

"He clearly likes you. Go for it!" I encourage him just like he did with JJ. After everything he's done for me over the past almost year, he deserves something. "Give me some time. It's only been a few days."

   I find myself scrolling on my phone and see that the others are surfing and I can't surf for shit but I keep rewatching the video Pope took of JJ. He's so fucking good at surfing and yet I panicked even paddling. Suddenly, Vanessa flops down next to me and doesn't even try to hide looking at my phone. "Why?" I pull my phone away from her eyes. "I was curious as to what you were watching—"

"Well, don't be."

  I shut my phone off and just completely get off my bed and away from Vanessa. I'm seeing the group later so for now, I sit back with my siblings and other best friend. Even if the impending doom of seeing Weston is on my mind when I'm not with The Pogues.

  Sitting in a hammock with the sounds of the night has to be one of the best things ever. Especially when JJ is sleepily talking about his surfing today. "The wave was so high, babe. I wish you could've seen it." The way I can see his eyes light up even in the dark as he talks about surfing makes my stomach do flips. I wonder if he can see the smile plastered on my face. "Me too, I'll watch next time. I swear. I just wanted to see Blake and Bailey today."

"You forgot Vanessa," John B catches me. "She's just annoying me right now. All she does is try to get in my business."

"That's how older siblings are," Pope says from the other hammock. "How would you know? I'm the only one with siblings here," I laugh. It's silent for a bit but then Pope speaks up again, "You really think it's out there? Like, no bullshit?"

"My father thought it was."

"But do you?" I try to see John B's expression, even in the dark but it's almost no use. Thunder rumbles again in the distance. "After hearing his voice on that tape...I think I do." JJ and John B do their handshake right above me and I chuckle at them. "We can find this shit, I feel it guys," My words are slightly muffled as JJ brings me closer to his chest to get comfortable. "Even JJ believes," Kie adds on. "Oh, my God, JJ, do you really believe?" I smile at JB's high pitched voice as he asks. "Totally. Wait, are we talking about four mil?" In unison, Pope, Kie and I go, "Four hundred mil."

"Jinx," Quietly leaves Kie's mouth. "I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks. Good night, Bird!" JJ uses Big John's nickname for his best friend. He tries to bring me closer again. "Good night, bird shit!"

  JJ leans down to my ear as best as he can, "Good night, babe," And leaves a kiss above my ear. "Good night, JJ." I stare into the ocean and my eyelids become heavy. I don't fight it and fall asleep in JJ's arms.

   The next day we set out on the long journey to the coordinates. I stand by JJ the whole time as he drives to at least try to help with my anxiety. After a while we get to the spot and JJ stops the boat as instructed. "Ready?" I ask JJ as the drone goes down. "Ready to be fucking loaded and live the life with you? Of course!"

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen. To going full Kook," John B slowly descends the drone into the water and I can't help but feel excited even in the middle of the ocean. Feels like I'm in a video game, finding treasure and getting shot at. I bite my lips in anticipation. "Alright, JJ we're right over it. 10 seconds, north west."

"Got it!" JJ moves the boat with ease as he knows exactly what John B means while I have no fucking clue. It just means move the boat. Kie shouts, "100 feet!" After a second, Pope gasps. "What is it?"

"Nothing, sorry, I thought—nothing."

"Pope, you gave me a heart attack!" I shout. "Sorry." My anxiety spikes every now and then as the boat rocks and the wind picks up. Thunder is heard and we're in the middle of the fucking ocean. "Tides moving!" Kie shouts. "JJ, ten seconds easy. South-southeast."

"Copy that!" JJ moves the boat again but the boat is moving so much as he gets more directions from John B until the boat is good. The thunder gets louder and the storm cloud gets closer. "JJ, we're gonna die out here," I tug on his shirt. "Huh? No, we're fine. It's just a small storm."

"We're in the middle of the ocean, J!" My heart rate speeds up and I can feel my palms sweating. I don't need to have a panic attack right now. It must be visible that I'm panicking because JJ grabs my hands and lifts my chin to look at him, "Princess, we're gonna be fine. We'll get rich, well you even more, and will own a bunch of dogs and cats and rats and whatever the hell else you want. I promise." My face is the opposite of his smile even after his promise.

"We're gonna die," I repeat. JJ chuckles, "If you believe that then, at least we're dying together." I slap his bicep, "They'll never find our bodies! We'll be food to the fish!" Just as I say that a wave smacks the boat and slams JJ and I into the wall slightly. JJ is trying to make sure we don't flip but all I want to do is puke. The thunder crashes again and the wind is horrible now. "JJ, hold it steady!" John B shouts and it irritates me. "JJ, we're gonna turtle in this storm!" Pope makes my anxiety spike again and I grab JJ. "We're fine, babe, we're fine."

  The boat is rocking back and forth, hard. Maybe if I sit down it'll help. I slide down the wall of the boat as JJ frantically drives to keep the boat steady. The boat stops and JJ drops down to me, "Hey, you're okay." He hesitates to hug me but I wrap my arms around him and he quickly hugs back, "I don't like boats. Or the ocean. I'm sorry," I say into his shoulder. He laughs a bit and rubs my back, "That's fine. There's no way in hell I'd let you die out here—or at all, really." I laugh at him and can feel my heartbeat slow down as he continues to rub my back.

  "You should be right above it, brother!" I hear John B shout. Kie's still putting line into the water. We pull away from each other as JJ has to make the boat steady again. "I'm at the bottom! I'm at the bottom!" Pope shouts. I muster up the courage to walk over to the other three. "We should be seeing something, man!" John B is obviously frustrated but his facial expression quickly changes into a relieved one. "Oh, good God."

I rush over to the screen and chills form all over my body. The boat. The ship! We fucking found it! "It's the Royal Merchant." My jaw goes slack as I have no idea what to say and I'm too scared to move again as the boat rocks back and forth. Good job, Big John.