P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

013

"Oh, look," I said, "it's Sarah Cameron and her boyfriend," I mocked. "You don't have to act like you don't see us, bitch," Kie said.

-|-

We were inside of the Twinkie, before walking inside of this kook-owned building.

"Keep an eye out. We're on enemy lines," JJ said. "Yo, come on, man. Just put it back," I told JJ, who was looking at the gun then holding it in his hand. "JJ!" I said, reaching for it. "Put it back!" I instructed. "You can never be too careful," he said.

"Hey, I predict that bringing a weapon to a four-star hotel will likely cause more problems then they solve," Pope inferred.  "Thank you, Pope," John B said. " I swear to God, I'm gonna throw that thing in the ocean, JJ," Kie told him. I finally grabbed it, putting in the locked compartment. "There you go," Pope said. "You can't grab a gun like that," he told me, and I rolled my eyes. "It was on safe and plus, you're so stupid to know that I have the magazine (the cartridge where the ammo is)."

"You always must treat a gun-"

"As if it's loaded, I know, mom," I mocked. "Can't forget my badge," he said. We all began walking inside, so we can get on the internet and figure out this latitude and longitude thing.

...

We walked through the kitchen.

"Mama L, what's up!" JJ said, taking a piece of shrimp only to get slapped with a wooden spoon but the chef. "Stop, JJ." He chuckled.

...

We walked into the technology room, and I looked around. "Sweet Lord! The internet!" Pope yelled, running to a computer. "Let me get in there. Gotta check out my Insta Models," JJ joked and I lowered my head, smiling.

"Coordinates, please?" Pope asked. " 34° 57' 30'' N. 75°, 55', 42" W," I read off of the map. The computer showed a picture of the Earth, which zoomed in on the coordinates we just put in. "Boom, continental shelf, right there."

"Well, if it's off the deep end, it's not gonna be much of a treasure hunt, is it?" Pope told JB. "Shit, it's on the high side. It's only 900 feet," John B said. "Not too deep," I added. "Is that doable or something?" Kie asked. "Yeah, totally doable," JJ answered. "Will we be taking your personal submarine," Pope asked, sarcastically. "How do you know this, Mr. Dive Master," I said, hitting his arm. "The Salvage Yard. They got a drone that can drop 1000. 360 camera and everything!" JJ exclaimed. "It's for, like, deep dives and stuff. It's exactly what we need."

"Can your dad get his grimy little hands on that?" John B asked. "We'll, my dad's grimy little hands got his ass fired. I guess the salvage captain frowns on the showing up shitfaced, turns out. But the drones there. It's in the impound yard out back," JJ told us. "How much did you say was on the Royal Merchant again?"

"400 million."

"400 mil."

"400 million dollars!" Kie expressed, standing up as we were about to leave. "No! Absolutely not! Absolutely not!" Pope yelled, guarding the door. "Pope, move!" I yelled, pushing him away. "Guys, that's too—"

"Come on," Kie said, leaving.

-|-

"Pope, we're not stealing the drone... we're borrowing it," I convinced him, as my legs were placed on top of JJ, since I sat across him on the floor. "' humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality,'" Pope quoted. "Did you come up with that?" My brother asked. "Albert Bernstein came up with it," I said. "But it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing," Pope disclaimed.

"Oh."

"So, which is it?" Pope asked. "Fantasy or reality?"

"Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ asked. "It's fantasy, but possible reality," I answered. "Reality," my optimistic brother said. "Virtual reality," JJ said, putting a rolled weed cigarette into his mouth, about to light it. Pope grabbed it, throwing it into the bag of the Twinkie. "Keep the signal clear," I mocked, smiling. JJ let out a sigh.

We eventually came to a stop, and I got our first. "You know what you're problem is?" JJ bickered. "You?!"

"No! It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense!" JJ answered. "I'm not too tense."

"Ehhhhh," I said, shaking my head. I got out of the van, waiting for my brothers wise words. "Don't worry, Dyl. You got this," he pushed. I shrugged, turned around and walked to the man.

"Hello!" I said, turning my voice into a preppy school girl voice instead of, I don't givva shit about jack shit, voice. "Yes, ma'am?" A bald 30 your old man said.

"I have a flat tire. Can you maybe... help me out?" I asked, pointing behind me to Kie's car, which was hooked up to the Pogue. "Right away, ma'am."

"You are a true lifesaver!" I exclaimed, smiling.

...

"Yeah, that one," I pointed to the tire. "It must've been sitting in my yard for way too damn long, y'know, maybe ran over a nail," I said, placing my hands on my hips. "Ahh, it's an easy fix," the guy said.

...

I looked over at the boys, plus Kie, and JJ was fiddling with the lock. I looked back and the man was looking at me, suspiciously. "Got it," I asked, fiddling with my cross necklace. "Yes."

From a ways away, I heard a dog. "Do you hear that," the guard asked. "Hear what?" I asked, smiling. "Oh. Tebow's got somethin'," he said, must've been talking about the dog. "It's probably doesn't raccoon, maybe. You know? Nothing really to worry about," I convinced. "Yeah," the man said, getting even more suspicious.

He better back down, looking at the tire. I walked around, and took out my earring, and with its' sharp point, I pushed it into the air compressor onto another tire. I pressed into it, hoping it wouldn't be loud. The man walked around to me, and I immediately stopped. "What're you doing?" He asked. My eyes tripled in size. 

"This one looks a little low too," I decided, and the man turned around, hearing the dog once more. He ran after the dog, and I tried my best to stop him. "Sir!! Wait!!" I yelled. He ran back inside the gates and I slipped under the fence to follow him. I hid behind a tire, watching who the dog was barking at.

He led to a raised platform, which one of my friends hit behind. Unbeknownst to me, I don't know.

"What's that, huh? What's that, Tebow?" Baldie asked. He put his hands on his gun, and I prayed that he wouldn't pull his gun out and shoot. "Whoever's up there better come out! I mean it! Don't make me come up there and get your ass. "Wait, Bobby!"

JJ popped out from behind the wood, hands raised. "Don't shoot!" JJ said, and Bobby didn't know how it exactly was yet. "It's me. JJ. Luke's kid," he explained. "What are you doing!?"

"I swear, okay? I didn't want to, okay?" JJ said, and I hoped he didn't tell the truth. "My dad made me," he said. "Don't you lie."

"He told me that Captain Leo hear his cutting torch.. you know, after he got fired," JJ explained. "He said if I didn't get it from him, he was gonna.. he was gonna hit me again."

"Son of a bitch," Bobby said. "I'm sorry," JJ 'sobbed'. "Come on down. I could've killed you!" Bobby said, and I popped out, acting along.

"JJ!" I yelled, running towards the boy climbing down the ladder.

"Dylan," he said, hurrying down the ladder.

Bobby gave us a look. "Who's that?" He asked. "That's uh...that's uh...that's my girlfriend," JJ lied, and my face turned red almost immediately.