JJ and a Routledge

Dear Bird

Kiara hands a Fed Ex package through the hole. "That's not gold..." Pope sighs. 

"Holy shit." John B looks down at it, it says For Bird. "This is from my dad." He looks around at us in shock.  I'm standing next to JJ, we now faced away from Pope, John B, and Kiara, and he's of course smoking. That's when we see headlights. 

"Code red. Code red. Square groupers! Square groupers!" JJ turns around quickly. We all hide behind the building. 

"What if it's the guys that robbed the house," I whisper, we're all crouched down now. JJ's on the edge, I'm right next to him. He peeks around the corner, once his headlight is off. "Do you think it's them?" I whisper. 

"Homie's got a gun," JJ replies. 

"Shit! You've gotta be shitting me." I whisper. 

"Screw this." Kiara shakes her head, she takes off running, us right behind her. 

We soon get to the actual entrance to the graveyard and we all climb over the gate successfully. Except for Pope who got his shorts stuck to the gate. "Guys, I'm stuck!" 

"Pope, come on!" JJ groans. Then JJ pulls out the gun, pointing it at where Pope was stuck. "All Pope, don't move-" I swat JJ's arm. 

"You're gonna rip me," Pope says, Kiara was opening the gate. "You're gonna rip me!" 

"You're fine, come on." Kiara pulls Pope down, leaving his shorts behind. 

"Nice!" JJ laughs. "Come on dude. It's a little Tootsie Roll!" We all sprint to the Twinkie.

We're back at the Chateau and JJ is putting peanut butter on moldy bread. "That bread had mold on it the day I got here," I tell him. 

"I'll just pull off the bad parts." He smiles. "Plus, mold is good for you. It's just a... natural organism." I shake my head laughing. 

We then head over to the table to watch John B open the package. JJ takes a good bite of his moldy bread and starts to gag, having to spit it out. I try to hold in my laugh but JJ catches me. 

"Holy shit." John B mumbles. He pulled out a written map. Most of it was of the ocean. There was an x closer to the Outerbanks though.

"X marks the spot." Pope points at the x.

"Wait, there was something else in there." John B reaches his hand back into the package and pulls out a tape recorder. 

"What is that?" JJ whispers to me, not wanting to sound dumb to the others. 

"Tape recorder, dumbass," I whisper back. 

John B presses play. "Hey, Bird," 

"Whose bird?" JJ whispers. 

"That's what his dad called him! It's literally on the package and you've known him since the 3rd grade. Come on man." I giggle. 

John B's dad continues. "I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspect, at this moment you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet kid. I didn't expect to find the Merchant either." We all look at each other in astonishment. "You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly father of the decade." He sighs. "What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar shack down in Costa Rica, liven' off passive investments and pulling on permits. If not, and you find this for less optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the wreck of the Merchant. If somethin' happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kid. I love you bird, even if I didn't always act like it." There's a long pause. "I'll see you on the other side." John B jumps up and starts crying against the wall.