P4L, carpe diem (JJ Maybank)

015

"All right, Captain Dylan and Captain JJ! Pin it here!"

"Roger that! X marks the spot!" I replied back. I sat on the table in the front of Pope's dad's boat. JJ began to slow down the boat. I looked back at my brother, who placed to drone into the water. "All right, JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest!" John B yelled. "Got it! Ten seconds northwest," JJ repeated.

"One hundred feet!!" Kie yelled. I looked at JJ, who was looking at me. I looked at my feet, trying not to seem as pick-me as possible, but I was curious. "So," I began, "are we just gonna.. not talk about last night," I asked, eventually looking up at him. "What is there to talk about?" He asked, completely clueless.

"Never mind," I said.

"Four hundred feet!" I heard Kie yell in the background. "No, Dyl, what is it?" JJ asked, taking his eyes off of the sea and to me. "No, it's fine. I'll just.. tell you later," I said, losing all my confidence. "Ok," he said, and he seemed like he was disappointed that I didn't say anything.

"The tides turning!" Kie yelled.

...

"Hey JJ?"

"Yeah?"

"Ten seconds easy," JB instructed. "Got it," I remarked. "South-southwest easy!"

"Copy that!" JJ answered, slowly turning the boat.

"JJ, twenty seconds, mid-speed, all right? South."

"South," I replied to JJ, as I stood up from the table, looking back towards my brother. "Aye, aye, Cap' N," JJ told me, then winked. My heart fluttered. I smiled and blushed, looking at the floor.

"Keep the tether out of the prop!" I yelled back at Kie. "I'm trying!"

The waves began getting harsh, and I accidentally fell into JJ, pushing him away from the wheel. "Sorry," I immediantly said, then got off of him. Thunder cracked and I looked outside, looking at the clouds. "JJ, hold it steady!"

"Nine hundred," Kie yelled. "JJ, we're gonna turtle in this storm!" Pope yelled up to us.

"Nine-twenty!"

"Crank it north by northwest! Ten seconds!" John B yelled. "Ten seconds," I repeated. "There's too much current," Kie yelled, struggling to keep hold of the rope. "Hold on, Kie!" I yelled, hoping we can finish this off with a bang. "South! Southwest, JJ! Hard!" John B yelled at us. "Half speed. Steady at this bearing!!"

"Nine-sixty!!" Kie yelled. "Nine- seventy! Nine- eighty!"

"Come on, J. I know you got this!" I told to JJ, as he struggled to keep the boat steady. "I'm at the bottom!" Pope yelled. "Steady here. Quarter speed, all right?" John B yelled. "Aye, aye, Cap'n," I yelled back, saluting.

...

"Oh, good God!" Pope exclaimed. "Wait! What!" I yelled, looking back. "See anything?"

"It's the Royal Merchant..." my brother said. "Wooh!" I yelled, running towards the back to see the shipwreck.

🏃🏼‍♀️ 🏃🏼‍♀️🏃🏼‍♀️

-|-

I watched as I looked at the shipwreck and as we ventured deeper and deeper inside, no gold. "It's not there. Just.. pull the drone back up," my brother sighed and I sighed too. "Look, we can do another pass, recharge the battery. We can— we can got back down," Pope tried to help us. "We've done it three times. There's nothing there," JJ said, making me lose all hope. "Shut up!" Kie yelled. "What? It's true!"

"The gold could be buried. We don't know!" Kie replied. "If it was there, it would've been found on the metal detector!" I yelled, "someone beat us to it!"

"Or it was never there," JJ mumbled.

-|-

My brother and us from Heyward's dock went home if H.M.S Pogue. We walked inside and I made a beeline for my room, wanting to play guitar. "Hey buddy," Cheryl, the social worker, said.

"You know, Cheryl, it's kind of a bad time for a check in," John B said, dropping his shoulders and grabbing the Cheerios box. "Not a check-in. We are here to take you... both of you. And yes, for foster care, we signed you two as a two-in-one package," Cheryl said. "Just a few weeks till your hearing."

"Cheryl, you don't get what we're saying. I'm saying, we're not leaving. Periodt," I said, throwing a Cheerio at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I miss your big mouth? My bad," I smiled, turning around and rolling my eyes. We heard a radio beep behind us and I turned around.

"Oh great, you bought Mr. No-Neck," I laughed, eating a Cheerio. "This is Deputy Thomas. He works with juveniles for the sheriff's department." I stood up, grabbing my brother and walked away from Thomas. "Look, I know Uncle T's down in Mississippi working at a casino. He hasn't been here in months," Cheryl explained and I rolled my eyes and began mocking her.

My brother grabbed me, trying to make a run for it, but Thomas stepped in front of him, stopping us both. "No, see, that's my nightmare right there. Look, I- I— want emancipation!"

"From who? It's nobody here but you both," Cheryl said. "Asylum!" I said, snapping my fingers. "On what grounds?"

"On solid grounds. Holy grounds. I can agree with John that we feel really prosecuted right now by you and... Mr. No-Neck over here," I explained, scoffing. "What are you looking at, bro? What're you gonna do? You gonna tase me?" My brother scoffed at the police officer. Me and John B began making a run for it, only for Thomas to catch us. "You wanna dance, huh?" Thomas asked.

My brother threw a handful of Cheerios at him, and we both began trying to run away. Thomas grabbed him, putting him in a headlock. And I yelled for him to let go. "Let go of him!!" I shouted. They fumbled around and I grabbed Thomas, only for him to push back. "Cheryl, get your dog off!" John B yelled.

"Relax, John."

"Okay, okay, okay. I give up," he surrendered.

-|-

I began packing all of my clothes and my notebook, and then put my guitar in its case. Using one finger, I strummed one string, then strummed them all. I kissing my finger, then placed it on my guitar. I wrapped it around my body, then joined everyone in the blue cop SUV.

-|-

My brother looked at the picture of dad, holding his guitar, which is now my guitar. He named it Percy, after his first dog. "Let me see it," I told my brother. "No," he fought. "Give it!" I said, reaching it. By accident, as he fought with me, John B fumbled it and it went out the window. "Shit!" I said. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" He shouted.

"Please stop!" I shouted. "Our picture! It's the last keepsake of our dad. Please," I said, giving Cheryl puppy dog eyes. Thomas, who was driving, rolled his eyes. "Not gonna happen, kid."

"Just stop the car! That's all I have left."

"Tom," Cheryl told Thomas. "Pull over."

A sigh of relief left my mouth as I let out a breath. "Thank you," John B said. Thomas got out and began walking to where we dropped the picture. "Cheryl, can we help him look? Please?" John B asked. "He's got it." Thomas looked back at us, shrugging.

"This dickhead doesn't even know where it is! It's gonna get trashed. Please," I pleaded. "I'm begging you," John B added. "Make it quick."

I smiled at my brother, and tightened my guitar holster. "One of you," Carol said. "Yes, ma'am," he said. He unbuckled his seatbelt as I quietly took mine off. John B opened the door, and I quickly ran out, laughing my head off. "Later, Thomas! Ha-ha!"

I ran beside my brother, as we laughed about how gullible those tight- assed people were. We ran in front of traffic, almost causing a collision. "Sorry, so sorry!" I shouted.