JJ and a Routledge

Midsummers

Apparently, John B's history teacher knew the language that the letter Denmark wrote to his son was in. So John B dragged me out of bed to go to his high school. I refused to go inside, I was not going to school until summer was over. Eventually, he came back out and exclaimed it to me, just a planting plan, but the little mark on the bottom of the letter was the same as on the gold. We soon headed back off. We came back through the back of the house, walking in silence up to the Chateau. That was until we felt a hand wrap over each of our mouths. I quickly got out of it, but John B started going at whoever did it, which led to me falling to the ground. 

When I did open my eyes back up I noticed it was JJ, and John B noticed it too. "What are you doing, bro?" John B says a little loudly, shoving JJ. JJ slams his hand back over John B's mouth. Once he knew we were both calmed down, he showed us a car. 

"See that?" He gasped. "They're watching us, okay?" 

"Who?" I whisper. 

"I don't know. Let's go, sneak around to the dock." JJ hustles us along, putting his hand on my back. That's when I get my first good look at him, he had a bunch of scars and a busted lip. I had to look away or the tears would start. Playing the images in my head, I just couldn't. We have to go through the marsh to get to the dock. Once we get to the boat, we roll on it, soaked in marsh water. JJ and John B slowly push away from the dock and then start her up. 

We ended up in some random foresty area, and JJ was ranting. "First, Pope almost got a concussion because of a bunch of shitty Kooks, and now I'm on the hook for 30 grand. We should just dip." 

"Okay..." John B laughs. "Where do you wanna go?" 

JJ thinks for a second, then smirks. "Yucatan." I nod in agreement. 

"Yucatan!" John B yells in disbelief. 

"No, I'm dead serious right now," JJ states. "Surf all day, and then we can live our life off lobsters we catch with our bare hands." 

"You just wanna leave because you got your ass beat?" John B throws his hands up. 

"You didn't see the photos." JJ looks down at his feet. 

"Think about it, if they're willing to kill for the gold, it's gotta be out there-" 

"Have you lost your mind!" JJ screams, slamming his hat on the dirt. "One hundred years, man! For one hundred years people have been trying to search for the Royal Merchant, and no one succeeded. And you think, we, are gonna be the ones who find it? When will you get it, in your thick skull that if you keep going down this path, your gonna end up just like your dad!!" 

John B shoves JJ, hard. "I can't give up, JJ!" He then gets super close to him, gritting his teeth. "Last time I saw that dude we got into an argument, and then he took all of our rent money, and dipped for the Royal Merchant. And then, I told him he was a shit father." John B's voice shakes. "And you know how the rest of the story goes." John B turns his back on JJ, running his hands through his hair. 

"Dude, it wasn't your fault-" 

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is, JJ!" He turns back to face him. "Do you not understand that? I can't give up on this hunt, man. I don't care who's out there, trying to kill us. Do you understand that?" JJ's adam's apple goes up and down. JJ doesn't move as John B picks his backpack off a rock. "Look, I got a plan, you guys coming or not?" I watch JJ, who still doesn't move. "Fout hundred million, JJ. How much do you owe in restitution?" There was silence, for a good amount of time. 

Tonight was Midsummers. So JJ, John B, and I had a plan. We got to the beach right by The Club. This plan was even hard for me to grasp but, I knew most of it. I think.