Riptide//Outerbanks

26| Pawnshop

Season 1, chapter 26:

'Morning, Mom, Dad.' I say happily as I enter the kitchen, dressed in a pair of shorts and a pink tank top. 'You seem cheerful today.' My father smiles at me as he reads the daily newspaper. 'Why shouldn't I? It's summer, I'm spending it with the best people.' I say grabbing an apple and taking a bite from it. 'Well, your father and I were thinking..' My mother speaks up before she lets out a sigh. 'Thinking about what?' I ask, curiously. 'Well, it's coming up to the anniversary of the accident and your father and I were thinking of spending the last few days of summer with Jack's parents, Olivia and Marcus.' My mother says and I let out a sigh. 'Would you like to come with us? I know it gets hard for you around the end of summer.' My mother mutters. To be honest, I didn't even think of it being the third anniversary of the accident. Since I lost my brother. My mind has just been completely focused on the royal merchant and JJ. All I felt now was guilt for forgetting the accident.

'No, thanks. I'll just stay here and keep care of the house.' I answer letting out a sigh and my mother faintly smiles at me. 'That's fine. Your father and I will be leaving tonight then. Please be home before we leave?' My mother asks giving me pleading eyes. 'I'll try.' I smirk at her and she rolls her eyes. 'Have a good day, Flower.' My father waves at me before I leave the house with my skateboard, skating down the road to the Chateau.

⚓⚓⚓

I sat in the van with Kie and Sarah, as they bickered back and forth trying to figure out the logistics of getting the gold. I couldn't get my mind off the accident now that my mother mentioned the anniversary. I haven't seen Olivia and Marcus Heyward in three years not even Pope has seen his uncle and aunt-in-law. It was too hard for them, with too many painful memories so they moved to the city a few months after the accident and haven't stepped foot in Outerbanks since. Dad was thinking the same thing too but he realised that Outerbanks was Malcolm's paradise and also mine, so we stayed. 'Lizzia, you okay? You've been zoning out since you got here.' Sarah asks and Kie lets out a sigh. 'Sorry, bad night sleep.' I reply letting out a yawn. 'Anyways, he said it looked something like this.' Kie says showing us the drawing. 'That's 50 feet down, and they're using 100- feet rope. So I guess this little wagon will go.. straight to the gold room.' Kie informs us as Kie starts to laugh.

'Who drew this?' Sarah asks, chuckling. 'Who do you think?' Kie scoffs as I look over at Pope helping John b. He looks back at Kie, Sarah and me with a faint smile. 'I think it's a piece of art. Think I might frame it and stick it up in the Chateau.' I say looking at the drawing, with a smile. 'You're an artist, Pope!' I call out and he and John b laugh before going back to doing whatever they are doing. 'Kie! This better work!' JJ speaks up walking over to the van and throwing the three bars of gold on the floor beside me. 'We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it.' JJ scoffs leaning his back against the door of the van. 'Morning to you too, JJ.' I say sarcastically looking at him and he chuckles. 'Morning.' He smiles at me. 'Its gonna work.' Kie says holding up a blow torch.

Kie puts the gold in a pot and begins to melt it down. I stand beside JJ as his arm wrapped around my shoulder. She melts it down until the wheat symbol disappears. Once she is finished we all pile into the can't and drive to the pawn shop. After a few minutes, we pull up in front of the pawn shop. 'Hell of a job melting it down, Dr Frankenstein.' JJ says sarcastically as he analyses the gold. 'Like you could've done any better.' Joe retorts rolling her eyes as we all get out of the van. 'I could have done much better. I took a welding class.' JJ argues. 'When?' Kie demands. 'Guys, stop. It doesn't matter.' I cut their argument off. 'Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off. How did I get this job anyway?' JJ asks. 'Cause you're the best liar.' Pope answers his question as we head into the shop. The bell rings as we walk into the shop. The woman looks up from the cashier. 'Afternoon, ma'am.' JJ greets her. 'Afternoon.' She nods her head at him. 'I see you buy gold.' JJ says as the rest of us walk around the shop pretending to search for something. 'That's what the sign says, doesn't it?' The woman says sarcastically. 'Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it because I'm about to blow your mind.' JJ says taking off his backpack and opening it. He sets the bag on the counter. 'I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it.' the woman says with a smug.

I watch as JJ sets the gold on the counter. 'How about them gold apples?' JJ smirks at her. 'That ain't real.' the woman denies, chuckling at JJ. 'It can't be.' she scoffs and I roll my eyes. 'Feel how heavy it is.' JJ points at the gold and I watch as she struggles to pick up the gold from the counter. The woman pulls out a magnifying glass with a flashlight on it. She shines it over the gold. 'Spray-painted tungsten.' She mutters. 'Spray-painted tungsten? Really? Okay. Why don't you see how soft it is?' JJ urges her.  The woman takes a small pick and a hammer and hits the gold. She pokes her finger into the area she just hit. 'Wow. Would you look at that?' JJ says. 'Hold your horses. We ain't got to the acid test yet.' she says cutting him off. 'Ooh! The acid test. My favourite, guys.' JJ says looking at us before his eyes land on mine and he sends me a wink. The woman takes a small eye dropper of acid and lets a drop fall onto the gold. 'Well, it ain't played, and it ain't painted.' She says.  'Ma'am, I'm telling you, this is as real as the day is long.' JJ states. 'It looks like somebody tried to melt it down.' the first woman points out. 'My mom.' JJ responds, clearing his throat. 'She had all this jewellery laying around the house, and she thought it was best to melt it down. To consolidate it.' JJ says letting out a sigh. I try my best to contain my laugh at JJ's make-believe story. It was so fake and so ridiculous.

The woman sets the gold on a scale. 'Seven pounds. That's a lot of earrings.' she eyes up at JJ. 'Okay, to be honest, ma'am. It's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimer's.' JJ clears his throat. Pope walks over to me and shares a confused glance with me as I hit him gently in the arm, smiling at him. 'Give me a minute.' the woman says walking into the other room. 'Take your time, ma'am.' JJ calls out. After a moment, she comes back. 'So, I, uh, I talked to my boss.' The woman speaks up. 'And?' JJ asks. 'And, uh, this is what I can do.' she says a piece of paper down in front of him. 'Fifty thousand? You think I walked in here not knowing the spot price? Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth 140, at least.' JJ states. 'Well, sweetheart, you are in a pawn shop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?' The woman asks him, angrily. 'Ninety. Or I walk.' JJ informs her. 'Seventy, half price, and um, I don't ask questions about where you got this.' The woman says with a smug. JJ looks over at John b and he gives him the approval. 'I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please.' JJ smirks as a smile appears on my face. 'We'll, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway. I can write you a cashier's check.' The woman says. 'Cash, no, ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what the sign says. Cash for gold. And that's what I except. I'm gonna need it in the BBC old hard.' JJ tells her sternly. 'We'll, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have money there. Is that all right?' The woman asks JJ. 'Where's this warehouse?' JJ asks her.

To be Continued...