Js and Cigarettes //JJ MAYBANK//

2.5

And there's no way that I'll end up being with you

But friends don't look at friends that way

That Way - Tate McRae

Later, after we had drowned Topper's boat, I sat on the beach watching the others surf as the sky got darker.

I tugged my hair over my shoulder and put it in a bun, adjusting the straps of my green bikini top. 

It was another 15 minutes or so that they all came back to the beach, each one shaking their head of water. 

"Welcome back to solid land." I laughed, standing up. 

"Let's go back to the Chateau." John B said, hoisting his board up. 

"You really think it's out there?" Pope asked. "Like, no bullshit?" 

"My father thought it was." John B replied. 

"But do you?" 

"After hearing his voice on that tape...I think I do." John B told him. 

"Only one way to find out." Pope nodded, doing their handshake with John B.

"Look, we're gonna find it, you know?" Kie said to the group. "Even JJ believes."

"Oh my God. JJ do you really believe?" I asked, nudging his side with my elbow. 

"Totally." JJ replied. "Wait. Are we talking about 4 mil?" 

"Four hundred mil." The rest of us chorused.

"Jinx." Kie said, laughing a little.

"I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks." JJ laughed pulling me into him more. "Good night, Bird!" 

"Good night Bird Shit!" John B spouted, laughing. 

I pulled JJs sweatshirt up a little. "Night Jay." I mumbled.

"G'night Bunny." He whispered into my hair. 

The next morning we took the boat and the drone out to the coast.

I helped Kie steadying the line as Pope, John B and JJ maneuvered the boat, and the drone around the area we were looking in for the gold.

"We found it! We found the merchant!" John B said. "There's no gold. There's nothing here!" 

"If there was gold here, it would've been picked up by the metal detector." John B said. "Somebody beat us to it." 

"Or it was never here in the first place." I heard JJ say inside the cabin as we made our way home.

"I have some shit to grab from the Chateau, I'll see you later." I told Kie.

"Gotcha

We dropped the others off at home and made our way to the Chateau as it got late. 

"Hey guys." A feminine voice came as we walked inside the chateau.

"Look, Cheryl, this is a bad time for a check in." John B said, setting his stuff down as I stood by the door. 

"Not a check in." She replied, looking at the two of us. "We're here to take you." 

"Today? Really?" I asked. 

"Just for a few weeks before your hearing John B." She said, ignoring me. 

"No, no, no, Cheryl, look, I'm not going into foster care, okay?" John B rubbed his hand across his forehead. "I'm not gonna go be a part of your little system, alright?" 

"John B, this is Deputy Thomas. He works with juveniles for the sheriff's department."  Cheryl said, as a tall man with no neck came from out in the hall. 

John B stood up from the table and grabbed his hat. 

"Look, I know Uncle T is down in Mississippi working at a casino. He hasn't been here in months." Cheryl said, looking at me as I slowly stepped closer to the door.

John B scoffed and made to run, only for Deputy Thomas to start after him. 

"No, see, that's my nightmare right there. Look, I--I want emancipation." John B said. 

"From who? There's no one here with you, John B." Cheryl said. 

"Uh...asylum then." 

"On what grounds?" Cheryl cocked her head to the side. 

"On-- on solid grounds. On holy grounds." John B told her. "Look, I feel real--real prosecuted right now by you and especially Mr. Big Head over here." John B turned to look at him. 

Deputy Thomas glared at him. 

"What're you looking at, bro? What're you gonna do? Tase me?" John B taunted him. 

John B ran to the table again.

"John!" Cheryl said loudly. 

"Oh, yeah, you wanna dance, huh?" Deputy Thomas asked him. 

John B did it again and this time I managed to slink out the open door, running away from the house. 

I continued running until I made it into town, running into Pope and JJ.

"Oh my god. Thank god." I panted, bending over and breathing heavily. 

"Blake? What're you doing? I thought you went home with John B." Pope said, handing me a water bottle. 

"Cheryl. Foster care. Took John B." I panted, gulping the water bottle down. 

"Oh shit." JJ said, running his hands through his hair. "We're screwed." 

"No. John B has a plan. He distracted Deputy No Neck and Cheryl so I could sneak out the door." I finished the water. 

"Oh good, ok." JJ replied. 

"Absolutely. I knew it when he was pretending to run around the living room." I laughed. standing up straight. 

"Great, let's go find Kiara." Pope said.