Sink or Swim || Outer Banks || JJ Maybank

Chapter 28

Madison sat on the bench in the back of the Twinkie with JJ on the floor in front of her, his back to her knees. She found herself absently playing his hair, running her fingers through it and curling little pieces at the base of his neck. Sarah and Kiara were deep in conversation about what they were going to spend the money on first while JJ and Pope argued about 'keeping the signal clear'. As if to further his point, JJ held the joint up over his head and Madison leaned forward enough to take a long pull causing him to smirk at Pope.

John B pulled up to the pawn shop and parked the van off to the side. He turned fully in his seat, locking eyes with his sister as she blew out the little smoke she wasn't able to hold in. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Do you mean can I handle walking and talking?" She restrained herself from rolling her eyes but she couldn't lie and say that it wasn't nice he was finally acting like her big brother again but damn if it wasn't getting just a tiny bit annoying.

He sighed as he ran a hand over his face. "I'm serious, Mads."

"Me too." She nudged JJ with her foot to get him to move and Pope opened the side door. Once out on the sidewalk she could feel someone's eyes on her and she glanced over to see John B still staring at her. "Jesus, JB, I'm walking to a pawn shop with five other people. I'm not going back in the murder well, I'm fine."

He seemed to accept her answer for now as JJ unwrapped the hunk of gold from an old rag. "Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein. Kie, this better work."

Pope had to agree it didn't look the best but it was what they had to do. "We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it."

"It's going to work," Kiara tried to assure JJ who shot her a look that screamed he didn't believe her. "Like you could've done better."

He nodded, "I could have." Sarah snorted at his reply and he turned his attention to her. "I'll have you know I took a welding class."

Madison knew he was just trying to hide the fact he was getting a little nervous to try and pawn a glob of gold instead of just melting it enough to get the wheat symbol off. "JJ, you took the class but you didn't actually weld anything, you just set shit on fire."

"That I believe," Kiara pointed at Madison.

The youngest Routledge smiled at the memory, "I have to say it was great timing. Fire alarm went off and it got me out of gym."

"You're welcome," JJ wrapped an arm around her shoulders as if he had meant to set the table on fire. How was he supposed to know the guy's water bottle next to him didn't actually have water in it? "How did I get the job of pawning this?

John B didn't miss a beat as he answered, "You're the best liar."

"And what does that have to do with me again?" Madison asked, remembering the plan for her and JJ to be the ones to pawn the gold, and she certainly didn't mind, but had no idea why JJ would even need her help.

John B sent her a warm smile, "You are the best negotiator."

"Alright, Clyde, let's do this." Madison winked at JJ. The excitement was almost too much for her as all she could think about was being able to quit her job and not worry about the bills anymore, maybe she would get that nice comforter set from the magazine afterall.

JJ opened the door for her, allowing her to go first. "After you, Bonnie."

"I hate you both so much," Pope muttered as he followed the couple into the store.

JJ plastered a confident smile on his face as he walked up to the counter with Madison next to him, "Afternoon, ma'am."

The woman behind the desk barely acknowledged the teens as if they were interrupting her day. Madison wasn't about to let some crabby lady keep them from what they were set out to do though so she ignored the attitude as she motioned to the window of the shop. "I see you buy gold."