𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 // 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 \\

Chapter Four

"Well, that was fun. Could have warned us sooner." JJ chuckled. "We would've except Pope was on the math team." Kiara sighed. "You were on the math team?"John B asked from beside Pope. JJ layed down on the bow, propping himself up with his hands. Valerie sat with her legs crossed between JJ's legs. "The cops took everything like it was a crime scene. Did you guys find anything?" Pope ignored the previous questions by asking one of his own. JJ moved his legs to either side of Valerie as he sat up. "Did we find anything..? No, I don't think so. Oh, yeah we did." JJ smiled as he pulled out the gun and a stack of money from his pockets. Valerie pushed her lips together, fighting a smile.

"What the hell?" Pope stood. "Dude, what?" Kiara asked as she sat on the side of the boat. John B and Valerie sat back relaxed as they knew JJ had taken it. "Dude, chill." JJ laughed. JJ put his hands on Valerie's shoulders to help him stand. "Why would you take that from a crime scene?" Pope practically yelled. "Better than the cops having it, bro." JJ moved next to Pope. "Are you two serious? I would expect John B to let it slide, but Valerie?" Kiara turned her head towards Valerie raising her eyebrows.

"I'm gonna lose my merit scholarship." Pope started to freak out. "Hey, hey, hey. Sh, sh, sh, sh, sh, sh." JJ wrapped his arm around Pope's shoulder. "At least you have us, right?"

"I'm living the nightmare." Pope pushed JJ away. Pope sat down in the chair and began bringing the boat back to the dock. JJ looked around before sighing and walking back to Valerie who hadn't moved from her spot. JJ, again, put his hand on her shoulder as he swung his leg around her body. He layed back down behind her as the group rode back in silence.

Once the group was back on the docks, they sat down around a girl who seemed to know what was going on. Police were everywhere. "Who's that?" John B asked the girl. JJ grabbed the roof and leaned on it. "It's Scooter Grubbs. He was out during the storm. Check out this pic I got." The girl showed the picture to John B, Valerie, JJ, and Kiara before turning to show Pope who was on her other side. "Dead body." She smiled.

"Insane." Kiara whispered. "Creepy." Valerie whispered after her. "Holy shit." Pope whispered once he saw the picture. "What kind of boat did he have?" JJ asked. "Somehow, that dirtbag copped a brand new Grady-White." The girl replied, clueless to what the other five knew. "Everyone's out looking for it." John B turned to JJ and Valerie with a knowing expression. JJ glanced at Valerie who realized that this meant a lot more than what the five pogues originally thought.

Later that day, everyone was on the porch of the Château when Pope ran in. "Okay, so we didn't see anything. We don't know anything." He pointed at his friends. Valerie turned to him as she sat down in the chair next to JJ. "We need to have total and complete amnesia." Pope continued. "Actually, Pope's right for once. See, I agree with you sometimes." JJ stood up and walked towards the window. "Deny, deny, deny." JJ pointed at John B and Pope. "Guys we can't keep that money." Kiara spoke up. "Okay. Not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara." JJ walked to the window by Valerie. "No, shes right. We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs." Valerie said as JJ turned to her.

"Yeah. Otherwise it's bad karma." Kiara said. "Bad karma to be implicated in a felony, too. We gotta go dark." Pope agreed. "If that means we get to keep the money, then I agree." JJ walked next to John B and stared at the water. "I don't agree." John B looked at JJ specifically. "Why?"

"Just think about it. This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about. Same dude that's buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. Shit, one time I saw this dude begging for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than 40 bucks in his pocket and all of a sudden he's got a Grady-White? Just saying." John B explained. Valerie stood from her spot and walked outside towards the dock. Pope followed right after her causing everyone to get up and move outside. The five pogues sat around the dock while Pope and JJ fished. "All right, so think about it Pope. How does a marina rat get a Grady-White?" John B asked him again.