𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 // 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 \\

Chapter Ten

Valerie looked at the package that had 'Bird' written on it. She brought it over to the hole and handed it out. John B grabbed it also moving his arm that was holding the lantern out of the way. "That's not gold." Pope sighed. "Holy shit." John B whispered as he stared at it. Valerie stepped on a rock that was inside to boost herself. She struggled to get back out without any help, but JJ noticed. JJ walked over to her, and put his hands on her waist. Valerie put her hands on his shoulders. JJ lifted Valerie out of the hole and placed her carefully on the ground. "Thanks." She whispered. "This is from my dad." John B looked to the two before JJ could respond to the girl. JJ took out his vape as he walked away from Valerie. "Code red. Code red. Square groupers! Square groupers!" JJ whisper shouted to the other pogues.

"Go, go, go!" Kiara shouted. John B, Pope, and Kiara were the first to hide behind the wall. JJ grabbed Valerie's hand as they joined the three. "It's the guys who robbed your house." JJ spoke. "Light." Kiara said as she, Pope, and Valerie quickly turned their lights off. John B struggled a bit as JJ completely forgot about the light on his head. Valerie sighed as she covered her hand with it before eventually finding the button to turn it off. "Turn the light off next time." Valerie huffed. "John B, your light!" Kiara told the boy who still hadn't turned it off. "I see something!" They heard a man shout. JJ peeked at the men from behind the wall. "Do you think it's them?" Kiara asked. "Homie's got a gun." JJ replied.

"Screw this." Kiara turned on her light as she started to run away. John B and Pope quickly followed. JJ and Valerie trailed behind the three once again. "Right here!" The man shouted. Kiara, John B, JJ, and Valerie were smart enough to go to the side of the fence where they could easily climb over. Pope didn't do that exactly. "Hurry up!" JJ shouted. John B ran to get the twinkie as Kiara followed. JJ and Valerie waited for Pope. "Guys, guys. I'm stuck!" Pope shouted. "Pope, come on!" JJ shouted. Valerie and Kiara ran to try and help Pope while JJ grabbed the gun out of his pocket. "No. Pope, don't move, okay?" JJ started to say as John B moved the gun away. "You guys are gonna rip me." Pope started to say once he felt Valerie's hands on one of his legs and Kiara's on his other. "You're fine. Come on!" Kiara shouted. "Pope, come on!" John B shouted. Kiara and Valerie pulled down Pope only to realize his shorts were stuck onto the fence. "Nice! Come on, dude." JJ smirked. "Its a little Tootsie Roll." John B shouted as he got in the drivers seat. Kiara was laughing. "Come on!" Valerie shouted at Pope. Kiara opened the door to the back of the van. Valerie was first in the van. "Get in!" JJ shouted as he got in the passenger seat. "Stupid!" Kiara laughed as she jumped in and closed the door. "Alright, come on." JJ said as John B started to drive away.

The pogues were back at the Château getting ready to open the envelope Valerie had found. JJ was in the kitchen making a sandwich. "That bread had mold on it three days ago." Pope commented as he walked past JJ. "I'll just pull off the bad parts. Plus, mold is good for you. It's just a natural organism." JJ said from the kitchen. "JJ." Valerie called the boy who they were all waiting on. "Yup, yup, yup. Hot damn! Let's do it." JJ ran to the living room. JJ took a bite of the sandwich and immediately gagged. "Good for you, huh?" Valerie crossed her arms as she turned to the boy who spit it out in his hand. JJ looked at the girl before walking to throw out the parts of the sandwich he just spit out. Valerie rolled her eyes and turned to John B who had unrolled a map that was in the envelope. "Holy shit." John B whispered. "Oh. X marks the spot." Pope pointed to an X on the map. JJ leaned over Valerie as they all looked at the map. "Longitude, latitude." John B whispered. "Wait, there's something else in there." John B went back to the envelope and pulled out a tape recorder.

"What's that?" JJ asked. "It's a tape recorder, dumbass." Valerie whispered to the boy. JJ sighed as he wrapped his arms around the girls waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. Valerie would've thought JJ would be mad at her with how she treated him for the past few hours. Seemed like he wasn't. John B turned on the radio, "Dear Bird." The recorder started. "Who's bird?" JJ asked. "It's what my dad called me." John B responded. "I hate to say, "I told you so," but I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspect at this moment, you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet, kid. I didn't expect to find the Merchant either." John B looked around at his friends while clattering was heard on the other end of the tape. "You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly Father of the Decade. What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, living off passive investments and pulling on permits. If not, and you find this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the Wreck of the Merchant. If something happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kid. I love you, Bird, even if I didn't act like it... I'll see you on the other side." The tape recorder stopped. Everyone sat in silence for a little bit.

John B sighed as he stood up and grabbed onto the door frame to steady himself as he started to sob. "Holy shit, he did it. Big John-- He found the Merchant--" JJ started to freak out. Kiara gave Valerie a look who nodded at her. Valerie turned around in JJ's arms and cupped his face with her hands. "Look, now is not really the time for this little celebration." Valerie whispered. "Right, sorry." JJ replied. Kiara turned around and walked to John B who continued sobbing. Kiara wrapped her arms around him. "Should I get my ukulele?" Kiara asked. Pope nodded. Valerie walked to John B as she grabbed his hand and walked onto the porch before entering the backyard and heading onto the dock and sitting in a circle. "How much was it again?" JJ asked as Kiara stopped playing. "Four hundred mil." Pope responded. "Alright, let's talk the split. Now, before we say "evenly" may I remind you that I am the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us." JJ explained as he held up the gun. "Protection? Not cheap, okay?" JJ continued.

"You haven't trained. You've done zero training." Pope looked at the blonde. "YouTube, bro! That's atleast a five percent bump right there."

"You haven't-"

"Any objections?" JJ cut Pope off. "Didn't think so."

"Yeah." Pope spoke up. "I don't hear any, so..." JJ bickered with Pope. Kiara sighed. "What are you gonna do with 80 mil, Pope?" Kiara asked. "Pay for college in advance. And also textbooks. Those are expensive." Pope looked at the group who stared at him back. Who would waste money like that on school supplies? "What about you, Kie?" JJ asked. "Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's rich?" Pope asked the girl. Kiara chuckled. "Just wanna make a double album. About OBX, the Pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. Record it at Marley Studio, Peter Tosh producing." Kiara started. Pope looked at the girl in confusion, but Kiara smiled. "Peter Tosh is dead." Both pogues said at the same time. "I know. Spirit of Peter Tosh will never die." Kiara smiled.

"Actually, I know what I'm gonna do." JJ spoke as everyone turned to look at him. "I'm gonna get a big ass house of Figure Eight and go full Kook. Maybe take Val with me." JJ looked at Valerie with a smile. "You're gonna go full kook?" Pope asked. "Yup. Gonna get a marble statue of myself, and then I'm gonna get a koi pond. Put a bunch of those fish--"

"I'm never visiting." Kiara laughed at JJ. "What if I'm there?" Valerie asked. "Well, for you, I would." Kiara smiled. "Speaking of, what would you do Valerie?" Kiara asked the girl. "A house of Figure Eight with JJ does sound nice. Minus the marble statue." Valerie laughed and looked at JJ's eyes. JJ smiled back. "But I could deal with it." Valerie finished. "What about you, JB? What are you gonna do?" Valerie asked John B who had been quiet this whole time.

"To going full Kook." John B replied. Everyone smiled as they held up their drinks and cheered with each other. "To going full Kook!"