𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 // 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 \\

Chapter Fourteen

So, there's a moment in every kid's life when you feel like anything's possible. When you feel like you've got the total mojo. You could, I don't know, free-climb El Capitan, land on Mars, or, uh... get elected president. The whole world's there for the taking if you've got the sack to go for it. And then, when you least expect it, some Kook shows up and tells you there's no eternal mystery. And then all that talk about free-climbing and Mars and the president... bullshit. Magic gets cancer and dies.

The pogues, minus JJ, looked at the camera, but no gold showed up. "It's not there." John B sighed. "Look-- just pull the drone up." John B added. "Shit." John B said once he noticed the thunder rumbling. The wind was very strong as it blew Kiara's and Valerie's hair all around. "Look, we can do another pass. Recharge the battery. We can- We can go back down." Pope shouted.

"Guys, we've done it three times. There's nothing there." JJ shouted. "Shut up!" Kiara shouted. "What? It's true!" JJ shouted back. Valerie nodded, agreeing with JJ. "Seriously, Val? The gold could be buried. We don't know." Kiara shouted. "If it was there, it would've been found on the metal detector, okay?" John B said. "Somebody beat us to it." John B added. "Or it was never there." JJ said. Everyone sighed knowing it wasn't there. JJ brought the boat back as everyone went their separate ways. Valerie sighed as she walked through her front door.

"Valerie? Valerie, where have you been?" Her mother, Tracy, called. "With my friends. I've been staying at the Château." Valerie explained. "Valerie, you need to check in with us more often, do you know that?" Her father, James, walked into the room. "Okay, I will." Valerie went to walk up the stairs, but Tracy stopped her. "Valerie. Midsummers is soon and you don't even have a dress."

"I'll where the one I wore last year." Valerie called as she walked into her room. Tracy followed her. "Val, no one wears the same dress twice to Midsummers."

"Why can't I be the first?"

"Valerie, you will not wear that dress. Here." Tracy tossed some money onto Valerie's bed. "Go and buy yourself a dress. Make sure it's nice, alright? I'm trusting you with this." Tracy stated. Valerie nodded as Tracy walked out of the room. Valerie groaned and fell back onto her bed. Her phone lit up beside her. She grabbed it, holding it above her to read the message.

JJ
Pops isn't home. You wanna come over?

Valerie smiled at the message. She quickly responded and packed her mini backpack. "Mom, I'm going to JJ's." Valerie walked down the stairs and opened the front door. "JJ Maybank? Is Luke home?" She asked her daughter. "No, mom." Valerie shook her head. "Okay, go. Have fun." Tracy waved her off. Valerie smiled. JJ didn't live too far away. Valerie decided to walk there.

"Pope? What are you doing here?" Valerie asked. "I'm here for JJ, you?" Pope asked fast. "Uhh- He-"

"Look, you can't be here." Pope said as he walked to the side of the house. "What the fuck? Pope?" Valerie followed him. "JJ! JJ!" Pope shouted. JJ didn't hear as he had noise cancelling headphones in. "JJ!" Pope shouted after JJ shot the bear off the tree stump. "They know." Pope said once JJ looked at him. "They know? Who's they? Know what?" Valerie asked the two boys. Pope held his to the girl's mouth. Valerie looked at him and quickly swatted his finger away.

"What?" JJ pulled off the headphones. "They know." Pope repeated. "Alright, chill, bro. Alright? They don't know shit." JJ said. "Would someone like to explain?" Valerie asked. "Val, go." Pope turned to the girl. "I'm sorry, were you invited here? No. I was." Valerie looked at the boy. Pope rolled his eyes before turning back to JJ. "Topper knows I sunk his boat." Pope groaned as he turned around. "You sunk Topper's boat?" Valerie laughed. "See? She finds it funny." JJ pointed to Valerie. "And how do you know they know?" JJ asked.