𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 // 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌 \\

Chapter Twenty Three

The next day the pogues met up at the Château. Sarah, Kiara, and Valerie were in the twinkie looking at a drawing of the well at the Crain house. "He said it looked something like this..." Kiara held the paper showing the other girls. "So..."Sarah trailed off leaning forward. "That's 50-feet down and they're using 100-feet rope." Valerie pointed. "So I guess this little wagon will go..." Kiara looked at the picture with confusion. Sarah and Valerie laughed causing Kiara to laugh as she explained the rest. "...straight to the gold room."

"Who drew this?" Sarah laughed. "Who do you think?" Kiara turned her head causing the girls to look in the same direction. Pope was staring at them from outside. "Kie! This better work." JJ stepped in front of the twinkie with the gold in his hands. He threw the gold onto the floor of the twinkie before leaning against the side of it. "We cant pawn this off if there's a giant wheat symbol on it." JJ explained. "It's gonna work." Kiara replied, holding up the blow torch. Kiara and JJ walked away to melt down the gold leaving Sarah and Valerie in the van. Sarah picked up the paper with the drawing on it. "So, if there plan is going to work-" Sarah cut herself off by giggling. Valerie giggled beside her. "Okay, let's go watch Kiara." Sarah smiled, grabbing Valerie's hand and pulling her out of the twinkie. Sarah sat next to John B in front of a tree while Valerie stood next to it. Once the gold was melted enough, the pogues got into the twinkie and headed to the pawn shop.

"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein." JJ got out of the twinkie with Kiara behind him. "Like you could've done any better." Kiara argued. "I could've done much better. I took a welding class." JJ recoiled. "When?" Kiara titled her head upwards. "Hey, sh, sh. Chill out, okay?" John B stepped between them. "Easy for you to say that. You're not the one who has to pawn this piece of shit off. How did I get this job anyway?"

"Because you're the best liar." Pope said, following JJ into the shop. "Afternoon, ma'am." JJ said once he entered the store. "Afternoon." The lady responded. The pogues walked in after him, but didn't walk to the register. The pogues pretended to look around at other stuff while listening to JJ's conversation with the lady. "I see you buy gold."

"That's what the sign say, don't it?"

"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it because I'm about to blow your mind." JJ set his bag on the counter. "I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have at it." JJ took the melted gold out of the bag and placed it in front of her. "How 'bout them gold apples." The lady chuckled before responding, "That ain't real."

"That ain't real?"

"It can't be."

"Feel how heavy it is." The lady went to pick it up, struggling a little. "Mm-mm. Here, let's get some light on that."

"Spray-painted tungsten." The lady concluded after shining the light on it. "Spray-painted tungsten? Really? Okay. Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is." JJ crossed his arms. "You mind?" The lady asked, picking up a hammer. "No, go for it."

"Well, would you look at that." JJ smirked after the lady tried to break it apart. "Hold your horses. We ain't got to the acid test yet."

"Ooh, the acid test. My favorite, guys." JJ turned to look at his friends. Kiara furrowed her eyebrows, but had a small smile on her face. "Well, it ain't plated and it ain't painted." The lady whispered. "Ma'am, I'm telling you, this is as real as the day is long."

"It looks like somebody tried to melt it down." The lady looked up at JJ. "My mom." JJ quickly said. "She had all this jewelry laying around the house, and she thought it was to, uh, to melt it down. To "consolidate" it." JJ did air quotes. Valerie pushed her lips together trying to fight a laugh. "Seven pounds? That's a lot of earrings." The lady said.

"Okay, to be honest, ma'am..." JJ cleared his throat. "...It's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimer's." JJ said. Kiara and Valerie shared a glance of confusion. "Mm-mm. Give me a minute." The lady walked off. "Take your time, ma'am."