One Stupid Thing

2:6:60

In the back of the Twinkie, I sit beside my sister. I have no idea what went down between her and John B, but I know that it has something to do with Topper and that they haven't really spoken since. Because of this, instead of Sarah sitting in the passenger seat per usual, it's JJ.

"Guys, the thing that Limbrey said, I don't think she meant to let it slip," Pope tells us, breaking the awkward silence. "She said the key leads to the Cross of Santo Domingo."

"Wait. Can I see that?" JJ asks, holding his hand out behind him. Pope sets the key in his hand reluctantly. Not because he doesn't trust JJ, but because of how valuable the key could potentially be.

"Are we supposed to know what that is?" Sarah asks, puzzled.

"I'm guessing it's some sort of historical artifact of great importance," Pope assumes.

"Well, according to the interwebs, it was a gift from New Spain to the Spanish king," Kie informs us, reading the information off of her phone.

"New Spain? Is there an Old Spain?" JJ ponders.

"Shit, talk about over-gifting," Kiara continues, ignoring JJ's attempt to understand the historical context. "Look at that thing. Looks like a person standing next to it." Kiara flips her phone around and shows us a Wikipedia page with a ancient drawing of a giant cross. So large that it towers over the man beside it. 

"So it's just a giant-ass cross?" JJ asks, questioning its value and purpose.

"Clearly some Kook Spaniards decided a normal sized cross wasn't good enough, so they recreated the actual one," I joke. JJ chuckles and fist-pumps me from the front seat.

"It was widely considered at the time to be the most extravagant tribute ever from the provinces," Kiara says, continuing to read off of the internet. "It was lost off the coast of Bermuda in 1829."

"Did you just say Bermuda?" JJ whips around in his seat to look at Kie for confirmation.

"Oh, no. Not the triangle," John B mutters in a 'don't get him started' kind of way.

"It always leads back to the triangle, dude." JJ smacks John B's shoulder with the back of his hand lightly. "Like every single time something's weird, it's Bermuda."

"Okay. What... what does a key found above your mee-maw's pharmacy have to do with any of this,"Kie shrugs and looks over at Pope expectantly. "Where do we come in?"

"I don't know," Pope replies solemnly. "That's a good question."

John B pulls the Twinkie over to the side of the road opposite from the Shady Grove Retirement Home. JJ gets out of the front seat and opens the side door to let the rest of us out. Pope gets out first, but just as Kie is about to step onto the pavement, he stops her. "Hey, actually, I think I'm gonna do this one by myself."

"Are you sure?" Kiara asks him. I peer over her shoulder and get a small glimpse of Pope's expression. He is tight-lipped and short-tempered. Something must've set him off.

"Yeah, I can handle it. I don't really need you, so..." Pope tells her harshly.

"Oh, we're just all one big happy family today, aren't we?" JJ jokes, trying to ease the awkward tension.

No one says anything else as we backtrack into our seats and John B starts the Twinkie up once more. "Hey, man, pick you up in a bit," John B calls to Pope, his back facing us as he walks across the street.

"So... what do we do while we wait?" I ask. John B had started driving down the street, not sure where he was going either.

"Isn't there a convenience store down the next block?" Kie mentions.

"Oh, John B, can we?" I plead. "I could go for a soda."

"Sure. Why not?"

"Thank God, I need a break from all this," Sarah huffs under her breath.

"You always do," John B mutters, pulling the van over. Sarah glares at him through the rear view mirror and he glances back at her challengingly.

"And I think that is our cue," I tut. JJ gets out of the van to open the side door for us. As soon as the door slides open enough for me to escape that awkward situation I practically bolt out. Kie and Sarah follow behind, heading straight for the store. I turn to JJ, but he just shrugs and reaches for the passenger door handle. "Aren't you coming?"

"Uh, no, I'm gonna keep JB company. You go ahead."

"Oh, yeah. Okay. I'll get an extra large so we can share, m'kay?" I tell him.

"Music to my ears." He smiles at me and I lean forward to plant a kiss on his cheek before hurrying across the street to catch up with the other girls. I find them already at the soda machine, dispensing different flavors into their blue and white cups. Kiara finishes first and goes to pay before walking outside to wait.

"Well, at least you two are fine," Sarah groans, referring to JJ and I. "Maybe there is actually hope there."

"Sarah, it was one argument. All couples fight at some point," I scold her.

"Yeah? Well, I think I have a right to be mad over the fact that John B was angry that I didn't throw our relationship in Topper's face. He could've just watched Rafe drown me, Stella. I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him. I at least owe him respect. Besides, I still feel really shitty about how things ended between us," Sarah explains, pressing on the plastic lid and stabbing a straw through it aggressively.

"Things ended because Topper is a douchey asshole who never treated you the way you deserve to be treated," I mutter. The fact that my sister is defending this sorry excuse for a man is pissing me off.

"Oh, my God, Stella. I'm really not in the mood to discuss my ex-boyfriend in a random convenience store." She starts to walk towards the counter to pay, but stops and spins on her heels to face me again. "Come to think of it, I actually don't want to discuss him with you ever. You never had anything nice to say about him then and you don't now, so just save it."

Jesus Christ. I stand there with my empty cup in hand in shock for a second. Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I turn back towards the machine and fill it to the brim with Mountain Dew, JJ's favorite. When I head out the door I see Sarah and Kie engaged in a conversation.

"Tell me about it. All of this crazy shit's happening, and Pope's giving me the silent treatment for not being in love with him," Kie says. I quicken my pace to catch up with them as we walk back to the Twinkie.

"And we're the dramatic ones," Sarah replies with a smile.

"Sure," Kiara laughs. Sarah steps up into the Twinkie, followed by Kiara and then me. I close the door behind us and then lean over the middle console, holding the Mountain Dew out for JJ. He gladly takes a sip and I watch his eyes light up when he realizes what it is.

"Aww, you gave up your Diet Coke for me?" he teases. Diet Coke is what I normally would've gotten, but Mountain Dew isn't bad either. I roll my eyes and pull the drink away just as he goes in for another sip.

"If that's what you want to tell yourself, then sure," I reply, taking a small sip and then handing the cup to him. John B starts up the Twinkie and I move back to sit in an actual seat while he drives.

John B rounds the corner and comes to a stop on the edge of the road next to the retirement home. He barely puts it in park when Pope appears.

"There he is," JJ points out. Pope doesn't seem any less pissed off then before. He stomps down the front steps and crosses the grass to the Twinkie. He opens the door and closes it behind him, taking a seat behind John B with a deep sigh.

"So, how'd it go?" John B approaches gently, twisting around in his seat.

"Shit just got way more personal."

——
Kind of a short one today, but I can assure you that things are going to amp up here soon! I am sorry that I have been missing updates, but school just started back up again and I have so many assignments to do before semester ends. I am trying my best, but this story is my last priority. I hope you guys understand :)