Waves

Hail Mary

Harli taps her pencil on her desk as she stares at the test in front of her. She hadn't had the chance to study much for Mr. Sunn's test and she was trying hard to concentrate on the questions in front of her. She hated feeling unprepared, but she was a smart girl who paid attention in class and always took good notes, so she was sure she'd pass. Still, that didn't ease her anxieties about the test. A knock on the door didn't grab her attention until her friend's name was called. A member of the Lucas T. Vanderhorst Merit Scholarship was there to talk to Pope. Harli's eyes moved to the boy that gave a glance back towards her before getting up from his desk and following the man into the hallway. Curiosity was eating at Harli, wondering if the boy had actually gotten the scholarship despite walking out mid-interview. However, she was going to have to wait until after the test and after class to find out what the boy had been called out for.

When Pope returns to class he shares a snippet of the conversation silently with his friends by showing them the letter he was given with the golden seal of the wheat symbol used in association with the Royal Merchant gold. Eyes widen at the sight of it, and suddenly it was even harder to focus on the test.

As soon as the bell rung the four teenagers turned in their tests to Mr. Sunn and made a bee-line for the library. Pope pulls out the note and hands it off to JJ to read. Upon realizing that it's in cursive he hands it to the brunette beside him, who reads it without judgement towards the blonde beside of her. The note reveals that there's evidence in play that can exonerate John B, but Pope must meet with the sender of the letter in Charleston at 8:00 pm tonight at the address provided. After some research, Pope believes the sender to be a possible descendent of the captain of the Royal Merchant, meaning that everything ties back to the gold.

Quickly, the four teenagers make the decision to ditch the remainder of their classes and head out to Charleston. But first, Kie and Harli had to convince Mike and Anna. Loading up in Harli's Jeep the four make their way to Figure Eight to beg for permission. Harli's plea was simple. She was fighting for her brother, something she would never give up on. She had convinced Mike and Anna that she wouldn't get into trouble and that by finding out whatever was given to them would help her find closure. She sealed the deal with the fact that she was ahead in all of her classes, and wouldn't be penalized for missing her classes. Kie on the other hand was going to be harder to convince to let go. She was their daughter after all, and all they wanted to do was to keep her safe. Pope, JJ and Harli wait in the Jeep for the curly headed girl to convince her parents alone.

"Mom! Dad! I have to go! My friends need me, and we need to clear John B's name!" Kie yells at them from the porch.

"Why do you need to clear his name now?" Mike yells back at her. "He's gone!"

"Mike!" His wife scolds him.

"Well, it's true!"

"Even if he is gone, Harli needs closure of knowing that her family's name is cleared in something that he didn't do!" Kie argues. "I think you're both forgetting about her in all of this!"

"We're not forgetting about her! We're allowing her to go! We understand why she needs to do this. But we don't want you getting involved in this, Kiara."

"She's my best friend! I need to be there for her!"

"If you girls go with them tonight, do not, and I repeat, do not get into any trouble. If you do, Harli will not be able to stay in the OBX anymore. She will go into foster care, and I am very close to having a family here on the island committing to fostering her." Anna informs.

"Really?" Kie's jaw drops in shock. "Why didn't you tell her that?"

"I don't want to get her hopes up." Anna tells her daughter. "Now, if you're going to go you better leave now. I expect you to be home by tonight."