𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡, obx

04 ... stupid dreams

the two kids sat in the twinkie, finding something to do. nalani was going through john b's glove box while oscar walked around the exterior of the car, picking up all the sticks he could find and putting them into a pile.

"what exactly are you looking for?" oscar looked over at her as he placed a small stick on top of the rest of them, "john b ain't got anything in his car, except empty beer bottles."

"batteries." she murmured in reply, slamming the compartment closed. "flashlight ran out."

"oh, well, good luck." the blonde boy chuckled, smiling at nalani. "like i said, john b don't got shit in his car."

"well, i'm gonna look anyways."

a car pulled up beside them, the headlights blinding their eyes. "shit, osc. get in the van."

they both cowered in the corner of the van, hiding behind one of the seats. their eyes follow the two men as they get out of the car and into one of the security golf carts, driving towards the pogues.

"shit! lani, what do we do?" oscar looks at her with scared eyes, "holy shit, holy shit. is that a gun? we're gonna die!"

"relax, we won't die." nalani yelled, pointing at the steering wheel, ordering him to start the car. "they might, but we won't. it's fine."

"that doesn't make me feel any better, you idiot!" he shouted back in retaliation, looking around to see if he could see them coming. "there! they're coming."

"why is pope in his underwear..." nalani whispered, getting into the back seat so john b and jj could get into the front. "this is so disgusting."

they all crowded around john b, watching intensely as he ripped open the fed ex package. he unfolded a big piece of paper, laying it out flat across the table. it was a map of the coast with drawings in black marker scribbled over the outerbanks coast.

there was a big swirl down to the south east of an x, which nalani assumed was meant to be the hurricane big john went missing in. to the north west of the x, there was a bunch of coordinates.

"what the fuck is this?" oscar exclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows and looking up at jj.

pope placed his finger on the x, "x marks the spot."

john b ran his hand along horizontally, and then vertically. "longitude, latitude. wait, there's something else in there." he pulled out a small tape recorder, inspecting it silently.

"what's that?" jj looked down at the box in john b's hand.

"it's a tape recorder, dumbass." kiara retaliated.

click.

dear bird, 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.

they all look up at each other with complete shock. john b's dad had been looking for the royal merchant gold for as long as nalani could remember, and she never thought he would find it. nobody thought he would find it.

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 listenin' to this in our brand new sugar-shack in costa rica livin' off passive investments and pulling on permits.

nalani glanced over at her bestfriend, giving him a happy smile. his face was full of sorrow, hearing big john's voice again. when luke was being shitty, per usual, big john was always there for him to confide in.