SEASON 1
EPISODE 5
"Do I look like the type of guy to fall for Sarah Cameron?"
»»----- -----««
JJ THREW another log into the bonfire, the flames crackling and sparking as the wood caught fire. Shadows danced across the group, but the tension in the air remained heavy. John B exaggerated a slow blink, his frustration written all over his face.
"So let me get this straight," he said, voice edged with disbelief. "You told Charlie about everything? From A to Z?"
"Mhm," Victoria responded, nodding without hesitation.
"Without asking for our opinion?" John B pressed, leaning forward slightly.
"Mhm," she repeated, her tone calm and steady.
"Great! So now we have an outsider knowing everything." He threw his hands into the air, pacing a few steps away from the group before spinning back to face her.
"I'm here, you know," Charlie muttered awkwardly.
"Not an outsider," Victoria corrected. "My friend, who is going to help us."
Pope let out a long, frustrated sigh, breaking through the back-and-forth. "Let's get to the point. My dad is already gonna kill me, so what's this mandatory meeting about?"
John B looked over at JJ, his expression shifting from frustration to something more serious. JJ caught the look and gave him a shrug.
"Might as well tell him, man, before we're gaffed," JJ said with a slight smirk.
John B hesitated, glancing around the group. The flickering firelight highlighted the mix of confusion and expectation on everyone's faces. "You ready for this?" he asked, his tone low.
Everyone stared back at him, puzzled.
"So," he began, "the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant."
"Oh my god," Pope muttered, rolling his eyes. "Here we go again with this."
"Let him finish," Victoria interjected, her tone sharp and curious.
"It's been here the whole time," John B said, leaning forward as he spoke. "It's on the island."
Kiara's eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious?" she whispered, leaning closer. "Oh my god."
"I'd like to voice my skepticism," Pope said, raising his hand lazily, his voice dripping with doubt.
"I'm sure you would, Pope," John B shot back, straightening up. "But can I please present you with my evidence?"
"Proceed," Pope muttered, crossing his arms as he sank back into his seat.
"All right," John B began, reaching for his backpack, his voice full of anticipation. "So in here," he unzipped it, pulling out a folded piece of paper, "I have a letter from Denmark Tanny."
"Who the hell is that?" Kiara interrupted, raising an eyebrow as she chugged from her water bottle.
"Denmark Tanny was a slave who survived the Royal Merchant wreck," John B replied, handing her the paper. "Check this out."
"What?" Kiara glanced between him and the letter, skepticism giving way to curiosity.
John B took a deep breath, the firelight casting shadows over his determined expression. "Okay, so slaves weren't listed as crew members on the ship's manifest. But my dad—he found the real manifest. That was his big discovery." His voice grew more animated as he continued. "Denmark Tanny used the gold from the Royal Merchant to buy his freedom. And after that? He bought a farm."
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𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄 ¹- jj maybank
Fanfiction: ̗̀➛ 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 Victoria Miller's world is upended when she learns her life as the Pogue Princess is over. No longer surrounded by her group of friends, she's forced to adjust to a new, unfamiliar reality as a Kook. After a year of her not so...
