Eastside ₒ OBX

3- Call to Adventure

"I think you need an upgrade or something," Regina tells Jade. "Something needs to be done with your hair. When did you wash it last?" 
   "Uh, the other day when I took a digger into the sand." 
   "You shouldn't have jumped Topper. If he really wanted to, he could have killed you." 
   "Then he'll get sent to jail and the end," Jade picks up her army-green and brown leather knapsack. 
   "I don't think you know how rich people work. They buy their way out of everything." 
   "That must be why you're friends with them," she nods slowly. "Nice talk. Bye." 
   "Whoa, where are you going? Mom wants us to finish cleaning up the flowerbeds for the Conners." 
   "Don't they have people for that? In personal financing class, we learned that renters don't usually pay for maintenance unless they caused it." 
   "Yeah, but we're planting new flowers for them. Jim said we could do that, and Mom wants us to." 
   "You're only sucking up because you want to go to more rick kid parties." 
   "Why don't you?" 
   "Because I don't want my life running down the drain." Jade closes the door behind her and strolls out onto the street. She didn't have her license yet, so walking was the alternative to the theatre. The morning sun rises over the ocean and turns her hair from a dark-brown to a off-auburn. Her red Converse trek along the asphalt while she adjusts her denim overall straps over her pale gray tank-top. 

Pulling her curls off to the side, Jade tries to fish her phone out of her knapsack without stopping. She was trying to figure out how to multitask. It turned out that multitasking was not her thing as she glances downward to see which compartment it was in. The sound of a car coming to a halt causes her to turn her head to a vintage looking vehicle. 
   "Hey, I'm walking here," she says, finally locating her phone. 
   "You walked by the crosswalk." 
   Jade notices that its John B at the wheel, "an accident every two days is a good look for you." 
   "And you still missed the crosswalk. They don't have those in New England?" 
   "Drivers in Massachusetts are notoriously bad drivers, and I live on the state border, so yeah." 
   "You know texting while walking is going to get you killed, right?" 
   "I wasn't texting. I was trying to multitask." 
   "Maybe not multitasking on the road would help with that." 
   Jade shields her eyes from the orangey sun and studies the vehicle. "Wow. A 60s hippie van. Do you solve mysteries and shit with that?"
   "What?"
   "If you painted it mint-green it'd look like the van from 'Scooby Doo.'"
   "That's a strange thing to say."
   "You'll get used to it. I'm here pretty much the entire summer."
   "Don't you have that play with Sam Moore, one of the Kooks?"
   "He's not a Kook. Sam's an actor."
   "Yeah, you're telling me."
   "Sam is a great guy. And if you got past stereotypes, you'd think the same."
   "I don't stereotype."
   "Really? Because it sounded like you just did a second ago."
   "What's the play?"
   "'Romeo and Juliet'. He made me tryout."
   "He made you tryout?"
   "Well, he thought I would be suitable for the role, so I took it." 
   "Where are you going at this time of day? Its really early for tourists, don't you think?" 
   "Rehearsal. Duh." She hikes up her knapsack, "where are you going?" 
   "To work. Duh." 

Jade narrows her eyes a little. He seemed to have some sort of humor. "Right," she responds. "What's your summer job?" 
   "I work for the Camerons." 
   "Working for rich people. Cool. What's it like?" 
   "Not a walk in the park, if that's what you're wondering." 
   She glances down at her phone and checks the time, "well, I've got to be going. They'll be wondering where I am." 
   "Do you need a ride there?" 
   "I'm good, but thank you." 
   "Are you sure?" 
   "Yeah, I can walk. I'm a big girl and I can tie my shoelaces and everything. Thanks again for offering," Jade begins trekking towards the theatre a couple roads over. 
   "Dahlia Jade." 
   "Yeah?" she looks back at John B. 
   "Nice talking to you." 
   "Pleasure." Jade continues on her way, listening to the van drive down the street. She makes her way to the building and finds Sam sitting on the stage. "No one showed up yet?" 
   "Do you have any idea how early it is?" 
   "Didn't sleep well, I'm guessing?" 
   "I drove a drunk Candice home, so you could say that. Didn't expect you to be at this time since you're not a morning person." 
   "Not particularly. I could've talked to John B longer now that I think of it," she hops onto the stage. 
   "Kooks vs. Pogues. Rivalry for the century."
   "I doubt that."
   "Well, you don't live here fully."
   "What is up with you, Sam?"
   "Topper is an ass and those guys but heads with him all the time. Plus Sarah's spoiled, nice but spoiled. I'd feel a lot better if we didn't hang out with them."
   "What does Candice say?"
   "Candice thinks its best if we talk to people and that's it."
   "Okay, then that's what we'll do. Good luck trying to get Regina roped into that idea. Hey, what kind of a name is Topper anyway?"
   "A nickname or some type of title. I don't know to be honest. All I know is that he's a moron with an ego and a brat complex." 
   A spotlight goes on from above Jade. "Time to put on a show. Social gossip can wait. It grosses me out anyway." 

Dahlia Jade is sitting at the desk in her room, when something hits her windowpane and she ambles over to the sill. She peers out through her reflection and sees John B standing in the backyard. The brunette lifts up the window, "do you know what time it is?"
   "8:33. Why? Do you have a curfew?"
   "No, I just don't usually do anything past 8:30. Plus I'm studying."
   "Studying what? School's out."
   "I'm rehearsing for the production."
   "This isn't going to take long. You can rehearse later, right?"
   "That depends. What are we doing?"
   "Come down first, then I'll show you."
   "Okay," Jade puts her legs over the side of the window and grabs onto the trestle with white flowers growing on it. "Coming down."
   "Why don't you just use the stairs?"
   "Because I'm assuming we're doing something we're not supposed to." Jade scales the growth on the side of the house and hops down. She drops suddenly and somewhat manages to catch herself on the wooden crosshatch.
   "You okay?" John B helps her off.
   "Yeah, totally. I just misjudged the distance," Jade replies.
   They look at each other for a second.
   She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and crosses her arms. "So what was it that you wanted to show me?"
   "Follow me."
   "Where are we going?" Jade trails behind him across the backyard.
   "We're going on an adventure."
   "What sort of adventure?"
   "We're looking for the Royal Merchant."
   "You mean the Merchant Royal? It was carrying silver and sank off Cornwall."
   John B glances over his shoulder, "that's what they thought."
   "Are you saying that you're looking for pirate treasure? And I know its not from pirates, I'm just pointing out that finding sunken treasure is no easy task."
   "Yeah, people are after me."
   "Tomb-raiders and graverobbers?"
   "I think it may be more than that. Are you up to the challenge?"
   "Sounds more like a risk than a challenge."
   "Is that a yes or a no?"
   "I'm in." 

Author's Note: 
Yo JJ needs a dog, speaking of "snakes being afraid of dogs" (he says that in the graveyard). Though snakes don't have ears, so they can't hear dogs anyway. And JJ needs overalls, because Rudy looks cute in them. 

Okay, if I'm being entirely honest, if I were a working actress and someone wrote a fic about me, I'd be weirded out completely. There are some crazy people out there, and mine aren't anywhere near that area-- I think. 

But those super strange and slightly gross ones, if I were in those actor's shoes, I'd be mortified. Especially the ones with I's and you's, just why? That's my ramble for today. 

I've also got a video that you should totally watch--> 

If you liked this part, be sure to give it a vote! Byeeeeeeeeeee! 
   ~ SHIELD-Avenger