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TWENTY-FIVE WE DID IT
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The next night was probably the most pivotal of them all. This was the night they went for the gold. Literally. It was weird to think of how much had happened since they really got going on this treasure hunt, but now here they were, hopefully finishing it. Norman lazed in the passenger seat while Kie and John B rattled off the things they needed. As they double checked they had everything, John B stopped the van and turned it off, darkness immediately flooding the area around them as the headlights shut off. Norman breathed in deeply, trying to be brave. It really was stupid to be almost seventeen but still be just the slightest bit afraid of the dark.
"Let's go get rich, guys," JJ mused as they prepared. The van was stuffed full now with the addition of Norman and Sarah, but everyone was getting along which was the most important part. Kiara and Sarah had tried to convince the boys that their plan failed and the girls hardly tolerated each other, but they weren't fooling anybody. Regardless, Norman had already caught them stealing kisses in the back of the van. He didn't care, though, as long as no one's feelings interfered with the plan. Which he could probably say the same for himself now that John B and he were... involved, for lack of a better word. They hadn't really discussed it the previous night.
"Yeah. Hell yeah," Kie exclaimed in agreement as they prepared to hop onto the dirt road and flicked on their flashlights.
John B got out first, stopping the rest of them as he said, "Wait, wait. I wanna say thank you, guys, seriously. It means a lot to me that you're here tonight."
"Well no one else was gonna help your dumbass," Norman diffused the serious tension as he opened the passenger side door and got out.
Kie rolled her eyes and smiled, "Always."
"Of course, man," Pope affirmed.
After a moment, JJ asked, "All right, we done with this circle jerk? Can we go do this?"
"Let's get that wheat in the water," Pope exclaimed as they finally left the van. Norman helped Kie over the fence into the yard before climbing over himself, catching John B's bag as he tossed it over.
As everyone passed them, John B stopped for a moment, meeting Norman's eyes to say, "Thank you... for doing this with me."
Norman's response was to press a quick kiss to his lips before pulling away and muttering, "Shut up, a thank you isn't necessary."
"Quit mackin' guys we got places to be, things to do," JJ came back through the bushes to chastise them, but the two boys only laughed before going to catch up with the rest of the group. Being in the dark wasn't so bad when he was surrounded by friends. That's really what they had become: his friends. It was odd to think of how close he had gotten with them in such a short amount of time, but Norman could always use some more friends in his life. He loved his friends, he did, but something about hanging out with the Pogues was just different. Maybe it was the fact that they hunted treasure for fun.
