𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

four: Diver Down.

  

     KAI WAS sitting and smoking a cigarette, staring at the ceiling when Pope ran into the porch of the Château. "Okay, so um... we didn't see anything. We don't know anything." He says and sat down, "we need to have total and complete amnesia." Kai furrowed his eyebrows.

"Actually, Pope's right for once." JJ says and Kai snorts. "For once? Dude..." He says in disbelief before looking over at Pope and Kie. "Guys, we can't keep that money." Kie says and Kai grins. "What money?" He asked her and she looks over at him with an annoyed look.

"Okay, not all of us can affored unlimited data plans, Kiara." JJ added shortly after and Kai nods. "We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs. Otherwise, it's bad karma." Kie says. "Bad karma to be implicated in a felony, too." Pope adds.

"We gotta go dark." He said, the blond standing in front of him. "If that means we get to keep the money, then I agree." JJ says, walking away over to where John B was standing. The curly haired teen who grabs his shoulder, "I don't agree." He says before walking away from him.

"Why?" JJ asked. "Just think about it. This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about. Same dude that's buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. Shit, one time I saw this dude begging for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than 40 bucks in his pocket, and all of the sudden, he's got a Grady-White? Just sayin'." John B said, holding up his hands.

Pope throws out the fishing line into the water, John B, Kai and Kie sitting on the rail. "Alright, so think about it, Pope. How does a marina rat get a Grady-White?" John B asked him.

Pope inhales sharply, "prostitution."

"Square groupers, bro." John B corrects him as Kai chuckled. "Okay, flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance. They don't do that stuff during a hurricane. What does that mean? JJ?" John B points at the blond standing by himself. "They were straight smugglin'." The boy says.

"Smugglin'. And I guarantee there's a serious amount of contraband in that wreck." John B finished his explanation. "Hell yeah." JJ says and then he caught something.

"Fish on!"

Pope grabs the cash from JJ's hand. "For the record, if that is a smuggling ship with illegal contraband on the inside of it... it probably belongs to someone else." Pope explained. "Minor details." Kie says and Kai nudged her softly. "They could come looking for it." Pope said shortly after.

"Taking it would be catastrophically stupid."

"Right." JJ says, taking the cash back from Pope. "Well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time." He spreads out the cash to put it on display. "All we need to do is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck. Until then, we just lay low. Just act normal." JJ says.

"Right. And how exactly do we do that?"

"Kegger?"

JJ and John B lift up the keg. "Tally-ho." They walk through the boneyard before setting the keg down, JJ putting the tap on it and spraying beer in John B's face before they open the red solo cups and pour themselves some beer. John B offered a cup to Pope who rejects it so Kai takes it, taking a long sip. Eventually, people came and then more people came until the party grew.

A lot of people were here, them, the working-class derelicts from the cut. And then the Kooks, the rich kids. Their enemies. And then the Tourons. Clueless teenagers vacationing with their families here for a week or so. Kai was drinking with JJ like he always was, Kai having to watch JJ pick up girls and flirt with them like the whole time.