𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐘¹ » 𝐣𝐣 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

𝒊𝒙. 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅'𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓

chapter nine
world's finest wakesetter

THE NEXT MORNING, the group gathered on john b's dock to test out the drone for the first time. the boy's face appeared on the display, rubbing his teeth with his finger. stella and jj watched over pope's shoulder as he controlled it, the latter reaching over to press the buttons. "what's this right here?" he asks, reaching his arm over pope's, only to get smacked away. "don't touch that. i'm trying to work out this thing." pope says as he plays around with the controls.

      "why don't you read the manual or something?" stella asks from behind the two. "there was no— was there a manual?" jj asks pope. "i don't know, did you see one?" pope snaps. "well, maybe if i wasn't getting chased by a dog," jj snaps back. "stop arguing, it's only eight a.m." stella groans, clearly still tired.

      "god bless geeks, pope. truly, man. what would we do without you to control the drones?" jj says. "it's not a drone, it's an ROV." pope states. jj rolls his eyes, also clearly tired. "shut up, shut up. it's too early for that right now." jj snaps as kie and john b resurface.

      "hey, once we get footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim." john b states as jj lets go of stella and walks up to the edge of the dock. "it's such bullshit, why do we have to do that?" jj complains. "well there is maritime salvage law, you can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a bunch of stuff up." explains pope. "i know, i know. it's just, lawyers aren't cheap, bro." jj sighs. "hey maybe we can ask stella's mom or something."

      "maybe we can work something out with them." stella adds as she tosses rocks off the dock. john b nods, "yeah, as soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp." explains john b. "how do you know all that?" kie asks as stella nods. "cause my dad said it like, a million times." john b clarified.

      stella helped kie back onto the dock and pope looked at the tether. "this tether is like, really long. in the wrong weather, this thing could get pushed around." he states. "then we'll go at dead calm."

      "at slack tide?"

"so now, we just gotta wait around for the right weather." he and jj look at the darkening storm clouds. "and today is not that day."

——

      pope's father, heyward, was currently making pope deliver groceries to the least favourite side of the island. having nothing to do, jj decided to tag along. they were loading up the bags when pope decided to break the silence.

      "how are things with you and stella?" pope spoke. jj was surprised by his question, as pope never really seemed interested in his love life before. "what do you mean 'how are things' ?" the blond asks.