Paradise on Earth

America on Steroids

After JJ convinced John B of his terrible idea they finally told the rest of us. The idea consists of stealing scuba gear from Ward Cameron, John B's boss and my step uncle, so we could break into the cargo of the sunken boat we found. Apparently John B can't seem to do it without me so I decided to go home and change first.

I use my key to open my front door. Both Allen and my mom are at work and since I wasn't here to babysit the twins should be at a friends house of something. Either way no one should be home. At least that's what I thought but as soon as I turned the corner to go upstairs there stood my mom with her hands on her hips, watching me sternly.

"Mom!" I gasp. I stall for a moment taking in her appearance. She was wearing a blouse and pencil skirt. She wore light make up and her hair was tied up. Classic work outfit. "What are you doing here? Your supposed to be at work."

"Your right Eliana, I am supposed to be at work. But when one of my children disappear without so much as a call or a text leaving your sisters alone, I don't get the luxury of going to work. Elle you promised you'd watch them." Gees I can see the smoke coming out of her ears from here.

"Oh my god mom I'm so sorry. The towers are still down in the cut and John B needed my help so I just stayed the night over there-" I tried to explain to her but she cut me off.

"John B needed your help with a gun?" She asked making me freeze. Damn things really get around fast.

"W-what?"

"Ward told me this morning that Sarah and her boyfriend said they saw you at the party." She says as if she caught me in a lie. "As a matter of fact they said that it was your party, and someone was waving around a gun." Those fucking blabber mouths. Kie was right, you can't trust her.

No matter how hard I tried I couldn't come up with an answer that would meet her standards which with the current situation is pretty high. So I've decided to do what I do best, change the subject.

I walk over to her, grabbing both of her hands, and looking her in the eye. "Mom I'm so sorry that I worried you, and even more sorry that I let you down." I calm her, by the color of her face returning to it's natural shade I can tell that it's working. "Is there anything I could do to make it up to you?"

"I'll think about it." She says checking her watch and picking her purse off the table. "But for now I need you to watch the twins. If I leave now I can make it there by the end of lunch." She begins to make her way to the door.

"But I was already going to-"

"Would you rather be grounded?" She called over her shoulder.

"I'll...figure it out." I sigh.

"Good girl. I love you." She shuts the door before I had time to answer.

"Yeah I love you too." I mumble more to myself since I'm the only one listening. I let my head fall back in defeat before pulling my phone out of my back pocket to text John B. 'Change of plans.' I message him before stomping my way upstairs.
-
"Where are we going? The door is right there." Stella points out as we make our way around the Camron's mansion. My plan was to leave the twins here to hang out with Wheezie while me and John B carry out our plan.

"We're not using the door." I say pulling the two of them behind me by the wrists. They haven't stopped asking me questions since we left. No, before we left. The first question was, 'why are we leaving.'

"Then where are we going?" Bailey asks trying to keep up.

"The docks."

"Ok but why-"

"You'll know when we get there!" I replied clenching my jaw. As we get closer the Druthers came into view, which is the Camron's family yacht. Along side it was the H.M.S. Pouge, which looked pretty sad in the side by side comparison. But Guess who stood upon it anyway.

"John B!" The girls squealed running over to him with open arms. He shushes then as he hopes off the boat but none the less squats down and engulfs them in a bear hug. I give him a questioning look as to why he shushed us and he nods in the direction of the porch. I look over to see the Cameron's finishing up lunch and going their separate ways.

"Hey munchkins." He greets cheerfully messing with their hair causing them to giggle. He stands up so he can be back at eye level with me.

"We're going to go find Wheezie and then I'll meet you back here." I say going over the plan one last time and he nods in agreement. I let them say goodbye before we continued on our mission. It didn't take long to find her considering that she was making her way to the Druthers anyway.

"Hey Wheezie!" I say in the cheeriest voice I could muster. "Funny seeing you here."

"It my house." She says completely emotionless, almost as if she was expecting me.

"Yeah ok, I need you to hang out with Stella and Bailey today." I admit cutting to the chase. "Like You did when you were younger. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"This stopped being 'hanging out' when I turned thirteen." She says as a matter of factively. "What you need is a baby sitter.

"Ok fine." I roll my eyes grabbing my wallet and pulling out a five and a ten. "I'll give you fifteen bucks."

"Twenty-five." She demanded.

"Twenty." I say pulling out another five. "Final offer."

"Deal." She says happily taking the money and my sisters' hands. "Jokes on you, I would've done it for ten."

"Jokes on you, I would've given you thirty." I laugh turning to make a swift exit before she had the chance to change her mind. "Don't tell Ward!" I call over my shoulder as I walk back to the dock. Once I get there I see John B getting in holding a duffle bag with Sarah following behind him. I wonder what they're talking about. As soon as I get in the boat B begins driving away. I turn to see Sarah salut before flipping us the bird.

"What was that for?" I chuckle turning back to John B.

"It's nothing." He replies shaking his head. "How'd it go with Wheezie?"

"Well I'm down twenty bucks, but I'm also down two kids so...I guess it was good." I shrug examining my hands but when I look up I could tell he was trying to hold back his laughs. "What?"

"You got hustled by a twelve year old." He chuckles uncontrollably causing me to smack him on the back.

"First she's thirteen." I correct him. " and second, shut up!" But that only made him laugh harder. After a few more words where traded back and forth we sailed in silence. The cut wasn't too far from here but it was still a while away. It helps that we are picking everyone up from one place. But it still gave me time to thing about what we're doing, what we are going to do, and what we already did.

"You know, we should have learned a long time ago to never listen to JJ." I say breaking the comfortable silence. "He's full of bad ideas, like stealing from my rich boss, who also happens to be my uncle."

"But this time, he was right. I had nothing to lose." He defends a bit aggressively. I'm sure he didn't mean it but it was enough for me not to say anything else. He looks back at me before sighing. "Do you remember how my dad used to say the island was America on steroids." I laugh and nod at the memory.

"The haves and have-nots like anyplace, but magnified and multiplied." I say completing the quote his dad preached to us in many occasions.

"Well the way I see it, the game's rigged. Maybe it always has been." He explains to me. "No parents, money, and no one looking out for me, I got no chance...unless I make it on my own."

"JJ told you all of that?" I asked concerned for both of my friends well being. I didn't know they felt that way.

"Not all of it." He shrugs and we both fall back into silence. They both have been pushing the boundaries lately. I'm just afraid that something or someone is bound to break sooner or later.