Josephine Routledge is the twin sister to John B Routledge. Their dad goes missing during the search for the famous shipwreck, the Royal Merchant. The twins and their friends, JJ, Pope, and Kiara, come across the sunken boat that holds a clue to the...
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The group of us were sitting at the dock with beers in our hands. The only thing breaking the silence was Kiara quietly playing something on my ukulele, but I was too deep in thought about everything I heard on that tape to listen to it.
John B sat away from the rest of us, and I tried to do the same thing, but JJ had wrapped his arm around my shoulder and forced me to sit next to him. I leaned into him and closed my eyes, using his presence to ground me in the moment with my friends instead of all of the horrible scenarios involving my dad going through my head.
"How much was it again?"
"Four hundred mil," Pope answered from across from me, and I just kept my eyes closed.
I felt JJ sigh.
"Alright, let's talk the split. Now, before we say 'evenly,' may I remind you that I am the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us."
"I swear to God, JJ. If you have the gun out right now, I' gonna throw it into the ocean," I muttered without opening my eyes.
"You haven't trained," Pope pointed out, causing me to chuckle. "You've done zero training."
"YouTube, bro! That's at least a five percent bump right there."
I opened my eyes and sat up straight, looking him dead in the eye as he turned to look at me.
"How exactly have you been getting onto YouTube with now power and no WiFi?"
"Any objections? Didn't think so," he once again ignored me.
Kiara and I held up our hands, and I waved mine right in his face.
"I don't hear any, so-"
"What are you gonna do with your eighty mil, Pope?" Kiara asked, causing me to chuckle at JJ's expense.
Pope paused to think about it, and JJ pulled me closer to him, and I leaned my head on his shoulder.
"Pay for college in advance."
I smiled. Typical Pope.
"And also, textbooks. Those are expensive."
"What about you, Kie?" JJ asked, and I switched my gaze to her.
"Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's rich?"
I chuckled and kicked Pope in the side.
"I just wanna make a double album," she answered with a shrug. "About OBX, the Pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. Record it at Marley Studio, Peter Tosh producing."
"Peter Tosh is-"
"Is dead," Kie interrupted Pope. "I know, but the spirit of Peter Tosh will never die."
