She was the first person he trusted with his secret. His safe place.
He was the first guy she let all the way in. He could ground her when nobody else could.
-
"𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, �...
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I grab my surf board and meet John B and Kie on the beach. When I get there they're already in the water, talking. I pull off my shorts and pull my board into the ocean. I swim out to them.
"Hey, babe!" Kie greets.
"Hey!"
John B goes back to their conversation. "So, why'd you ask if I told JJ?"
Kie shakes her head. "Just wondering, it's not.." Her voice trails off.
I furrow my brows in confusion. It was interesting that she cared what JJ thought about her and my brother's kiss. I watch her reaction for a moment before a voice pulls me from my thoughts.
"Hey!" JJ calls out, running through the water with his board. "Save some waves for us."
"Hey, where you been?" Kie asks them.
We surf for several hours. We all caught big waves a few times to ride out. We talked and hung out. It was calming just to be out in the water and be able to relax.
That night when we got back from the beach we all sat in the hammocks together as the sun went down. I watched as the sky changed colors and the sky filled with stars. I sat in a hammock with Kie and JJ.
"You really think it's out there? Like, no bullshit?" Pope asks.
"My father thought it was." John B points out.
"But do you?"
Thunder rolls loudly in the sky, making me jump. I sigh at myself.
"After hearing his voice on that tape.. I think I do."
"Kat?"
"I think there's a slim chance, but I believe there's a possibility."
"Only one way to find out." John B and Pope reach out to do their handshake.
"Look, we're gonna find it, you know?" Kie says softly. "Even JJ believes."
"Oh my gosh, JJ. Do you believe?" John B teases.
"Totally. Wait. Are we talking about 4 mil?
"4 hundred mil." Kie and Pope respond at the same time.
"Jinx." Kie says.
"I'm gonna dream about shipwrecks." JJ announces. Kie and I chuckle at his comment. "Goodnight, Bird!"
"Goodnight, bird shit." I laugh again.
In the morning we get on a boat and head out to sea. We rode on the boat for what feels like years. Making our way out to the area the X covered was pretty boring. Throughout the trip I probably moved everywhere around the boat.
"All right, JJ. Pin it here." John B calls out.
"Roger that, X marks the spot." JJ pulls a lever, stopping the boat.
"All right ladies and gentlemen." John B lifts up the drone, getting ready to put it in the water. "To going full Kook."
JB drops the drone into the water. The drone plunges into the water. It bubbles as it sinks down into the ocean. Kie and I slowly lower the tether, allowing the drone deeper in the water.
"All right, JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds Northwest." John B looks at the screen.
"Got it! Ten seconds northwest." JJ pulls the boat northwest, slightly.
"100 feet!" I call out when I see the red tape on the tether.
I catch Pope flinching out of the corner of my eye. John B rushes over. "What? What, what, what, what?"
"It's nothing." Pope responds. John B groans, annoyed.
"Sorry, I thought-"
"Don't do that to me, man. Come on, bro!" JJ yells cutting him off.
"My bad. I just thought I saw..." Pope's voice trails. He shakes it off, refocusing on the screen. "And to quote The Hobbit, 'Down, down to Goblin Town. Down, down, you go, my lad.'"
"Pope, focus." I say. "You're being weird."
"400 feet!" Kie calls marking it with a tally on the side of the boat. Thunder rumbles in the sky. "The tide's turning."
"Hey, JJ." John B calls, getting my boyfriend's attention.
"Yup?"
"Ten seconds easy. South - southeast."
"Copy that!"
"JJ, 20 seconds mid speed, all right? South.
"Copy that, aye, aye." JJ spins the steering wheel. "Hey, Kat! Keep the tether out of the Prop!"
"We're trying!" Kie responds.
"JJ, keep going!" John B shouts.
Thunder rumbles again. Dark clouds have started to settle above us.
"John B, is that good?"
"We're good!"
"700 feet!" I call out.
Wind was starting to blow pretty strong. The boat rocked back in forth in the water. The wind made the water severely choppy. Lightning was starting to lighten up the sky.
"JJ, hold it steady! JJ, we'll turtle in the storm."
"920!"
"Crank it north by northwest! Ten seconds!" John B turns to Pope. "Pope, how are we doing?"
"Almost there."
"There's too much current!" Kie yells frantically. "We're gonna lose it!" We both clutch onto the tether the best we can.
"South, southwest, JJ! Hard!" John B looks back at the screen in his hand. "Half speed. Steady at this bearing, JJ! What do you got, Pope? Come on, man. What do you see?"
"Nothin', a whole lot of nothin'.
"You should be right above it, brother."
"Kiara!"
"960! 970! 980!"
"I'm at the bottom! I'm at the bottom!" Pope calls out.
"Okay, steady there, JJ!" John B yells. "Steady here. Quarter speed, all right?" My brother turns back to Pope. "You should be seeing something, man."
