𓆝 𓆟 𓆜 𓆞 𓆡
Two. Curiosity Killed The Cat.

What happens when beer, weed, and a group of young teens are involved? Coincidentally find themselves heading further and further into an open space of water with no hint of parental consent being visible. If you have no idea as to what's about to happen, why not I just describe it to you?

   Let's just say it's anything but safe.

Say what you want but one thing Aaliyah loved about being friends with the friends she had was that there was never a dull moment. Sure, there were times when getting caught wasn't the most ideal thing but it did make the experience worth it. At least it gave her something to tell her future grandkids about. It didn't matter what they were doing, or where they ended up, laughter to the point where your stomach would cave in pain was always included.

    "I think we should honestly incorporate solar panels."

    It came out loud and clear with Aaliyah who'd mentioned it, rested her back against the cool interior of the boat. With a straw hat shielding her face from the harsh UV light emitted from the sun, she could only adjust her legs as they felt as though they were about to fall asleep due to being in the same position for a couple of minutes. After all, she'd completely rid herself of a shirt which resulted in her revealing her bikini top, and opted for the shorts to stay on. Taking a small sip of her refreshing rose lemonade from the brand Fentimans (she'd managed to snag some before leaving for the Cut) she could only hold on to the boat with an empty hand as Pope made a sharp turn through the marsh.

   The marsh was oddly quiet for the day, judging since they'd just experienced a storm she'd be sure to see at least one or two fishermen riding along the waves in hopes of catching fish for a quick buck. But, no there wasn't any other sign of life besides them.

    "That's what I've been saying!" Agreed Kiara. She had her head resting against Aaliyah's shoulder and both girls showed no signs of them moving any time soon. "With the amount of sun we get every day, it should give someone an idea."

    "Let me show y'all a party trick." Stood JJ. A beer sits in his right hand. He lifts himself onto the deck of the boat. With the bottle in his hands, he lifts it only to pause. "Hey, Pope. Can you go a little faster?"

    He sighs at JJ. "Here we go. I'm moving."

    John B could only shake his head at JJ's never-ending antics. No matter how many times he attempted this trick of his it never worked, let alone showed any signs of working. "We've tried this like 6,000 times." He informs.

    "Let it go JJ. It's never gonna work." Agreed Aaliyah.

    "I got this. It's gonna work!" JJ screams over the wind, standing tall like a pirate overseeing the seas. "Watch me prove y'all wrong." JJ throws his head back, tilting the bottle for the liquid to fall back and down his open mouth. Which proved to be a horrible idea. The combination of wind and beer causes the sticky contents to start to fly behind him and in the direction of his groaning friends.

    "Oh my god, you're getting beer in my hair!" Kiara yells over the billowing wind. She shields her narrowed eyes, despising the feeling of liquid faintly drenching parts of her body.

    "Dude, watch it," Aaliyah mumbles, quickly moving out of the way so she wouldn't get any more beer on her.

    "Ok, alright. You're done." Pope and John B decide them, too, having moved away so that the beer bottle that JJ was spraying them with wouldn't land on them. "Alright, stop!"

    "I think he's having his Titanic moment—" Aaliyah's words are cut off by the violent impact of the boat which flings them jerking forward.

    JJ topples over into the body of water, sending his body flipping backward in the most uncomfortable way possible. A scraping noise rings in their ears, the dying motor coming to a low, intense hum until it dies out. Thankfully, Aaliyah was left in one piece. Her right hand gripped onto the metal handle, so that way she couldn't end up flipping over like JJ. That doesn't mean it didn't hurt when she fell to the boat's floor.

    "Jesus, Pope!" Kiara groans, looking around with slight pain in her features.

    "You guys okay? Liyah?" Pope slowly stands from his seat as a driver. Aaliyah could only blink slowly as she tried to process what just happened.

"I could've sworn that I was about to legit meet my maker." A breathy laugh escaped her lips as she hoisted herself up, not before groaning quietly. Pope's still staring at her, with worry. "I'm fine, nothing that I can't handle." She assured with a thumbs up. That made him breathe out with relief yet still didn't ease the panic within him. "You?"

"Perfect."

"You okay, JJ?"

Emerging from the water floats a shut-eyed, blond, his drenched hair circling his pained expression like a halo. "I think my heels touched the back of my head." He blinks with one eye-opener.

"Pope, what did you do?" JJ gasps. His gaze focuses solely on the clearer sky as he attempts to catch his breath as it was practically stolen from him.

"Sandbar." Pope answers, "The channel changed."

"No shit," JJ remarked in a sarcastic tone, using his arms to tread back into the direction of the boat.

"Ugh, this is probably going to mess this place up." John B mutters with a grimace. He glances at his surroundings, leaning just so he won't end up like his friend below.

"Hey, I saved the beer, though." JJ proudly announces only to receive an eye roll.

"Congrats, JJ."

"Guys... I think there's a boat down there." At his ominous tone, Aaliyah looks down. Aaliyah, soon enough gets up from where she sat and Pope who'd still been looking down at the water holds a hand out for her to take. Not saying much, she takes his hand and steps over to the end of the bow. Squinting her eyes she looks for whatever Pope claimed to see. With a shake of his head, he repeats himself. "No, no, guys. I'm serious. There's, there's like a, a boat down there. For real." He points towards a faint white shade amongst the brackish water.

"Wait, what..." Aaliyah mutters. Pope had been right. They were something in there. And whatever it was there was no telling what it might lead to. "There's a boat."

    "It's a boat!" Pope repeats.

    "What's a boat doing down there?" Questioned Aaliyah, who leans a bit more closer. Turning to face Pope, she adds. "Unless it got caught up in the storm."

    "I don't know. But we're about to find out, let's go!" Kiara quickly shimmies off her shorts.

John B's already one step ahead, rapidly throwing his shirt aside, before diving in. Aaliyah wastes no time in throwing off her shorts and straw hat, placing it to the side as she prepares to dive in after Kiara.

    "You think there's a dead body in there?" Pope inquires, an uneasy expression blossoming across his face. With the splash of Kiara's body hitting the water, there was only Aaliyah left on a boat with him.

    "Get your asses in here!" Kiara ordered.

    "C'mon, I'll protect you." Winked Aaliyah who lifts her body into the air, and with the curling of her knees to her chest, she dives in.

    "My hero."

Thankfully with the many swimming lessons she had to endure as a kid, swimming wasn't a chore. Even with the water burning her eyes, she swims deeper only to thrash backward when she meets the familiar sight of an enlarged pearly white boat rooted at the bottom. Feeling the air she had, dwindle further and further from her lungs, Aaliyah soon swam up for air.

Looking around, she wipes away the salty water from her face.

     "You guys saw that?" JJ questioned with a large amount of amazement that had everyone nodding. Once he got confirmation from the others he continued. "That's a Grady-White. A new one of those is like 500 Gs, easy." Everyone decides to head back on the boat to talk about what they'd just discovered. Gripping the handlebars, Aaliyah plops her tired body down.

"That's a primo rig," JJ informs.

"Yeah. That's the boat I saw when I surfed the surge." Revealed John B who failed to notice the shock that emitted from Kiara, "Maybe it hit the jetty or something."

"You surfed the surge?"

"That's my boy. Pogue style." JJ beams.

"More like being reckless but I digress." Added Aaliyah. She knew that it wasn't rare for surfers to attempt surfing a surge. She just found it incredibly reckless and dangerous to even consider doing it.

"Wait, wait." Pope starts. "Do we know whose boat it is?"

"No, we're about to find out." John B hastily replies, fussing around with the equipment they kept tucked away.

"We?" Aaliyah looked around making sure that she wasn't just hearing things. "We speaking French now?" Her brown eyes dart around the group. "If so you're fou."

"I don't think he's that advanced in foreign languages Aaliyah," Kiara informs while folding her arms. "He failed, twice remember?"

"Wow, Kie, you must not have faith in me."

    "Here's a bright idea." Suggests Aaliyah who couldn't help but have this deep feeling inside her, boiling from within the pit of her stomach to leave whatever they'd seen alone. A boat like — an expensive one at that wouldn't have been purposely sunken unless the person who did it wanted whatever was inside to be found. It was clear that whatever was down there was meant to stay there. The smartest thing they could do right now was leave and pretend as if it never happened. "How about we leave the boat alone and skedaddle? This is a clear sign that we should not mess with it. And by messing with it I mean you JJ."

   "She's right." Admits Pope who couldn't help but sigh. "Let's just leave this boat alone..."

*book ends and show ends*

"Why am I taking the blame? I didn't even say anything." Objects JJ. Turning his direction to John B, he couldn't help but point out the obvious. "Dude, it's too deep."

"Oh, for the weak and feeble, JJ." John B quips, lifting and carrying the heavy anchor over to the side of the boat. Aaliyah could sense Kiara's visible whip of distress.

"John B." She alerts.

    Aaliyah could only watch with a raised brow, the silence between them getting stronger. Kiara's irritated yet worrisome expression lingers in everyone's eyesight.

"What, Kiara." He shrugs, not seeing what he is attempting to do is more than just being fearless. It was stupid, if without the proper resources, and by the looks of things he didn't have it.

"Diver down, fool." Pope sighs, saluting in his direction.

"Just, don't die." Aaliyah follows the Pope's salute with one of her own. "Because if you do I'm putting, 'biggest idiot to have died by being a dumbass' on your headstone—"

Pope stops Aaliyah from what she is about to say, seeing that it'll only make Kiara more worried than she already is. John B. "Aaliyah, I will haunt you." It sounded serious but she was sure that he was only joking. "Alright, diver down—"

"Yeah, he is." JJ pushes him into the water.

With all four leaning over the edge, they peered down with anticipation and worry seeping into their bones. Several minutes had passed with John B. still not coming up and they were starting to get worried.

"Should we get him?" Pope asks. Aaliyah, at this point, was considering it, until the rippling of water grew stronger and it only took a second before the breathless presence of John B Routledge reappeared.

"Oh, my god. That took forever!" Was the first thing Kiara said, relief etching across her features.

"He lives!" Clapped Aaliyah.

"Any dead bodies?" Pope asks.

"Looting potential?"

"Can't we just leave this shit alone?" Suggests Aaliyah with a brow raised. She didn't like this. Not one bit.

"No, no." Blinked John B. "I found this motel key." His hands rise from the water to reveal a small key.

      "A key?"

      "Yes, Pope, a key."

      "Great. We salvaged a motel key!"

"A dingy ass key if you'll ask me." Crossing her arms, Aaliyah shakes her head at it. "The possibilities are endless."

"Guys, we should report the wreck to the Coast Guard." Suggested Kiara as the boat started running. "Maybe we'll get a finder's fee."

   "Yeah, and not work all summer." Adds JJ. "Thanks, Agatha, ya batch."

• • •

    Aaliyah waited outside with Pope and Kiara while John B and JJ went inside to speak with the Coast Guard. Whilst crossing her arms, a quiet wince couldn't escape her lips. Looking at her arm she noticed a small almost purplish bruise that formed from when she fell on the boat. Upon hearing her wince, Pope's eyes dart over to where she was looking at. "Let me see." Insisting on seeing the damage that he'd done. He turned it side to side gently and could only wince as if he could feel it himself. "Ouch. I'm sorry, Liyah."

    "It'll be fine." Dismissing his worry, she sits back. "Nothing a bit of ice can't help."

    John B and JJ eventually came back with the key still being there. "Well, that went well."  Pope sarcastically greets them.

    "So, what's the plan?" Asked JJ.

    "I think I know how we're gonna find the guy that owns the boat." John B stated.

    "No, no, we don't know whose room that is. It could belong to anyone." Pope objected.

    "I'm in." JJ simply stated and tossed the keys to Kiara.

    "Come on. I'll be look out." She teased and followed him down the dock.

    "I'm all for playing Inspector Gadget but I don't like this." Objects Aaliyah.

    John B patted Pope on the back. "Finders fee, just sayin. Hey, at least you'll only be an accomplice."

    He took off after the others. Aaliyah turned to Pope who appeared more than conflicted. "So much for staying out of trouble this summer."

   Pope sighed, "Whenever it comes to JJ and John B, we can never not stay out of trouble." Not saying anything else, he could only sigh once again as Aaliyah dragged him along.

    Aaliyah couldn't help but look around the battered motel with a slight grimace. The trees had been blown, and mattresses scattered around the already littered ground. JJ lets out a whistle. "I thought the Chateau looked bad."

    "This place is a shitshow." Agreed John B as he steered the boat closer.

    "Motel or meth lab?" Kiara looks around n with slight shock.

    "You be the judge."

    "Wouldn't be surprised if it's both." Muttered Aaliyah.

    "Doesn't look like the kind of place somebody with a Grady White would stay." Observed John B. How could someone who owned a boat like that live in a place like this? It couldn't have been possible.

    "No, looks like the type of place someone with a Grady White would get killed." Pope corrects.

   "I would not be surprised."

    "All right. Here we go. This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue coming in for landing," JJ announced as he pretended to speak through an intercom. "Whoo!"

    John B parked the boat to where the bow was above the grass, giving them an easy space to get in and get out. JJ hopped off and tied it down. "We good?"

    "Yeah, we're good."

    "All right, here goes nothing."

     "Hey." Pope stopped John B before he could leave. He points in JJ's direction. "Don't let him do anything stupid."

    "Oh, we will," JJ confirmed with a sly grin and Aaliyah could only rub her temples.

    "Most importantly, don't let JJ take anything," Aaliyah adds with a knowing look.

    "I'm not making promises." Replied John B.

    Kiara stood in front of John B and handed him the key. With her gaze on the motel, she looks back at him. "Uh, be careful," she said with a soft voice. "I mean it."

   Pope and Aaliyah glanced at each other. JJ gave them the side eye. John B muttered a quick yeah and the two boys made their way to the motel. Kiara turned around and was faced with Aaliyah who had her arms crossed. "What?"

    "Oh, be careful John B." Aaliyah mimicked very dramatically, leaning back and placing a hand over her chest. "Please be safe! Can you make it less obvious?"

    Pope attempted to hold back his laughter but failed. Rolling her eyes, Kiara playfully pushed Aaliyah out of the way. "Shut up."

    They sat around for a while waiting for them to come out of the motel. Aaliyah couldn't help but get nervous. "I really hope that they're not being idiots up there." She muttered. "And this is still stupid."

"It's stupid but who knows what we could get out of it." Assured Kiara. Even that didn't sound too hopeful coming from her lips.

"I'd rather not face potential death. But that's just me." Shrugs Pope. His eyes looked and widened when he saw a cop car pulling into the parking lot of the motel. "Hey, hey, cops." He announced and slowly got up.

"Shit." Cursed Kiara.

"Call them."

"I can't. Towers are down."

"If I lose my Merit Scholarship, I'm gonna kill someone."

"The only option we have is to lay low and not make a single peep." Whispered Aaliyah as they got off the boat, quickly ducking behind the motel sign that had fallen.

"Maybe they're not going up there," Pope suggested. "Maybe they're just looking for a room."

"They're going up there!" Kiara panicked.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Aaliyah curses in a panic and they immediately race to the other side of the motel.

"Okay, do something. Do something." Kiara breathed out.

Pope picked up a rock from the ground. "Okay, stand back." He instructs.

The two girls stood back as he reached back and threw the rock, only for it to miss completely. "Didn't you ever play baseball?" Kiara gave him a disgruntled expression. "Dude!"

"I was on the math team!"

Finding it pointless, Aaliyah held her hand out to stop them. "Thankfully I play softball." Bending down, she picks up a rock and aims. Throwing it with a great amount of force, she could only let out a content sigh as it hit the window perfectly.

"A mathlete?"

"You know what—"

"Shut up! Neither of you is helping right now." Hissed Aaliyah as she continued to pick up and throw rocks at the window.

    Aaliyah threw one more rock and successfully hit it against the window. John B's head peeled from under the blinds and the three immediately pointed to the side of the motel. "Cops! Cops!" The mouthed.

    His head disappeared and the three he immediately ran back to the boat. Kiara got behind the wheel as Aaliyah and Pope ducked down behind the bow. "Should we peel?" She inquired.

    "No, as much as they give us headaches we are not leaving them." Aaliyah objects with a shake of her head.

    Pope looked back at Kiara. "We never leave a Pogue behind." He agreed.

   They watched John B and JJ climb out of the motel window and quickly hide behind the brick ledges. With their bodies pressed against the wall in an attempt to hide themselves and also not to fall. Aaliyah had been in many scenarios where it's often stressful but this... it takes the cake.

    "No, seriously, should we peel?" Kiara asked again she began to panic.

    "I don't know."

    "Maybe."

    John B and JJ stayed still as Pope waved his arms, in an attempt to gain their attention. "What are you guys doing?" He mouthed.

    John B pressed his finger to his lips, telling him to keep quiet. JJ laughed quietly from his spot and it made Aaliyah want to drop kick him right then and there. "Jesus Christ, JJ."

    JJ shifts himself which caused something to fall out of his back pocket and hit the shillings on the side of the motel... loudly. Aaliyah visibly cringes and wants to kill him right then and there. "He can't be serious."

    Aaliyah could only hold a look away from the motel and pretend as though she was engaging in a serious conversation with Kiara and Pope as the blinds opened revealing Officer Shoupe. What felt like hours turned into minutes as both he and another officer left the room with a duffel bag.

    John B and JJ quickly came back to the boat and they took off back into the marsh. So much for being quiet. "Well, that was fun," The blonde commented with a great amount of enthusiasm that was worrying. "Could've warned us a little sooner."

    Aaliyah raised a brow. "Fun? I damn near got a heart attack."

    "We would have except Pope was on the math team." Explained Kiara.

    "You were on the math team?" John B inquired with a brow raised.

    "The cops took everything like it was a crime scene."

    "Did you guys find anything?" Asks Aaliyah who hoped that all that stress she went through wasn't for nothing. "And by anything, I mean clues and not stealing."

    "Did we find anything?" JJ repeated and sat up. He reached into his back pockets and pulled out a black gun and a wad of cash. "No, I don't think so... oh yeah, we did."

    "What the hell?" Yelled Pope. This was bad... really bad. Taking money was one thing, but taking a gun was beyond dangerous.

"I told you not to take anything JJ. Are you kidding me? This is bad!" Aaliyah was starting to panic. "A gun? Really?"

    "Why would you take that from a crime scene?" Pope questioned with a perplexed gaze.

    "It's better than the cops having it!"

    "That's an even greater reason for them to have it." Raising her hands, Aaliyah eventually rubs her temples. "This can't be happening? Please tell me that I'm dreaming."

    "I'm gonna lose my Merit Scholarship."

    "Hey, hey, hey. Sh, sh, sh," JJ whispered, wrapping his arm around the back of Pope's neck, waving the gun carelessly. "At least you have us, right?"

    "I'm living the nightmare," Pope muttered.

    Aaliyah could only rub Pope's hand assuringly. "It'll be okay."

    Eventually, they made it down to the marina only to watch as the coast guards carried a body on the stretcher. Gray, withered and cold to the touch, a woman that Aaliyah recognized as Lana Grubbs stood by, a heart-wrenching sob escaping her lips. Aaliyah sat on top of the giant cooler with her legs crossed, watching intensely with everyone else. John B was sat next to her. "Who's that?" He voiced out referring to the body on the stretcher.

    "It's Scooter Grubbs," Peeler answered. "He was out during the storm. Check out this pic I got." She took out her phone and showed them. "Dead body."

"I don't like this." Muttered Aaliyah.

"What kind of boat did he have?" JJ asked.

"Somehow, that dirtbag copped a brand new Grady White. Everyone's out looking for it." Peeler explained.

That caused the group of friends to exchange looks. Aaliyah glanced at Pope with wide eyes. They were now officially part of a crime investigation. Unwillingly too. The only question is who killed him and why.

AUTHOR'S NOTE.
Pope and Aaliyah being the only ones with common sense. If you can't tell by now they're gonna be stressed.