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Eli, Pope, and Kie watched as John B and JJ attempted to talk to the coast guards, Eli snorting as John B was shut down in favour of a dog who supposedly had diabetes. Why was that even being reported to the coast guard?

“Well, that went well,” Pope let out as John B and JJ came back.

“So, what’s the plan?” Eli questioned as she leaned against the wooden post, looking between the two boys. 

John B pondered for a few moments, fidgeting with the motel key in his hand. “I think I know how we’re gonna find the guy who owns that boat.”

“We don’t know whose room that is,” Pope said as he threw out his hands. “It could be anyone.”

“I’m in,” JJ cut off, grabbing the key and throwing it towards Kie who caught it with a smile.

“Come on.” Kiara tried to convince as she began to walk off with JJ. “I’ll keep lookout.”

“I’m sure it’ll be alright, Pope,” Eli added with a smile, hand resting on his shoulder as she gently tried to steer him. “What could go wrong?”

“Finder’s fee. Just sayin’,” John B said with a shrug. “And hey, at least you’ll only be an accomplice.”

Eli gently pushed Pope towards John B with both hands, laughing as he groaned before finally following the others. 

The group hastily made their way to the motel on the HMS Pogue, full of excitement over the mini mystery they had stumbled upon. 

Eli grimaced as her eyes fell on the run down building. She had thought it looked bad from a distance, but the closer they got, the worse it appeared.

JJ whistled as the HMS Pogue glided close to the bank. “I thought the Chateau looked bad.”

“This place is a shitshow.”

“Motel, or meth lab?” Kie joked, to which Eli laughed. 

“You be the judge,” Pope muttered as he steered closer to the bank, clearly still not happy about being here.

“Doesn’t look like a place somebody with a Grady-White stays.” John B pointed out. 

“No. Looks like a place someone with a Grady-White would get killed.” Pope added.

“Alright, here we go,” JJ spoke as he grabbed the rope, getting ready to put on his announcer voice. “This is your captain speaking. HMS Pogue comin’ in for landing.” He jumped onto the grass with a holler, immediately working to secure the boat in place. 

“Alright. Here we go.” John B said as he also got off the boat. He turned to face the remaining pogues in the boat. “Anyone else coming?” 

Eli threw her hand in the air. “You know what, I’m feeling adventurous today,” she announced.

“Attagirl,” John B responded with a smile as he held out his hand, which Eli graciously accepted as she carefully stepped out of the boat.

“Hey,” Pope called out as he looked between John B and Eli. “Don’t let him-” he pointed at JJ. “-do anything stupid.” 

John B took one look at JJ before looking back. “I’m not making promises.” 

“Yeah,” Eli added. “Stupid is his middle name. JJ Stupid Maybank.” 

“You wound me, El,” JJ said with a nod. “I’ll remember that.”

“Yeah, yeah, you big baby,” Eli teased as she jumped onto his back with her arms around his neck, with the blonde laughing and instinctively grabbing onto her thighs so she wouldn't slip.

Be careful,” Kie said as she handed the motel key to John B. “I mean it.”

Eli raised a brow as she watched the interaction, whilst slowly getting off of JJ. She turned to the blonde, to see that he also had a look of confusion on his face. The two waited for John B to take the lead before following him towards the motel. 

“Why are all these mattresses out?” John B questioned as they walked past several of them. They had certainly seen better days.

“After a hurricane, they ditch ‘em cause they’re all mouldy,” JJ enlightened as they made their way up the stairs. The blonde boy suddenly slung an arm around John B, his other hand grasping his face. “Just be so careful, John B.”

Eli snorted as John B flung JJ off him, shuddering as he put some distance between them. “God, you’re so weird.” 

“What the heck was that about?” JJ prodded, desperately needing some answers. 

“I don’t know.” John B defended. “Maybe she wants us to be careful.”

“Well actually,” Eli countered, with a growing grin, “she only told you to be careful.”

JJ nodded and pointed at Eli. “See! Ever since she heard you’re being threatened with exile, she’s been, like-” JJ cleared his throat as he suddenly began to massage John B’s shoulders. “‘Oh! Be so careful, John B’,” he continued with a fake feminine voice. 

“Get off,” the other boy muttered as he shrugged him off.

“‘Oh, give me that John D already.’ When are you gonna swoop on that, man?”

“Bro, you know the rule. No Pogue-on-Pogue macking.”

The girl sighed to herself as she stood slowed down for a moment. Right. The rule.

“Besides,” John B added. “You’re the one always hitting on her.”

JJ scoffed. “Of course I’m hitting on her. She’s a super hot, rich, hippie chick slumming with us. Why? I can’t figure it out either, but who cares, bro? I know that door’s locked cause I tried it. Have you?”

An uncomfortable feeling settled in Eli’s stomach as she listened to JJ talk, slowly trudging behind the pair. She knew what it was, cause she was used to it. Jealousy. And a little bit of heartbreak. 

“You need help,” John B said as he pointed at the blonde. “Not a little help, you need a lot of help. It’s like every girl who just has a heartbeat, you’re like… ‘ughh’.” 

Eli raised her brow. “What.. does that even mean?” she questioned, to which the boy shrugged. 

“What? It’s not a big deal,” JJ defended. 

“Twenty-nine,” Eli cut off as she walked past them and approached the door. “That’s us.”

JJ performed a series of knocks on the door. “Housekeeping!” he called out in a high-pitched voice, causing Eli to snicker to herself. He moved over to the window and continued to knock.

“Should we try it?” John B questioned as he held the key close to the lock.

“Yeah.”

Eli kept a look out as John B shoved the key into the lock, conscious of the workers who were just a stone's throw away.

“No power. No security cameras. No one’s gonna know.”

“Maybe don’t say that out loud, JJ,” Eli whispered as they piled into the room one by one.

“Huh. Okay,” John B began as he closed the door behind them. Eli took in the state of the room, mentally noting how things were positioned. 

“Check the bag,” JJ said as he gestured towards the bag on the closest bed to the door, before going through the pile of clothes on the side of the room.  “See if there’s a name on there somewhere.” 

Eli nodded at John B to open the bag. She definitely didn’t wanna touch anything in this room. She’d probably catch 12 different kinds of diseases. Eli shuddered at the thought. 

“A jacket.”

“Denim slides.”

“No name on the jacket. It’s a nice jacket, though.”

“Definitely over 50,” John B revealed as he continued to rummage through the bag. “He’s got New Balances.”

Eli continued to walk around the room, peering at the random notes and objects left out and about. She still refused to touch anything. 

“Yo, guys, come here.” JJ called, causing John B and Eli to turn their heads toward him. The boy was leaning over the bedside table, flashlight focused on a sticky note stuck to a map. “Maybe this is where they were fishing.”

Eli and John B approached the boy, with John B lightly nudging the blonde out of the way. 

“Lemme see.”

“Right there,” JJ pointed.

“No, that’s off the continental shelf.” John B pointed out. “That’s the Big Swell. Nobody fishes there.”

“What’s that?” Eli questioned as she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from below the map. “There’s a bunch of random numbers on here.”

The trio resumed their search around the room, determined to find something that would give answers to their questions. They still didn’t know who owned the Grady-White. 

“Coffee machine.”

“Yeah. Standard.” JJ said as he moved the flashlight around the room. “Tissues for when you get lonely..”

“Gross, JJ,” Eli complained with a look of disgust.

“Oo!” JJ suddenly called out as he wandered into the bathroom.

“Find anything?” John B questioned. 

“A really awesome Dopp kit you won’t let me steal.”

“I’m glad you’re aware,” Eli countered as she shook her head.

“Yeah, cause we’re not stealin’ shit,” John B added.

The girl watched as John B attempted to get into the safe, brows furrowed in disbelief as he punched in the number 1 multiple times, before ending with a 2. 

“Did you really think that would work?” Eli questioned as she stared at the boy.

“Wait a second,” John B talked to himself as he grabbed the sheet of paper from before, with the random numbers. 

“I don’t know,” JJ suddenly started talking as he stared at the map again. Eli walked over to him in interest.

“What don’t you know?” she queried.

“I don’t know about the second one,” he said as he pointed at the coordinates. “These coordinates, they- wait,” he cut off, as if he had a lightbulb moment. “My cousin said you could catch a swordfish here.” He paused for a moment. “Nah, that wouldn’t make sense.” 

Eli let out a laugh. “Are you just spitballin' right now?”

“Okay, what about a surf spot?” he questioned as he looked up at Eli. “That could possibly be it.” 

“That’s more-”

“Holy shit.” Eli turned to face John B, only to find that the safe had been opened.  “Uh, guys? You’re gonna wanna see this.”

The girl’s jaw dropped as her eyes fell on the stack of cash in John B’s hand, jaw dropping further as she noticed a gun in the safe. “What the fuck.”

“Wait!” Eli yelled as JJ reached for the gun, groaning as the boy casually picked it up.

“You.. grabbed the gun,” John B trailed off with a disappointed sigh. 

“This is a SIG Sauer!” JJ tried to reason, but John B and Eli were having none of it. 

“Put the gun back, JJ!”

“This is a fucking spendy gatt, man! Just.. Bam! Bam!” he pretended to shoot. “Bam! Bam!”

Eli had her head in her hands. She wanted to cry. “Pope is gonna kill us.”

“We’re not stealing anything!” 

“Okay, just take a pic of me,” the blonde requested as he struck a pose with the gun.

“You want us to take a picture of you?” John B questioned with an incredulous look. “Make our own incriminating evidence. Is that what you’re talking about?”

The sound of light taps on the window caught their attention. “Wait, what was that?”

 The trio hurried over to the window to inspect. John B pulled down the blinds, only to find Kie and Pope urgently jumping and pointing towards the entrance of the motel. 

John B rushed over to the other wall to look out the other window, only for curses to fall from his mouth. “Cops.”

A series of knocks on the motel door sent the trio scrambling.

“Shit.”

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Jealous Eli teehee.

thank you for 150 reads! <3

Nova x