The group all shared a smile  and then JJ turned away , clicking his lighter. Just as he blew some smoke out, they all heard the sound of a car approaching.

"Code Red. Code red. Square Groupers. Square groupers." They all turned to look at JJ and then turned to run. "It's the guys that robbed your house."

June guessed that the square groupers were the scary guys who were chasing  John B around town. She quickly clicked her flashlight off and pressed herself against the wall.

"John B turn your light off!" Kie  whisper yelled. He tried to stick the lantern under his shirt but it wouldn't fit. They all looked at each other as the headlights shined on the tomb and then they heard the sounds of people speaking.

"Is it them?" June asked, trying to control her rampant breathing.

"Homies got a gun." JJ answered. June pressed her back against the tomb again, trying to figure out what to do.

" Screw this." Kie said. They all started running away towards the van, prompting June to follow them. Her lungs felt like they were going to collapse as she went full speed after them. The whole group started jumping onto the gate and June's eyes widened.

"What the hell." She said to herself as she made the jump, reaching the top with her hands and pulling herself over.

"Guys shit. Guys I'm stuck. I'm stuck." Pope called to them.

"Come on man." JJ called. He pulled out his gun as John B and Kie went to grab Pope. "No Pope don't move okay." JJ said pointing the gun at Pope. John B walked over and pushed the gun down as June ran over to help Kie get Pope down.

"You're gonna rip me . You're gonna rip me." Pope kept saying as Kie and June pulled him down by his shirt.

"Come on come on."  June yelled as he got down, his pants hanging on the gate. She laughed as Pope ran, covering his front side.

"Nice! Come on dude. It's a little tootsie roll!" June burst out into laughter again at JJ's comment and almost fell getting into the van.

"Come on." JJ said, grabbing her by her shirt and pulling her into the van. They all laughed for a minute before realizing what they had found.

June was bent over in her seat, still trying to catch her breath .

"Shit guys. Do you guys run that much on the usual? Because I don't know if I'm gonna be able to do this then." They all started laughing again as JJ pat her back.

"Take it easy Carly. I forgot that you don't have anything to run from out there with the kooks." June rolled her eyes at the nickname, shrugging his hand off her back.

"I've never ran like that in my life." June commented, holding her side from the lack of breath and her exhaustion.

"Well get used to it. It happens a lot more around us than you would think."  John B said. June chuckled a little before sitting back to enjoy the ride. The five of them  buzzed about their discovery all the way back to John B's place.

When she got there John B invited her to sit on the couch which she gladly accepted. JJ grabbed the loaf of bread from the counter and started putting peanut butter on it.

"That bread had mold on it three days ago." Pope said, turning away so he didn't have to look at the disgusting sight.

"I'll just pull off the bad parts. Besides mold is good for you. It's just a natural organism.  You want one Carly?" JJ asked, holding the sandwich up.

"Ew."

"JJ! June! " Kie said, taking his attention away from June and onto John and package. June stood from the couch, making her way over to them.

"Yep yep. Hot damn, let's do it." JJ came with his sandwich as John B pulled the package apart. He took a bite and then immediately gagged, but no one seemed to care as he turned away to spit it out.

John B pulled the paper out of the package and unfolded it, causing everyone's eyes to widen.

"What is it?" June asked.

"Holy shit." John B said, staring at the map in awe.

"Ope x marks the spot." Pope says, pointing to the big black x on the map of the outer banks. June was definitely the most confused out of them, this being her first time really being part of their process.June turns her head, to get a full view of the map and then asks, "Whats at x though?"  

"I don't know. Longitude ,latitude. Wait there's something else in there." John B says as he reached his hand under the map and pulls out a tape recorder.

"What's that?" JJ asks.

"It's a tape recorder, dumbass." Kie answers. June can't help but laugh at that and JJ gives her a playful glare which only makes it funnier.  John B pressed the play button on the recorder  and they all fell silent.

"Dear bird."

"Who's bird?" JJ asks the questioning they're all wondering.

"That's what my dad used to call me."

They all stood there in silence, listening to Big John explain the map and that he found the Royal Merchant. As soon as the recording stops, John B stands, lets out a long  sigh and then stumbles into the doorway. June can hear his sobs from  where she's standing but has no idea what to do to comfort him. They had only been friends for a day.

"Holy shit! He did it." JJ said, grabbing June's shoulders and slightly shaking her. "Big John he- he found the Merchant."  He had a huge grin on his face until he follows June's eyes to John B who was really struggling in the corner.

"Can you...can you please?"Kie tried to stop his excitement and get him to realize and actually see what was going on in the situation.

"Sorry." He said, letting go of June's shoulders and turning towards John B. Kie walked over and gave him a hug, trying to let him know that she was there.

June headed out into the front porch not really wanting to interrupt  the moment between the group of friends. She knew it wasn't really her place yet.

A few minutes later they all joined her there.

"Come on June. We're heading for the docks." She stood and followed after them as they all walked in silence. Kie has he ukulele in hand and strayers strumming it as they all sat around the dock. June had her back leaned against the rail, her legs crossed as they all just sat in peace. She brought the beer in her hand to her lips, smiling into the beverage.She glanced around at them all as JJ started talking about the gold and how they would split it. She tuned out the conversation, just focusing on the four very very unique people she had run around with all night.

For a while it was nice to just forget about the kooks and the Pogues and Zach and his  problems and his begging. To forget about the things she needed to do to fit in and the certain way she had to act. It was nice to forget  and actually have fun for once. She could easily admit that this night, despite the challenges and the sadness had been one of the best nights she'd ever had. She wanted more. More adventure. June wanted to be a part of this all.  Not for the money. For them.

"What are you gonna do JB?" Pope asked which made June finally tune in.  He sat there for a second before turning back to them and raising his beer.

"To going full kook."

"To going full kook." They all chimed in, pitting their beers together. June stayed back and let them have their moment, but Pope turned his head and gestures her over.

"Come on June. You may already be a kook but you can still get in on this action." June smiled and leaned towards them with her beer, pulling it back and chugging it.

"Holy shit Carly." JJ laughed , everyone else joining in.

"Alright JJ. Enough with the Carly." June said, throwing her empty can at his head. He dodged it and threw his back at her, even though it was still half full.

"JJ! Not cool!"  June said, pulling herself up.

"Oh shit dude you better run." John B said immediately laughing after. JJ laughed too but then he saw the glare June was sending him and he stood up, putting his hands up.

"Alright Carly. Calm yourse-" Before he finished the word he took off running, yelling like a maniac with his arms flailing. June took this as an invitation to chase him and she sprinted after him, laughing.

Kie started chanting for June and the other two joined in and JJ continued to run around the yard.  June came up with an idea and hid beside an overturned tree, waiting for him to run by. She heard his footsteps and jumped out. Unfortunately this didn't end well for either of them because he ran into her, arms flailing.  The both fell to the ground , groaning beside each other.

"Ohhh that had to hurt. You guys alright?" Pope called from  where he was sitting. John B and Kie were too busy laughing  to even care about their responses.

"We're good." JJ wheezed out.  June turned over onto her side to look at him, watching as he just laid there, looking straight up at the stars.

"I guess I got you." June said, sitting up from her spot on the  ground.

"I don't know Carly. I think I might have gotten you."  He sat up too, looking at her with a  little grin.  She hit him on the chest as he said the nickname but he caught her hand when she pulled away.

"I hate that name."  She said, trying to ignore the grip that he had on her hand.

"Makes me like it even more." JJ and June looked at each other for a second, neither of them knowing what to say next. June was internally freaking out over JJs grip on her hand but JJ didn't even seem to notice. Oh he definitely noticed.  He pushed a stray hair behind her ear for her as they both just returned soft smiles.

"Are y'all coming back or what?" John B called, breaking both of them out of their thoughts. JJ stood, pulling her with him by her hand and then letting it go when she was up.

"Right." He said, before turning back to the group.
June stood there for an extra minute, trying to think or plan or even wrap her head around anything that had happened that day. But she just could not seem to come up with anything other than the fact that she liked it when she was around them.