——

Emelina stepped out of the market with one cold water bottle in one hand and the other holding an unopened candy bar. She paused briefly, going through her bag to fetch her sunglasses. Instead of staying home on her day off from work, she took a stroll downtown, but the gleaming hot sun made her want to return to her air-conditioned house.

She heard a whistle that made her stop dead in her tracks after she retrieved her sunglasses. The sound of a loud engine had her turn her head, and she saw an unfamiliar beaten-up van.

She noticed JJ's head peaking out from the unrolled window and she had the urge to groan on the spot. "Can I go one day without seeing your face?" she called out.

"That's too bad, princess. You'd miss this face," he replied with a smirk. Emelina pursed her lips when he called her princess. She didn't like it.

She walked closer to the van and found John B in the driver's seat. "What are you guys doing all the way over here?"

"We're on our way to someone's house, and John B had to stop when he saw you," JJ replied, making sure his rolled eyes were noticeable. "Do you want to come?" John B asked with a smile.

"Dude..." JJ turned his head with a disapproving look. Emelina saw his reaction and that only made her want to aggravate him more. She smiled warmly, "I would love to join you two."

She slid the side door open, shutting it once she got in, and took a seat, trying to ignore the garbage near her feet. "This is, um, comforting." she chuckled lightly.

"Meet Twinkie."

"Twinkie?" Emelina laughed at the silly name, but they were dead on serious. "Don't laugh at Twinkie." JJ defended the van and she couldn't help but let out another laugh at the way he said it.

"Anyway, whose house are we going to?" she asked once her laughter died down. "Ms. Lana. You know her?" John B asked, moving his head slightly to the right to get a view of her before turning his gaze back on the road.

"I've heard of her. Never met, though. Why are we stopping by her house?" she inquired, opening her candy bar. "Anyone want a piece?"

JJ took the candy bar from her fingertips, breaking some pieces for himself and for John B. By the time it came back to her, she had only about a bite left. "Thanks." she quietly murmured with a straight face. She took a mental note to never share food with them again.

As John B took a bite of his piece of candy, he replied to her, "We want to know why her husband had my father's compass. She's the only lead we've got so far."

JJ grabbed the compass out of curiosity from the dashboard, and John B automatically reached over to snatch it from him. "Hey, don't—"

"I was just looking at it!" JJ pushed his friend's arm away to keep the compass in place securely. The compass glinted a bit from the sunlight, and JJ observed it. "I gotta admit, your father's compass in Scooter's boat, that's freaky."

"Yeah. That's why we're going to talk to Ms. Lana, figure this whole thing out." John B repeated, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Do you even think she wants to talk to us...?" Emelina questioned, looking around the van once more. She could already tell many memories were made here, and she hoped she could now be a part of them.

"Mmh," JJ agreed, "I'm sure she would just love to talk to us. It's not like her husband just drowned or anything." He put his feet up on the dashboard and Emelina scrunched her nose in disgust at the sight of it, but didn't make a comment.

'Welcome to Tree Spirit Your Reiki Head-Quarters' was read on a signed wooden panel nailed on a brick column. They were at their destination, so when John B parked, they all climbed out of the van.

A very colorful house was in view, covered by trees and other unkept plants. Emelina walked next to John B, and JJ was ahead of them. The sound of seabirds' calling made the environment a little more peaceful to her.

"Know what this house looks like?" JJ asked, turning his head slightly to the left and he slowed down his pace for the two to catch up to him, "Whoever lives here smokes too much weed."

Something she could use right now.

John B mimicked smoking a joint, but each of them stopped walking when the sound of glass smashing erupted into their ears. Smashing and yelling came from the colorful house, which was ironic. John B put his finger up, motioning JJ and Emelina to stay put. "Bullshit." She heard a male voice shout.

"Maybe we should come back. It's a little too soon." JJ pointed out, giving the house a skeptical glance.

"No, no, shut up. Shut up, JJ." John B waved his hand up and inched closer to the house. Emelina was curious but didn't want to intrude on something she shouldn't. Nonetheless, she stayed close to John B and followed his lead.

"Tell me where it is, or I'll fuck you up." A man's voice echoed. "I'll sink you in the fucking—" There was a loud crash, and all three of them ducked at the sound of it. "You're hurting me!" A female, Ms. Lana, Emelina concluded, voice struck out.

"I—"

"Shut up." John B told JJ again, "Come on... come on." he repeated when neither of them moved closer. "John B, I don't think this is a good idea." Emelina spoke and JJ nodded, "Exactly. You should listen to her."

Emelina rolled her eyes, but John B pretended not to listen to them and slowly made his way to the house. They sprinted to the side of the house, staying underneath a window.

"Where the fuck is it, you bitch?" The man said, and hushed sobs came from Ms. Lana, "I don't know!"

John B tried to peek his head through the window, but JJ yanked him down. "You—" he motioned his friend to keep quiet. "Still think we should stay?" JJ whispered.

Emelina closed her eyes, keeping her breathing and heart rate at ease. Her back was now pressed against the wall, and she was between the two boys. The screams from Ms. Lana made her very nervous, but the men kept shouting for answers.

The actual time she tries to please Kiara by hanging out with her two friends, danger follows. It started to seem like a routine.

There was a loud thumping noise. "The compass wasn't in the boat! Where is it, Lana?"

Glass smashes, and particles fall on their heads. Emelina flinched, picking up white chipped paint that flew its way on her hair. She turned her head, finding JJ closing his eyes and his head downwards. "Don't listen," he muttered to himself.

She frowned, picking up the puzzle pieces that this intrusion was affecting him. "Is that paint?" JJ opened his eyes, looking up. "Yeah, it's paint," Emelina answered, flicking a piece away with her finger.

"Let's get the hell outta here, man."

John B crouched down and walked over to the corner of the house. "We should just go. He's got a smuggler... smuggler written all over him." JJ said.

"Shut up."

Emelina and JJ follow John B's lead again, but then John B held them back, pushing them against the wall to be out of sight. "Shut up. Shut up." John B whispered. Lana's sobbing and whimpering only made Emelina's heart sink more and more.

"Um, guys... those are the men at shot at us." Emelina looked at the boat she recognized. "Go back, go back, go back." John B instructed them, and they were away from the corner so the men couldn't catch them.

Once the men drove away in their boat, John B went forward and toward the front of the house. She went to mimic his actions, but she noticed JJ going back to sitting form. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was unsteady.

Emelina crouched down to his level, tilting her head a little to get a better view of him. "Are you okay?" she asked gently.

His bright blue eyes opened, soaring into her hazel ones. For a moment, they just stared at each other with no movement. Then, he turned his head and hid his pained facial expression. "What do you care?" he asked in a harsh tone, getting up from his position.

"I don't," she replied almost too quickly. She got up as well, following after him. "Listen, JJ—"

He turned around so fast that she almost bumped into him. "No, you listen. Why are you here? Are you suddenly interested because of the money? You don't give a damn about us. You're just a greedy Kook. You're all the same."

Her eyes were now glaring into his. She was furious; how could he make assumptions about her just like that? "I don't want the money, JJ," she told him, her chest heaving up and down from frustration.

She couldn't see how Kiara was so fond of him. Kiara always had stories and even claimed they were nice and that she would like them if she tried to get to know them, but none of them added up to JJ. He was straight up the opposite.

"Then why are you here?" he repeated the question with a clenched jaw.

"Guys? Let's go." John B appeared from the corner. Emelina pushed past JJ, hitting his shoulder with hers in the process. She entered the home, nearly gasping at the mess the men had made. Broken glass, torn up furniture, papers dispersed.

"Ms. Lana?" John B called out. "Ms. Lana," he said, this time worried. Ms. Lana was sobbing on the floor in her small half-bathroom. All three of them run to her rescue.

"Hey, are you alright?" Emelina asked, kneeling next to her and searching for any injuries. "It's okay. You're safe now," she told her in a soothing voice.

Ms. Lana shook in fear, gasping at them all. "Dude, she's tweaking," JJ commented.

"Do you need a doctor?" John B asked. He turned to JJ, "Let's call the sheriff's department."

"No, no, no cops, please!" Ms. Lana pleaded, more tears streaming down her face. "Mm. That's not good. Come on, let's just go." JJ grabbed John B's arm, but John B pulled it back down and returned his attention to the shaken-up woman.

"You shouldn't be here." She looked at Emelina then John B. "That's enough for me. Come on." JJ started to leave but John B pulled him back. "Wait. Wait..."

"What do you know about these guys?" John B egged on. "They were looking for something..." Ms. Lana answered.

John B pulled the compass from his pocket, "Does it have anything to do with this? Do you know anything about this?"

Ms. Lana's color on her face grew pale, and her sad expression dropped. "This is my father's, and Scooter had it. Why?" John B inquired.

"Scooter didn't have it, okay? Don't tell anyone you have it. They can't know!"

"Why?"

"You've gotta get out of here!" Ms. Lana wailed, but that only made John B more curious. "What do you know about the compass?!"

"John B, I think we should leave." Emelina returned to standing up, trying to tug John B away with the help of JJ. "Go! Get out!" Ms. Lana screeched.