𝐁𝐀𝐁𝐘, 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐖𝐀𝐘
-
𝖡𝗂𝗀 𝖬𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗂𝗇

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 up outside a large hotel, somewhere the kids still couldn't believe that JJ worked at.

"JJ?" Star stepped out of the Twinkie, sticking her head through the open window "Put the fucking gun back, now!" she told the blonde who held the gun in his hands.

"But...protection?" JJ whined, holding up the gun in his right hand towards the girl, being careful not to point it at her.

"Yeah." Pope leaned his arm against the girls shoulder "I predict that bringing a weapon to a four star hotel will likely cause more problems than they solve."

JJ looked at the boy and then to Star who only just raised her eyebrows as if to say 'told you so'.

"Thank you, Pope." John B and Star huffed at the same time.

Kiara stuck her head in between the two font seats "I swear to god i'm gonna throw that thing in the ocean JJ, put it back!"

John B quickly snatched the gun from the boys hand and put it away.

"Dude, you can't grab a gun like that." JJ told the brunette. "Oh! I can't forget my badge." the blonde remembered as Star opened the door for him.

"I still find it hard to believe that you actually work here." Star looked JJ as he hopped out the Twinkie, and then looked up at the fancy hotel.

"Professional busboy!" JJ held his badge up proudly.

"Where are we going now?" Pope asked as the five followed JJ to the hotel.

"We're getting on the internet." JJ explained "Because only rich people have electricity right now."

"This way!" JJ pointed his arm forward while taking his other arm and putting it on the small of Star's back, bringing them in the side door of the hotel.

JJ now held Star's hand from behind, leading the girl and the rest of the group through the very busy, very hot and steaming kitchen, greeting everyone as he went by.

"Mama L, good to see you." JJ spoke to an elderly chef, sneaking his fingers into the bowl of prawns, attempting to steal one, only to be scolded by the woman and for his hand to be quickly slapped away.

"No JJ!" The Italian woman scolded the young boy.

"Jeez." The blonde mumbled, rubbing his hand "She loves me really."

Star rolled her eyes "Sure she does." The girl chuckled as the blonde led them through the hotel hallways.

JJ stopped in front of a white glass stained door, gazing around to make sure no one was watching before directing his friends into the room.

"Sweet lord the internet!" Pope beamed and almost pushed Star to the ground as he ran over to the computer, and in no time sitting on the spiny chair and logging on.

Star followed the boy, sitting on the other chair beside him before anyone else could and rolling closer towards the boy, only stopping once she saw Kiara had nowhere to sit. And without even having to say anything the curly haired girl plopped herself onto Star's lap with a smile.

"Wait, move." JJ tried to roll the girls chair away "I gotta check out my insta models."

"We don't have time for that, idiot." Star rolled her eyes at the boy.

"I was gonna check your's out first." He mumbled to himself so the girl couldn't hear.

"I got the map!" John B explained, placing the map on the desk beside the boy.

"Coordinates, please?" Pope asked.

"34 57' 30 north." John B read them out to the boy as Pope typed them in "75 55' 42 west."

They all watched the screen as the digital globe zoomed in, Star watching in slight confusion, not knowing what was really being said.

"Continental shelf right there." John B stated.

"well, if it's off the deep end it's not gonna be much of a treasure hunt, is it?" Pope turned to John B, earning a sigh from the Routledge boy.

The group waited impatiently as the screen slowly zoomed in "Shit, it's on the high side. Only 900 feet." John B explained.

"That's not too deep." JJ shrugged.

"Is that doable or something?" Kiara asked, looking up at the boys.

"Yeah, totally doable." JJ nodded.

"Yup, like how JJ feels about Star." Pope mumbled to himself quietly.

"What?" Star turned to the boy, not hearing what he said, only hearing her name.

"Huh?" Pope acted dumb, facing the girl "Oh, nothing." he immediately earned a slap on the back of the head from JJ.

"Right okay..." Star moved on from the boys weird behaviour and turned to the blonde "Well, will be taking your personal submarine?" The girl asked JJ sarcastically.

"Yeah, how do you know this, Mr Dive Master." John B asked.

"The salvage yard." JJ explained "They got a drone that can drop 1,000 and it has a 360 camera and everything." he turned to John B "It's for like deep dives and stuff. It's exactly what we need!"

"And can your dad get his grimy little hands on that?" John B questioned.

"No." Star spoke up "Because his dad's grimy little hands got his ass fired." she turned to the blonde and then to John B.

JJ nodded in agreement "Yeah, i guess the salvage captain frowns on showing up shitfaced, turns out." He shrugged awkwardly. "But the drones there, It's in the impound yard out back."

"Okay, well let's go!" Star quickly shoved Kiara off her lap and walked towards to the door.

"Wait, how much did you say was on the Royal Merchant again?" Kiara asked, stopping the girl who stood waiting by the door.

"400 mil." John B, Star and JJ spoke in unison.

Pope in no time quickly stormed over to the door, pulling Star back into the room and shutting the door.

"Hey!" Star said.

"No. Absolutely not!" he stood in front of the door, blocking it with his arms out "Absolutely not. No!"

"Oh my god Pope!" Star groaned, moving the boy out of the way with ease and walking out the door.

JJ and Kiara right on her heel, ignoring Pope's disagreement.

"Stop being such a negative Nancy!" JJ called out to the boy.

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑 𝐋𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐍 the back of the Twinkie, her head lent on JJ's lap as the boys hands rolled a blunt above her, dropping some weed on the girls face from time to time as they listened to Pope's complaints.

"Pope, we're not stealing the drone." John B spoke up from the drivers seat "We're borrowing it."

"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality." Pope crossed his arms, looking out the window in a sulk.

"Did you come up with that?" John B questioned.

"Albert Bernstein came up with it, but it applies to this whole treasure hunting thing." Pope replied, he still wasn't happy about the plan.

Star rolled her eyes at the boys word "God, shut up Pope." she groaned, finally having enough of listening to the boy whines and moans.

"I'm just saying." Pope spoke back "Which is it? fantasy or reality?"

"Why are you so weird Pope?" JJ asked, his eyes not moving from the blunt in his hand.

"It's fantasy." Kiara shrugged "But possible reality."

"Reality." John B answered, truing to the girl in the passenger seat.

"Virtual reality." JJ mumbled, bring the lighter to his blunt. Only for it to be snatched away by Pope.

"Keep the signal clear." He flicked the blunt to the other side of the van, causing JJ to angrily shut his lighter.

"You want me and Kie to distract this guy but you won't let me be high?" Star turned to Pope. "I can't flirt with an old guy if i'm not high."

JJ sat there with his jaw clenched, anger bubbling inside of him.

Pulling up to the junk yard, Star lifted her top off, leaving her in only her shorts and bikin top. And just before she could hop out the van a hand stopped her.

"What are you doing?" JJ asked, holing onto the girls arm.

"What?" she shrugged.

JJ's eyes gazed down to the girls chest for a split second "Put your shirt back on." he told her, JJ didn't want some creep gawking at the girl.

"I gotta distract him somehow." She wiggled both eyebrows and getting her arm out of the boys grip, hopping out of the van and walking over to Kiara at the other side of the Twinkie, leaving an angry JJ.

"Hey, don't worry. You guys got this." John B leaned out the open window, smiling at the two girls.

"It's not us that i'm worried about." Kiara said, making Star laugh as the two girls walked away to the car with the boat on the back.

"Ready?" Kiara turned to the girl beside her as they walked up to the Junk Yard.

"Wait." she stopped the girl, pulling Kiara's top down slightly to show a little more cleavage, then adjusting her own breast in her bikini.

"Now where ready." Star smirked, causing Kiara to roll her eyes with a laugh.

"Hello!" Kiara shouted to the man, both girls waving "Excuse me?"

The bald man came out, stopping on the other side of the fence "Can i help you?" he asked.

"Hi." Star smiled sweetly, leaning on the fence "We actually have a flat tire. We were wondering if maybe you could help us out?"

The man paused, looking back "Yeah." he smiled at the two girls before walking away.

"It's too easy." Kiara smirked at her friend, giving her a low high five.

"It's sad really." Star mumbled as she watched the man.

"So..." JJ asked as the three boys watched the girls from afar, waiting until it was safe to go "How's things going with Kiara?" he asked John B.

"I should be asking you how it's going with Star." John B didn't take his gaze off the two girls but he sensed the blonde roll his eyes.

"Yeah." Pope turned "How does it feel to love a girl for the first time?"

"Shut up man." JJ gritted his teeth.

He still tired to deny his feelings, even though he had admitted them to himself and his two friends.

He knew he loved her, John B, Pope and even Robert knew JJ loved her. But he tired to push it down and hide it away, knowing she wouldn't feel the same.

"It's just this back one right here." Kira said as her and Star led the man to the wheel of the boat.

"I mean, it must've been a slow leak or something." She lent on the side of the boat, Star standing next to her with a hand on her hip.

"Probably just been sitting in the yard too long." He told the girls.

"Yeah." Kiara smiled.

"Yeah, i got it." He bent down to the tire.

Star smiled as sweetly as she could "Thank you."

The girls anxiously looked around from time to time, making sure them or the boys wouldn't get caught.

Star turned from looking behind her to see the man crouched down staring up at her smirking.

She raised two eyebrows and tilted her head, not liking how he was looking at her one bit.

"Got it?"

"Yeah." he huffed, quickly looking away and back to the tire.

Out of nowhere, a loud sound of a dog barking was heard in the distance.

Because of this the bald man quickly shot up and began looking around.

"You hear that?" he asked.

"Hear what?" Kiara shrugged, laughing.

The two girls watched as the man stood up "Tebow's got something."

"It's just a raccoon maybe." Kiara spoke quickly "You know? nothin' to worry about." she smiled as he crouching back down, giving Star a look.

Star quickly nodded and made her way round the other side of the boat, taking her pocket knife and stabbing it into the tire, letting the air gush out.

She jumped up as she saw the man standing behind her, Kiara frantically running after him.

"Umm." She began getting nervous, seeing as she had been caught "I think this one's a bit flat too."

"Wait! wait!" the girls shouted as the man sprinted away, following the barking of the dog.

"Shit, come on!" Kiara ran to the truck, Star following quickly behind as the pair hopped in and Kiara started the car.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐊𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐃 now darkened as the Twinkie pulled up to The Wreck.

"Stealing drones makes you hungry." Kira spoke as everyone hopped out.

"Ah..." Star pointed a finger at her "Remember we weren't stealing it, we were boring it." she smirked at Pope "But yeah, i could eat a cow."

"What i could do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now." JJ spoke, hopping the back of the van.

"What, the same thing you'd do to Star?" Pope and John B laughed.

"Shut up man." JJ quickly said to the boy, hoping the girl hadn't heard, which she very much did.

Her eyes widened slightly but shook off the thought with a laugh, following the group inside The Wreck.

"Mr C!" Star spoke in a manly tone as she spotted the man behind the counter who laughed and shook his head.

"Hey dad." Kiara smiled.

"Hey girls."

"How'd we do?" Kiara asked, walking round the counter to meet her father.

"Didn't turn it over once." he spoke, meeting his daughter and Star at the opening of the counter.

"It's probably just bad luck because of the storm." Kiara hugged her father, the man soon took his other arm, wrapping it around Star who laughed at the gesture.

Star genuinely loved Kiara's dad, despite how strict he may of been and how he'd not always tell Kiara, and Star that he didn't want the girls hanging out with Pope, JJ and John B, she still appreciated him for always being there for her.

"Yeah." he nodded "I'll be sure to tell the banks that."

"I guess now is not the best time to ask for free food for me and my friends?" the two girls smiled up at the man.

He sighed before looking at the three boys "Look at them." He pointed to the three boys who waved awkwardly, JJ throwing up a peace sign.

"They're greedy pelicans."

Star couldn't help but laugh at the man's choice of words.

"I thought i told you to stop hanging out with them?" he spoke to not only his daughter, but also the girl stood beside her.

"Well everybody at the Kook Academy hates me dad." Kiara frowned.

"Cause you never gave them a chance."

Star quickly, yet very quietly backed away from the father-daughter conversation, seeing as though it was probably about to turn into an argument.

"We getting any?" JJ asked.

"You three?" Star questioned with a laugh"No."

The boys soon got her joke and all rolled her eyes at her.

"Funny." John B mumbled.

"Sit down." Kiara walked over.

John B threw his head back with a thankful groan as the five walked over to a table, Star running.

The five of them soon stuffed their faces with fries once they were brought out. If anyone saw the group right now you'd think they'd been raised by monkeys and hadn't eaten in weeks.

"Star!" John B shouted, catching the girls attention opposite him "Catch!"
he threw a fry right at the girls face, making everyone laugh.

"Come on." The girl laughed "I wasn't ready."

"Go again." John B said, motioning to throw another fry.

The girl nodded before opening her mouth wide, ready for the food the be thrown. John B chucked the fry, the girl moving her head to the side and catching it perfectly in her mouth.

'Baby, I love your way' played softly in the background, Kiara hearing the son, she quickly turned it up, pulling Star up to dance with her as the boys watched in emusment.

Star spotted JJ watching her from the table he sat at so she raised a hand and motioned her finger for him to follow, moving her hips to the rhythm of the song.

JJ laughed, shaking his head at the girl.

Star knew he wasn't much of a dancer, but she didn't care, she was gonna make this boy dance.

"Come on...." she shook her shoulders, walking over to him and taking his hands, Kiara now had got John B up to dance with her.

JJ laughed once again and rolled his eyes before standing up and dancing with the girl, twirling her around as the pair laughed.

JJ grabbed the girls hand and twirled her toward him, Star bumping into his chest and almost falling over, but JJ caught her by her back, leaning down so their faces were inches away from each other.

The girls breath hitched her throat as she realised just how close they really were.

JJ's gazed into the girls eyes, getting lost in them all over again like he did each day.

His mind went back to last night when they had been this close, when he wanted to kiss her. The night when he realised he loved her, and now looking at her? Mabey he did love her.

JJ quickly snapped out of his thoughts as Star suddenly and quickly pulled away.

"I gotta get air." She muttered and quickly made her way outside.

"Star-" JJ tired to call after the girl but she was already out the door.

JJ shook his head and sat back down.

He couldn't go after her, he didn't know what he'd say or do in that moment,he simply watched her from the window as she sat on the curb with her hands in her hair.

The girl sat outside, shivering at the cool night air, everything lately with JJ had been weird, the two seemed to always end up in weird situations such as this one, the girl didn't know what it was, the big was her best friend, nothing more, nothing less.

Authors note

I'm so sorry for the long wait but here it is!! this chapter is also kinda boring so i'm sorry.