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⮑0.2⮐

two, motel keys & grady whites . . .
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MOLLY HESITATED TO PULL THE SECOND HAND SHIRT OVER HER HEAD LIKE HER BROTHER AND FRIENDS ALL DID. There were three large secrets that Molly Routledge was trying to hold onto with her dear life. One, her relationship with Rafe Cameron. Two, the piercing on her tongue and three, the piercing on her belly button. The last two things being a product of Rafe thinking they were hot. But if John B ever saw, he would totally freak out and ask why she would do something so stupid. As if Kie wouldn't have taken her if she were to ask.

"Think there's a dead body down there?", Pope questioned as Kie and John B jumped into the water.

"Go find out", Molly answered, shying away from the activity.

"You're not going?".

"Just go Pope", She rushed him.

He pulled off his shirt and dove in with everyone else. Kie cheered at the refreshing water on her skin, almost preparing herself for an adventure. The three ducked into the water but one blonde head stuck out, waiting for the Routledge girl. Molly leaned over the edge, still anxious to see what it was.

"Come on, let's go", JJ beckoned.

"JJ, go! You're gonna miss all the fun", Molly shooed him.

"But you are all the fun".

She felt her lips tug into a smile, a smile the JJ might describe as "brighter than the sun". Kie tugged at his foot from under the water and the moment was ruined. He mentally cursed at Kiara for being so impatient but figured the moment would have faded anyway, so why not now? Molly watched the boy swim under. She leaned her weight on her elbows as she watched her friends fade into the murky water.

After a couple seconds, the four arose and gasped for much needed air. She leaned closer off the boat to try and hear the group better.

"What's the verdict?", Molly shouted.

"A grady white! A grady white!", Jj cheered.

Molly furrowed her eyebrows and sat back. A grady white wasn't something u saw on the Southside of the island, maybe on Firgue 8 but definitely not on The Cut. Money for a grady white with a pogues salary was unheard of. So what was it doing here?

"That's a primo rig".

"You guys saw a grady white? Like a real one?", The Routledge girl questioned.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's the boat I saw when I was surfing the surge. Maybe it hit a jetty or something".

"You surfed the surge?".

"That's my boy. Pogue style", JJ chuckled.

"Yeah whatever What about the boat?", Molls dismissed Kiara's question with a roll of her eyes.

"Wait, wait. Do we know who's boat that is?", Pope asked.

"No. But we're about to find out", John B said as he grabbed an anchor.

"John, It's too deep", Molly discouraged.

"For the weak and feeble, Little Sister".

Molly hated being the party pooper. Why did she, a fifteen year old girl in her prime, who isn't even the oldest child, have to be the responsible one when her brother, who was older than her, get to be reckless?

"Well, I'm not resuscitating you, I'm just making that clear up front", JJ announced.

"That's fine".

"John B", Kie warned with her tone.

"What?".

Molly and Kiara exchanged a questioning glance before looking back at John B. Taking things seriously wasn't exactly his strong suit.

"Diver down, fool", Pope saluted.

"Diver down".

"Yeah, he is", JJ gave him a shove.

John Routledge plunged into the Marsh with a splash. Molly knew he was gonna be ok but still found her breath getting hitched in her throat. The four rushed to the edge and watched the water for any movement.

"Should we go get him?", Pope asked.

The heart beat in Molly's chest grew faster. Anxiety was killer  yet Popes realistic thinking was far worse. Then John Bs head popped up and she felt her nerves calm.

"Oh my god. That took forever!".

"You ok?", Molls immediately interrogated.

"Any dead bodies?".

"Looting potential?".

"No, no. I found this motel key", John B answered, out of breath.

"A a key?".

"So we're just almost dying for motel keys now?", Molly lectured.

"Yes, a key, Pope and Molly, you're so dramatic. I did not almost die".

"Great. We salvaged a motel key",JJ sarcastically said.

"Guys, we should report the wreck to the coast guard. Maybe we'll get a finders fee!".

"Yeah, like u need it", Molly scoffed under her breath.

Kie glared back at Molly, the boys acting as if they didn't hear it. Molly crossed her arms over her chest and looked out over the marsh. John B put a reassuring hand on the top of her head as he watched the water with her. He could see frustration on his sisters face like it was his own special super power. From the day she say a barbie in the window of an expensive boutique that they couldn't afford when they were kids to the day their father went on a treasure hunt and took all their money.

As the big brother, John B was supposed to protect and provide for his younger siblings. But it seemed like Molly had that locked down, so for now a pat on the head would do just fine.

. . .

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⮑0.2⮐

two, motel keys & grady whites . . .
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ATLAST, THEY MADE IT TO THE CROWDED COAST GAURD STATION. Molly had tugged her shorts back on and followed her brother and friends to the lobby type area.

"You guys can wait here, it won't take long", JJ nodded to Molly, Pope and Kie as him and John B went in.

Kie gestured her hands in a defeating manner. She liked to be included in things, even if they were boring. Molly lifted herself onto the wooden fence that guarded civilians from the water. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she reached to take.

rafe <3 : I couldn't get a room at that motel cause of Agatha so The Druthers it is. Pick u up at 11.

m routledge : ok ily 💞
     read 2:36

Molly bit her lip to keep herself from smiling. Oh how in love she was with this kook this grown kook. They couldn't go back to his place at night because of his dad and they couldn't go to her place because of her brothers. So their spots were Motels, his truck and The Druthers. Molly had no mother and a dead beat father, Rafe was just lucky enough to find such a naive young girl who didn't quite understand how toxic and illegal their relationship was.

"What're you smiling about?", Kie questioned as she hopped onto the fence with Molly.

"Oh just uh, funny tiktok JJ sent me last night".

"I'm so sick of him tagging me in the weirdest tiktoks at like 4 in the morning", Kiara rolled her eyes.

"You know what i'm sick of? This motel key. I mean I just know John B's gonna make this into some treasure hunt that gets us no where", Pope crossed his arms, leaning against the post.

Treasure hunt. Molly would never admit it, but to see another man in her life get sucked into some outrageous inquisition, was a big fear of hers. Especially since the last time, it cost her, her father.

"Do you even know how crazy this sounds? How crazy you sound? There's no gold out there! It's a myth. Why do think no ones ever found it?", Molly shouted at her father.

"It's not some myth, alright? Ive been looking for this gold for the past 20 years and I think I think I've finally found it!".

"Ok, so you're just gonna take all our money? You know, we kinda need that to live right? Plus, I made all of that, I worked my ass off".

"Dove! Don't you get it? When I find this gold, you won't have to work anymore. None of us will. We can be kooks! John B could afford his own place after high school. JD could go to college. You could travel the world if you wanted. I promise you, I know what i'm doing. I just need leverage before I go out looking", The father cupped his daughters face.

John B sat at the dining room table, trying to pick a side to be on. Both relatives had good points, but he liked to think on the bright side. Maybe the gold was out there, his dad had always been the smartest guy he knew, which wasn't saying much. On the other hand, they were as broke as broke could be and couldn't afford such a large chunk of money being used on something so up in the air.

"Maybe he maybe he has a point", John B chimed in softly.

Molly turned her head to him with a hint of betrayal in her eyes. She wasn't gonna cry, even though everyone in that house knew she was the sensitive Routledge.

"You can't be serious".

"Molls, what if he finds the gold? Wouldn't you want JD to grow up in Figure 8 instead of The Cut. This could change our lives", He arose from his chair.

"Fine. You wanna go on a wild goose chase for non existent gold? Then be my guest. But don't bother coming back when you find nothing, ok?", She hissed towards her father.

Bumping shoulders with John B, she stormed away to her room. The door slammed loudly behind her and the father and son exchanged a discouraged look.

"Molls, you good?", Pope asked, making her jump a little.

"What? Yeah Yes, I'm fine. God, What the hell is taking so long?", She quickly changed the subject.

The tone of irritation in her voice hid the hurt she was truly feeling. Who would have thought the last thing she said to her father was something so. . . sad?

"Well that went well", Pope said, John B and JJ leaving the area in defeat.

"So, what's the plan?", JJ asked.

"Can't we just like, leave the keys here and let them figure it out?", Molly proposed.

"No. I think I know how we're gonna find the guy who owns that boat".

"We don't know whose room that is. It could be anyone".

"What if it's a key to a room filled with dead bodies?", The girl spoke up with Pope.

"Or 3 billion dollars in cash", JJ smirked.

"Finders fee, Molls. Finders fee", John B reminded.

"Im in", JJ agreed.

"Come on, we can be lookout", Kie pushed the two skeptics along.

Molly and Pope looked over at each other as Kie shoved them back to the boat. Neither would ever be considered the fun ones in the group but for a good reason. Both were supposed to be the level headed thinkers. Though half of the time, no one listened to them so who cared, right?

╰─ - ̗̀♡ ✎ ( envy speaks...)

Ik this chapter seemed short but I wanted to show y'all that I haven't given up on this book so here you go. I'm literally obsessed with how the story is gonna go and plan to continue writing bestues!! Just an fyi tho, it might take me a second to write each chapter cause I have a job and mental illness luv 😫 just bare with me daddies