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"JB!" Annabelle exclaimed, reaching the parcel out of the crack in the tomb for the boy to grab it.

"That's not gold." Pope breathed to which Annabelle knocked the back of his head on her way out of the tomb for his insensitivity.

The girl then shifted her attention to the brunette boy in front of her.

"Holy shit." John B said, staring at the parcel with wide eyes. "This is from my dad."

Annabelle smiled even though she doubted his words. But she couldn't contain her smile seeing John B so excited and happy about something covered in spiderwebs and dust. It had been a while since the girl last saw a smile like that on the boy's face.

However, it didn't take long before JJ's panicked voice broke through the happy atmosphere. "Code red. Code red!"

Annabelle spun around along with the rest of her friends trying to see what was the cause of JJ's alerting tone. "Square groupers! Square groupers!"

Annabelle's heart sank as she laid her eyes upon the shining headlights of a car standing right in front of them at the back entrance to the graveyard.

"Go!" Kiara whispered and the group didn't waste a second before taking off in the opposite direction, to hide behind the tomb. However, Annabelle couldn't move. She stood frozen in her spot as she stared in horror at the two bright lights shining at her.

JJ called out for her several times without getting a response. The boy reached out pulling her body out of its frozen spot to hide her around the tomb. Annabelle's heartbeat accelerated as she felt her body being pressed against JJ's as his hands muffled her ragged breathing. The two stood close enough for Annabelle to seep in the scent of his joint from earlier.

The five friends stood pressed against the wall, listening to the sound of a vehicle getting closer. JJ twisted his and Annabelle's bodies to the side as he slowly peeked around the corner.

"Is it them?" Annabelle asked, too scared to look herself.

"Homie's got a gun," JJ said and Annabelle's heart instantly sank.

"Screw this." Kiara peeled her body from the wall and began running away from it, almost immediately followed by her friends.

As they ran they heard the voices of the men behind them, shouting and mumbling.

The pouges ran to the tall gate with Kiara in the lead.  The girl was first to jump over as JJ assisted Annabelle up. John B and JJ climbed over, leaving Pope last. Annabelle was halfway to the car when she heard Pope yell.

"Guys! Guys!"

She stopped instantly, turning around to the sight of Pope at the top of the gate with his shorts stuck on it.

"Shit, Pope." She cursed, trying to hold back a laugh at the sigh.

"Guys, I'm stuck!" Pope squirmed violently.

Annabelle's eyes widened to their limits as she watched JJ pull out a gun from his shorts, aiming it at Pope's pants. "Pope, don't move, okay."

Annabelle pushed the gun down before shoving JJ backward. "Idiot." She muttered at his stupidity. She then turned her head back to Pope, watching as Kiara pulled him down from the gate and ripped his pants in the process. The pants ripped right off, leaving the boy to sprint to the car in his boxers while the ruined shorts hung on the gate.

Annabelle giggled as Pope passed her.

"It's a little Tootsie Roll," JJ said making both Annabelle and Kiara burst into laughter while they ran to the car. Annabelle pushed Pope and Kiara inside before hopping in next to them while John B drove off.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Annabelle sat in the chair next to John B inside the chateau. She leaned her chair back, peeking into the kitchen where JJ stood, spreading peanut butter over two slices of bread.

"That bread had mold on it three days ago, Jay." She told him.

"I'll just pull off the bad parts," JJ said making Annabelle grimace. "Mold is good for you. It's just a natural organism." He said, noticing the look on her face.

She didn't even bother to say anything, thinking to herself that he'd have to learn it the hard way.

"JJ!" Kiara called out from next to Annabelle.

"Yup, yup, yup!" The boy said as he ran inside the room where his friends sat gathered around the dinner table, waiting for John B to open the letter that they had found. "Hot damn. Let's do it." JJ said as he took a bite from the bread but the piece was quick to make a reappearance as he spat it out, gagging at the foul taste.

John B opened the FedEx envelope, pulling out a white, folded piece of paper. His friends watched him silence as he opened it, revealing a map, marked with letters, x's, and arrows.

"Holy shit." John B said.

"Oh, X marks the spot." Pope pointed out.

"Longitude, latitude." John B traced his finger over the map. He then ruffled through the envelope again. "Wait, there's something else in there." He pulled out a black, phone-like object and held it in front of him.

"What's that?" Annabelle and JJ asked in unison.

"It's a tape recorder, dumbasses," Kiara said.

John B pressed down a button, making a voice play from the device. "Dear Bird."
Annabelle instantly recognized the voice, her heart skipping a beat at the sound of it. Big John. John B's father.
"Who's bird?" JJ asked.

"It's what my Dad used to call me." John B explained.

"I hate to say 'I told you so', but I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspect at this moment, you're filled with guilt and self-loathing over our last fight, but don't kill yourself just yet, kid. I didn't expect to find the Royal Merchant either...."

Annabelle stared up at John B as the two of them exchanged a look of silent disbelief and shock.

"You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly father of the decade. What can I say, kid? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, we're listening to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, living off passive investments and pulling on permits. If not, and you don't do this for less than optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for...."

Annabelle glanced over the map.

"There she is, the wreck of the Merchant. If something happens to me, finish what I started. Go for the gold, kid. I love you, Bird, even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side."

The recording stopped. Annabelle slowly lifted her gaze from the map and up at John B. The boy placed the tape recorder back on the table before standing up, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He walked over to the kitchen, collapsing in tears against the door frame. Annabelle stood up from her chair, about to walk over to him but Kiara was quicker. The two sent each other a quick smile before Kiara wrapped her arms around John B.

"Holy shit!" JJ exclaimed making Annabelle snatch her gaze at him. "He did it! Big John! He found the Merchant!"

Annabelle glared at him. "Can you..." she nodded toward John B. "Please."

"Sorry," JJ said.

Annabelle stared at John B as he sobbed against the door frame. Her heart ached for him.

Big John was really dead.

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Annabelle sat on the railing on the dock with a blanket around her as she listened to Kiara while she played the ukulele. The dark summer night surrounded the friends on the dock, with only a small lantern to illuminate their surroundings. JJ sat next to her and Pope sat on the wooden bench in front of them while John B sat a few feet away with his back facing his friends.

"How much was it again?" JJ asked, breaking the silence that lay upon them.

"Four hundred mill," Pope said.

JJ tossed a small rock into the water beneath them before sighing. "All right, let's talk the split. Now, before we say evenly, may I remind you that I am the only one who can properly defend us from those who were after us." He held up his gun. "Protection. Not cheap, okay?"

"You haven't trained," Pope said. "You've done zero training."

"YouTube, bro!" JJ exclaimed. "That's at least a five-proven bump right there. Any objections." Both Annabelle and Kiara lifted their hands in the air but were completely ignored. "Didn't think so."

Annabelle waved her hand in front of JJ's face causing him to shrug and look in the other direction. "I don't hear any, so.."

"What are you gonna do with your money, Pope?" Kiara asked as if they had already found it.

"Pay for college in advance. And also textbooks. Those are expensive." Pope said making Annabelle grin.

"That's the most Pope answer ever." She smiled. "What about you, Kie?"

"Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's rich?" Pope grinned.

Kiara chuckled before answering. "Just wanna make a double album. About Obx, the pouges." Annabelle smiled at her as she kept speaking. "You know, the Way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. Record it at Merley Studio, Peter Tosh producing."

"Peter Tosh is dead," Pope said.

"Peter Tosh is dead. I know." Kiara lifted her beer can in the air. "Spirit of Peter Tosh will never die."

"I know what I'll do," JJ said making every pair of eyes shift to him. "I'm gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full kook."

"You're gonna go full kook?" Pope chuckled.

"Yup. Gonna get a marble statue of myself and then I'm gonna get a koi pond." His friends giggled at his words. "Put a bunch of those fish-"

"I'm never visiting," Annabelle said with a grin.

"What about you, Bells?" JJ asked, staring at her.

Annabelle swallowed. "I'm gonna get Tess and take her as far away from this place as possible. We'll go to Costa Rica... Bali.. wherever there's ocean. And we'll get a house by the beach and surf until we're old and grey." Annabelle lifted the beer can to her lips, emptying the last bit. JJ's eyes lingered on her after hearing her answer while the rest of the pouges turned their attention to John B after Pope asked what he would do with the money.

John B took several moments of silence before he turned to his friends. "To going full Kook." He smiled. The five friends lifted their beer cans, cheering and clanking their cans together.

"To going full kook!"

•❃°•°❀°•°❃•

Kiara had passed out, hugging her ukulele while Pope and John B walked back to the cataue leaving JJ and Annabelle in the stillness of the dock. Annabelle's legs dangled over the edge of the railing that she was sitting on while she giggled at JJ's failed attempt to balance a beer can on his forehead.

The blonde walked over to her and she leaned her head back allowing him to place the can on her forehead gently. Annabelle kept it steady for several moments before it slipped, spilling beer over Annabelle.

"JJ! She shouted, letting a giggle escape her lips.

"That's totally your fault." JJ smiled.

"This is my favorite T-shirt." Annabelle looked up at him. "I'm gonna be all sticky now."

"Again." JJ lifted his finger in the air. "Completely not my fault."

The girl rolled her eyes jokingly as she attempted to dry her top using her hoodie. JJ grabbed the sleeve of her hoodie, trying to dry a lower part of her shirt using the same hand that he held his own beer can. Annabelle pushed off the clearly intoxicated boy as he spilled even more beer on her.

"Dumbass! You're spilling all over me!" She laughed, watching him stumble after she shoved him away. She turned around, grabbing the closest can, tossing the liquid at him, letting it splash onto his face and upper body.

Annabelle jumped down from the railing, stumbling backward while giggling uncontrollably.

"You're so dead," JJ said, brushing his backhand over his beer-covered face.

"Oh, what you gonna do?" Annabelle teased, walking backward with her arms stretched out on each side. JJ lifted his brows cockily, taking on the challenge as he began walking after her.

"You've got some beer.." she pointed to the corner of her mouth, grinning proudly.

JJ shook his head at her comment, licking his lips to contain his grin.

Annabelle backed away further, keeping her eyes on the boy in front of her. With one last step, her foot slipped over the edge of the dock, making her fall back. A scream erupted from her mouth just before the chilly water hugged her body.

JJ's heart stopped for a moment, watching Annabelle fall into the water. He rushed forward calling out for her. His eyes scanned the surface desperately. He bowed down, panicking at the sight of the water rings on the surface but no signs of Annabelle.

Suddenly, a soft giggle came from under the dock and JJ looked down to see Annabelle swim out from under it. "You should see your face."

"Annabelle, you idiot!" JJ shouted at her. "You could've died."

"It's not even deep. See?" Annabelle smiled, standing up straight to show JJ that she was standing on the bottom of the water with most of her upper body peeking up over the surface.

"Get up. You're drunk." JJ said, rolling his eyes at her.

"Am not!" Annabelle said. "What I am though, is covered in beer and this might actually help." She said, letting her hand travel over the water's surface.

"Get up, Bells," JJ said, reaching his hand out for her.

Annabelle sighed as she grabbed his hand. Before JJ had a chance to pull her up, Annabelle pulled on his arm watching as he fell head-first into the water.

JJ gasped once he appeared up from the water again and Annabelle giggled at the sight. She ignored him calling out for her, scolding her, and instead, she began to swim further out.

"Bells, come back here." JJ sighed.

"I'm washing off the beer someone spilled on me." Annabelle glared at him. She took a deep breath breath and dived under the surface, drowning out the sound of JJ calling out to her. Taking a few long swim strokes, she finally got back up to the surface, inhaling deeply, while the water slowly trickled down the sides of her face. She turned around to face JJ, finding him swimming out further to join her.

"You're gonna drown yourself." He smirked, swimming up to stand next to her. He towered over her, his head and shoulders well above the surface, while Annabelle struggled to keep her head over the water even on her tiptoes.

"If I'm gonna die, it might as well be in the ocean." She smiled at him. He smiled back down at her and an unfamiliar warmth flickered in her stomach. For a moment, she stopped breathing as she stared at him and his blue eyes. Those stupid blue eyes. Reminding her of the ocean.

She had to breathe.

Annabelle looked away from his eyes, her gaze suddenly landing on his lips. Those stupid lips that grinned back at her. She blinked repeatedly, trying to force her face away but she couldn't. She couldn't move. She didn't want to.

Her eyes flickered back up at his eyes. They stared down on her lips and she couldn't help but shiver at the feeling of his breath against her skin. She sucked in a deep breath once her eyes landed back on his lips.

Suddenly, he captured her lips in a kiss. It was soft at first but roughened once she melted into it. His hands found her waist under the water, holding a firm grip on each side. Annabelle's hand traveled up his arm before her arms encircled his neck, interlocking her hands behind his head.

For a moment, everything disappeared. The fear from the night in the cemetery, the fear of being caught, the fact that Kiara was sleeping a few feet away on the dock where they had been sitting less than an hour ago with the rest of their friends. It was just him and her and the ocean.

Something told Annabelle that it was wrong and that she should pull away but she didn't. Instead, she deepened the kiss as her fingers tugged on a blonde strand of hair on the back of his head.

JJ's hand left her waist, slowly tracking up to the side of her face. He gently rubbed the outline of her jaw with his thumb before moving up to her cheek, where he gently rubbed the skin under the scar that marked her skin.

JJ lost himself in the lips that he had longed to kiss. The contact of her lips against his was driving him insane. The feeling of her tugging gently on his hair was driving him insane. The feeling of her body against his was driving him insane.

Annabelle groaned against his lips, the noise almost suppressed by the waves.

"What the fu-"

Annabelle and JJ pulled away.

Looking up on the dock, the two froze at the sight of Kiara staring back at them.

𝟐𝟗𝟎𝟒 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬
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𝐚/𝐧
THEY KISSEEEEDDDD

y'all are not ready for the next chapters.
idk if u are gonna hate me or love me...