[...]

"That's not gold." I say disappointed when Kie hands us some sort of envelope. "Holy shit." John B responds looking at it, "This is from my dad."
"Code red. Code red. Square groupers! Square groupers!" JJ says when a car drives near us. "It's the guys who robbed your house." JJ adds when we run away to hide. "Turn your light off, man!" Pope yells at John B. "Do you think it's them?" Kie asks. "Homie's got a gun." I tell them. "Screw this." Kie says while we start to run away.

"Kids are gettin' weirder every year." One of the maintainers who were behind us says.

We arrived at John B's house. While John B opens the envelope, JJ gags because he ate bread that has literal molds on it. John B opens the envelope and pulls out a kind of map, "Holy shit." "Oh. X marks the spot." I say pointing at the map. "Wait, there's something else in here." John B adds. "What's that?" JJ asks. "It's a tape recorder, dumbass." I respond. It had a message from big John on it for John B.

Later that evening we were by the water. "How much was it again?" JJ asks. "Five hundred mil." John B answers. "All right, let's talk the split. Now, before we say 'evenly', may I remind you that I'm the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us." JJ continues pulling up the gun.

"You haven't trained. You've done zero training." Pope tells him. "—YouTube, bro! That's atleast a five percent bump right there." JJ says. "You haven't—" Pope tries to say but JJ interrupts him again, "Any objections? Didn't think so." He says but we all clearly raise our hands.

"I didn't hear any, so..." He says shrugging his shoulders. "What are you gonna do with your 100 mil, Pope?" Kie asks him. "Pay for college in advance. And also textbooks. Those are expensive." He answers.

"What about you, Mads and Kie?" JJ asks us. "Yeah, what do socialists do when they're rich?" Pope adds. We chuckle, "I just wanna make a double album. About OBX, the Pogues." Kie responds. They all turn to me right now. "Oh— Uhm.. I'll buy myself my own big ass boat, you know where we could spend time on with each other." I say.

"That's what I mean, people who are already rich, don't need anything else." JJ responds and I just roll my eyes. "I know what I'll do." JJ continues, "I'm gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full Kook." "You're gonna go full Kook?" I raise my eyebrows. "Yep. Gonna get a marble statue of myself, and then I'm gonna get a koi pond." "I'm never visiting." Kie laughs.

"What are you gonna do JB?" Pope asks him and we all turn to him. "To going full Kooks." He answers. We laugh, "To going full Kook!" We all say and toast.

Next morning. Us Kooks were sent to pick up trash at the beach. So me, Topper and Sarah hop on Topper's boat to leave. "I hate that mom made us do this." I sigh. "Oh, come on Mads. It's not gonna end you." Topper says.

On the way we pass my friends. "Hi, guys." I say when I see them. Kie gives me a questioning look and I just shrug my shoulders. "I'll see you guys later." I tell them as they sail by us. "You don't have to act like you don't see us, bitch." Kie yells at Sarah.

We arrive at the beach and put our gloves on, "You should've heard how John B talked to me. That kid's got a mouth on him!" Sarah says. "He thought you ratted him out, Sarah." I tell her. "Well, he showed his true colors, Sarah." Topper adds and I look at him. "He was so rude." Sarah continues and at this point I was done talking about this so I walk away from them.

"Yo, you look thirsty!" Kelce says walking up to Topper. "Okay, what do we— what do we got here?" He asks him. "Have some of that, baby." He continues and Toppers opens the cap and smells it, "Oh, my god!" He shakes his head and Kelce starts laughing.

Sarah and I also take a sip and suddenly Wheezie takes the bottle out my hand, "Whoa, whoa. Since when did you start drinking?" I ask her chuckling. "Since today." She answers. "Great going, Kelce." Sarah says.

"You guys got it under control?" Some man asks us. "Yes, sir! It's looking good, sir!" Topper yells and I just smile at the man. "Just hydrating." Sarah adds. "Almost finished." I tell him going to stand in front of the alcohol. "Great job. Keep it up!" The man yells back.

After we finished we had to gather in a circle with the whole group to do something stupid. "Just a moment, friends, to acknowledge our blessings." A man says and we all grab each other's hands. Me and Sarah were literally trying to hold our laughters, but we couldn't. "To the big Kahuna... Thank you for the opportunity for us to come out here and restore Mason borough to its virgin glory. Amen." The man finishes and everyone starts clapping.

Sarah and I were laughing so hard at this point, everyone turnes to us. "He doesn't like us, that guy." I tell Sarah. "Yeah." She smiles.

Later my friends picked me up again and we were on our way to 'borrow' a drone from JJ's dad's work. Kie's and my task was to distract the security guard, so the rest could get the drone. "You know what your problem is?" JJ asks pope. "You?" "No! It's that you need to relax, man. You're always so tense!" "I'm not too tense!"
"Hey, don't worry. You guys got this." John B tells us as we get out of the car. "It's not us that I'm worried about." I respond pointing at JJ and Pope. "Got it!"

"Let's hope this works." Kie says as we went over to the security guard. I pull my shirt a little lower so you could see more of my boobs. "Hey! Excuse me?" I yell as the guard walks out. "Can I help you?" He asks me. "Hi! Um, we actually have a flat tire. I was wondering if maybe you could help us out?" I ask him smiling while Kie and I flirt with him. "Yeah, yeah!" "It's too easy." Kie whispers.

"It's just this back one right here. I mean, it must've been a slow leak or something." Kie tells him. While we distract the guard JJ, John B and Pope run inside. "Yeah, I-I got this." He told me. "Thank you." We smile.

I realize that they needed more time so I deflated the other tire with my hair clip. The guard caught me. "What are you doing?" He asks me. "This one looks a little low too." I tell him trying to keep him here. But he didn't trust it and his dog started barking again so he ran to the property. "Wait!" Kie yells after him. "Shit." I say and we run back to the car.

"Stealing drones makes you hungry." Kie says getting out of the car as we arrive at The Wreck. "What I would do to a beer and shrimp and grits right now." JJ responds. "It would not be pretty." I add laughing at him.

"Hey, Dad." Kie greets her dad as we walk in. "Hey." "How'd we do?" "Didn't turn it over once." He answers. "It's probably just bad luck because of the storm." Kie tells him. "Yeah, I'll be sure to tell the banks that." He says as Kie hugs him and we walk outside.

We see Kie and her dad looking at us so we wave at them, he's probably lecturing Kie about hanging out with Pogues. I know how it feels like. Awful. "Sit down." She says after a while telling us that he'll bring us some food. "Oh, yes." JJ says laughing.

We start to eat like we actually didn't eat for a good 3 days, but we did have a good time. Kie and John B started dancing, and we all looked at each other. Yep, there was definitely something going on between those two. I saw Pope looking back at them, almost looking jealous?

Next day we were trying out the underwater drone that we got last night from JJ's dad's work. John B and I were underwater to test it.

"Hey, once we get the footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim." John B says as we got up. "That's such bullshit. Why do we have to do that?" JJ responds. "Well, there is maritime salvage law. You can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a bunch of stuff up." Pope adds. "How does this man always know that shit." I whisper to John B but Pope hears it. "Maybe Mads, cause I actually do something in school?" I pull a stupid face.

"But like lawyers aren't cheap bro." JJ says. "Well, as soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp." John B says from behind me. "How do you know all of that?" Kie asks him. "Cause my dad said it like, a million times." "Yeah that's fair." All we needed to do right now, is wait for the right weather. And today is not that day.

JJ, Pope and I are gonna transport groceries over to Figure Eight for Pope's dad. "You guys get straight back here when you're done. No fishin'. I promised delivery by this afternoon. Rich folks don't wanna wait for you lazy sons of..." He stops when he sees me standing with both my hands out, handing me the grocery bags. "Oh, Maddy, thank you." He winks and I smile at him. "—Sons of bitches." He finishes his sentence.

"Doesn't even look like the storm hit there." Pope says as we arrive at the Kook side. "That's because they got generators, bro. Get used to it." JJ responds. "And then they say the juice will be out all summer at the cut." "It's nice to be a Kook." Pope says. "Yeah, lucky bastards." I add sarcastically.

We all grab some bags and go to deliver them. Rafe and Topper were golfing. "Whoa, whoa, whoa." Rafe says. "I don't think he's a member, do you?" "It's fine, just let him go." Topper says. "Let's go get your ball, come on." "They put a gun to your head, bro." Rafe says annoyed. "That's fine. It's fine. Let's go." Rafe starts walking towards Pope. "Hey, Rafe. Rafe! Let's go get your ball, man."

"Hey what's up man." Rafe says to Pope stopping him. "Hey, how much for one of those beers?" "They're not for sale." Pope responds. "Oh, wait, wait, wait. You can just give us one, then, right?" He stops him again with his golf stick. "Or you can order one, like everybody else." "Listen. Wait, wait, wait. You're not listening to me. Um.. You've got so many, bro, and we've got nothing." "They're not even mine. They're already paid for." "Already paid for?"

I make my way to the second house after I delivered the first one. I hear some voices near me. "You probably stole 'em, right?" Rafe says breaking the grocery bag. "What the hell Rafe! What is your problem." I say walking up to them.

"You owe me that!" Pope yells. "Dude, I don't owe you shit, Pogue." "Buy your own shit!" Pope pushes him back. I look at Topper, hoping he could stop Rafe. "Hey. Come on, man!" Topper tries to get a beer from him and they throw him on the ground. "Topper!" I yell. I run up to them and push Rafe. "Back off!" "Ooohh!" Rafe laughs. Pope attacks Rafe again but Rafe hits him with his golf stick, "Stay down, bitch!"

"Oh my god! Are you crazy!" I try to help Pope but he stops me. "Listen up Mads. You stay the fuck out of this!" Topper also tries to stop him but it's not possible. He crouches next to Pope, "We don't want you here. Got that?" "Let him go man." Topper tells him. "Stay of Figure Eight, Pogue." He gets up and looks at me before they leave, but I can only look at him in disgust.

"Whoo! That was the best 100 bucks I've ever made!" JJ says excited. I look over at Pope but he's very quiet. JJ looks at me not understanding our mood, "What's up with you guys? Bro, you good?" He asks us. "Yo, what happened to your face dude?" JJ asks while pulling up Pope's hat, "Jesus!" He yells looking at me. I just shake my head. "What happened?" "Rafe and Topper jumped me. They said no Pogues on their side of the island." "What are you gonna do?"

The guys dropped me off at my place, saying they had to finish something else. I'm not even questioning them anymore at this point. So I just grab my surfboard and go over to the beach to meet up with Kie and John B.

I felt some weird tension between them when I joined them in the water. "Hey, how are you guys?" I ask them. "Good— Good." Kie responds. "What are Pope and JJ doing?" Kie asks me. "I honestly don't know. And I don't think I want to." I answer, shrugging my shoulders. "How'd the deliveries go?" John B asks. "Yeah, uh— good." I tell him.

"Hey! Save some waves for us!" JJ yells as they run into the water. "Hey, where have you been?" Kie asks them. We all started catching some good waves with the pretty sunset. These were the times I was at my happiest.

Next day we went on the boat again and we sail to the place of the wreck. "All right, JJ. Pin it here." "Roger that! X marks the spot." "All right, ladies and gentlemen. To going full Kook." John B says and I start dropping the drone in the water. we follow the drone on the camera. "All right JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest." "Got it! Ten seconds northwest." "One hundred feet!" I yell still dropping the robe out. "Four hundred feet!" I yell again. Thunder starts rumbling. "The tide's turning."

"Hey JJ?" John B calls. "Yep?" "Ten seconds easy, south-southeast." "Copy that!" "JJ, 20 seconds mid speed, all right? South." "Copy that! Aye, aye." "Keep the tether out of the prop!" Pope tells me. "I'm trying!" I yell. "John B, is that good?" "We're good!" "Okay, 700 feet!" I say. Thunder keeps rumbling and the wind starts to speed real fast, so the water is getting rough. "JJ, hold it steady!" John B screams over the loud wind. "Okay, 900!" I add. "JJ, we'll turtle in this storm." Pope says concerned. "920!" "Crank it north by northwest! Ten seconds!" John B yells at JJ. "Pope, how we doing?" Kie asks. "Almost there." "John B there's too much current! We're gonna lose it!" I yell.

"South, southwest JJ. Hard!" John B yells again. JJ is struggling to keep the boat steady and on track. The monitor starts beeping. "Half speed! Steady at this bearing, JJ!" "What do you got Pope? Come on man, what do you see?" "Nothin'. A whole lot of nothin'." "You should be right above it, brother." "Maddy!" Pope yells at me. "960!" I respond. "970! 980!" "I'm at the bottom! I'm at the bottom!" Pope screams. "Okay, steady here, JJ." John B says. "Okay, you should be seeing something!" Kie says. "I know, I know! Wait, wait." Pope responds. "Oh, good God." I say joining them. "See anything?" JJ yells over.

"It's the Royal Merchant." John B smiles.