GLITCH.
019 | the babysitter

THE LAST TIME RENEE VISITED THE ISLAND CLUB WAS PRECISELY ALMOST A YEAR AGO. And that's how she always hoped it would stay. The one day a year when she would attempt to tolerate all the insufferable kook families and her snobby peers she somehow used to like for the one night at midsummer.

Although she and Kiara had always managed to find a way to sneak the boys in it would always end up with the five of them drinking fancy and overpriced champagne whilst they all squished together in the janitor's closet.

She and Kiara looked at each other, both simultaneously letting out a sign knowing in a few days they'd be dressed up like the money they had for show at the next midsummer.

" all right, keep on look out," JJ informed the group, reaching into the opened glove compartment.

" we're behind enemy lines." Renee rolled her eyes at the dramatising of the whole operation.

Both Renee and Kiara knew that every kook that could potentially hurt them was volunteering at a beach clean the other side of town.

" Yo, come on man, just put it back...JJ" John B warned, Renee turned her head and watched in disbelief as JJ held the gun so casually in his hand as if some part of the mafia.

" what- you can never be too careful," he told them as if anything was going to go down in the nicest hotel in the obx.

Renee followed behind Pope out of the van, her backpack hung on her shoulders and hands holding down the material of her blue summer dress so that did didn't blow up in the wind.

" Hey, I predict that bringing a weapon to a four-star hotel, will likely cause more problems than they solve." He told him truthfully, leaning into the rolled down window.

" thank you Pope." John B seemed glad someone else was also fed up with JJ's attachment to the gun. Like himself.

" I swear to God, I'm gonna throw that thing into the ocean JJ, put it back!" Kiara threatened , following the rest of them and getting out of the van.

JJ huffed in defeat, like a small child who had lost to his parents . Passing the gun delicately to John B who threw it back into the glove compartment where it belonged.

" you can't grab a gun like that." JJ's words seemed to flow into JohnB's ear only to immediately be taken out by the other one.

Pope opened the door of the van, grabbing JJ's arm. Not wanting to be longer than they need to considering this wasn't their territory.

" can't forget my badge, professional bus boy." he gloated , dangling his hotel ID card from the tips of his fingers in front of Renee who played it off to be jealous, joining in on his antics as always.

The two blondes walked together, seemingly leading everyone. One because JJ had told Renee all about his plan and two because the two of them knew the floor plan of the hotel like the backs of their hands.

Renee from the amount of time she had spent here growing up and JJ from the amount of shifts he had done here.

" so where are we going now?" Pope asked the two of them who continued to stroll towards the back entrance of the building where all the staff entered every morning and left every night.

" we're getting on the internet because only rich people have electricity right now." JJ informed them, it was the truth. The cut hadn't had electricity in days and yet the whole of figure eight were acting as if Aggie had never even happened.

" I honestly don't know why we couldn't have just gone to my house and done this," Renee told them, looking around.

" um.. maybe because and hear me out?" John b began, already acting with sarcasm " you're mum hates us with the exception of Kiara and maybe even Pope and your brother and his friends want to beat the living crap out of us."

" touché." Renee lifted her finger and pointed forward "This way!" she directed the rest of the confused teenagers.

As the five of them reached the back entrance of the kitchen, smoke or steam was swamping the air. All of them were starving so it didn't help that the smell of food was taunting their now salivating tastebuds.

" Andrew!" JJ announced his presence by calling out to one of his co workers, waving to him as they walked past. Their target direction being the media room.

They all swerved around the corner of the kitchen, reaching the small elderly lady who was currently finishing up dishes neatly to send out.

JJ's fingers went to pinch one the shrimp with the intention of devouring it being the starving animal he was, trying to confuse the lady but sweetly greeting her " mama L, good to see you!"

Renee bit her lip to contain her amusement as she witnessed mama L swat his thieving fingers with the wooden spoon, a look of annoyance furrowing her brown and tugging the corner of her lips down.

" hey, no JJ!" she scolded harshly, about to give the blonde teenager a second serving of a punishment along with Renee who was resisting the urge to burst out with laughter before the girl put her hands onto the fabric of his shoulders and urged him forward.

As the five of them skimmed another punishment but this time only by a four foot seven elderly woman who was somehow scarier . They all huddled into the small doorframe that entered the hallway.

Renee who noticed their nerves, moved under JJ's arm to stand now in the middle of the hallway. Her hands folded onto her hips as she grunted,

" for a group of people who say they aren't afraid to get arrested, you sure do look like a bunch of scaredy cats." she rolled her eyes, eyeing up JJ particularly.

She felt an edge of confidence, reaching her fingers to grab ahold of the brim of his hat taking it off him and instead placing instead on top of hers.

" now, if you would follow me." she swept her arm in her direction as she began to walk,

It was obvious that the four of the teenagers following behind Renee didn't seem to belong there, they were an eyesore that carried a stench of stale sweat from the still lack of running water and the synchronised sound of vigorous stomach rumbling.

Renee reached the reception desk of the hotel, where the familiar face of Sandra sat.

Sandra Delmonte used to babysit her and Lennon as children whilst she was a teenager but none of the other Pogues knew of this hence why JJ was concerned on why she was going towards a fellow kook.

" Ren..come on we can just sneak-" JJ went to grip the girls forearm, reassuring her their was a less legal and morally correct way of getting into the media room.

" Sandra, hey it's lovely to see you." Renee knelt her arms on the wood of the table, leaning over and giving the older woman a warm smile.

Sandra returned the gesture, "Little Lowe, it's always a pleasure, what can I help you with?" it was like she could see straight through her act, which wasn't surprising since she had been wearing one since she was Renee's age.

" Well me and my friends here," she started, dodging her body to show the girl the four of her friends awkwardly standing behind her all very uncomfortable.

" we need to do research on deforestation in the Amazon for our summer project but with Aggie here all the powers down at the downtown library," JJ smirked as his eyes fixated on the blonde as she lied through her teeth, something she had learnt how to do better since becoming closer with JJ, a sense of pride overtook him.

" I wish I could help little Lowe, but the media room is for guests and guests only." Sandra reiterated, faking a saddened commercial smile that she couldn't help.

Renee nodded and swallowed. She knew this would happen.

" oh come on Sandra, don't make this more difficult than it needs to be." Renee's sweet tone betrayed the slight threat leaving her mouth. "my family has been loyal to this establishment since before I was born, and did I forget the large sums of money they invest in this place?"

" I'm sorry miss, but the media room is still only for hotel guests."

" and sorry but correct me if I'm wrong... don't you think my mom would still be interested in knowing whose party was thrown at my house," she spoke, her smile not resembling the slight blackmail that was leaving her mouth

"you know the party that resulted in her favourite pearl earrings going missing?" She smiled brighter,

" and by missing I mean you stole and gave to one of your friends to afford to do blow off of my play table?"

Sandra's face fell and turned a paler colour. It seemed shocking that the sixteen-year-old had remembered that, it had to have been almost five years ago —Sandra had hoped she would have forgotten about it the same way Lennon seemingly had.

But she hadn't but it was even more shocking that Renee would use it against her.

" only this one time." her voice came out in a sheepish mutter, granting the teenager permission and passing her a guest key card which allowed her to access the room they needed entry to.

Renee smirked and let out a snide tone of laughter, "I'll see you at midsummer, we'll catch up." She waved, winking at JJ whilst she turned around whilst the boy's jaw seemed to fall to the floor.

As the five of them entered the room, luckily it was empty. JJ spoke into her ear "Okay but that was seriously hot." his voice seemed full of tension.

Renee felt the compliment bruise a dark redness on the bridge of her nose and heat her cheeks. Her head turned as his hand rested on her waist momentarily, "and I like the hat on you as well."

" sweet lord the internet." Pope rushed past, not taking a breath before sitting down at one of the desks.

" I've missed you." he continued to flirt with the piece of technology. JJ let go of the girl's waist and staggered towards the computer also.

" let me get in there, I've gotta check out my Insta models!" Renee couldn't help but scoff at his words. Moving towards the computer and hovering herself over JJ's shoulder- John B rustling in his backpack for the coordination of the boat.

" I got the map." John b slid the piece of paper on the desk as Pope logged into the internet server.

" coordinates please?" he asked, renee leaned over to read the piece of paper that was marked.

"Thirty four, fifty seven, thirty north." she called out, hearing the tapping of the computer keys. Continuing once she heard Pope hum signalling he had typed it all down.

" seventy five, fifty five, forty two west." she finished, her eyes looking up to screen as he entered in the coordinates.

All of their eyes watched as the map zoomed in until it reached he location they had put in.

John b hovered his finger over the screen " boom, continental shelf right there." he announced

"well if it's off the deep end, then it's not going to be much of a treasure hunt then is it?" Pope sassed back, John B let out a sigh to his comment meanwhile Renee bit her lip to hide her smile.

she stood up fully and rested her hands on her hips waiting for something else to happen or for someone to say something.

But the sound of footsteps and laughter of stayers at the club passing by was filling all five of the teenagers with fear of getting caught.

Renee whipped her head back around from the blurred glass panes of the door and to the computer and John B spoke up again.

" shit it's on the high side, it's only nine hundred feet." The blondes eyebrows scrunched up at the casualness in his voice, she was no expert when it came to the sea but nine hundred feet didn't sound doable.

" that's not that deep." JJ informed them, backing up John be. The two girls looked at each other silently asking if they knew what was going on, which neither did.

" is that like doable for something?" Kiara mumbled in a slight embarrassment, yet none of the boys didn't seem to realise her sheepish tone.

" totally doable." JJ confirmed.

Although his seemingly impressive reassuring comments was shot down by Pope who mocked him, " will we be taking your personal submarine?" Renee couldn't help but laugh, earning a hurt look from JJ.

a small snort left her mouth as she pressed her hand to stop her continuing laughter, " I'm sorry, he's really funny!" she defended her actions but JJ still rolled his eyes and turned back.

" how do you know this, Mr. Dive master?" John B joined in with the mocking although any laughter that left Renee's mouth was mainly because of Pope's previous words.

" the salvage yard." he told them "They got a drone that can drop a thousand. It has a three-sixty camera and everything." His fingers twirled to imitate the 360 camera as he spoke.

"It's for like deep dives and stuff, it's exactly what we need." Renee smiled with a proud look as she and JJ glanced at one another momentarily.

" can your dad get his grimy little hands on it?" John B asked the follow up question, since the only reason JJ knew of this drone was because of his dad working there.

" well my dad got his grimy little hands got his ass fired." his tone lowered and head bowed in embarrassment as he spoke. " I guess the salvage captain frowns on turning up shit faced, turns out."

Renee hovered herself towards the boy, noticing his newly founded distress. Subtly she rested her hand on his shoulder and rubbed the material of his shirt softly.

" but the drones there, it's in the impound yard out back." Kiara sighed and looked back at the computer.

" how much did you say was on the royal merchant again?" the brunette asked as her eyes wondered around the group,

" four hundred mil." JJ, JohnB and Renee spoke simultaneously as Kiara nodded.

Pope shot himself out of his seat, sneakily logging off the computer as he did so. Renee rolled her eyes as his body spread to stop any of them exiting the room.

" four hundred million dollars?" Kiara spoke, her jaw would have been on the floor if it wasn't connected to the other bones of her body.

Renee hummed and turned around, begging to descend to the doorway. Stopping in front of Pope and crossing her arms.

" hi Pope." she spoke in a sarcastic sweet tone with a wide and fake grin on her face.

The boy smiled back, still sprawling against the door. " hi Ren." he greeted her back.

"Could you move, pretty pretty please?" her kind-worded question was met by a shake of the head and a groan from Pope.

" not unless we're doing something legal to get this money." he spoke his price of moving out of the way.

Kiara didn't take the nice approach and instead, push past and harshly nudged Pope to the side to get out of the way of their exit.

the boys followed the brunette out whilst Pope and Renee looked at each other.

" don't tell me you're going along with this stupid and may I mention illegal plan?" Pope felt his hope for the remaining member having a single smart brain cell as she sighed.

" I mean, after we find this money. the world is quite literally going to be our playground." she spoke hovering towards the open door

" oh come on P, live a little." Renee smirked, nudging the boys shoulder before exiting the room along with the others to which he reluctantly followed behind.

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A/N: this chapter was so tedious to write and I'm very sorry it took me so long too :) x