Chapter Five

"Okay, where the actual hell have you been?" Sarah had asked as soon as I entered our room the next morning. I was exhausted and I hadn't changed my clothes since yesterday.

"Not now, Sarah."

"Hey, don't ignore me!" She had stormed over to me. "I was worried sick about you, okay? Dad kept wondering where you were."

"Can I have a shower first. Please?"

She stares at me and narrows her eyes at me. She was annoyed at me, I guess. Fair enough, I did leave her in the dark for some time.

"Fine." She walked over to her bed and sat on it. "Have your shower. You've got half an hour because Topper and I are going out on the Malibu, which by the way, you're welcome to join. And we're doing a cleanup."

"I'll take that offer, thanks." I had turned to our bathroom and quickly ran inside, shutting the door behind me.

As I was taking a shower, I had time to come up with a quick excuse. I had changed and put on a short and a top bikini.

I had told Sarah that I had hung out with some old friends. She believed me and forgave me, but she was still a little suspicious of me.

Now, we glide along with the ways on the malibu in the channel. I had my sunglasses on and Topper was driving. He and Sarah was talking while I was relaxing on the seat up the front.

Man, I sure loved third-wheeling when it came to these two.

I let the sun soak on me. The one good thing I have is that I don't sunburn, I tan naturally. So, I didn't need to have sunscreen on.

I notice the HMS Pogue riding the opposite direction of us. I was unsure if I should say hi to the guys as Topper and Sarah would get weirded out by me.

"You don't act like you don't see us, bitch." I heard Kie say as we went by and I felt guilty for not saying hi. I bite my lower lip as I turned around, watching them go off into the distances.

JJ was looking at us, specifically me. I noticed him wave at me and I gave him a small smile, winking at him before turning back around.

✫✫✫

Sarah, Topper, Kelce, Rafe, Wheezie, others, and I were cleaning up the beach. I was holding onto a trash bag while picking up rubbish.

And I may or may not be extremely tipsy. I kept giggling as I sculled down the vodka we were all sharing.

"You should have heard the way John B talk Stormy," Sarah was ranting to Topper about John B the other day. "The kids got a mouth on him!"

"Well, he's showing his true colours, guys." Topper spoke and I narrowed my eyes at him. I wanted to defend John B, but I didn't know-how.

"He was so rude!" Sarah had exclaimed. "I can't believe Stormy took all that."

"I know! It's what I've been trying to tell you." Topper had said and I rolled my eyes. "I mean, he's lucky your Dad didn't press charges."

"I know!" Sarah continued. "After stealing scuba from us? It's just... Kind of ridiculous to me. After everything, my Dad's done for him. Just so generous. You'd think he'd be more grateful. Then he yells at Stormy like it's her fault! God, he's lucky I didn't fucking beat his ass for him talking to her like that."

"That's—he's a pogue at the end of the day," Topper had concluded. I scowled. I hated Kooks versus Pogue thing. "I mean, you can say we're all just people, or—or whatever, but it's a totally different mindset on the cut."

"Yo! You look thirsty," Kelce had come up to us with juice. There's got to be some alcohol in there, too. "Have some of that, baby,"

"What do we have here?" Topper takes the bottle from Kelce. I had take it from Topper and sculled a lot more. After hearing that conversation, I want to forget it ever happened. When I had stopped drinking and gulped, it burned the back of my throat.

"That's how we do it, baby!" Kelce grinned.

Topper takes it off me and drinks some, before handing it over to Sarah. "Oh, man. Come on, Sarah." Topper tells her and Sarah smells the drink. "Scull."

"What did you do to this?" Sarah had asked Kelce.

"He's not playin' around." Topper had told her. Sarah drinks.

Wheezie takes the drink bottle and sips. Sarah shakes her head in disapproval, taking the drink back from Wheezie. "Since when did you start drinking?" Sarah had asked her.

"Since today!" Wheezie had tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Great going, Kelce." Sarah had handed back the bottle to Topper.

I rolled my eyes. I was still slightly mad at Wheezie. I had gotten out my own bottle of 'water'. It was a cruiser drink and vodka.

"What do you have there?" Topper questioned me as I gulped down heaps.

I pulled the bottle away from my lips. "Vodka and cruiser."

"Can I have some?" Wheezie eagerly asked, trying to grab my drinking bottle but I pulled it away from her reach.

"No, you little snitch," I had snapped and she glared at me.

"You guys got it under control?" A manager had come over.

"Yes, sir!" Topper had called over. "It's looking good, sir! Just cleaning the stretch out!"

I gave him a tipsy smile. Fuck, I can feel the alcohol hitting me hard. "Just hydrating! Almost finished!"

"Good job!" The guy called out, giving us a thumbs up. "Keep going!"

"Thank you! Thank you." Topper replied back and the person walks away.

Now, we all stand in a circle on the flat sand. I could feel my toes in the sand and I smiled. I tried my hardest not to giggle. Sarah and I were both drunk already as we stand next to each other, giving each other knowingly looks.

"Just a moment, friends, to acknowledge our blessings." The man in the middle speaks. We all hold hands. I grinned. "To the big Kahuna..." I snorted and Topper shushes me. "Thank you for the opportunity for us to come out here and restore Masonborough to it's virgin glory." Me snorting had almost set of Sarah laughing. She was grinning widely and Topper was giving us looks to shut up, but he couldn't contain his smile. "Amen."

Claps were heard and Sarah and I were set off laughing, holding onto each other.

"He doesn't like us, that guy," Topper had mentioned, and I nodded.

✫✫✫

Now, I'm with the pogues in the van, pulling up to an empty country club. I was still very drunk and I could tell everyone was annoyed at me but I couldn't stop laughing or giggling. Something was very wrong with me, but right now, I couldn't care less.

"All right, let's keep a lookout." John B had said. "And JJ, you're looking after Stormy."

"Yeah, we're behind enemy lines," JJ had pulled out the gun and my eyes widen.

"Don't shoot!" I cried out dramatically in the back.

"Yo, come on, man, just put it in the back." John B had sighed. "JJ."

"You can never be too careful." JJ was sitting in the passenger seat, next to John B. Pope had opened the van door and leant on the passenger door.

"Hey, I predict that bringing a weapon to a four-star hotel will likely cause more problems than solve them." Pope had said and my mouth dropped open as I exit the van and stood next to Pope.

"He's a wizard, Harry!" I had yelled out. The others tried to contain their laughter towards me.

Kie leans forward, poking her head in between JJ and John B. "I swear to God, I'm gonna throw that thing in the ocean, JJ. Put it back."

John B takes the gun from JJ and puts it away. "There you go." Pope grinned.

"You can't grab a gun like that," JJ warned John B, noticing how he held it wrong. "Can't forget my badge."

"Kie!" I had wrapped my arms around Kie and she scrunches up her face in disapproval. "I missed you."

"Good to know, Stormy," Kie carefully pulls me away from her. "Now can you try to act sober when we go into the five-star hotel? We're gonna need you if shit goes badly."

JJ and John B had gotten out of the van. I had run up behind JJ and jumped on his back, completely surprising him. He had caught me and himself just in time before he tumbled over.

"What're you doing, Hollywood?" JJ questioned; I could hear the smile in his voice.

I rested my head on his shoulder, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I didn't feel like walking."

"So, where are we going now?" Pope questioned.

"We're getting on the internet because only rich people have electricity right now." JJ had informed. "This way!" We had gone inside and passed through a kitchen. "Andrew!"

JJ reaches towards a plate. "Mama L, good to see you!" JJ had taken some shrimp. He had taken two pieces and he gives one to me.

"JJ!" Mama L had snapped.

"Yum!" I whispered, trying to act sober as I eat the shrimp. "Oh! I could do with more of that."

We had walked further into the hotel. "See, they got back up generators going? Kook's don't miss a beat." He leads us through the lobby, I clung onto JJ like a teddy bear. I was getting looks from other people, but I didn't care.

We soon entered a room full of computers. "Sweet Lord, the internet!" I had hoped off JJ's back, and we all run to a computer. JJ had closed the door behind us. "I've missed you." Pope continued.

"Let me get in there." JJ had said. "Gotta check out my models." I'm not sure why, but that comment hurts as I sat in a seat next to Pope.

"Hey, hey, hey!" John B whispers as he smacked down the map on the table. "I got the map!"

"Coordinates, please?" Pope questioned.

"34, 57, 30 north. 75, 55, 42, west." John B had read out and Pope had typed that into google maps. A location pin drops onto the map. "Boom, continental shelf right there."

"Okay, well, if it's off the deep end, it's not gonna be much of a treasure hunt, is it?" Pope informed us.

"Come on, baby," JJ comments as google maps zoom in more. Numbers marked various points of the ocean on the map.

"Shit, it's on the high side." John B had said. "It's only 900 feet." Pope gave John B a look.

"That's not too deep," JJ speaks.

"Is that doable or something?" Kie asked.

"Yeah, totally doable," JJ nods.

"Okay, well, will be taking your personal submarine?" Pope asked sarcastically.

"Unfortunately, Dad doesn't own one." I had sighed. "Not that I know of, at least."

"How do you know this, Mr. Dive Master?" John B shot at JJ.

"The salvage yard," JJ says. "They got a drone that can drop 1,000. It has a 360 camera and everything. It's for like, deep dives and stuff. It's exactly wat we need."

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

"Well, my Dad's grimy little hands got his ass fired." JJ huffed. "I guess the salvage captain frowns on showing up shitfaced, turns out. But the drones there. It's in the impound yard out back."

"How much did you say was on the Royal Merchant again?" Kie had asked.

"500 mil." The boys chimed in together and I let that sink in. Fucking hell that's a lot of money. I could finally start to feel myself sobering up.

"500 million dollars?" I repeated.

Pope had gotten up and ran to the door, his arms stretched out wide. "Nope. No. Absolutely not!"

"Pope, Pope." I had pleaded, walking over to him. "Move."

"Guys, that's too—"

"Come on!"

"Can we do anything legally for money?"

✫✫✫

"Pope, we're not stealing the drone, we're borrowing it." John B had told Pope as we make our way to the salvage yard.

I was sitting on the couch in the van. Pope was refusing to steal the drone but we're trying to convince him.

"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality," Pope had quoted.

"Wait, did you come up with that?" John B questioned.

"No, he didn't," I deadpan. "Albert Bernstein came up with it."

"But, it applies to this whole treasure hunting thing." Pope added on.

"Oh." John B muttered.

"So, which is it?" Pope turned to John B who was driving. Kie sits in the passenger seat and JJ sits on the floor. "Fantasy, or reality?"

"Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ questioned.

"It's fantasy," Kie begun. "But possibly reality."

"Reality." John B stated.

JJ holds a joint between his lips. "Virtual reality," he speaks. Pope grabbed the joint before JJ could light it up and flicks it away, the joint landing beside me.

"Keep the signal clear." Was all Pope said.

John B had stopped the van outside salvage yard. I get out just as the boys argue. The plan was that I was supposed to distract them, by saying my tire was flat. Kie's joining me.

Kie had jumped out of the passenger side and we went to John B's window. "Hey, don't worry, you guys' got this." John B reassured us.

"It's not us that I'm worried about." Kie had said, she points to Pope and JJ as we both turned around and walked towards a the guard both.

"Hello?" I had called out, waving at the security booth. "Excuse me?" He stands and exits the security booth and approaches Kie and I by the closed gate.

"Can I help you?" The security guard questioned.

"Hi, me and my sister, were just passing through, and we have a flat tire." I had pointed to the black behind us. "I was wondering if you could help us out?"

He eyed us. Okay, maybe sister was a bit of a stretch. Kie and I looked nothing alike.

"Yeah. Yeah." The security guard nods.

I scoffed, placing a hand on my hip. "It's too easy."

"You're a pretty good liar." Kie complimented. "But the sister part, really?"

"Just go with it." I told her as the security guard had opened the gate after getting some tools. I smiled as we walked to our car with the boat attached to it. "It's just this back one right here. I mean, it must've been a slow leak or something."

"Probably just been in the yard too long?" The security guard suggested.

"Yeah." Kie had agreed.

"Yeah, I got this," the security guard told us.

"Thank you so much," I acted like I was stressed. "Oh, my God, sissy our parents would totally kill us if we came home with a flat tire."

"Yeah, they really would..." She gave me a look. "Sissy, you're a lifesaver." She turns to the security guard and I nodded.

The security guard kneels beside the boat trailer and my eyes cast over to the gate that had closed. JJ, John B, and Pope had all managed to slip in quickly.

I lean against the boat and looked around anxiously. The security guard had filled the tire from a portable air tank.

"Got it?" Kie questioned when the security guard looked up at us.

Suddenly, there was barking in the distance, and I tried to keep my cool. The security guard looks at us. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Kie and I asked in sync.

The security guard stands up. "Oh, I think Tebow's got somethin'."

"It's probably just a raccoon, maybe." Kie quickly lied. "You know?"

"Oh, yeah, our dog Baxter barks at raccoons all the time." I shrugged it off. Man, I'm just too good. "Nothin' to worry about."

The security guard resumes filling the tire and Kie had slipped away, most likely to sabotage the next tire. I lean on the boat and he had noticed that Kie had walked away.

"Where'd she go?" The security guard asked me.

"She went to call our parents—" He cuts me off by pushing past me and went around the corner. Kie got caught red-handed. She was about to use her hairpin to release air from the tire.

"What are you doing?" The security guard asks in shock.

"This one looks a little low, too." Kie had tried to play it off. He runs back towards the gate.

"Wait, wait!" I had called and when he the security guard didn't wait, I cursed. "Fuck!" I run to the car and climbed into the driver's seat, Kie jumped into the passenger seat.

"What're we doing?" Kie panicked as I started the car. I had a boat trailer on the back, I need to be careful.

"The boys' need a quick escape route." I had informed her as the gate was still opening. I stepped on the peddle and speed into the salvage yard.

"Fucking hell." Kie curses as we entered, and picked up the boys, and left.

✫✫✫

"Stormy," Sarah was whining over the phone as I was outside in The Wreck, Kie's family restaurant. Sarah was drunk. "I miss you, and I want you to come party with me, where you been?"

"I've been out, Sarah." I had sighed. "You're completely wasted. Is Topper there with you?"

"Top's with me." Sarah had replied. There was loud music playing. "Everyone's wondering where the party animal is at. They'd be so disappointed if you don't show up."

I looked inside, to see my new friends sitting around a table. "I can't tonight. Can you try and cover me again?"

"Stormy Cameron," Sarah tried her best to sound serious. "I suck at lying and I hate it. Wheezie is already covering for me."

"Okay," I said softly. "Don't worry, I'll ask Wheezie to cover for me, too."

"She won't do it unless you blackmail her." Sarah had informed me, while slurring. "I'm blackmailing her 'cause she drank at the cleanup today. You should try use that, too!"

"Okay, Sarah. Hey, sissy, I've gotta go. I love you." I told her. "Stay safe and make sure to stay with Topper at all times, 'kay?"

"Okay, sissy, I promise." She slurs out. "I love you, too."

"Bye," I told her and hung up then I called Wheezie. She had picked up. "Wheezie!"

"What?" She sounded extremely annoyed.

"I need you to cover for me tonight, I probably won't be coming home. Or I'll be coming home really late." I had informed her.

"Why not? Where will you be?" Wheezie asked.

"I'm at Topper's party," I lied. "I won't tell Dad you were drinking if you don't tell Dad I'm at the party,"

She sighed. "Okay, fine. I guess I'll cover for both of you."

"Thanks, Wheez!"

"I hate it when you call me that!" Wheezie growled.

"I know, bye!" I had hung up on her and walked back into the restaurant to my new friends.

"There she is." JJ grinned, spotting me as I sat down beside him. "Everything good?"

I sighed. "Yep. Sarah's drunk and won't stop calling me."

"Ah, sibling antics." JJ cheekily said, making my heart flutter as I looked at him. I gave him a smile.

"You're telling me." I shake my head as Kie's Dad begins to deliver food towards us. And the best part is, it's free!

I dig into the fish and chips, groaning at how good it is. JJ leans close to me. "You're acting like you've never had fish and chips before." JJ pointed out.

I finished a mouthful. "Well, my wanna-be mother Rose always scowls at me for eating junk food. She says I won't get a boyfriend eating that kind of shit, so she pretty much forces me to eats chicken salads." I scrunched up my nose. "It absolutely sucks. I haven't had fish and chips since I was ten!"

"Well, eat up, Hollywood," JJ told me, I could see some sympathy behind his eyes.  

"You bet your ass I will," I huffed and scoffed some more fries. I loved it here. I could be myself around these people and not have to put up any high standards for anyone.

JJ throws a fry at me and I glared at him. "Here, try-catch." I lean a little back as he aims for my mouth. I easily got it and let out a yell of happiness, but quickly got shushed by Kie and I giggled, apologizing.

Kie gives us glasses of water and I inhale that water. I think I'm hungry from being drunk today. Kie points at John B and begins to dance. John B raises his eyebrows. John B had caved in and begins to dance with Kie.

JJ, being the smooth man, quickly pulled me off my feet and twirls me around. "Smooth," I told him as I twirled into his arms, laughing. JJ and I sway back and forward, moving with the beat.

I run a hand through my hair, and I twirled JJ this time and he chuckled. "I feel like a Princess." JJ mocked a high pitch girly voice and I giggled, stepping closer to him.

"The prettiest princess in the whole of Outer Banks," I had told him, eyeing his face. Man, he has a good jawline.

"I think that's all you, Hollywood," Is JJ flirting with me? I think he's flirting with me. I blushed deeply and looked down at the ground. He intertwines one of our hands together and lifts my head up with an index finger under my chin. "No one as pretty as you should ever frown."

My heart does black flips. He's flirting with me and I'm not sure what to do with this. I just grinned widely and we back to my fries. He pouts at me and sits on the chair next to me. Bodley, I went and sat on his lap and fed him a fry. 

I tried to eat a fry, but JJ was quick to put it in his mouth. "JJ!" I scowled, throwing a fry at his face that he had annoyingly caught. He chuckled and kept his arm around my waist and one hand sat on my thigh. I snuggled into him, feeling comforted.

A/N

This is such a cute chapter...