MY PURPOSE - JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - FULL KOOK

When the pogues arrived back at the chateau, John B was the first one to get out of the Twinkie and into his house. The boy was quick to sit down and start opening the letter.

"No way" Kiara almost whispered as John B took out folded piece of paper that turned out to be a map.

"Holy shit" John B mumbled, looking at the map that he had spread out on the table.

"Oh, X marks the spot" Pope pointed at the X marked on the paper.

"Longitude, latitude" John B mumbled out loud as looked in the envelope again to see if his dad had left him anything else to understand what the map was for "Wait, there's something else in here"

"What's that?" JJ frowned at the small, black tape recorder in the boys hand.

"A tape recorder, idiota" Eleanor snarked at the blonde.

JJ looked over at Pope "Translation?"

"She called you a dumbass" Pope shrugged, Eleanor then gave JJ a sarcastic smile back when John B finally mustered up the courage to press the button on the tape recorder.

"Dear Bird" It was Big John's voice coming through the recorder and the Routledge boy had to hold back his tears.

"Who's bird?" JJ asked.

"That's what my dad called me" John B whispered.

"I hate to say, 'I told you so,' but I told you so. And you doubted your old man. I suspected 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 Merchant either"

The group shared looks of shock at the fact that he had found the Royal Merchant, their attention went back to the recording when they heard the noise of clattering coming from the tape. Which John b knew to be his father probably searching through his office.

"You were probably right to call me out. Wasn't exactly father of the decade" You could hear him sigh on the other end before continuing "What can I say kid? I could smell the barn. And hopefully, we're listenin' to this in our brand new sugar-shack down in Costa Rica, livin' off passive investments and pulling on permits"

"If not, and you find this for less optimal reasons, well, that's what the map is for. There she is, the reck of the Merchant. If somethin' 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"

The sound of a vehicle approaching made the four teens look at each other as Big John said his last words "I'll see you on the other side" And that was it as static came through the tape before it clicked off. Eleanor looked over at the pogues in shock.

"Holy shit, he did it!" JJ practically shouted while John B had quickly got up from his seat and attempted to make it outside but the boy only made it to the door that lead to the front porch as he latched onto the door frame like it was his life line "Big John. . .he found it the Merchant. Can you believe it?"

"JJ. Can you. . .not please?" Kie told him as she walked over to John B and put her arms around him as sobs escaped his body.

"Sorry" JJ muttered while Eleanor just looked at the broken boy in front of her. She wanted so badly to hug him but she didn't really feel like it was her place when she had never met his dad and had no idea how to comfort him.

After a while of crying, John B and the rest of the group had gone outside and down to the beach
where they opened some beers and even made a small fire in their circle.

Kiara was playing her ukulele while they watched the sun go down. Eleanor had even ordered them all pizza "How much was it again?" JJ asked.

"Four hundred mil" Pope said in awe.

"All right, let's talk the split. Now, before we say 'evenly,' may I remind you that I am the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us" JJ then pulled the gun out from the waistband of his shorts "Protection? Not cheap, okay?"

"Yeah I think the only person who will be defending us JJ is Eleanor who has actual training" Pope stated and Eleanor smiled slightly.

"Youtube, bro! It's not hard to look up a couple videos and bam, that's at least a five percent bump right there" JJ continued.

"You haven't. . ."

"Any objections?" JJ asked and of course Pope, Kie, Eleanor and John B all raised their hands but the blonde just completely ignored them "Didn't think so"

"You can be my wingman JJ, don't worry" The girl joked, smiling at the blonde as she bit into her slice of pizza.

"What are you gonna do with your hundred mil, Pope?" Kiara asked as the boy looked up from his hands.

"Pay for college in advance. And also, textbooks. Those are expensive" He nodded.

Eleanor smiled and nudged the boy playfully "Their lucky to have you"

Pope smiled back at the girl "Thank you but I haven't got in yet"

"And we all know you're gonna Pope, don't sweat it" JJ told him "What about you, Kie?"

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

The curly haired girl chuckled, looking down at the beer in her hands with a smile "Just wanna make a double album. About OBX, the Pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. Record it at Marley Studio, Peter Tosh producing"

"Peter Tosh is dead" Pope muttered.

"I know but the spirit of Peter Tosh will never die" Kiara smiled and held her beer can up.

"I know what I'll do" JJ started "I'm gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full Kook"

"You're gonna go full Kook?" Pope asked, while also nearly choking on the pizza in his mouth because the JJ he knew hates the Kooks with everything in him.

"Yup" JJ nodded "Gonna get a marble statue of myself, and then I'm gonna get a koi pond. Put a bunch of those fish. . ."

Kiara chuckled "I'm never visiting, just putting it out there"

"What about you, Eleanor?" John B asked the girl who hadn't spoken since Pope had been talking.

"Oh no, I don't want any of it" She rushed out "You guys started this not me"

"But we couldn't have got this far without you" John B reasoned but the girl just shrugged.

"Still, I don't need it and anyway, what are you gonna do with your share? After all, this is your treasure hunt"

John B sat their for a minute before responding "To going full Kook" He smiled.

"To going full Kook!" They all chuckled, clinking their beers together before Kiara then started to play a song on her ukulele called 'Young Dumb & Broke' by Khalid with the karaoke on her phone to guide her.

"But we still got love to give!" Eleanor sang "While we're young dumb. Young, young dumb and broke"

JJ shook his head, smiling as he joined in with the girl "Young dumb. Young, young dumb and broke!"

Kie smiled, nodding her head to the music "Young dumb. Young, young dumb and broke"

"Young dumb broke high school kids!" The five teens shouted and Eleanor smiled as they all continued to sing along to the song while drinking their beers and eating the pizza.

Eleanor's experience in Outer Banks so far had been eventful to say the least but she would be forever grateful for the Pogues.