𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄 & 𝐓𝐖𝐎
𝟒𝟗:𝟓𝟎 - 𝟓𝟎:𝟓𝟎
𝟎𝟎:𝟎𝟎 - 𝟗:𝟓𝟎
𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 »𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙

∞

We run onto the deck after John B, who drops the bag, crouching down beside it to look inside. I sit beside him, tapping my knees impatiently.

"What do you guys think it is?" Kie asks, leaning on a beam behind u.

"Gotta be money, right?" John B mumbles, fiddling with the zip.

"That or a couple of keys with street value to the low to mid-mild." JJ smirks eagerly.

"Can we please just open the bag?" Pope snaps moodily.

Our heads slowly turn to him in confusion, all of us with the same expression of shock painted across our faces.

"Wow, Pope." I gasp.

"That's a rare outburst of emotion." John B teases.

Pope throws his arms up, "Okay. You guys are literally killing me with anticipation. Just open the bag. We almost died over this."

John B pulls out a metal canister, he roughly screws off the lid, throwing it to the floor carelessly. He pours the content out into his hand and we all lean in closer.

John B and I look at each other, our eyes wide while the others groan in disappointment; expecting someone better.

"Ava? John B? What? It's not worth anything." JJ runs a hand over his face, sighing loudly.

"It's not just any compass," I start.

John B breathes out, "It's our father's."

JJ's eyebrows furrow, "Your dad's?"

"How did it get there?" Kie asks, eyes wide.

I shrug, "Someone planted it there. Or he gave it to Scooter or Scooter stole it."

"All of those possibilities are liable." Pope nods.

"It's worth nothing." JJ states, almost angrily, throwing his arms up in a huff.

"It's a compass, dumbass. So it'll lead us somewhere, and help us to find something that is worth a lot." I stand up, "Now, can we go back inside before my tits freeze."

"They can freeze?" JJ smirks, walking beside me.

"I'd rather not to stay out here to find out," I snap back, rubbing my forearms quickly on an attempt to remove the goose-bumps.

Once we get inside JJ drags me into my room, immediately shoving me against the wall, his hands on my waist. He pushes his lips against mine without warning. My eyes widen for a second until I get more comfortable, holding onto his bicep.

"Holy fuck," He mumbles to himself, pulling away, "This is finally happening."

I slap my hand over his mouth, my eyebrows furrowed, "Shut up, playboy."

"Ava, c—" Kie walks in, stopping when she sees how close I am to JJ, my hand slowly falling from his lips and he steps back.

"Hey... Kie." I smile awkwardly.

"Oh my god," She laughs, pointing between us both, "You two are totally fuckin'."

"I wish," JJ says, winking at me, noticing my glare and instantly changing his expression, "Sorry, what I meant to say was, we aren't fuckin' yet."

"JJ," I hiss, pinching the bridge of my nose, "You weren't supposed to tell her that. What don't you understand about secret?"

"Bro, she won't tell." JJ rolls his eyes, "Will ya, Kie?"

"Nope. My lips are sealed. Plus, I've been shipping you two for years." She leans against the door frame.

"Well, now that that's sorted. I'm gonna go home, let you two have one of your girly chats." He waves his hands for a moment before walking out quickly.

Kiara smiles as he leaves, her lips immediately dropping to a stern line, "If JB finds out, you're dead."

"I know, I know. Which is why it was a secret." I sit down on my bed, "It hasn't been happening for long. We aren't anything and we've only kissed three times."

"But you wish it was more." She smirks,"Ava, it's obvious that you've had a crush on him since 7th grade."

I lay back, staring up at the ceiling, "No need to remind me. I try to ignore the undying urge to admit how I really feel towards him."

"Just shoot your shot, girl." She sighs, "God, you two have been flirting for years, this was bound to happen at some point. And, holy shit," She gasps, "the way he looks at you is different to how he looks at his fuck buddies," She points at me, backing away from the door, "Ava, you mean to the world to him, he just doesn't know it yet."

~~

"DCS! I know you're in there!"

I trudge down the hallway, rubbing my tired eyes before open the door slowly, "BOO!" JJ runs in, throwing me over his shoulder on the way, skidding to a stop at the kitchen.

"Terrifying." I grumble.

He drops me down, tilting his head in disappointment, "You could be a lil' more interesting."

"Tough, playboy. You just weren't scary enough," I pat his shoulder while John B walks out, yawning.

"Come on, we're going to speak to Ms Lana." He grumbles, snatching the van keys off the counter, "Hopefully she knows something about Scooter and why he had the compass."

I follow my brother and his best friend outside, watching as JJ politely slides open the side door, holding his arm out for me to enter, "M'lady." He nods as I climb in.

"Thank you, sir." I smile at him before he slides the door shut, trudging around the van and jumping into the passenger seat.

"I'm just saying, I don't understand why you don't at least try with Kiara," JJ says once we're on the main road, "She clearly likes you."

"He's right," I mumble, while holding a cigarette between my lips, lighting it, "For once."

"She's like, 'Oh, John B!' JJ moans, throwing his head back, touching his chest.

"Is that what she does?" John B growls, his eyes focussed on the road ahead.

"She's sketching about you diving, then she kissed you, bro." JJ smacks my brother's arm, "She kissed you."

"She kissed me on the cheek," He snaps in reply, "It's not like we were making out!"

"Low-hang fruit, bro."

"Don't pretend you don't notice." I look at my brother through my eyebrows, exhaling slowly, quickly wafting the smoke away.

"I can see it in your eyes, dude. You're like, 'I kinda like that,' and you start blushing and shit." JJ explains.

"I blush?"

"Yeah, it's obvious." I nod.

John B glances back at me for a second, "Really?"

I hum, "Yep. Clear as day."

JJ takes the compass off the dashboard and John B attempts to snatch it away but fails, groaning at the childish blonde; praying he doesn't damage anything.

"I'm just looking at it," JJ snaps, holding it up in the light, "I gotta admit, your father's compass in Scooter's boat, that's freaky."

"Yeah. That's why we're going to talk to Ms Lana, figure the whole thing out." John B tells him.

"And I'm sure she would love to talk to us." I roll my eyes, "It's not like her husband drowned or anything."

"Don't be so pessimistic, Ava."

I shrug, "I'm just saying. She might not be in the best of moods. I wouldn't be."

After a few minutes, we pull up to her house and JJ rushes around the van, opening the door and repeating the same thing as last time.

I eye him up and down in confusion, "What's got you being polite?"

"Am I not allowed to open the door?" He furrows his eyebrows.

I roll my eyes, "That's not what—"

John B yanks the cigarette out of my mouth, throwing it to the floor and crushing it under his foot. I glare at him, "Rude."

"Smoking in someone else's house is rude." He retorts.

"Whoever lives here smokes a shit ton of weed, anyway." JJ informs us while we make our way closer to the house.

We hear glasses shattering and furniture crashing. JJ stops first, then John B but I creep closer, wanting to know what's happening. JJ grabs my wrist, stopping me.

"Maybe we should go back.." He mutters, "It's a little too soon."

"No, no, shut up. Shut up, JJ." John B shakes his head and we continue onwards slowly.

"I'LL SINK YOU IN THE FUCKING-" A man yells before there is another shatter of glass. A woman screams out in terror, presumable Ms Lana.

"I-" JJ stops, slightly crouching.

I take his hand gently, "Come on. It's okay."

"Where the fuck is it, you bitch?" Another man screams.

"I don't know!" Ms Lana shouts desperately.

I release JJ's hand and follow my brother to under the window. Slowly, I peer over the top but I'm pulled away when JJ runs over, dragging down to his side.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" He hisses, "They'll see you!"

"Shut up!" John B whispers.

"Still think we should stay?" JJ tilts his head moodily.

"THE COMPASS WASN'T IN THE BOAT! Where is it, Lana?"

JJ flinches at the man's loud yell. I pull him closer to me, my hand brushing the hair at the back of his head. He looks up at me desperately, his eyes not leaving mine.

"It's okay," I mouth, "Don't listen."

There is another bang and paint falls off the wall and roof, getting in our hair. I cough as the dust gets in my mouth, immediately clamping a hand over my mouth.

"Is that paint?" JJ asks, raking his fingers through hair.

"Yes, it's paint." I reply, pointing to the badly painted building.

"Let's get the hell outta here, man." A man demands while Lana continues to cry.

John B and I move closer to the corner, peering round it, my head just under his while we watch two men walk out the house.

"We should just go." JJ hisses, "He's got smuggler written all over him."

I shove JJ back into the wall, silencing him, "Sh."

The men get into their boat - the same boat that the men, who shot at us own. They leave quickly while we scurry around the corner and into the house.

"Ms Lana?" I ask, my voice slightly raised, "Ms Lana?" I spot her on the bathroom floor and I run over, squatting beside her. I gently grab her arm and she flinches before peering at me, revealing her teary eyes and a hand print on her cheek.

"Dude, she's tweaking." JJ mutters from the doorway.

I glare at him before going back to Lana, "Do you need a doctor?"

She continues sobbing and shaking, not giving me a solid reply.

"We should call the sheriff's department." John B suggests.

"No, no. No cops, please." She cries, wrapping her arms tighter around her body.

JJ shakes his head, "Mm. That's not good. Come on, dude. Let's just go."

"You shouldn't be here!" She chokes.

"That's enough for me. Come on." JJ stands me up and goes to walk away, his hand resting on my waist.

"Wait, wait." I pull him back, staying close to him while listening to my brothers and her's conversation.

"What do you know about these guys." John B questions carefully.

"They were looking for something."

John B pulls out the compass, showing it to her, "Does it have anything to do with this?"

Her face drops and she pushes it away instantly.

"Do you know anything about it?" John pushes, "This is my father's, and Scooter had it. Why?"

"Scooter didn't have it, okay? Don't tell anyone you have it. They can't know! You gotta get out of here!" She waves us away quickly, "Go!"

"What do you know what the compass?" John B raises his voice.

I drag him up and push him towards the door, "You're making her worse. The poor lady is terrified. Let's just go."