𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐍𝐄 , 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐗
𝟎𝟎:𝟎𝟎 - 𝟔:𝟏𝟎
𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨: 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘳 » 𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘴

❦

The next morning, I sit on the back porch to overlook the garden, the rest of the Pogues inside the Chateau still celebrating our massive win. We finally found the gold and I couldn't be happier. We'd done it, after getting beat up and risking my life way too many times over it; we have it.

I light a cigarette with JJ's lighter that I stole from the night on the boat before throwing my head back, my eyes closing in relaxation as I breath in the toxic air, a few moments later releasing the remaining smoke into the atmosphere, the feel of it immediately calming down my anxiety.

"Pass me one,"JJ steps out, moving around my crossed legs to sit beside me on the sofa, holding his fingers out for a cig. Instead of pulling a singular one out, I just pass him the entire box along with the lighter, my eyes still closed, "This is my lighter. How dare you steal it."

"Stole it. . . no. Borrowed. . . yes." I open one eye for a moment to look at him, realising he's staring down at the cigarette in his hands, "There's a difference."

He hums, rolling his eyes before leaning back beside me, smoothly blowing out a puff is smoke and turning his head to me, "What you doing out here alone, anyway?"

"Relaxing," I deadpan, this time opening both my eyes as I take a drag again, "In my own way."

"In our way." He motions between the both of us with his index finger, smirking, "Are you okay? After earlier? I should've said something more—"

"Relaxing," I repeat, refusing to remember the argument from a day earlier, "Relaxing, J."

He holds his hands up in a surrender, nodding in confirmation, "Right, sorry. Relaxing." He takes a long breath but feels the need to break the comforting silence, "You know I like to relax through sex—"

I let out a laugh, coughing on the smoke quickly after, "I know you like sex, JJ. And If it was any other day I would let you have it." I smile mischievously at him and he throws his head back in annoyance, "But we just got gold. . . fucking gold!"

"More reason to have sex," He shrugs.

"Maybe in your book, playboy," I chuckle, "But not in mine."

"Personally," He presses his palm against his chest, "I think we should share a book. Y'know? Have our book. Make our own stories, just us. Yeah?"

My heart warms at his words and I nod happily, "That sounds great. . . amazing, actually."

"Ha!" He cheers, "Knew I'd win you over with that."

I glare at him and he lets out a low laugh, shaking his head. I manoeuvre around until I'm able to climb atop his lap and he moves his arms so I have enough room, both of us squashing our cigarettes into the window sill behind his head as his hands rest comfortably on my ass.

"I did win you over, right?" He raises an eyebrow, his pupils flowing up and down my body.

"Suppose so," I say, leaning in and pecking a quick kiss to his lips, causing him to groan at the short contact.

"Ava. Don't play," He warns, before lifting one hand to the back of my neck, his thumb resting on my neck pulse as he pulls me closer to him, our lips blending together in a long kiss. Our tongues skim past each other and he squeezes my ass as I begin to rock back and forth on his lap, grinding slowly - a moan passing his lips at the movement.

A loud series of claps cause us to shoot away from each other and I swiftly flip off of his lap into my original spot on the sofa, my cheeks blushing bright red and he runs a thumb over his smirking lips, removing my lip balm.

I glance up at Kiara, her hands resting on her hips, "Really, guys? We just found out we're gonna be rich rich and you two are making out?" She sighs, rolling her eyes, "I love y'all together. . . but if he," She points inside the house at my brother, "—if he sees. . . you're both done for. He only thinks you made out once."

"We were just relaxing, Kie. Calm down, bro," JJ stands up, one hand on his crotch  as he trudges past her and back into the Chateau, shooting a smirk over to me at the last second until he's gone from my view completely.

"You guys need to get your PDA under wraps," She grimaces at me.

"We weren't near you," I laugh, pushing myself up, shoving my cigarettes into my pocket, realising JJ took his lighter, "So, technically, it wasn't public."

She rolls her eyes, huffing and pushing me gently inside, "Yet, I still saw you. So, it clearly wasn't private." She retorts, passing me a beer out of the fridge before we trudge into the living room.

I shake my head at her, glancing around the room as Sarah joins with us to walk outside and towards the Twinkie to work on something. We each sit down, me sipping on my beer as Kiara holds out a drawing on a piece of paper.

"John B said that the well, where the gold was, looked something like this." She runs her finger along the horrific drawing, "That's 50 feet down and they're using 100 feet rope. So I guess this little wagon will go. . . straight to the gold room."

"Who the fuck drew this?" I laugh.

She looks at me and then through the window at Pope and John B, "Who do you think?"

I hum in realisation as JJ waltzes over, throwing three slabs of gold at our feet on the Twinkie's carpeted floor, "This better work," He grumbles, "We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it." He leans on the door.

"It's gonna work." I state, grabbing the riches and jumping out the van, the whole group following behind me as I make my way to the outside stove, throwing the slabs into a pan, "Kie, you can do it. I do not trust myself near fire."

"I don't trust you around fire." She chuckles, picking up the blowtorch and placing a pair of goggles on.

I take a step back and stand in front of JJ, my head rested back on his chest while his arm wraps around my waist securely. Sarah and John B sit against tree, their hands wrapped together while Pope stands close to Kie, just incase of an emergency. She starts burning the gold carefully, until the wheat symbol is mostly unnoticeable.

To the Pawn Shop we go.

❦

After a two minute drive, we arrive at the shop and quickly hop out one after the other. JJ has the honourable job of holding the gold and it rests in his palm so it can't possibly fall out, not like it would shatter if it did.

"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein." He mumbles at Kie's shitty melting skills.

"Like you could've done any better." She rolls her eyes.

"I could of, actually." He retorts, "I took a welding class." They mutter insults back and forth for a few seconds, Pope and I watching in enjoyment while Sarah shakes her head.

My brother steps between them, "Sh, stop. Chill out, okay?"

"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off." JJ lifts it up for everyone to see, his hand tightening around his backpack strap, "How did I get this job anyway?"

"Yeah, and why do I have to do it with him?" I furrow my eyebrows, following the blonde boy inside.

"Cause you two are the best liars of the group," Pope replies.

The bell above the door dings, announcing our arrival, the rest of the group walking in soon after, causing the owner's head to turn to us, "Afternoon, ma'am," I offer her wave which she warily returns.

"Afternoon," She mumbles before continuing to fiddle with the money till.

"I heard you buy gold," JJ says as we near the counter, a smile on his lips.

"That's what the sign say don't it?"

"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because I'm about to blow your mind," He smiles, slipping his backpack off his shoulder and onto the counter.

I cringe at his awful choice of words, but if she somehow believes him, then fair dos.

"I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have it," She dares, her eyes watching carefully as he opens the bag.

I place the melted gold in front of her, "How about that?" I raise an eyebrow mischievously.

She stares at it for a moment before shaking her head, chuckling, "That ain't real. It can't be."

"Feel how heavy it is." I point to it and she does as I say, struggling to even move it, let alone lift it from the counter, "See?"

"Spray-painted tungsten." She states, flicking her small ring light in to get a better view at it.

JJ crossed his arms, licking his lips, "Spray-painted tungsten? Really? Okay. Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?"

"You mind?" The lady holds up a pair of tools, her eyebrows raised as we nod in allowance so she proceeds to tap the hammer gently against the rod, a small gasp leaving her lips.

"Wow." I smirk, leaning on the counter, "Would you look at that?"

"Hold your horses." The pawnbroker shakes her head again, "We ain't got to the acid test yet."

"Ohh, the acid test!" JJ exclaims, nudging me with his elbow, smiling excitedly down at me, "My favourite."

Slowly, the woman pours the toxic liquid onto the gold, hesitating for a second before speaking, "Well, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted." She says in a quiet voice.

"Ma'am, I'm telling ya, this is as real as day is long." The blonde points to the block on the counter.

"It looks like somebody tried to melt it down." She stares up at us tensely.

I bite my lip, thinking up a suitable answer but JJ does it first, his back straightening, "My mum. She had all this jewellery laying around the house, and she thought it was best to- to melt it down — to 'consolidate' it." He does air quotations to prove a point and I swallow back a laugh.

The lady placed it on the scales, her eyes widening, "Seven pounds? That's a lot of earrings."

"Okay, to be honest, ma'am," He clears his throat, his hand skimming mine as he leans on the counter as well, "it's really hard to see my mum fall apart with Alzheimer's."

She purses her lips, inspecting his face before wandering off to the back room, "Give me a minute."

He glances down at the ground, nodding and pouting his lips, "Take your time, ma'am."

I smack his arm, pushing off the counter to raise an eyebrow at him, "Alzheimer's? JJ, what has that got to do wi—"

He shrugs, "I don't know!" He hisses quietly, "Just first thing that came to mind. Thank you for helping, by the way." He snaps sarcastically.

"What do you want me to say?" I screw my face up, "That my mum has Alzheimer's as well?" I roll my eyes, turning to the group, "Why did y'all have to pick me?"

Pope shakes his head silently, nodding his head towards the back door, signalling that the woman is coming so I whirl around, a bright smile plastered across my lips.

"I talked to my boss." She states, "And, uh, this is what I can do." She places a small note down on the counter in front of us.

"Fifty thousand?" I lick my lips, reading the scratchy handwriting, "You think we walked in here not knowing the actual price? I know for a fact this is worth 140, at least."

"Well, sweetie, you in a pawnshop." The woman retorts, "This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?"

"Ninety, or we," I flick my index finger between JJ and I, "walk."

"Seventy. Half price." She leans closer to us, "And, um... I don't ask questions about where you got this."

I go to shake my head but JJ nudges me gently, telling me to not say anything, "I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please." He says, sighing sadly.

"Well, here's the sag, I don't have that much denominated not her anyway. I can write you a cashier's check."

"Cash— no, ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what the sign says." I grit my jaw, pointing to the strip above the entrance, "Cash for gold. And that's what I expect. I'm gonna get it in cold hard, okay?"

"Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have money there." She explains, "Is that alright?"

JJ squints his eyes, "Where's this warehouse?"

__________________

blah