"Ready? Now you just.." John B trialed off, attempting to teach Joey to dance after hours in The Wreck. She admitted to never learning, never getting ask or had friends to go to school dances with, "Sway, and sway, and sway, and sway."

He didn't even bother to flinch each time she stepped on his feet, attempting to watch every step she'd been taking.

"Up here." he encouraged her, a small whistle leaving his lips. Joey looked up quickly, a demotic laugh leaving her lips, making him do the same, "You're evil."

"Like you're some saint." Joey grinned, John B giving her a spin before pulling her back in, "Was that suppose to convince me?"

"I happen to be an angel." John B pointed out, humming as he swayed with her slightly, "You on the other hand are an entire demon."

"Well, at least i'm not just a half demon." Joey hummed, taking his hand to give him a small spin. John B rose his eyebrow at her, "Am I getting the hang of it?"

"Just a little." he squinted his nose at her, humming to the fairy music that played, "This is were I first saw you, you know?"

"And where you bothered me." Joey said as John B gave a minor roll of his eyes, "I was just wanting some onion rings."

"What would you do if you saw someone cute, a new person, at your best friends restaurant?" John B asked her honestly, "You'd just let someone that gorgeous get away?"

"I would." she admitted, getting a look of disbelief, "You wanna know why?"

"Enlighten me." John B encouraged with another hum.

"One, because I would never just randomly go up to someone. Regardless if they are beautiful, they could be absolutely terrible. And two, because they most likely do not want to be bothered." the curly haired girl pointed out, the song switching from the small speaker that Kie helped John B set his phone up to.

He gave a head tilt, "You were terrible and look at us now."

"Slow dancing in a place we trespassed in." Joey nodded, "Our smartest decision, really."

John B gave her a sudden spin, so quick that it startled her. He pulled her in, her back pressed into his chest, "I agree."

Pressing a kiss to the side of her head, he spun her back around.

"I feel like this is most definitely just some massive joke to somehow humiliate the hell out of me." Joey shook her head, not trusting any of the pogues. Joey showed up at The Wreck after she got off, night fall overtaking the sky and the restaurant closing down.

"Joey, i'm not lying. Why would I joke about something like this?" John B asked quickly, speaking with his hands at the same time.

"Because you'd do that, just to hurt me somehow." Joey shot back at him.

"But we wouldn't." Kie spoke up, motioning between her, JJ, and Pope, "You know you can trust us."

She'd hinted at all of them keeping, not only the secret about her staying with John B after the fight on the beach, but also all the times she'd checked up on him with his friends and asked them not to tell.

Joey exhaled, looking at the four before her, "So you think you've found a shit ton of gold that non of you actually believed in?"

"I believe in gold." JJ pointed out with a hum, "Just didn't believe in it sinking."

"But you did." John B cut the conversation off quickly as he brought Joeys attention back to him, "That's why I wanted to tell you. It's only fair. You were one of the few people that actually believed my dad and supported him. He'd want you here."

"It wasn't that deep." Joey huffed, attempting to shield any good memories she'd actually had with John B, "Don't just try to involve me because you feel guilty."

Pope then tried to reason before a fight cut loose, "You pretty much cracked the code for us early. The Earth website Big John told us about, we know the spot now."

"Yet here you are, goldless." Joey rolled her eyes, "It probably went off the deep end."

"We have to test the drone in the morning before we go out." Kie spoke up quickly with a raise of her eyebrows, "Just give it a chance. It's for Big John, not us."

"Not that we don't enjoy your, of so delightful, company." JJ hummed with a sarcastic look.

"Oh, right back at you, JJ." Joey hummed as she stood to her feet, looking at John B, "I will cut your ball sack off if you're being anything but serious."

His eyebrows rose, "Noted. Yes ma'am."

Joey turned away to leave before John B called out again, "Pick you up in the morning?"

Ignored, as he usually was.

"God, what a idiot." Joey shook her head as she watched John B clean his teeth in the drone camera, that had been in the water with him and Kie.

"What's this right here?" JJ rose his hands to the button nearest the screen.

"Don't touch that!" Pope slapped his hand quickly, "I'm trying to work out this thing."

"We should get you one of those Math-Leets crowns that they give at competitions." Joey hummed, hitting Popes shoulder.

"What would we do without you to control the drones?" JJ added in after Joeys words, the pair standing up straight on sync. John B and Kie swam up from the water, throwing their hair out of their face.

"Hey, look, once we get footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim." John B spoke from the water, kicking his feet to stay afloat.

"It's such bullshit. Why do we have to do that?" JJ huffed in disbelief.

"Well, there is maritime salvage law." Pope pointed out with a nod of his head, "We can't just go to the ocean floor and scoop a bunch of stuff up."

"I know. I know. It's just lawyers aren't cheap, bro." JJ pointed out, looking at Joey, "We already have someone who argued for a living, why involve another?"

Joey rolled her eyes, "Hilarious, JJ. I'm pissing myself in laughter."

"As soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp." John B spoke from the water again.

"How do you know all of that?" Kie laughed in disbelief.

"Cause my dad said it, like, a million times." he answered her, "Didn't he, Joey?"

"Stop talking to me." she said back his way.

"Yup, will stop talking to you." he gave a thumbs up from the water.

She simply couldn't help herself, "You do know that there is a flesh eating disease just floating around in that water, right now?"

John B hummed, "Oh, are you talking to me now?"

"This tether is, like, really long. In the wrong weather, it could get pushed around." Pope cut in before a fight escalated between the pair.

Joey backed up quickly when Kie climbed out of the water and back onto the deck, grabbing the near by towel and chunking it her way.

"Then we'll go at dead calm." John B spoke from the water, climbing up after Kie.

"At slack tide?" Kie questioned as she heard the thunder.

"So now, we just gotta wait around for the right weather." Pope hummed in agreement, "And today is not that day."

"They have to shower anyways." Joey cut in, pressed up against the farthest railing away from John B and Kie, "A few times, actually."

"Oh, look at you, all happy on this morning." John B greeted Joey as she walked over toward the boat, looking rather annoyed, "Can't tell if this is just a you thing or if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed?"

"My stupid uncle is making me take stupid dance lessons for that stupid midsummers thing." Joey spoke in pure anger and annoyance, taking Kie's hand as she helped her up in the boat while JJ drove off with it.

"Why are you going to that? You live on The Cut." JJ called over his shoulder, listening in on the conversation.

"Because her uncle tries to kiss rich kook ass so they'll take him seriously." John B answered for her, searching in the cabinets quickly.

"I'll be there too." Kie gave her a nod, "And Pope."

"You have to pay for your hamburgers but i'll give you free cream sodas." Pope nodded his head as Joey took her seat.

On que, John B threw her one, "To better mornings for our Royal Merchant gold."

Joey wanted to find a reason to snap at him, anything at all. But she couldn't, then he spoke again, "Besides, you already know how to dance."

Her face fell, a scold forming immediately as she chunked the can back his way.

•

kylie speaks

dance lessons are
all about top and joey,
but i'm glad i finally
got my girl written into
the gold storyline!
joey getting mad anytime
john b brings up one of
their good memories is
my favorite thing to write
about lmao.