But no, they couldn't do anything legal.

So they were going to steal a drone that could go a hundred feet down, to search for the wreck of the Royal Merchant and the four hundred million in gold.

And annoyingly, it had been Elora that was chosen to distract the worker manning the gate so the others could sneak in. She had to pretend she had a flat tyre, and it was going to be grim.

But she tried not to feel like that as she stepped out the car, John B telling her. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

Elora just smirked at him. "It's not me I'm worried about."

The nice looking black truck that they'd managed to borrow from Heyward, Pope's dad, was parked in front of the gate, and next to it was a small booth containing a single worker. Elora smiled slightly, walking up to it and waving her arms.

"Hello!" She called. "Excuse me!"

The man inside the booth turned, and Elora widened her smile as he came outside, facing her with only the gate in between them.

"Can I help you?" The guard asked.

"Hi!" Elora smiled. "Um, I actually have a flat tire, could you please help me out?"

She looked at him, trying to make her face that of a desperate teenage girl, before the man sighed and nodded. "Yeah."

Too easy, she thought, as he went back into the booth and pressed the button to open the gate, letting her through.

She led him through the rows of random cars, saying. "It's just this back one right here. I mean, it must've been a slow leak or something."

She leaned against the boat next to her, waving her hand behind her back as a signal to JJ, John B, Pope and Kie, who were no doubt looking for it so they knew they could run through the gate.

"You know, I got this," the man smirked at her, and she internally rolled her eyes.

But she kept her smile on. "Thank you."

As he kneeled down to sort it, she looked around, and caught sight of four figures sprinting through the gate. She grinned. That was phase one done.

The man got out an electrical pump, beginning to blow up the tyre. "Got it?" Elora asked.

"Yeah..." he nodded, keeping an eye on the PSI.

"Ruff! Ruff, ruff!"

Elora wanted to curse as she heard the dog barking, knowing it must be something to do with the others. The man in front of her even looked up, frowning. "D'you hear that?"

She played dumb. "Hear what?"

"Ruff!"

But as the dog continued to bark, the man stood up, saying. "Oh, Tebow's got something."

"It's probably just a racoon, maybe, you know?" shrugged Elora, needing him to kneel back down. "Nothing to worry about."

The man studied her for a second, then nodded. "Yeah."

He kneeled back down, going back to blowing up the tyre.

But then the worst happened.

Like, the worst.

"Hey Mr P, is that Tebow barking? I'm gonna go-"

Both Elora and Tyler stopped moving completely, frozen in shock as they stared at each other.

Why the fuck is Tyler Thornton here?

But in reality, the reason he was here didn't matter. It was if he was going to discover what their plan was.

Then they both regained their senses at the same time, asking in unison. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked first," Elora finally said. "Besides fucking stalking my every move."

"I work here, in case you didn't know," Tyler smirked. "Don't think you have as easy an excuse."

"I've just got a flat tyre," Elora said, faking a smile. "Need to get it fixed."

"Ruff! Ruff, ruff, ruff!"

Tyler turned, frowning heavily in the direction where the barks were coming from.

Then the worst happened. The man (Mr P, apparently) looked up and asked. "Tyler, could you help this young lady with her tyres, please? I'm gonna go check on Tebow."

"No, wait-" Elora tried to run after him, but she couldn't without looking seriously sketchy in front of Tyler.

And that fucking idiot, he was smirking at her right now, nodding. "No problem, Mr P."

Elora would be angry, but in actual fact she was shaking with fear as he ran off, Tyler chuckling and keeling down beside the tyre pump.

"So..." he said, looking up at her after Mr P was gone. "A, you're not with the others, which I know is unusual, B, you could fix a flat tyre in your sleep, and C, you always get this weird little look in your eyes when you lie, so are you going to tell me what you're actually doing, or just continue lying to me?"

"Shut up," Elora growled, scuffing the sole of her converse on the ground she was suddenly so interested in.

"Oh, so I'm right? Bet you hate that," Tyler grinned, his eyes glittering with malice.

"Shut up before I slap you again," Elora snarled.

"It's okay, whatever your little friends are doing, Mr P will catch them at it," shrugged Tyler. "They're not getting out of here with whatever you want."

"We don't want anything, I just have a flat tyre," Elora snarled.

"Whatever you say, Elle," he fucking winked at her.

"You know what? I'm done with this shit," Elora snapped, turning on her heel and stalking back over to the truck they'd brought here.

"Yeah, sure you are," shrugged Tyler.

Elora gave him a middle finger as she hopped in. "Yeah."

She revved the engine, turning the car round before yelling out the window. "Oh and for future reference, leave me and my friends alone from now on!"

She hated hearing his chuckles as she drove off.

But she couldn't focus on that right now.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Elora didn't really remember how she rescued JJ, John B, Pope and Kie from the situation, but thankfully, by the time they got out only JJ had been discovered by Mr P, and Tyler had seen none of them.

They ditched Heyward's van at Pope's and took the Twinkie to their next destination instead. Their next destination being The Wreck, the restaurant Kiara's parents owned, to get some food.

Kiara's story was a tricky one. Her mum was a Kook, and her dad had been born a Pogue. Kie lived in a Figure Eight house, and had even spent a year at Kildare Academy (nicknamed the Kook Academy, as it was only Kooks that had the money to go there) before begging her parents to send her back to public school.

Her parents didn't approve of her hanging around with four Pogues, but Elora knew she didn't really care.

So, as they pulled up to The Wreck, she smiled, said. "Damn, stealing drones makes you hungry."

Oh, and she hadn't even mentioned the most important fact: they actually got the drone, and would use it tomorrow in the area Big John had marked the Merchant in.

She hadn't told the others about Tyler. They hadn't been caught, he hadn't seen any of them, and quite frankly, she didn't want to waste her breath on him.

So she didn't mention him as they all climbed out the car, heading up the wooden polished steps to the restaurant.

When they got in, they went to the bar to find Mike Carrera, cleaning down the wooden surface.

"Hey, dad," Kiara smiled.

"Hey," Mike said, seemingly surprised at the fact all five of them were here, even though Tyler had been right earlier, they were almost always together.

As Kie hugged and talked with her dad, trying to get food, the four others Pogues walked behind her and sat down.

She got the food eventually, all five of them wolfing it down with the various condiments on the tables. They laughed at John B tried to throw fries into JJ's mouth, the blonde even catching a few.

They even got the juke box on, Kie and Elle dancing with each other to the music in the centre of the floor.

To be honest, it would've been better without Mike's death stares.

But at this point, Elle would take what she could get.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The drone was... cool, to say the least.

Elora was with JJ and Pope on the jetty, testing it out with John B and Kie underwater. Right now, they were watching John B poking around with it underwater on the screen.

JJ frowned, touching a button. "What's this right here-?"

"Don't touch that! I'm trying to figure out how to work this thing," Pope reprimanded.

As Kie and John B came back up, John B called. "Hey, once we get the footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawer in town and file a formal claim."

"It's like bullshit, why we have to do that," JJ rolled his eyes.

"Well, it's maritime salvage law," sighed Pope. "You 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 sighed.

"Yeah, we'll have to pay a shit tonne of money and we might not even get much in the end up," nodded Elora.

"Well, as soon as they see the footage, they'll work for a comp," shrugged John B, him and Kie still treading water.

"How do you know all of that?" Kie chuckled.

He shrugged. "Cause my dad said it, like, a million times."

She shrugged, swimming back to the ladder on the jetty. "Yeah, that's fair."

As they got back up onto land, Pope brought up something else. "The tether is really long," he said. "In the wrong weather, it could get pushed around."

"Then we'll go at dead calm," said John B.

"So now we've just gotta wait around for the right weather?" Elora checked.

"Yep," Pope nodded, looking up. "And today is not the day."

Elora noticed what he was talking about. Up above, thunder was rolling, and the sky was very grey.

Well, at least they had the drone, she guessed.

𔓘𔓘𔓘

Elora knew she was running out of time before DCS came. Going back home was only a confirmation of that, because the house was empty and a bit cluttered and if inspected, she'd definitely be sent away.

She had been left to her own devices. JJ and Pope had gone to take care of Heyward's grocery deliveries, Kie had gone home, and John B was doing more research on the Merchant. They were all meeting up later to go surfing, but for now, she was on her own.

"Hey, Elora!"

Or, she thought she was.

Tyler Thornton. Standing right there. Leaning against her house's fence. Smirk on his face.

"Are you trying to seem like a fucking stalker?" Elora yelled at him, turning on her heel immediately.

"No," shrugged Tyler. "But I do want some answers."

"Answers? You've literally followed me home, I want some as well!" Elora snarled.

"Okay, well, I'm just gonna lay some stuff on the table," Tyler chuckled. "First off, I know you and your friends stole a drone."

That shut Elora up.

"I also know that I covered for you, and didn't tell my boss. I haven't told Mr P about it yet, but if you don't tell me what I want to know, then that can change very quickly," Tyler taunted her.

Elora stared at him, eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."

"I don't think now's the right time for you to be calling my bluff," Tyler told her, towering over her, chest puffed out. "So come on, start talking."

Elora took a second to weigh this up in her head.

Tyler knew they'd stolen a drone. If he told his boss about it, the drone would get taken off them, they wouldn't be able to look for the Merchant, and they might be forced to do community service or pay reparations.

But on the other hand, if she told Tyler about the drone, she'd have to explain the Merchant, and then he'd probably go tell all the Kooks in town. She couldn't take that risk.

But they also needed to use the drone.

They needed to.

"If I tell you," she said slowly, looking between Tyler's piercing blue eyes. "You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone."

Tyler looked at her. "Depends on what you're going to tell m-"

"No," Elora snapped. "No, you can't tell anyone. Not your family, not your fuckass friends, not your douche brother, and definitely not his girlfriend."

"Okay," shrugged Tyler, extending a hand.

Elora studied it. His hand was smooth, and tanned, and not harrowed by years and years of work. She hated him for being a Kook, for being brought up in a house that enabled his stupid fucking behaviour, for being rich.

(For having parents that loved him and weren't dea-)

But as she shook her hands, she knew there was no going back.

The deal had been made.

"Alright," she said, looking up at Tyler with hatred and loathing. "How much do you know about the Royal Merchant?"

𔓘𔓘𔓘

"You did WHAT?!"

"Believe me, JJ, I didn't want to, either!"

"You told Tyler Thornton about this-?"

"JJ, he was going to tell his boss we stole the drone! It would've been taken off us!"

"Well guess what, Elle? It's going to get taken off us now, anyway! You told Tyler! Do you think he's gonna keep his mouth shut-?"

"I made him promise!"

"Elora, a Kook's promises mean nothing-"

"I'm SORRY, okay?!" Elora screamed, facing a stony faced JJ, John B, Kiara and Pope on the beach, surfboards in hand as the waves crashed against the sand next to them and tears glistened in her eyes. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen!"

"Elora..." Kie sounded apologetic, her eyes sad.

"But if I hadn't told him, he would've told his boss, who would've pressed charges on us for stealing," Elora looked down, biting her lip. "I'm sorry," she repeated, eyes welling up.

Kiara broke first, rushing forward and hugging the girl tightly as she cried into her shoulder. The three boys were quick to follow, also hugging her.

"So," John B sighed as they pulled apart. "Is he coming on the boat when we use the drone?"

Elora nodded, murmuring. "He wanted to."

She looked on the verge of tears again, so John B said. "It's okay, Elle. I understand."

"If he tells someone, you guys are going to kill me," Elora wiped her eyes.

"No, we're not," JJ shook his head, laying a hand on her shoulder. "We promise. Pogues don't break promises, Elora."

Elora looked up at him, smiling slightly as they did the Pogue handshake.

"Now come on," JJ said with a smile. "We gotta do some surfing whilst we're here, or what was the point in coming?"

He tempted her small smile into a wider one, and she raised her eyebrows. "Wanna race?"

JJ just grinned. "It's on, baby!"

𔓘𔓘𔓘

The tension on the boat could be cut with a knife.

It was a good boat they had, again borrowed from Heyward because they didn't think the Pogue would withstand the currents. JJ was driving, because they trusted him to do that but not to say anything to Tyler.

Everyone else was sat out on deck, including the blonde boy they all hated.

It was excruciating, because they couldn't talk about the things they normally talked about because he was there, so they had to just not talk at all.

And Elora felt responsible for all of it. For all of it.

The first half of the journey was fine. Tyler didn't say anything, and neither did they. The two poles were set, and they weren't moving.

But then two things happened. The first was that Elora headed inside to check on and talk to JJ, meaning she was now unaware of whatever happened out on deck. The second was that with her gone Tyler became braver.

She had only been gone about thirty seconds when he cleared his throat and said. "You guys know I'm not as bad as you think I am, right?"

John B scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"Listen, I know my brother's an asshole," Tyler told them. "And I know Sarah is, as well, but I'm really not."

"None of us believe you," Pope informed him.

"Right, listen to me, can we forget Elora Easton for a second and just talk about me?" Tyler demanded.

Silence fell, and the three Pogues facing him looked to each other, shrugging.

"Okay," Kiara finally said. "Let's forget Elle for a second. You're still a stuck up Kook with everything he wants."

"Maybe I am," shrugged Tyler. "But you guys won't even give me a chance. Like, Pope, that science project you did in sixth grade? It was amazing."

"Yeah?" Pope raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, and John B, man, you're like, the best at climbing, I always used to envy you when I watched you guys in the yard at recess."

John B shrugged slightly as Tyler turned to Kiara. "And Kie, I mean, you're the most badass girl ever."

"Yeah, so how come you laughed along with all the others when I got thrown out the Kook Academy a couple years ago?" Kiara crossed her arms and cocked her head.

"Well, I've made a few mistakes," Tyler sighed. "But-"

"A few mistakes?" Kiara demanded. "Even if we forget Elora, your list is already long-"

"Just give me a chance!" Tyler raised his voice, silencing them all. They all looked at him, and he continued. "Okay, so complimenting you guys clearly didn't work, so how about... how about I tell you about the time I tried to pick a fight with this big guy at the academy, and Topper ended up having to drag me back home? My head was like, lolling and everything..."

He did an impression, and the three around him struggled not to laugh. They knew what he was doing, of course. Making fun of himself to get them to laugh and have fun with him. And fuck him, but it was working.

So when Elora came back out from talking with JJ to find the three of them smiling amongst each other, Tyler just finished telling a story about the time he lost his trunks when he was five, trying to surf, she was very confused.

"What's... going on?" She asked, frowning as the Pogues stopped laughing immediately and Tyler looked up at her, mirth vanishing from her eyes.

"Nothing," Kiara was quick to say.

"Okay, well, we're close to the X marks the spot," Elora was still skeptical, looking between them.

"Oh, wait!" John B said, looking at the sat-nav they'd brought before calling. "JJ, pin it here!"

"Roger that!" JJ called back. "X marks the spot!"

He stopped the boat right where it was as Elora and John B got the drone out.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," JB grinned, holding it up. "To going full Kook."

Elora deliberately didn't look at Tyler as she grinned back. "Full Kook."

And with that, they lowered the drone into the water, the wire starting to spin on the reel behind them as it went down.

Pope was looking at the screen to see what the drone was seeing, and John B ran back over to their sat-nav, calling. "Alright, JJ, we're right over it!"

"Got it, ten seconds north west!" JJ nodded.

Elora, who was lowering the drone down, saw a red mark on the wire and shouted out. "One hundred feet!"

She then marked off one tally mark on the edge of the boat with a stick of chalk, just to keep count.

The boat began to rock slightly, as the current rose up, and Tyler headed over to Elora against his better judgement. "Here, let me help-"

"Don't touch me," Elora snapped without looking at him.

Tyler backed off, though, so she didn't let herself worry. The next two hundred feet went by with nothing so much as a few fish and some other creatures showing on the screen.

"Four hundred feet!" Elora was calling soon enough, marking off the fourth tally with the chalk. And then, shit-

"The tide's turning!"

John B's head snapped down to the sat-nav, saying. "Hey, JJ?"

"Yup?"

"Ten seconds easy, alright, south-southeast."

"Copy that!"

Then he shouted to Elora. "Keep the tether out the prop!"

"I'm trying!"

Tyler stood off to the side, annoyed he couldn't help but understanding why. Kiara, however, ran over to Elle, who let her help keep the wire in control.

Soon, the girl was shouting. "Seven hundred feet!"

That's only two hundred off the Merchant.

But the waves were coming thick and fast, rocking the boat side to side and making them all stumble slightly. Thunder crashed from the grey sky up above, and they all held on.

"JJ, hold it steady!" John B shouted, as the wire fell faster and faster from Elora's hands.

"Okay, nine hundred!" She shouted.

John B shouted agitatedly. "JJ, we're gonna turtle in this storm!"

"Nine twenty!"

"Crank it north by northwest! Ten seconds!"

"John B, there's too much current, we're gonna lose it!" Elora yelled, Kiara also coming to help as they tried desperately not to let the wire get away from them.

"We should be right above it!" John B shouted, turning to their friend manning the screen. "What you got, Pope? Come on, man, what'd you see?"

"Nothing, a whole lot of nothing."

"Come on, you should be right above it!"

"Kiara! Elora!" Pope shouted.

"Nine sixty!" Elora yelled back. They'd got back in control of the wire now, feeding it slowly again. "Nine seventy!"

Tyler was also leaning over the screen now, shamelessly looking at it along with Pope and John B.

"Nine eighty!"

"We're at the bottom!" Tyler yelled back.

"Okay, steady here, JJ!" John B called, looking back at the screen. "We should be seeing something."

"I know, I know, wait," Pope sighed, as Elora and Kiara tied off the wire and ran back to the screen, five of them now standing around it.

Then-

"Holy shit," Elora said with a breathy laugh, eyes wide.

"See anything?" JJ asked from the driver's seat.

"Yeah, the fucking Royal Merchant!"

And yes, it was true. Because on the screen right now was a boat. It was wrecked, the wood rotten and covered in shells and moss and algae, but it was definitely a boat.

"Oh my- hell yeah, baby!" JJ yelled, grinning as he ran out to see the wreck on the screen. "We found it!"

And in that moment, the fact that Tyler Thornton was there didn't matter. The fact that they'd had to tell him didn't matter, either.

They'd found it.

And they'd done it together.