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❝ the bonfire is tonight? ❞
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𝘚𝘺𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝

After spending all morning convincing JJ to go to school before he actually listened to me, I spent most of the day cooped up in my room with Wheezie.

My little sister eventually decides she wants to spend time at her friends house and I walk her down the street, using the excuse of getting fresh air but I can tell she was glad I walked with her.

When I get home I push the door open and immediately I hear yelling, chills running up my spine.

"It cannot be that bad, all right?" I hear Rafe snap and I turn the corner to see him stood with Rose who looks as though she's been crying, mascara staining her under eyes.

"We have one month to come up with $1.7 million" Rose stresses to my older brother and the sound of his heavy breathing makes me stiffen in worry "Hey, don't you freak out on me"

"Rafe. Hey, Rafe!" Rose shouts worriedly, causing me to rush into the dining room and the blonde woman yanks me away from my furious brother.

"Fuck!" Rafe screams.

I watch in horror from Rose's hold as my eldest sibling spins around and sends his fist pummelling into the wall, dust and debris exploding from the fist shaped hole in the wood.

He stumbles away from the wall and turns to us with a scowl on his face, before storming out of the room.

"What the hell happened?" I turn to my step mother in concern.

"We're swimming in debt and I can't find the account numbers for the gold. I don't know what to do" She admits to me and my heart drops.

"He's going to lose it" I realise in fear and she nods.

"You should get out of the house for a while. I don't want to see you caught in the crossfire" She advises me.

"What if he hurts you?" I worry in panic "Or wheezie? Or Sarah if she comes back?"

"Sylvie, stop panicking" Rose warns me, grabbing my arm to snap me out of it "Pack a bag and stay with a friend. I can handle things here"

"Are you sure?" I ask the woman.

"I'm very sure" She nods.

I do exactly as my step mother tells me to do, heading straight up the stairs and stuffing some things into a bag. Without hesitation, I sling the bag over my shoulder and head out of the house, grabbing my bike to cycle towards the chateau.

By the time I reach the cut my legs burn from how fast I cycle and I jump off my bicycle, letting it clatter to the ground. I jog up to the porch and burst through the porch door, finding the Pogues lounging around.

"You been avoiding me, Vie?" John B grins at me and I flip him my middle finger.

"Suck my dick, Johnny" I fire back, dropping my bag on the ground next to the sofa and flopping down beside JJ.

"I thought we said we'd be nice" JJ murmurs, pulling me onto his lap.

"Not in the mood" I breathe out, finally feeling as though I'm not on the run or in any sort of danger.

"You okay?" He asks, looking at me in concern.

"I am now" I smile warmly, laying my head on his shoulder.

All the anxiety and fear fizzle out into a warm feeling of peace and I know it's all to do with the blonde boy holding me, kissing my head and rubbing my hip with his thumb.

"Guys, this is from Denmark's diary" Pope speaks up and I have no idea what he's talking about but I listen to his rant, smiling softly "August 15th, set sail from Port-au-Prince on calm seas. Came upon the Spanish ship San Jose on fire. The entire deck was aflame. And we could hear the screams of men trapped below. The Spanish captain cared about only one thing, his valuable cargo, the Cross of Santo Domingo and countless bars of gold"

"Once the cargo was on board, we went to help the crew, but Captain Limbrey ordered us to pull bayonets and not to let any of the Spanish crew on board" Pope finishes "He robbed them and left them to die"

"So it didn't go down off Bermuda" JJ says.

"And it was a Limbrey stealing shit again" Kiara adds.

"This diary proves that both the gold and the Cross of Santo Domingo were on the Royal Merchant" Pope says.

"Why didn't we find it in the well then?" JJ asks in confusion "I mean, if Denmark was able to get this, like, bedazzled cross off of the Merchant to shore, why didn't he just hide it with the gold?"

"Because it was too big" John B suggests.

"Far too flashy" I mumble in agreement.

"You're right" Pope nods "He had to hide it some place else"

"But where?" Kiara questions.

"Right before he was hung, Denmark said he'd buried the treasure at the foot of the angel" Pope informs us.

"Well that makes perfect sense" I say sarcastically.

"Wait, I thought this was about the key" JJ frowns in confusion.

"Right. So what's the connection?" Kiara agrees.

"'The path to the tomb begins in the island room'" Pope quotes.

"But what is the island room?" Kiara groans.

"You know what helps me figure shit out?" JJ declares, moving me to sit on the sofa and standing up to look down at us all.

"Oh boy" John B mutters.

"I'm sensing stupidity" I hum and Kiara laughs.

"Smoking beers and drinking weed" JJ grins happily "The ideas just pour out of me"

"If we just sit here and try to figure this out, we're gonna get nowhere. But if we get creative and go to this bonfire tonight, maybe we get somewhere" He adds.

"Well, I just got disowned by my parents, and I'm an official member of the I have nothing to lose club" Kiara grins widely.

"Pope?" JJ asks.

"We're so close" Pope argues.

"Look, look, think about how much you could think if you just gave your brain a rest" JJ persuades him.

"Okay fine" Pope sighs in defeat.

"Great!" JJ cheers, Kiara and John B whooping in excitement.

"Angel?"JJ turns to me and all the Pogues look at me curiously.

"The bonfire is tonight?" I question in surprise, feeling as though the days have all muddled up in my head.

"It's okay, I forgot about it too" Pope assures me and I smile at him gratefully for trying to make me feel better.

"Well, I don't see why not. It's not as if my dad can tell me no" I shrug jokingly and JJ is the only one who snorts in amusement "You guys are allowed to react. I'm okay"

My comment gains another round of cheers and Kiara pulls me out of my seat to give me a happy hug which I accept thankfully.

"Okay, wait. We gotta shotgun before we go" JJ declares, handing us all a can of beer.

"One, two, three!" John B shouts.

We all bring our cans to our mouths and start chugging the contents as fast as we can, JJ letting out a loud burp once he's done.

"Whoo!" Kiara whoops.

"Let's go, before I change my mind" Pope states.

JJ and John B follow behind the Heyward boy to the Twinkie and Kiara swings her arm around me, the both of us trailing after the boys happily with grins on our faces.