Azlia

We were all sitting around the fire taking in everything thing that's going on.

"Hey, guys. So, like my dads gonna already kill me. So what's this mandatory meeting about?" Pope ask sitting on a log.

John B looks at me and I look at him waiting for an answer.

He shoots guns at JJ with his fingers.

"Might as well tell them, man, before we get gaffed." JJ says.

I stop fiddling with my flower crown and confusion takes over my face.

"You ready for this?" John B ask.

"Yeah." I say in a duh tone.

"So the gold never went down to the Royal Merchant." He confesses. I let out a small sigh.

"Oh, my god. Here we go again." Pope sighs.

"No alright wait. Here him out." JJ defends John B.

"It's been here the whole time. It's on the Island." He confesses. "Are you serious?" Ki ask. "Oh my god." I smile. "I'd like to voice my skepticism." Pope adds. "Okay, what does the even mean?" I ask. He gives me a look and I pout. "I'm sure you would, Pope, but can I present you with my evidence, sir?" John B stands up. "Proceed." Pope says.

John B walk over to a log and stands on it.

"Alright so, in my backpack, I have a letter from Denmark Tanny." He takes out a old piece of paper. "Who the hell's that?" Ki ask.

"Denmark Tanny was a slave that survived the Royal Merchant wreck." John B goes around showing all of us the letter.

"Okay, slaves weren't mentioned as crew members on the ship, but my dad he found the complete manifest." He continues on.

He goes on talking about wheat and water and where the gold could be buried.

"Okay so guys, what's the plan?" Pope ask.

"Good question, okay so, Sarah Cameron's coming tonight. She's gonna bring an original survey map-," "Hold on." Ki cuts John B off.

"Sarah. Why Sarah?" She ask.

I look up at John B with a confusing look, even though I knew this was probably gonna happen.

"This is gonna be good." JJ says.

I give him a 'bruh' look and he puts his hand on my thigh as an apology.

"Sarah, um she got me into the archives in Chapel Hill yesterday, and that's where I got the letter." John B says.

"You were in Chapel Hill with Sarah Cameron!" Ki raises her voice. "Oh shit." I softly say.

"He was macking on her." JJ adds.

I quickly look at Pope and he has the same wide eyed expression as I do.

"I wasn't macking." John B defends.

"You were totally macking on her." JJ says.

I bite the inside of my cheeks trying not to laugh.

Now is not the time, Azi.

"I wasn't marking her okay, I was using het for access." John B says.

"There was definitely access." JJ snickers.

"Did you tell her about the treasure?" Ki ask.

We all turn our focus on John B. "I was just trying to get into the archives." He says. "So, that's a yes?" Ki yells. "I left out key details." John B yells back.

"You let a Kook in on our secret?" Ki yells. "You and Azi are both Koos." He snaps. I look up at him with a serious face. "Excuse you." I snap at him. John B look at me and gives me a apologetic face.

"Look you guys know me, do I look like the type of person to fall for Sarah Cameron?" He ask a loud.

"Yes." I bluntly say. Everyone else shakes there head in agreement.

"Look you don't know her yet. I do! Whatever we get, she's gonna try and take." Ki's voice comes out hurt.

-

The five of us pull up to the tower and just wait in the car for a minute.

"Hit it boys! Recon mission." JJ yells as Pope answers the door.

"Yo so, I think i'm gonna do this one by myself...tonight." John B says to all of us. Ki glares at him and rolls her eyes.

"Really?" JJ ask taking his spot back next to me.

"Look I don't want to spook Sarah with the peanut gallery." John says.

I scoff.

"I just don't understand why we're involving her at all." Ki snaps. "Ki, we're not involving her, okay?" John B says frustrated.

"I mean, technically we are involving her since we-," "Just shut the fuck up!" John B cuts me off.

"Hey, watch it." JJ points at him.

"Look, once we get what we need, we cut her loose." John B says.

"Promise me nothing's happening between you." Ki says. "Nothing is happing, Ki." He says.

He's lying.

"That was really believable." JJ cuts in. "A hundred percent believable." Pope adds.

"Anyways I'm gonna take care of business." He says hitting out of the van.

The four of us just sit and wait. I look down at my dress and take a deep breath.

"My grandma's gonna kill me." I look down at all the dirt on the bottom of my dress. "Mom's gonna burry me alive." Looking down at hers.

"Kiara holding onto your grudge is like drinking poison and thinking Sarah will die." Pope says.

I chuckle at his words.

We've been waiting in the car for 10 minutes and John B still hasn't come back.

"I don't wanna be in this hot ass car." Pope says opening the van door. He jumps out of the van and JJ jumps out behind him. He grabs my hand and I jump down next. Ki just sits in the van.

I walk back over towards the van and sit where the door closes. I pat my next to me and Ki crawls in the spot.

"I know he likes her." She whispers looking down at her hands. "Yeah, I know, but honestly, fuck him, seriously. I mean He picked Sarah over YOU. Which mean he's an absolute dick and he's fucking blind." I say. She laughs and puts her arm around my shoulder. "Thank you." She whispers. Before I cold say anything else Pope shoots up from his spot on the ground.

"Yo, do you guys hear that?" He ask.

"Some help!" We hear call in the distance.

We immediately get up from our spots and start running towards the noise. When we reach the noise we see Sarah hold John B as he lay on the ground.

"Sarah! What happened?" Pope yells as we run to them. "I don't know what to do. He needs help. Topper shoved him." She cries. I bend down next to Sarah and wrap my arms around her. "Hey, hey, Sarah he's gonna be okay, okay? It's John B, he'll be okay." I tell her. "Yeah, okay." She says as she shakes her head crying.

"Where the hell is Toppper!" JJ yells looking around. "Call somebody!" I yell. "Go, go call 911!" JJ yells at Pope who starts running. Sarah bends down to John B and gives him a kiss on the lips. "John B stay with me." She cries. I look up at Ki and see her have a look of confusion and hurt. I get up from next to Sarah and stands next to Ki. She grabs my hand and interlocks our fingers. She squeezes my hand to tell me her pain from looking at Sarah and John B.

Pope comes back and a few minutes later the ambulance arrive.

"Please, please you have to help him." Sarah cries. They pick up John B and place him one the moving bed and into the car.

Sarah turns to the four of us. "Do I go, can I go?" She cries grabbing my hand. "Yes, you go, okay. He needs you." I say softly pushing her towards the ambulance truck. She gets in the truck and gives me a small wave before it takes off.

I feel someone's presence behind me and turn around too see JJ. He wraps his arms around me and I do the same. Sook the four of us are all huddled in a group hug.

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