𝐑𝐈𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐃𝐄 , 𝐣. 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤 ⁽¹⁾

𝟏𝟕. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐙𝐎𝐍𝐄

JJ and Elle laid in the hammock. Their bodies were intertwined, and the soft hum of the summer breeze filled the atmosphere. The sun started rising, and the yellowish-pinks that crossed the sky, glistened in the reflection of the water.

They lay like that for a while. Neither of them wanted to move. This felt so..right. Like, something they'd both been waiting for their entire lives. Holding each other in their arms, neither of them wanting to move a muscle.

Unfortunately, John B ruined the moment.

The brunette popped out from his boat and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Yo! Lovebirds! Come here!"

The couple groaned as JJ rolled out of the hammock, sluggishly. Elle followed, grabbing JJ's hand as they walked towards the boat.

————-

Consecutively, the entire group piled into the boat, alongside the drone. When they finally arrived out onto the open water, John B held the camera out.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen." He said, standing over the edge of the boat. "To going full Kook."

He dropped the drone into the water. The propellers turned as it sunk deeper and deeper into the water.

Pope and Elle hovered over the camera. Elle watched the screen as Pope directed where the drone should go.

"Alright, JJ, we're right over it. Ten seconds northwest." John B added.

Elle turned her head to see her boyfriend steering the boat. She then turned her eyes upwards, towards the clouded sky.

She sucked on her teeth as she rested her hand over her face. "Guys, it's gonna' storm." She said.

Pope joined her in looking, but none of the others glanced a second eye. Kie lowered the rope that was attached to the drone more, reaching its 100 feet point.

The two looked back at their screen. The darker blue tint of the water just got darker, as nothinf was appearing on screen.

"To quote The Hobbit, 'Down, down, to Goblin Town. Down, down we go, my lad.'" Pope quoted.

Elle and John B both turned to look at him with definite 'wtf' looks in their eyes. Elle shrugged it off as John B just continued to stare.

The curly haired girl drew on the side of the boat with chalk, marking their reach of 400 feet. "Hey, tides turning." She said, furrowing her eyebrows.

A monitor that John B held in his hands started beeping as a red dot got further from the boat.

"Hey, JJ?" He asked, turning his head slightly. "Ten seconds easy."

JJ nodded as he steered the boat in a different direction.

The waves started to form higher in higher as the clouds drew more grey. The teens scrambled to escape from their horrible timing planning, but storm continued to pick up.

"JJ hold steady!" John B yelled. Elle ran into the cabin where JJ was sitting, and stood next to him, gripping onto one of the ledges.

She held onto her necklace as if it were the only thing keeping her stable. She dragged her fingers around the ragged edge of the tooth, as she stared out at the waves that crashed against the side of the boat.

Breathe... She told herself. The walls of the cabin started closing in as she took deeper breaths in and out. Breathe...

"Hey." JJ said, grabbing onto her hand. "You're okay, we're okay."

That was the phrase that set her off. The same phrase that JJ said during the fire. The thing was, when that phrase was said, she knew it was a lie.

The fire was definitely not okay.

She was not okay.

Her mom was not okay.

And now, they wouldn't be okay.

She winced, breathing in heavily. The swift motions of the boat alongside the yelling from her friends caused her to get seasick. She wanted nothing more than to be back in that hammock with the Pogues, safe, away from danger.

Where everything was really okay.

JJ continued to squeeze her hand as he quickly turned the wheel. The boat came to a swift stop when John B yelled out.

The drone had hit something. Finally.

"Pope, what'd you see?" He said, hovering over the boy.

Pope shook his head in disappointment. "Nothin'. A whole lot of nothin'."

John B ran his hand through his hair as Elle ran over to them, struggling to stay on her feet. "You should be right above it, brother."

Thunder boomed as the storm got worse and worse. Elle leaned in next to Pope and John B, squinting at the screen in-front of them.

"We're at the bottom!" Elle yelled, turning her head towards JJ. "Go steady, J!" She held onto her stomach, trying to keep herself steady aswell.

They searched the bottom, and when they came across a shimmering object, their hearts nearly stopped beating.

"Slow..slow.." Elle mumbled, her heart practically beating from her chest.

The camera zoomed closer and closer...

closer to being filthy rich...

closer to full kook....

An anchor.

They found an anchor.

——————-

AUTHOR SPEAKS !

SHORT CHAPTER IVE BEEN SUPER BUSY

elle and jj stabling each other <3

SORRY FOR LACK OF POSTS BUT HERE I AM.

xoxo , kenn