¥showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks¥
In which Jackie Routledge and her group of friends from the south side of Outer Banks try to have the summer of their lives, but end up it being filled with mystery, tragedy, risks, adventure...
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{Pawnshop}
'John b said it looked something like this.' I inform the group as I hand Sarah and Kie a sketch of the well. 'That's 50 feet down, and they're using 100 feet rope.' Sarah reads out the writing on the sketch pads and I nod in confirmation. 'So I guess this little wagon will go straight to the gold room.' Kie says as Sarah and I burst out laughing.
'Who drew this?' Sarah asks still laughing and I point over at Pope. 'Who do you think!' Kie states looking over at Pope as well and he smiles back at her, and a smirk appears on Sarah and I's faces. 'Kie! This better work.' JJ says walking over to us and drops the gold bars on the floor. 'We can't pawn this if there's a giant wheat symbol on it.' He sighs leaning against the van as I get up and wrap my arms around his neck and he places his hands on my waist. 'We got a blow torch, Maybank.' I whisper and he smiles at me, as Kie holds up the blow torch. 'It's gonna work.' She declares. We all follow her over to a small pan on a burner.
***
After Kie melted the gold bars, we immediately piled into the van and drove to the pawnshop. 'Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein.' JJ mocks Kie's work as we hop out of the van. 'Like you could have done any better.' Kie sasses back at him and I chuckle. 'I could have done much better. I took a welding class.' JJ states as Kie scoffs. Kie and JJ start bickering and my brother immediately jumps in between them to stop their argument. 'Chill out.' John b sighs. 'Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off.' JJ says holding up the piece of gold. 'How did I get this job anyway?' He asks. 'Because you're the best liar.' Pope answers and I roll my eyes, as we all walk inside the shop.
'Afternoon, ma'am.' JJ greets as he interlocks his hand with mine and we walk up to the cashier. 'Afternoon.' She replies. 'I see you buy gold.' JJ says. 'That's what the sign say, don't it?' The woman sasses and I try my hardest to hold back my laugh. 'Well, I sure hope you but a lot of it, because I'm about to blow your mind.' He states taking off his bag and takes out the gold. 'How about them gold apples?' He asks smiling at me, placing the gold on the counter. 'That isn't real.' She chuckles. 'That ain't real?' JJ asks. 'Feel how heavy it is.' JJ encourages and she goes to pick it up and furrows her eyebrows in confusion when she can't lift it. 'Let's get some light on that.' He continues. 'Spray painted tungsten.' She states. 'Spray painted tungsten? Really? Okay. Why don't you see how, uh, soft it is?' He asks her and she does as he says.
'Wow. Would you look at that?' JJ says. 'Hold your horses. We ain't got to the acid test.' She states pulling out a small vile of acid. 'Ooh! The acid test. My favourite, baby.' He says excitedly looking at me giving me a reassuring squeeze. She drops the vile onto the gold and nothing happens. 'We'll, it ain't plated, and it ain't painted.' She states still examining the gold. 'Ma'am, I'm telling ya, this is as real as the day is long.' JJ assures her and she sighs. 'It looks like somebody tried to melt it down.' She states and JJ sighs. 'My mom. She had all this hawkers around the house, and she thought it was best to—to melt it down. To 'consolidate' it.' He lies, following along with his lie, I begin to tear up. 'Seven pounds? That's a lot of earrings.' She says shocked weighing the gold. 'Okay, to be honest, ma'am..' JJ clears his throat. 'It's really hard to see my mom fall apart with Alzheimer's.' He continues and she looks at me and I nod at her before frowning.
'Give me a minute.' She says walking into the other room. 'Take your time, ma'am.' He sniffs before smiling down at me and wraps his arm around my waist and gives me a quick kiss on the forehead. 'I love you.' He whispers and I blush. 'I love you too.' I reply with a smile. Every time I hear him say those three words, I love you, my heart melts and I fall in love with him all over again.
'So, uh, I..I talked to my boss.' The woman says entering the room again. 'And?' I ask. 'And, uh, this is what I can do.' She answers handing him a piece of paper. 'Fifty thousand? You think I walked in here not knowing the spot price? Ma'am, I know for a fact this is worth 140, at least.' He argues well, sweetie, you in a pawnshop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?' She sasses. 'Ninety, or we walk.' He sighs looking at me. 'Seventy. Half price. And I don't ask questions about where you two got this.' She raises her eyebrows, glancing over to my brother he gives us the go ahead. 'I'm gonna need that in large denominations, please.' He tells the woman and a smile appears on my face. 'Well, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway.' She sighs. 'I can write you a cashier's check.' She says and JJ shakes his head. 'Cash..No, ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what the sign says. Cash for gold. And that's what I expect.' He argues and I nod in agreement.
'Well, I have to send you to the warehouse, I have the money there. Is that all right?' She asks. 'Where's this warehouse?' JJ asks as she writes the address down on a piece of paper. He grabs the gold than my hand and we all leave the pawnshop.
