𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙚 ✰ 𝙟𝙟 𝙢𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠 [UNDER REWRITE]

t e n

Kie slipped a package through the hole. "That's not gold." Pope sighed.

"Holy shit." John B said.

"This is from dad." I finished.

"Code red- code red. Square groupers, square groupers."

"Lights."

"Turn your light off."

"John B your light."

We peeked around the corner of the tomb. "Do you think it's them?" Kie asked.

"Homies got a gun." JJ said.

"Screw this." I took off running towards the gate causing everyone to follow behind. We climbed over the gate, Pope getting his pants stuck on the way.

"Guys, I'm stuck. I'm stuck. You're gonna rip me you're gonna rip me-" he said as Kie pulled him off the fence ripping his pants off in the progress.

"Nice, come on dude."

"It's a little tootsie roll."

"Get in!" We laughed as we all got in the van and drove away.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"That bread had mold on it three days ago." Pope said as JJ spread peanut butter onto it.

"I'll just pull off the bad parts. Plus mold is good for you it's just a natural organism."

"JJ" I called bringing his attention to the package.

"Yep yep yep. Hot damn, let's do it." He said taking a bite of his sandwich and spitting it back into his hand.

"X marks the spot." Pope pointed to the map.

"Longitude, latitude. Oh there's something else in there." John B reached into the package.

"What is that?" JJ asked.

"It's a tape recorder dumbass." Kie fired.

"Dear Bird and Birdie, I hate to say I told you so but I told you so. And you guys doubted your old man. I suspect this moment you're filled with guilt and self loathing over our last fight but don't kill yourself just yet kid. I didn't expect to find the merchant either. You're probably right to call me out. Not exactly father of the decade. What can I say kid, I can smell the barn. Hopefully we're all listening to this in our brand new sugar shack down in Costa Rica living off passive investments and pulling on permits. If not, and you find this for less than optimal reasons well, that's what the map is for. There she is. The wreck of the merchant. If something happens to me, finish what I started, go for the gold kids. I love you both, even if I didn't always act like it. I'll see you on the other side."

I held my head in my hands and allowed a few tears to slip before the stream of hot and salty tears hit my face. I pushed my chair out and stepped into my bedroom, closing my door behind me. I should be comforting John B, not hiding in my bedroom, but I was filled with overwhelming sadness and anger. Sadness from the realization that dad was probably never coming back. And rising anger from the fact that he chose this over his family, over his life. I glanced over to the picture of us on my nightstand. We were happy, I was happy. And I'm angry that he threw that all away. I threw the picture frame against my wall shattering it, not thinking about how I'll probably regret it later.

There was a knock on my door. "Come in." I said, trying to gather myself and my thoughts.

"Hey um- I heard something shatter, I just wanted to check to see if you were okay, or if you needed anything." JJ spoke softly from the crack he had opened in my door.

"Uh yea, no. I'm fine." I sniffed, looking down at the ground.

He walked over to me shutting my door back. "You don't have to seem so incredibly strong in front of everyone. You're allowed to be upset." He said.

"Thank you." I said, tears brimming my eyes.

He stepped closer and gave me hug. " I just- I just miss him." I said letting a few tears spill.

"I know." He sighed.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"How much was it again?" JJ asked as Kie strummed her ukulele on the dock.

"400 mil." Pope said.

"Alright let's talk the split. Now before we say evenly, may I remind you that I am the only one that can properly defend us from those groupers who were after us. Protection, not cheap."

"You haven't trained. You've done zero training."

"YouTube bro. That's at least a 5% bump right there. Anyone have any objections- didn't think so."

We raised our hands to object. "I don't hear any, so-"

"What are you gonna do with your hundred mil pope?" Kie asked.

"Pay for college in advanced and also textbooks those are expensive." He said.

"What about you Kie?" I asked.

"Yea what does a socialist do when she's rich?" Pope asked.

"I just wanna make a double album, about obx and the pogues. The way catch a fire is about Kingston. Record at Marley studio, Peter Tosh producing."

"Peter Tosh is dead." Pope cut in.

"Dead- I know that. The spirit of Peter Tosh will never die."

"Actually I know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna get a big ass house on figure eight and go full kook." JJ said.

"Your gonna go full kook?" Pope questioned.

"I'm gonna get a marble statue of myself and I'm gonna get a koi pond. Put a bunch of those fish."

"I'll never visit." Kie joked.

"What about you birdie?" JJ questioned

"I don't know- actually. Maybe buy a huge houseboat. And just go wherever I want. Maybe Greece. Or Italy- eat some pasta. Who knows." I shrugged. "Maybe I'll open a little beachy jewelry shop. I'm just gonna go wherever life takes me. I wanna go to Vegas before I die though- stay in one of those rich bougie hotels and drink martinis with people who think I'm important but actually have no clue who I am." I laughed "what about you jb?"

"To going full kook." He said

"To going full kook!" We cheered.