Coralina Routledge, twin sister of John Booker Routledge, needs a distraction from the chaos of her life. Her father, Big John, known throughout the North Carolina island of Kildaire as a crazy treasure hunter is always running off and leaving his...
"Coral," came a whispered voice the next morning, shaking her awake. Groaning she buried her head in her pillow, "Go away."
"Coral, we have school."
Rolling over she opened her bleary eyes, "You go and learn and then come back and teach us."
Glancing at the lump next to her that was JJ, Pope sighed, "Fine, but Friday there's a test. You guys have to go for that," he told her.
"Deal," she mumbled already rolling back over to go back to sleep.
Hours later Coral woke to JJ still snoring next to her and what seemed like a quiet house. Walking down the hall she poked her head into John B's room to find it empty.
Not knowing where her brother was she decided to see what was edible in the kitchen. Frowning at the bare cupboards she contemplated going into town and begging food from Heyward, or seeing if she could work for a few hours in trade.
"What's got you looking so unhappy?"
Turning Coral smiled at the tousled haired boy in the doorway, "We have no food or money. Well that's not true I do still have one gold bar left. Maybe Heyward would take it so we can eat."
"You still have a bar?"
"Yeah, from the safe in the Bahamas. I had it in my hand when the security came so I shoved it in my pocket when we we're running from them. I was kinda saving it since it's, like, part of my dad, you know?"
"Well then you save it," JJ told her, "Besides I have most of the squirrel fund hidden in your room."
"You do? I thought you spent it."
"No, I went to pay the rent on this place with it only to be told that Ward paid up for an entire year for you guys. Apparently he was feeling guilty when he was pretending to be your concerned guardian."
Blinking Coral cleared her throat, "That kind of hurts my soul. Like, am I supposed to feel grateful to the man who murdered my dad?"
"No, which is why I wasn't gonna tell you. You don't owe that piece of shit anything. He only did it out of guilt," he responded as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
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Leaning into him Coral sighed, "Well, since we didn't go to school you want to go grocery shopping?"
"Yeah, about that. I heard Pope waking you up this morning. Why didn't you go?" he asked pulling back to look down at her.
"I'm not sure if I'm ready for something as simple as school. I mean just a few days ago we were in the Bahamas running from the police, saving Sarah's life, and people literally thought we were dead. Then to come back here and JB getting arrested and then what Ward did yesterday. I need a minute to breathe," she admitted.
"Maybe going back to school will be good. It'll feel normal and we can forget all of the crazy especially the part about thinking you were dead. You know the annual bonfire is this weekend. One whole year," he reminded her.
