WILDEST DREAMS

chapter five.

Emerson watched as Pope scratched his head, she thought that any second now he was going to pass out. He was never really good at keeping calm, but honestly she couldn't blame him.

"So,uh, we didn't see anything." He said as he stepped through the front door of the Chateau's front porch. "We don't know anything. We need to have total and complete amnesia."

Emerson walked up to Pope, putting both her hands on his shoulders. They both walked to sit on the couch, "Breathe, buddy." She took a deep breath with him, helping him a bit.

JJ stood up from the chair he was sitting on, not too far from them. He stepped towards the railing, a thoughtful look on his face. "Actually, he's right for once," he said turning to look at the group before looking at Pope. "See, I agree with you sometimes. Deny, deny, deny."

Emerson looked at Kie as she spoke up. "Guys, we can't keep that money."

She watched as JJ looked down at the girl, he scoffed, taking a hit from his vape before he spoke. "Not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara."

Emerson couldn't help but bite on her lip at how awkward this was making her feel. She sort of understood both sides, she didn't really know how it felt to struggle like him, John B or Pope. But she understood Kiara as well, she wanted to do the right thing and there was nothing wrong with that.

"We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs." Kie spoke up again. "Otherwise, it's bad karma."

"Bad karma to be implicated in a felony too." Pope said beside her, still looking nervous.

"Okay, well we can give her the money." She said, looking at Kie and Pope. "But do you know what we're going to say when she asks us where we got it? Or how we got the motel key? Or why we didn't say anything about the boat we found? Cause it's just going to make us look really suspicious and then we'll be suspects."

"Then we give it to her anonymously," the curly haired girl suggested.

"No," JJ shook his head at Kiara's idea. "Handing it off anonymously isn't going to balance this karma you're so worried about. If we're returning the cash, I want some sort of recognition."

"Real nice JJ," Kiara said as she rolled her eyes. "Besides he died in the storm."

"Um, well he did have a gun and stacks of money in a safe, seems pretty sketch but alright." Emerson told the girl, trying to get her to understand.

Pope nodded his head, "We gotta go dark."

"If that means we get to keep the money, then I agree." JJ said as he took another hit from his vape, Emerson nodded her head.

"I don't agree." John B finally spoke up, causing his friends to look at him.

"Really? Why?" Emerson asked him, a confused look on her face.

"Just think about it. This is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about. Same dude that's buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole. Shit, one time I saw this dude begging for change in the Save-a-Lot parking lot because he needed gas. We're talking about a dirtbag marina bag who's never had more than forty bucks in his pocket, and all of the sudden, he's got a Grady-White? Just sayin' " He finished looking at his friends.

They all thought about what he had just said and he was right, it was weird.

"So, you think this is bigger than we think?" Emerson asked her friend.

"All right, so think about it. How does a marina rat get a Grady-White?"

"Prostitution." Pope said as he inhaled.