ONLY ANGEL | JJ MAYBANK

THIRTEEN... this is me trying

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

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Rixon's Cove was a dank little sector of the marsh where they could park the boat and walk to a small little clearing. There, they could start a bonfire and sit around it on uncomfortably damp logs that were swarming with tiny flying bugs that Collins felt like she was always breathing in too many of through her nose. They could also speak in complete and total secrecy, the isolation from civilization made it the perfect place to regroup for what they had to discuss next. Or maybe it's seclusion made it the perfect place for an unhinged, screws loose, psycho hermit to attack them. Collins wished she hadn't have thought of it that way.

Anyhow, despite all of those faults in Rixon's Cove, there was one redeeming quality that made up for all of its unideal features: it was a place that they could all come to be together.

This was the first time they'd been back as a whole group since that unsuccessful, stomach-turning boat ride when they'd failed to find the gold. It wasn't really that long ago when you looked back at it in retrospect, but it felt like it was.

Collins was sat next to JJ, tugging her hair tie out of her hair so that her ponytail spilled out over her shoulders. She breathed a soft sigh in relief at the release in tension, massaging her scalp for a few moments before she smoothed her hair down into its normal unruly waves. Having her hair in a ponytail that high for so long usually led to a headache, so she was grateful to finally be able to take it out and let her hair sit freely.

JJ, who'd been watching her the entire time in mesmerization, forced himself to tear his gaze away from her. If he stared at her for any longer, he'd never be able to focus on anything they talked about that night.

"So like, my dad's already gonna kill me, so what's this mandatory meeting all about?" Pope looked to JJ and John B for more insight, hoping that whatever it was they had to share, was worth the trouble of his father probably disowning him when he got home.

John B's eyes flickered over to JJ and he wordlessly lifted his hands up to shoot finger guns off at JJ. The blond just shook his head and shrugged. "Might as well tell him man, before we're gaffed."

"Excuse me?" Collins's voice sounded.

It didn't seem like anyone else was as concerned about JJ's statement, because they carried on and just ignored it entirely. "You ready for this?" They all nodded their heads earnestly. "So... the gold never went down with the Royal Merchant."

Pope promptly began to roll his eyes. "Oh my God. Here we go again with this."

"Just hear him out, alright?" JJ protested.

John B held a finger to his mouth to silence them, delivering the news with an achingly tall build up of anticipation. "It's been here the whole time. It's on the island."

"Are you serious?" Kie questioned incredulously. "Oh my God."

"I'd like to voice my skepticism." Pope announced.

"I'm sure you would, Pope, but can I please present my evidence, sir?" John B pushed himself up from off of the log, and if that wasn't indication enough that he was about to spill some serious dirt, then Collins didn't know what was.

Pope pursed his lips then gave him a wave in consent. "Proceed."

"Alright, so, in my backpack, I have a letter from Denmark Tanny." John B pulled out the slip of tan, old, worn out looking paper, and held it up for all of them to see.

"Who the hell is that?"

"Denmark Tanny was a slave who survived the Royal Merchant wreck. Slaves weren't mentioned as crew members on the ship, but my dad found the complete manifest. That was his big discovery. So Tanny used the gold from the Merchant to buy his freedom. After that, he bought his farm. Drumroll please, because that farm is..." they obliged his requested and started beating their palms against their legs, "Tannyhill Plantation."