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PIPER DROVE EDITH and Willa home, John B and JJ escorting them in the Twinkie so Piper could get back to the Château without walking home by herself in the dark. After that, though, they passed out in random corners until the next morning when Kie and Pope pulled around to test out the ROV they managed to steal from the salvage yard. In the process of Piper pulling together a pathetic breakfast of five glasses of Carnation's Breakfast Essentials mixed with water instead of milk and half-ripe bananas, JJ, once again, gave Piper a rundown of how exactly he managed to escape Bobby the security guard. Piper fawned when it was obvious JJ wanted her to, but she knew she couldn't trust exactly how much of his story was based on real life versus what he made up in his head.
Then, Piper pulled on a red bikini in the bathroom before following her friends out of the back door to the dock where Pope was getting the ROV set up correctly. Kie and John B were standing on the edge of the part of the dock that didn't have a fence keeping people from falling into the water, while JJ was leaning over Pope's shoulder, watching him fiddle with the equipment and asking unnecessary questions that Pope took in stride. So, John B pushed Kie into the water, and when she resurfaced, spluttering, she reached her hand up for John B to take. He knew what she was doing—they had been friends for too long not to—but he reached his hand out anyway, and she gripped his wrist and pulled him in after her.
Piper did a front flip off of the dock and into the water once the space was clear of John B and Kie.
The three of them treaded water. Well— John B and Piper treaded water. Kie was holding onto Piper's shoulders like she was sure they'd all chicken fight later. Meanwhile, JJ lowered the ROV camera into the water. John B swam up to it first, tapping on the lens gently. Pope and JJ bickered. Kie let go of Piper and they pushed themselves underneath the water together so they could swim around the ROV and inspect it. Piper made faces at the camera until the muffled laughter filtered through the water from JJ and Pope above.
John B swam upward, and Kie and Piper followed suit.
"Hey," John B started, shaking out his wet hair like a dog, "once we get footage of the wreck, we'll bring it to a lawyer in town and file a formal claim."
"It's such bullshit," JJ complained. "Why do we have to do that?"
"Well, there is maritime salvage law," Pope said, standing up to stand by JJ at the edge of the dock, forearms leaning against the supporting beam.
"Excavating the ocean floor for shits and gigs is a little bit illegal," Piper said.
"I know, I know," JJ said. "It's just lawyers aren't cheap, bro."
"Hyperinflation, JJ. Nothin' is."
"As soon as they see the footage," John B said, "they'll work for a comp."
