Ocean Eyes

Chapter 8

Pope said" How's it feeling?"
Kie said" Feels good."
" Alright, taking you down."
" Okay."
JJ said" John B pullin' a Houdini."
Pope said" Yeah, where is he? I got my scholarship interview tomorrow morning. We gotta get this done!" Then John B walked up,
" Speak of the devil. Hey!" He looked beyond pissed," Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything."
" No, he did not. I did that."
Kie said" Hey, John B." He walked into the house,
I said" John B?!"
JJ said" Okay, that's it?"
Pope said" Uh... what's that all about?"
" I was gonna ask you the same question."
I said" Let's go find out."

Pope said" You alright, man? What-What's up?" John B was frantically looking for something,
Kie said" What are you looking for?"
JJ said" Bro, what's going on, man?"
I said" John B, what's up?" John B grabbed the gun,
" John B, what do you need the gun for?"
Kie said" Just- No!"
" Talk to us!" He pushed JJ onto the pull out,
" John B, chill!" I blocked the door,
Pope said" Stop!" He pushed Pope out of the way, and stared at me,
I said" John B, back down." He grabbed my shirt and yanked me behind him, I stumbled and hit the ground. He walked out,
Kie said" Shi- Are you okay? John B, what the hell are you doing?" I got up, and we all ran out," John B, what the hell?" He got on JJ's bike, revving it,
John B said" Ward knows about the gold.
He killed my dad." He took off,
" John B!"
I screamed" John B!" We took off after him but stopped,
JJ said" Shit!"
I said" Where's my keys?" JJ stopped me from running inside," JJ! Let go! What're you doing?! He's freaked out! He's our best friend, what're you doing?!"

JJ said" What now? We just go up to the front door and ask, Hey, have you seen John B?"
Kie said" Look, he lives at Tannyhill now. It's plausible. Look, we can play dumb."
" Play dumb?"
Pope said" It's pretty late."
Kie said" Look, I've never seen John B like that. We should honestly be going to the cops."
JJ said" The cop- Yeah, and say what, Kie? We're worried about our friend because he's going off on a rampage because Ward Cameron killed Big John? Like, they're not gonna believe us!"
Pope said" Hey, I see Ward."
Kie said" Let me see."
" Doesn't look dead to me. Let's go home."
JJ said" Wait."
Kie said" What?"
Pope said" Uh... Okay. Obviously, Mr. Cameron is fine, and even if John B was here, he isn't now, okay? Plus, I have the biggest most important moment of my life in six hours."
" Yeah, well, our friend is in trouble."
" I'm in trouble. Guys, I haven't been home in three days. My dad's probably put all my shit on the street by now."
" Okay, so that's it? In a time of need, you're just gonna bail? You're just gonna walk away?"
JJ said" Okay, yo, guys, can we not do this right now?"
Pope said" Hey, I have a scholarship interview in the morning. I can't-"
Kie said" Okay, well, what about John B?!"
" Why is it always about John B?!"
" It's not always about John B. You're so stupid. It would be any of you guys in this situation."
" Oh, bullshit!"
JJ said" Guys-"
Kie said" This is about friendship!"
" Bring it down."
" Look, this is about pogues for life!"
Pope said" What about forensic pathology, huh?"
" Forensic pathology?"
" It's my life. Yeah, that's my life! Everything I've worked for!"
" That's your priority?!"
" Will you stop with the moral high ground bullshit?!"
JJ said" Pope, come on."
I said" Guys, chill."
Pope said" No."
Kie said" Excuse me?"
" No, no. She has no room to talk. Where were you when Big John went missing? You weren't there. You weren't there for John B. You weren't there for any of us. Remember your kook year?"
JJ said" Dude."
" Yeah, you forgot about us. Now you feel guilty."
Kie said" Give me a break." She pushed him, they started fighting,
JJ said" Hey! Yo, yo, yo, cut it out, alright?" He jumped between them, I joined him," If I'm the one mediating, we've hit rock bottom. Bow, now. Go! Pope, I'll drop you off." He started driving, I looked between Kie and Pope then dropped my head against JJ's side, closing my eyes.
———
Kie said" You sure he got everything?"
John B said" Every bar. The whole enchilada." He pulled the cast off," It's not like I expected a happy ending or some shit."
" John B-"
" What, Kie? It's a hairline fracture. Who cares?"
" You should care. Your arm's gonna be messed up for life."
" It's fine. See?"
I heard Pope yell" Guys!" He ran up and stopped, panting," Oh! Oh! Oh, god. I ran all the way here."
" You alright?"
JJ said" How was the interview, Pope?"
Pope said" Don't ask. JB... look, I'm sorry, dude. About everything."
John B said" It's fine."
" But-but I don't have a lot of time, and-and I have information that is tactically relevant. So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron's big plane. Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer landing strip to take off. So, I'm sitting in my interview, thinking to myself, Hm, why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off? What could be so heavy to weigh it down?"
JJ and I said" Gold." Pope flailed around a bit,
John B said" That's right."
Pope said" Exactly. Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight, and we have to go."
Kie said" Guys, we can't give up now."
JJ said" What's the plan, big man?"
John B said" We're gonna steal that shit back." I jumped off the railing, and we ran inland,
I said" Let's do this!"
Kie said" Come on, boys!" I looked back at John B, smiling at him, nodding to everyone, he ran up.
" Let's go, surfer ken!"

We were driving to the airstrip,
JJ said" We go in there, guns a-blazin', make Ward Cameron beg for mercy, abscond with as much gold as possible and vámanos, get the hell out of there."
John B said" Send that shit right down the intracoastal."
Kie said" Wait for the weather."
Pope said" Exit to Cuba."
I said" JJ input incoming..." I gestured to him,
JJ said" Cuba? No, man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatan. Lobsters so thick, mangoes, and no word for money."
John B said" Let's do this shit."

We got out at a fence,
Kie said" What's the plan? Broad strokes."
John B said" I don't think we got that far." Pope had the trusty binoculars,
Pope said" They're loading up the gold." John B took 'em, we saw a car drive up,
" There's Ward." Then John B moved the binoculars down,
Kie said" What? What?"
" It's Sarah."
Pope said" She's with him?" John B looked through the binoculars,
" Wait a minute. He's hurting her."
Kie said" What?"
JJ said" What?"
John B said" They're fighting. Holy shit."
" Wait, so she- What? I had no-" John B got into the van,
Pope said" Hey! What are you doing?"
Kie said" John B. Where are you going?"
I said" Wait a second, man!" We all yelled as he cranked her up and sped forward, straight into the fence.
JJ said" Don't be a hero, dude! John B!" He drove onto the strip, heading straight for the plane, we chased after him.
" John B!"
" What are you doing, man?! Come back!"
Pope said" Hey! Hey!"
I screamed" John B! Stop!"

We saw the plane stop, almost as it hit John B, I breathed out, then we heard sirens.
Pope said" Guys, I can't get arrested."
JJ said" I'm on probation."
Kie said" Look, we're no good if we're all in jail."
Pope said" Come on."
I said" Gun. Hat. Let's find a place to hide." JJ picked up the gun and his hat, and we all took off running.