Ocean Eyes

Chapter 19

JJ said" Anything broken?"
Kie said" Do you feel good?"
John B said" You okay?"
JJ said" You did not tuck and roll, for sure." I opened my eyes and saw the cross falling, I flailed, knowing Pope would do the same, I rolled out of the way. I heard the cross hit where Pope and I just were,
Kie said" Pope, Kai, are you okay?"
" You good?"
Pope said" Yeah, I'm good. Just give me, like, one second to, like, catch my breath."
I said" And feel my heart beating."
John B said" You did it, Pope."
JJ said" Pope, she's... she's beautiful."
Sarah said" I've never seen anything like it."
" Detail's insane."
John B said" Well, here's why Limbrey wanted that key so bad." I got myself up, as did Pope,
" Whoa. Good find. How much do you think she's worth? Like, if we melted her old bones down, dude, I'm talking like high billions."
" This belongs in a- No! This belongs in a museum."
" What? So no one sees her?"
" In a museum where everyone sees it."
" Are you kidding?"
Pope said" Hey! It's my ancestors' cross!"
" Right, okay. Alright, alright. Well..." I leaned against the pews,
" This is bigger than money, and the world's gotta know the truth."
John B said" Yes. If we don't get this shit outta here before Limbrey gets here, nobody's gonna know. So saddle up." I winced as my hands ached,
JJ said" Wait. Hold on. John B, you're gonna pull, alright? Pull down." I grabbed onto the cross,
" I'm gonna pull down. You guys pull up. Ready? One, two, three." We all pulled, groaning as the thing... literally weighed more than we could all carry. We started moving, but my body felt like it was gonna drop any second,
" Who's-who's not lifting right now? Sarah, are you seriously-"
Sarah said" I'm lifting!"
Kie said" Move forward, people!"
JJ said" It doesn't feel like it!"
Sarah said" I am!"
Pope said" Ah! Okay, guys. I can't. I can't."
Kie said" No! No! No, no, no!"
JJ said" No, no, Pope! Hang on there! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! No!" Pope fell onto a pew, which caused all of us to drop it," Damn it, yo! You almost dropped it on my foot!"
Sarah said" 'Cause I'm the only one lifting it!"
" Oh, you sure-"
John B said" Okay, okay, okay, okay! Listen, we'll make like a sling, like a little.."
" Yeah, yeah, and then put it on a tail hitch."
Pope said" Guys! Guys, guys, I'm not okay. I'm not okay."
Kie said" Your eye, it looks all puffy."
JJ said" You good? You don't look too good, bro."
Pope said" I can't-" He gasped for air,
Kie said" He's having an allergic reaction."
Sarah said" How many times did you get stung?" He fainted, everyone freaked out,
" What about the cross?"
John B said" JJ, try and hide it."
JJ said" I got it. I got the cross."
" Here we go. Come on."
Kie said" We'll come back!"
Pope gasped" I can't breathe." They started carrying him out, my mind unfocused,
Sarah said" Kai! Kai?! Guys..." I gasped for air,
Kie said" JJ! Come on!"
John B said" Kai!" My eyes rolled back, I dropped, being caught by JJ,
JJ said" Kai?!" Everything went dark-

I heard my friends' voices,
John B yelled" Kai! Kai! Wake up!"
Kie said" God, is he breathing?! Please say he's breathing!"
" Yes! Yes! Kai!"
Sarah said" Kai, Kai, open your eyes! Hey, hey! Open your eyes!" Everything was pins and needles numb... my eyes rolled back again, everything went dark-

I heard voices, I struggled to breathe, wheezing for air, I heard JJ's cousin, Ricky.
He said" Okay. Hey, Pope. Hey, Kai. How you doing, man? You both look like shit. Here's the thing. This is a pediatric dose of epinephrine."
Sarah said" Is that gonna be enough?"
Kie said" They're not kids!"
Ricky said" It is ten times a normal dose. So if... if it doesn't stop their hearts, it'll help them. But I gotta use the whole thing, or it won't work." My hearing unfocused, everything was a high-pitched hum. I felt a pinch in my arm, my body stopped being numb, I coughed, breathing heavily. It's too hot! I need to move!
Pope said" It's hot! I'm real hot, guys."
I said" It's burning in here!" I pulled off my jacket,
JJ said" It's okay. Take it easy."
Pope and I said" I gotta get outside." I got off the table I was on," It's hot!" Pope and I pushed past everyone and got out the door.
John B said" You're good." I immediately had the zoomies, I started running around.
Pope said" Let's go get that cross! Whoo! Game six! I'm Michael Jordan!"
" Yeah, game six!"
I said" Can I run back? Is that possible? I think it's possible!" I went to take off down the road but John B grabbed my shirt, yanking me back, I bounced in his grip." Let go! John B! I swear to god!" I punched at his arms as he dragged me to the truck," John B! I wanna run!"