𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑾𝑨𝑽𝑬𝑺 /𝑗𝑗 𝑚𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑘

𝟎𝟐𝟒.

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𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑳𝑰𝑨𝑹𝑺
𝑠𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛𝑒，𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑑𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛
𝟐:𝟓𝟓 — 𝟗:𝟒𝟕
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AS WE PULL up to the Pawn Shop, I can feel the excitement building inside me. We all hop out of the car in a flurry, JJ carefully cradling the gold in his palm, his eyes fixed on it as if it might suddenly slip away. "Hell of a job melting it down, Dr. Frankenstein." he says to Kie, his voice low of annoyance.

Kiara rolls her eyes, her response dripping with sarcasm. "Like you could've done any better."

JJ smirks, his retort dripping with confidence. "I could have, actually. I took a welding class."

The two of them engage in a heated exchange, Pope and I watching with amusement as Sarah shakes her head in dismay.

John B steps between them, his voice calm and authoritative. "Shh, stop. Chill out, okay?"

JJ's glare turns back to the group. "That's easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to pawn this piece of shit off." JJ holds up the gold, his hand tightening around his backpack strap as if he's afraid it might slip from his grasp. "How did we even get this job anyway?" he asks the group, his brow furrowed in confusion.

I raise an eyebrow as Pope explains, "Yeah, and why do I have to do it with him?"

I follow the blonde boy into the shop, my heart pounding in anticipation. Pope's response is simple: "Because you two are the best liars."

As I push open the door, the bell above it lets out a soft tinkle, announcing our arrival.

The group follows close behind me, and the shop owner's gaze turns to us, her expression cautious. I offer her a warm smile and a wave, which she returns warily, her eyes lingering on us before refocusing on the till.

The rest of the group trails in, and JJ takes the lead, approaching the counter with a confident stride. "Afternoon, ma'am." he says, his voice smooth as silk.

The shop owner's gaze flicks back to him, her response a grudging "Afternoon." as she continues to fiddle with the till.

As we draw closer, JJ flashes her a charming smile. "I see you buy gold." he says, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

The shop owner shrugs, her expression unimpressed. "That's what the sign say, don't it?" she says, pointing to the sign above the counter.

JJ's smile grows wider. "Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it, because we're about to blow your mind." His words are cheesy, but if she buys into them, who am I to judge?

JJ slips his backpack off his shoulder and onto the counter, and I cringe inwardly at his over-the-top flair. The shop owner's eyes narrow, her voice dripping with skepticism. "I ain't got much mind left to blow, so have it." Her gaze lingers on him as he opens the bag.