Ocean Eyes

Chapter 23

JJ said" So this is what we're doing, huh? We're just sailing out. We're just gonna forget about John B? We should never have left him. We're turning back."
Cleo said" No! We're all gonna get caught. What type of plan is that?"
" It's a plan to stick together, Cleo."
" Then we are dead together."
Kie said" She's right. We had to leave, or we'd all he zip-tied in the back of a pickup. We did the right thing."
I said" Doesn't feel right." The phone started ringing, Kie looked at it,
JJ said" Who's that?"
Kie said" It's Portis?"
" Portis? That's John B. That's definitely John B. Hold on." He took the phone," Yo! Dude! Is this you?"
" Speaker."
" What- Do you need us to turn around?"
We all said" Speaker." He put it on speaker,
" Yo, say it again. Say it again."
" I said don't worry about me, okay-" But it kept breaking up,
" We do not copy. Can you-"
Sarah said" Let me talk to him. John B? Are you okay? He's fine, thank god. What happened?" I could barely hear him, but I'm pretty sure he said dad." Wait, what did you say? John B? I-I can't hear you."
" Get out there. I'll meet you on Kildare, okay?"
" Kildare, when? John B! No, no, no. John B!" It hung up," Kildare, what the hell?"
Cleo said" You guys think he found his father?"
Pope said" He's been missing for almost a year."
Kie said" Sarah, what do you think? Should we go back?"
JJ said" Sarah- We're sitting ducks right now, so we need to make a decision. Are we turning back around, or are we gonna keep going? Sarah, come on! Sarah, we need to make a decision!"
Sarah said" He said go."
" Hold on, listen."
" Go."
" Sarah."
" Go!" She walked away from us, I leaned back in the seat I was in.

JJ said" So you sure you didn't tell him where the diary is?"
I said" Told him we'd seen it, but we didn't tell him where."
" So, why does Singh want it so much?"
" Singh said that he thinks the diary has a clue to the location of some city of gold. Like the gold on the merchant was just a small part of it."
" Okay, so the diary we have leads to a 500 year old treasure that no one's ever found?"
" Yeah, pretty much."
" I'm in. It's kind of like my best option at this point, so... definitely beats geometry class."
" Yeah, my parents are totally gonna ship me off to a boarding school or military..."
" I mean, I don't even know what'll happen when we get back to the OBX. Nothing good. I can tell you that."
" Shit is gonna suck for like a year."
" At least you don't got a restitution, though. No job. No parents. Yeah, arrows are going to be coming in hot. But you know what we do when arrows come flying? Bing." He started messing around," Ding, ding, ding! Ding!" I laughed,
" Quick!"
" And you shoot right back at them. And that spear comes at you, you plant, grab, disarm, straight into the jugular, finish them off like..." He yelped as he stabbed a fake person, I grinned, then the boat rocked and we balanced each other. I smiled," Just one by one. We'll defeat them all."
" You know, whatever happens, we're gonna handle it together, like always."
" Kai..." He was definitely trying to wrap his head around something, he was nearly leaning in to kiss me.
Pope said" Hey, you guys-" JJ moved away from me, I became very confused," We should probably stop for gas."
" Yeah." Pope walked away, I gulped and it became awkward, and I hated awkward... I started shaking again.

It was dark, Pope was being captain, my head dropped back and Sarah caught it before it railed into the railing. I stood up, trying to blink the sleep out of my eyes,
She said" Go to sleep, you're done."
I said" I'm fine."
Kie said" Shaking is fine?"
" Shut up, I'm not-" I held my hands out and they were definitely shaking," Okay, I am, just um... seasick, or whatever."
" Seasick, that's your excuse?" I shrugged, nodding my head," When you pass out from exhaustion, we're not helping." I smiled,
" Yeah, you will."
" Nope."
" Uh-huh."
Sarah said" Just lay down, we're in the middle of the ocean."
" We're coming up on a port, actually." She slapped my chest," Ow."
" Lay down. We can take care of ourselves."
" Oh, I'm well aware of you taking care of yourself. I just don't trust people. And honestly, besides Cleo, I'm probably the only other person on this boat that will kill to protect themselves. It's called anger issues that my parents wouldn't get me medicine for." I felt JJ's stare from the distance, I sat down and put my head in my hands," Better? I won't fall out, at least." My eyes drifted shut, and I fell forward, I hit the ground before I could catch myself." Ow."
Cleo said" We tried to tell ya."
" I'm staying here! Screw couches, floor seems nice."