𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 | | 𝘫𝘫 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬

𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯 － 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘢𝘳𝘥

— • — • — • — ꧁꧂ — • — • — • —

— • — • — • — ꧁꧂ — • — • — • —

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧 — 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑣𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑦𝑎𝑟𝑑

JOHN B DROVE the Twinkie towards the salvage yard after Leilani and Kie retrieved the Polynesian girl's car, and the boys hitched the HMS to the back of the white car. Pope was not on board with the plan to take the drone, and he was making that clear through his sulking. "Pope, we're not stealing the drone. We're borrowing it." John B said, driving with Kie beside him.

        Leilani sat perpendicular to JJ on the floor of the van, avoiding him as he rolled a joint. "'Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality.'" Pope recited the line Leilani had come across before, staring out the window.

        "Did you come up with that?" John B asked as JJ's tongue rolled across the white paper filled with weed, sealing it.

        "Albert Bernstein came up with it, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing," Pope said. "So, which is it? Fantasy or reality?" the boy said, turning to see Kie and John B.

        "Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ said bluntly, wincing as Leilani kicked his leg.

        Kie shrugged. "It's fantasy, but possible reality."

        "Reality." John B said confidently, but everyone knew that would be his answer.

        Leilani pursed her lips together. "Neither. It's a hoax. This whole hunt isn't nearly as simple as we think. Someone's messing with us," John B frowned, and Leilani sighed. "But a Pogue did get us this far, so what do I know." everyone seemed to accept her answer.

        "Virtual reality." JJ placed his fresh blunt in his mouth, taking out his lighter to light it.

        Pope took the joint from JJ, flicking it to the opposite side of the van. "Keep the signal clear." JJ closed his lighter, annoyed that his work had gone to waste.

        John B stopped the Twinkie where Leila's car was parked, the two girls stepping outside. JJ grasped Leilani's wrist before she could shut the van door. "Don't be stupid." he said and she smiled.

        "I thought stupid things always have good outcomes?" Leilani used JJ's words against him, winking and shutting the van door, walking around to Kie.

        "Hey, don't worry. You got this." John B said to the girls, a light smile on his face.

        Kie pointed to an arguing Pope and JJ. "It's not us that I'm worried about." she said as Leilani fished out her car keys, swinging them on her finger.