birds of a feather, obx

029. broken swing

Kie, Cora, and Pope are ready for school while JJ and John B are still passed out in the living room.

Pope uses the taped together beer can stick they made last night and uses it to tap John B's cheek.

"Hey. We gotta go to school, man." Pope says. "We have a geometry test in 30 minutes. Plus, we have to drop the girls off first." He says, trying to help John B up. Pope goes to JJ and repeatedly slaps the boy's face back and forth lightly. "Get up! JJ! Is he alive?"

"I don't know." John B mumbles.

Kie watches them from the kitchen counter where Rosie sits as the Carrera girl braids her hair.

"JJ, get your shoes." Pope orders. "We're going this way." Pope drags the boys towards the door.

"Um... I will meet up with you guys later." Kie says, grimacing at their smell. She puts Rosie on the floor. "Good luck with that." She pats the top of the girl's head.

"I'm starving. I need some pizza." JJ says, reaching out for the leftover food on the table.

Cora giggles at his drowsy state, finding amusement in Pope acting like his parents.

"Come on. Out. Go." Pope drags Cora and Rosie out by their backpacks.

+++

The pogues are gathered around on the porch, having only been home from school for a couple hours. Pope is standing up, John B and Kie are in arm chairs, the latter having Rosie in her lap.

Cora is sitting in the corner of the couch and JJ is lying on the couch with his head on his little sister's lap. Cora drags her fingers through his tangled hair, earning a few ow's here and there if she tugs too harshly. She attempts to braid his hair, but fails even more than he does. JJ opens and closes his lighter, but doesn't bother flicking it on with Cora so close.

"Guys, this is Denmark's diary. "August 15th, set sail from Port-au-Prince on calm seas. Came upon the Spanish ship San Jose on fire. The entire deck was aflame. And we could hear the screams of men trapped below. The Spanish captain cared about only one thing, his valuable cargo, the Cross of Santo Domingo and countless bars of gold.""

""Once the cargo was on board, we went to help the crew, but Captain Limbrey ordered us to pull bayonets and not to let any of the Spanish crew on board. He robbed them and left them to die.""

"So it didn't go down off Bermuda." JJ says as Pope sits on a stool by John B.

"And it was a Limbrey... stealing shit again." Kie says.

"This diary proves that both the gold and the Cross of Santo Domingo were on the Royal Merchant." Pope says.

"Why didn't we find it in the well then?" JJ asks as he sits up. His decision makes Cora pout, having wanted to try braiding again. "I mean, if Denmark was able to get this, like, bedazzled cross off of the Merchant to shore, why didn't he just hide it with the gold?"

"Because it was too big." John B says.

"You're right." Pope tells him. "He had to hide it someplace else."

"But where?" Kie asks.

"Right before he was hung, Denmark said he'd buried the treasure at the foot of the angel." Pope says.

"Wait, I thought this was about the key." JJ says.

"Right. So what's the connection?" Kie asks.

""The path to the tomb begins in the island room."" Pope says.

"But what is the island room?" Kie asks, groaning.

"You know what helps me figure shit out?" JJ asks, standing up.