𝘚𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 ~ JJ Maybank

4.

Chapter Four: Straight Smuggling

~~•~~

DEATH SEEMED SCARY to Serena, she was scared of what was after death. Her family is religious, but she was scared that there isn't something after death. When she saw Scooter's dead body it reminded her of her father, death has been a fear ever since then.

Serena watched as Scooter's wife cried when's she saw her dead husband. The girl felt sorry for her.

"Who's that?" John B asked.

"Scooter Grubbs," A younger girl said, "he was out during the storm...check out this pic I got, dead body."

The girl showed everyone the picture and Serena shook her head, "That's not cool, this is sad."

"What kind of boat he had?" JJ asked.

"Somehow, that dirtbag copped a brand new Grady White," The girl said, "everyone's out looking for it."

Serena looked at JJ with wide eyes, before looking at Scooter again. Later on, the five friends went to John B's place and hung out on the porch. Serena and JJ sat next to each other in different chairs, while Pope and Kiara sat on the couch and John B leaning against a post.

"So, um," Pope spoke up, "we didn't see anything, we don't know anything...we need to have total and complete amnesia."

"Actually, Pope'a right for once," JJ said and Serena looked at him with confusion written on her face, "See, i agree with you sometimes."

JJ stood up from his chair, "Deny, deny, deny."

"Guys, we can't keep the money," Kiara added.

JJ scoffed, "Okay, not all of us can afford unlimited data plans, Kiara."

"We have to pass that off to Lana Grubbs," Kiara said and Serena agreed, "otherwise it's bad karma."

"It's just not right to keep the money," Serena said and got up from her chair, "we need to get rid of it before we get into trouble."

"We need to go dark," Pope said.

"If that means we get to keep the money, then i agree," JJ said.

"I don't agree," John B said and Serena thanked him.

"what? why?" JJ asked.

John B sighed, "Just think about it...this is Scooter Grubbs we're talking about, same dude that's buying individual cigarettes at the Porthole."

Serena knew where John B was getting at. How can someone like that afford a brand new Grady White. Serena seen Scooter multiple times and he was definitely not that type of guy.

"Shit, one time I saw this dude begging for change in the Save-A-Lot parking lot because he needed gas," John B added, "we're talking about a dirtbag marina rat who's never had more than 40 bucks in his pocket, and all of a sudden he's got a Grady White? jus sayin'."

"Take a breath," Serena chuckled, "But he has a point, but the real question is...how did he get the money to get that Grady White?"

~~•~~

While Pope and JJ went fishing, John B and Serena was still trying to tell them that this whole thing with Scooter is sketchy.

Serena stood next to JJ as he fished and listened to John B, "All right, so think about it, Pope, How does a marina rat get a Grady White? Prostitution...Square Groupers, Bro, flying under the radar, no aerial surveillance, they don't do that stuff during a hurricane."

"What does that mean?" John B said, "JJ?"

Serena looked at the boy next to her who didn't take his eyes off his fishing pole, "They were straight smuggling."

"Smuggling," John B said, "and i guarantee there's a serious amount of contraband in that wreck."

"Hell yeah," JJ said until he felt a fish take his bait, "Fish on!"

Moments later, the crew hung out in John B's room, still talking about Scooter and the wreck.

"For the record," Pope said, "if that is a smuggling ship with illegal contraband on the inside of it...it probably belongs to someone else."

"Minor details," Kiara added but Pope continued.

"They could come looking for it, taking it would be catastrophically stupid," Pope said as he held the money up in his hand until JJ took it.

"Right," the blonde boy said, "Well, stupid things have good outcomes all the time, all we need to do is figure out a way to get into the cargo hold of that wreck...until then, we just lay low."

Serena chuckled, "Right, and how exactly do we do that?"

Kiara shrugged, "Kegger?"

"I love that idea," Serena said.

~~•~~

The five teens arrived at their favorite hang out place; The boneyard. It was the place all the teens would come together just to have a good time and get drunk.

There are three groups, the kids that are like John B and the others. The Kooks, they are the stuck up rich kids in boarding school, and Pogue's natural enemies. And then the Tourons, the tourist morons who are on vacation or just visiting families.

After Serena helped hang out Beers, she found a guy who she thought could hold a conversation. Every once in a while, JJ would look at her and feel annoyed, until he found a group of girls to hang around with.

Serena looked around until her eyes landed on a familiar girl from afar, climbing on a guard tower. She rolled her eyes when she realized it was her cousin, Sarah Cameron. Serena's father and Sarah's mom are siblings. After Serena's parents married, they stopped talking to their Kook family because of the criticism that her father married a Pogue.

Serena met with Kiara as they both walked to John B who was talking to some chick.

"What's she doing here?" Kiara said in annoyance.

"huh?" John B asked and looked to see what his friends were looking at.

"I hate that i'm related to her," Serena rolled her eyes, "Topper just uses her because of my uncle."

The three chuckled when Topper tried to get Sarah off the tower. Topper actually thinks Pogues were we're bred to mow lawns.

"I can't stand her," Kiara said and Serena agreed.