RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

THIRTY EIGHT

PAWN

The six of them pulled up to the Pawn shop. They had previously melted the Royal Merchant gold down, not that it worked very well. Kie had the brilliant idea to melt it down with a blow torch, but when it hardened again, it was basically just a huge blob.

"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr Frankenstein." JJ said as he held the lump of gold in his hand.

"Like you could've done any better." Kie shrugged dismissively. She thought it was a good idea at the time.

"I could have done much better." JJ bragged. "Me and my girl took a welding class right Ri?" JJ slung his arm around River's shoulders and brought her closer to him.

River furrowed her brows, she and JJ never took a welding class.

"When?" Kie questioned pursing her lips. She could tell that JJ was lying. She took a step closer to JJ, puffing her chest.

"Whoa, whoa. Chill out okay?" John B said breaking the pair apart.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one that has to pawn this piece of shit off." JJ held up the gold. "How did I get this job anyway?"

"Cause you're the best for it." River said smiling up to JJ.

"Cause you're the best liar." Pope corrected, clicking his fingers and pointing towards the girl.

JJ walked into the store first, but River waited outside for a minute and pulled Sarah to the side. John B paused, waiting for the girls. "Go." River rolled her eyes and looked over to the boy. "Please." She said once he didn't move.

"No killing each other." John B said, pointing at the cousins.

River sarcastically saluted before showing him her middle finger. Sarah laughed, it reminded her of what she did to John B when she caught him on her boat. The pair were alike in that way. They had very similar mannerisms. 

"I'm sorry." River apologised. "For being a bitch. It's been playing on my mind for the past few days and-"

"It's okay. I get it, you were just being a good friend." Sarah smiled. "I admire that Ve."

"What is with that?" River tilted her head slightly.

"What?" Sarah furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Calling me Ve." River pushed someone of her blonde hair behind her ear as she glanced into the shop. She saw John B looking at the pair but he was too far away to hear what they were saying.

"Everyone else has a nickname for you. John B calls you R.C, Pope calls you Cross, Kie calls you Riv, JJ calls you Ri or baby girl-wait-why does he call you baby girl?" Sarah asked crossing her arms with a small smirk. "Are you two a thing?"

"No!" River quickly shut down, although a sad smile made its way to her face. "It's just something he started doing a year or two ago. I just got used to it I guess." River shrugged honestly.

"He has a thing for you." Sarah said as she linked their arms together and pulled her into the shop.

"Not like he can do anything about it. There's rules remember. No Pogue on Pogue macking." River reminded her.

Nobody could find out about her and JJ's secret fling. It would ruin the group.

"Screw the rules." Sarah whispered with a smirk.

River made her way straight to JJ, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her as close as possible.

"So, I uh, I talked to my boss." The old woman said walking back into the room.

"And?" JJ questioned.

"And uh, this is what I can do." She places the check on the counter top in front of JJ.

"Fifty thousand?" JJ scoffed at the price. "You think I walked in here not knowing the spot price?" River began to fiddle with the rings on JJ's fingers. "Ma'am I know for a fact this is worth 140 at least." JJ pointed to the gold.

"Well sweetie, you're in a pawnshop. This ain't Zurich. Do I look Swiss to you?" The woman raised her brows.

"Ninety or I walk." JJ said scratching the back of his neck anxiously. He was beginning to doubt if this idea would even work.

"Seventy. Half price, and Umm, I don't ask questions about where you got this." JJ glanced over to John B.

"I'm gonna need that in large denominations please." JJ spoke, his cheeky grin forming on his face.

"Well, here's the snag. I don't have that much denominated, not here anyway. I can write you a cashiers check."

"Cash, no ma'am. I want the cold hard. That's what that sign says." JJ pointed up to the sigh. "Cash for gold. And that's what I expect. I'm gonna get it in cold hard."

"Well, I have to send you to the warehouse. I have the money there. Is that alright?"

JJ narrowed his eyes at the woman. "Where's this warehouse?"

~

"So they keep money out here?" Pope questioned curiously as they drove past the worst parts of the Cut.

"That's what she said." JJ mumbled, his hands rested on River's thighs as she sat on his lap. He let out a light chuckle. "That's what she said."

"Stop." Pope said immediately shutting down the boy. River began to trace random patterns on the boys hands as he put his head down in shame.

"I've never even heard of Resurrection Drive." Sarah said turning around from her seat in shotgun.

"Cause you're rich." JJ muttered.

"You've never heard of it either." Kie muttered, shaking her head at JJ.

"Thank you." Sarah smiled.

"Hey J?" River looked up to the boy. JJ smiled at her. "Do you think this will work?" She whispered so that none of the others would hear.

"I sure hope so." He whispered back, tapping a random tune on her thighs.

"There's nothing but weeds back here." Kie pointed out as they were drive past a bunch of trees.

"Alright, just cause it's just weeds doesn't mean it's like,-" JJ got cut off by a cop car's sirens going off.

"Cops, JB slow down." River tapped his shoulder lightly.

"Cops out here?" Kie questioned turning and watching the car follow them.

"God are you kidding me man?" JJ snapped angrily.

"What did we do?" Sarah questioned.

"Hide the gold." River said as she got off of JJ's lap, so he could hide the gold under his chair.

"I hate cops." JJ muttered, as he panicked and put everything in his bag.

"Did you bring the gun?" John B questioned JJ.

"No okay? Everybody told me to leave it back at the place." JJ shrugged, everyone had been shouting at him to leave it, but he only listened when River took him to one side and asked him quietly.

"Thank God!" Kie smiled. "How much weed do you have on you bro?" He quickly hide the bag under the chair and,

PULLED RIVER BACK ONTO HIS LAP.