𝑻𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 | 𝑱𝑱 𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒂𝒏𝒌

[28] Cops? | Dead Calm I | Tease

Sleep? Never heard of her. I spent my entire morning at the emergency clinic waiting to be seen for my forearm. The nurse was skeptical when I told her it was a fishing accident, but she didn't bother to push me for more details. She stitched my arm, bandaged it, and then prescribed ibuprofen. I tried to get something stronger out of her, but she was far too smart to fall for that.

I was surprised to see my friends waiting outside the clinic for me, but as I realized the pawnshop was around this area, everything made much more sense. I climb in the back, taking a seat on the floor next to JJ. Kiara sent a warm smile my way, offering a new shirt. I looked down at the one I was wearing, the dried blood giving the illusion I got shot in the chest. I wondered how sleep deprived and gross I looked as I quickly switched shirts.

"How's the arm, Bee?" Pope asked, grabbing my arm to inspect the gauze and tape contraption the nurse made. He pulled the bandage back, inspecting the stitching and the irritated skin surrounding it. "Looks like the old bat got you good."

"She did," I mumbled, gently pulling my arm back, giving Pope a weird look for grabbing it in the first place. "I'm on some pills for the pain."

"Pills?" JJ tuned in, his head snapping up from looking at a clump of gold in his hands. "You have pills?"

"Fucking ibuprofen, idiot."

JJ nodded his head as if he knew that all along. "No, yeah. Totally. Makes sense."

Our ride down the road to the pawnshop wasn't long, and before I knew it, we were jumping out of the van. I sighed, wishing I could just stay in the van and sleep, but the lingering question on how much we were going to get for the gold motivated me to get up.

Over all this time I still didn't care for the money. Of course, it's exciting and exhilarating to go on a treasure hunt, but at the end of the day it wasn't about the treasure. For me, it was about the hunt and the time I've been spending with my friends. Life hasn't felt this fulfilling since my parents passed, and now that I had a taste of this feeling, I was scared to let it go.

"Hell of a job melting it down, Dr Frankenstein," JJ taunted Kiara as we stood outside the pawnshop doors. Kiara placed her hands on her hips as she stared at the golden blob in JJ's hands. "Like you could've done any better," she retorted.

"I could have," JJ said matter-of-factly. "I took a welding class."

They were about to get into a dispute about JJ's welding skills, but John B put himself between the two of them, urging them to calm down. "Chill out, okay?"

"Easy for you to say. You're not the only that has to pawn this piece of shit off," JJ muttered, holding up the lump of gold. I looked over his face, noting for the first time his bruises had cleared up. I smiled to myself, loving that I could see his sun kissed skin without the additional colours. The only reminder of ever being hit on his face was a slight cut on his lip. "How did I get this job anyway?"

"Because you're the best liar," Pope answered without missing a beat, following JJ into the pawnshop. I entered but opted to stay by the door, toying with all the little trinkets.

"Afternoon, ma'am."

"Afternoon."

"I see you buy gold," JJ started off smoothly.

"That's what the sign say, don't it?" An older woman said sassily, turning her nose up to JJ as he shrugged off his backpack.

"Well, I sure hope you buy a lot of it because I'm about to blow your mind," He warned, fishing in his backpack for the lump. He set the lump on the table, the sound of gold clunking against glass filling the shop. We watched quietly as the lady chuckled while looking at the gold. "How 'bout them gold apples."