𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒. ᵒᵘᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃⁿᵏˢ ¹

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 34.

    𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 the Crain house felt like it was a dream.

    As soon as we found the well, we practically ran out of the basement like sprinters, hopping into the van as fast as we could, every mind filled with anticipation. The ride mostly consisted of long sighs— happy sighs— and constant "I can't believe it" or words of amazement. To celebrate, Jj rolled a new blunt in the backseat, shared it with Kiara, while I sat in the passenger seat next to John B, who could barely focus on the road with his astonished eyes. My heart was beating through the roof, knowing that we were a step away from the gold, my hand on John B's.

    I had decided personally that I wasn't getting a cut of the money. It wasn't my project, I was just in it to help my new friends, and I was okay with not getting anything, because they deserved it more than me. I hadn't been planning on telling them about my parents, either. Mainly because— I'm not allowed to. But also, even thought it hurt to think about it, I had an image in my mind that they would look at me differently if I did tell them. I had been lying since the beginning, and it didn't seem like my fibs were catching up to me just yet, so I was planning to keep quiet.

My excuse was going to be that I joined late, that I didn't need a cut of the money since I was only in on it to help. Now that we had actually found the gold, I was thinking of my excuses and if they were believable. I didn't want a cut of the money, anyways, because— although I never said it or admitted it out loud— my parents were famous. They're movie stars. Possibly, in the future, there could be a day where my parents take me out from hiding, and I wouldn't need that eighty-million in gold. I needed to tell the Pogues that, but somehow leave out my parents.

The thought of them treating me differently caused my heart to hurt. It made me think of John B's reaction, how he would think of me after realizing I'd been lying about my identity this whole time. I didn't want to ruin what we "had" so far, and I didn't want my friendship with the Pogues, or Sarah, to be any different, either. I've seen how it happens in the movies, where the new girl's big secret gets revealed in a dramatic way, and everyone suddenly turns on her because she's deemed as a liar from then on. I didn't want that.

The night of Midsummers was easily one of the best nights of my life. From getting ready with Sarah, deciding we were best friends, walking out with her family in the nicest dress I'd ever worn, meeting John B at the bag drop to give him the map, then to running away from the whole party, hand-in-hand with Kiara. Just thinking about the magical night, sent another rush into my veins, the kind of rush that makes it hard to hold in a wide smile. I didn't want to loose that.

I needed to see Sarah again, to explain my sudden and rude disappearance from the party. I didn't know if her dad was going to be angry with me, if she was angry with me, or if I was even welcome in her family anymore. So, I had planned to go and visit her house, to possibly hang out, after stopping home. In the van, when John B asked my plan for the rest of the day, I mentioned going out, and because John B still had to figure out the tactic to retrieve the gold, Jj offered to give me a drive later on.

I hadn't been home in over twenty-four hours. The towers were still down, and I couldn't have given Caroline and Daryl a call because of it, and so I prayed that they would understand. But, I had never intentionally gone out for so long without their permission before, since the day I introduced them to the Pogues, or stayed at someone else's house without asking. I was hoping they would be okay with it.

It was past noon when the van pulled up outside of my house, the beige truck parked on the lawn in its usual spot, and the tree still fallen. I could see them sitting on the futon through the thinly-closed blinds in the living room windows. While saying goodbyes, Pope helped me with my bike, settling it on the paved ground below, as John B placed a kiss on my cheek.