𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒. ᵒᵘᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃⁿᵏˢ ¹

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 38.

    𝐌𝐘 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍'𝐓 𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐏 around what had just happened.

    The five of us had been sitting in the van, completely breathless, driving away from an axe murderer's house in the middle of the night, when John B had pulled out a single bar of real gold. When it shined underneath the van's lights, and twinkled in John B's eyes, none of us had even questioned if the bar was fake. He was holding a piece of the lost Royal Merchant gold. After over one-hundred years of people looking for it, a group of teenagers found it within two weeks. It was hard to process.

Even though my mind was on complete overdrive— from almost being slaughtered to death by Mrs. Crain, and then getting shot at— I had been cheering the whole ride home. Jj could barely focus on driving, Pope wouldn't sit still, John B couldn't refrain from relentless cheering, and Kiara wouldn't stop shaking my shoulders with excitement. Instantly, when the van erupted with an explosion of screams, a rush had circulated through all of my veins, faster than ever. We had found the gold. I was more than happy.

I had completely forgotten about my parents. They didn't matter at the moment, as I stared at the slab of gold in John B's hand. Nothing really mattered. All that I could think about was the Pogues. The fact that they were going to be filthy rich— what they deserved. I helped them. And they had succeeded.

"Jesus, John B," I let out a groan, "You're filthy,"

The water from the hose shot out and sprayed over his body, as he stood in the grass. It was eleven o'clock at night, his body was still covered with mud, and the two of us stood outside back of the Chateau, our space lit up by lanterns in the darkness.

"No, I haven't noticed, Charlie," he answered with a giggle, his hand pulling back the hair that covered over his eyes.

"So, let me get this straight," I said, with a curious tone, while aiming the hose down at his bare chest, "You went into the well, and then what? There was a passageway at the bottom, like a— like a hole?"

"Yeah." He replied through slightly closed lips, wiping his mouth, "I crawled through it."

I stepped closer for better aim with the water, "And how many bars of gold were in there, again?" I asked for clarification, with narrowed eyebrows.

The mud slid from his body, and he wiped it off with the water, "Like— five hundred, maybe,"

I nearly dropped the hose, "Five hundred!"

"It was all covered in mud," He said with a wide grin, looking at me, "But it was there. All of it."

"Oh my god," I breathed out. The smile wouldn't wipe off of my lips.

"I still can't fucking believe it," he sighed happily, now cleaning off his legs. "Like, I really can't believe it."

"This is insane," I laughed, "Insane."

John B looked up to me as he shoved the hair out of his face. He smiled, and it sent butterflies into the pit of my stomach, just by the way he looked at me.

"Remember when you thought I was absolutely fucking crazy," he chuckled.

My jaw fell open, a laugh falling out, "I never said you were crazy,"

"Yeah, Charlie, you did," he laughed loudly.

"No I did not, John B," I shook my head from side to side, mocking him.

A smirk pulled at the side of his mouth as he suddenly lunged forward, ripping the rose out of my grasp. Before I could process it, or fight back, water was being sprayed all over me. My jaw fell open.