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After talking with Pope for several hours I decided to head home. I was drained from everything that had happened that day.
I woke up early the next morning to head to work. I wanted to find every way to distract myself. I got dressed quickly before heading to the shop.
When I get there I follow the usual routine. I open the store, ring up customers, help customers. I was the only employee in the store until my dad finally came. When he arrives he goes behind the shop to finish cleaning up the rest of the mess Agatha had created.
I'm in the cleaning and gutting room doing just that when I hear my brother come in. I poke my head out of the room and call him over. He steps into the room and puts on rubber gloves and an apron to help me.
"How'd it go? Did you guys find the Merchant?" I ask immediately.
"Well, yes, but it was in pieces. Like, completely deteriorated. There's no way there was any gold to be found."
"Oh shit. I'm assuming John B didn't take that well."
"Yeah, no."
"Damn. I feel so bad for him. He's really lost everything in the last year."
"I know."
About an hour later my dad steps in telling us it was lunch hour. Pope and I pulled off our aprons and gloves. We wash our hands quickly before heading out to take orders for lunch.
I walk over to an older couple that were sitting at a table closest to the street. It was one of the only tables in the sun.
"Hi, what can I get started for you?" I ask politely. The woman gives me a weird look, analyzing me. "Um, can I help you?"
"Are you the girl that was with the Cameron boy, Rafe?"
"Yeah, we're not together anymore though."
"Oh, then why is he sat in that car over there?" She points over to a car that had pulled up to the curb across the street. I look over my shoulder, spotting the car.
Rafe's eyes connect with mine from the passenger seat. A sad look briefly crosses his face. I felt a pang in my chest at the sight of the boy I was still in love with.
"Um, I'm not sure. What would you like to drink?" I force out. My voice comes out small and strangled.
"Two lemonades please."
"Okay, I'll back with those shortly."
I turn around and walk over to my brother. I grab his arm gently and pull him into the doorway with me. He gives me a confused look, questioning me.
"Rafe and Topper are watching us."
A panicked look crosses his face immediately as he swivels, looking for the Kooks.
"That car over there, that's Topper's."
"Oh, shit." He peeks out of the doorframe, looking at the car. Both Rafe and Topper stare my brother down. An intense look covered both of their faces as they watch us. Pope grabs my hand, pulling me inside. "We gotta go to JJ's. I'll explain everything on the way there."
I pulls me out to his car and we both climb in quickly. He twists the key in the ignition before pulling out of the lot.
"Okay, Pope, what the hell is going on? I know they weren't there for me."
"Well you remember when Rafe beat the shot out of me? JJ and I may have sunk Topper's boat."
"You did what? I mean I believe the JJ part, but you? Pope you could get arrested! You'd lose your scholarship."
"I know!"
"What were you thinking?" I demand.
"I don't know, I was mad, okay? I knew what he did would hurt you too."
"Pope, come on!"
"Mila, I know it was stupid.
Pope pulls into JJ's grass driveway. I hear loud gunshots echoing outside. I follow Pope over to JJ's backyard. JJ stands in the backyard, a handgun in hand, pointed at stuffed animal. He wore headphones as he shot the gun at the teddy bear, propped up on a log.
"JJ!" Pope yells, calling for his attention. Pope yells for him again. JJ turns around, looking at us. "They know!"
JJ pulls the headphones off his ears and down to his neck. "What?"
"They know." Pope repeats.
"All right, chill, bro. All right?" JJ walks over to us, pulling the headphones all the way off. "They don't know shit.
"Topper knows I sunk his boat."
"How do you know they know?" JJ questions, sitting on the log he was shooting at.
"Rafe and Topper we're outside of Heyward's, watching us." I inform him.
"Yeah, they mad dogged me!" Pope frantically shouted out. He paced the backyard, his energy filled with nerves and fear.
"Will you calm down and get a grip, man? They don't know shit." JJ stands up, walking toward my brother.
"They have cameras. They could've seen you guys." I point out.
"There was no power, Mila. How could they have seen Pope?"
"They have generators."
"They don't give scholarships to kids who vengefully sink boats. It's not a good look on my transcript." Pope stresses.
"Enough with the regret, bro!" JJ says angrily. "They caved your face in. They hit us, we hit them. It's the law of the jungle. Now if Kooks come up to you and ask if you had anything to do with it, you walk up to 'em, look 'em right in the eye and..." JJ places his hands on Pope's shoulders.
"Deny the living shit out of it."
"That's right. Deny, deny, deny. But just for safety, we don't go anywhere without protection." JJ looks down at the gun, sitting on the stump. "Right?"
