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''It's highly dangerous, zero reward? Yeah, he's definitely doing it.''

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THE FIRE CRACKLED softly, casting flickering shadows across our group. The salty ocean breeze swept through the trees, carrying the distant hum of waves crashing against the shore. We were all sprawled around the bonfire on old driftwood logs.

Sarah leaned forward, a mischievous glint in her eyes. ''Okay, John B, your turn. Truth or dare?'' she asked, tossing a strand of her sun-bleached hair over her shoulder.

John B rubbed the back of his neck. ''All right, all right. Truth.''

Sarah raised an eyebrow. ''Truth?'' She tossed him the hat we'd been using as a kind of prop for the game.

''Truth!'' John B grinned, plopping the hat onto his head at a jaunty angle.

Cleo chuckled from her spot near the fire, shaking her head. ''This is exciting.''

Sarah's expression turned thoughtful as she leaned back on her hands. ''If you could do it all again... what would you do different?'' she asked, her voice soft but pointed.

JJ snorted, reclining against a log. ''Uh, get the gold out before Ward did.''

''Maybe hide the cross a little better,'' Pope added dryly.

I couldn't help myself. ''Like they would miss a seven-foot-tall golden cross inside a small church,'' I quipped, earning a few laughs from the group.

''Not yell 'murderer' at Ward, maybe,'' Kie said with a shrug, turning her gaze to me. ''You?''

For a moment, I hesitated. My mind flicked back to the chaos on the boat, but I swallowed the thought. ''Stay in the church to protect the cross,'' I answered simply.

Sarah smirked, tilting her head at me. ''And fight off Rafe with your amazing karate skills?''

I rolled my eyes. ''I actually lied. Never even took karate lessons.''

''How shocking,'' Sarah teased, her tone dripping with mock disbelief.

John B stretched, a grin on his face. ''As for me, maybe, uh, steal a couple bottles of rum before we jumped off the boat.''

JJ leaned forward. ''Yeah, why didn't you do that, actually?''

''Maybe 'cause I was in a fight to the death?'' John B shot back, feigning exasperation.

''You still should've thought about that,'' I chimed in, crossing my arms with a smirk.

''Okay,'' John B rolled his eyes, but he couldn't hide his grin.

Cleo's voice cut through the laughter. ''I would look both ways before crossing the street.'' She gave John B a pointed look.

''Yeah, my bad,'' he said sheepishly, scratching his head. ''My bad."

Cleo waved her hand, as if dismissing his excuse. ''Your turn, chief.''

John B adjusted the hat dramatically, turning his gaze toward Kie. ''All right, Kie. Truth or dare?''

Kie hesitated for a moment, her eyes narrowing. ''Truth,'' she decided, sitting up straighter.

John B leaned forward, the firelight dancing in his eyes. ''All right. If you could go home to your parents' house on Figure Eight this instant...''

''Mm,'' Sarah hummed, clearly interested in the answer.

''Would you do that?'' John B finished, his tone serious.

We all turned to look at Kie, the silence stretching as we waited for her response. She shook her head firmly. ''No chance.''

''Seconded,'' Sarah added quickly.

''Hear! Hear!'' JJ raised his coconut mockingly.

''No chance,'' John B echoed with a grin.

''To no chance!'' JJ whooped, lifting his drink like a toast.

Kie's expression softened. ''The shower's tempting, though,'' she admitted.

''Ooh, I could use a fat shower right now,'' John B agreed, stretching out his legs.

Kiara turned to me suddenly, a mischievous look on her face. ''Mavis, truth or dare?''

I laughed, holding up my hands defensively. ''Truth. If I pick dare, you might give me a death proposal.''

Kie's smile widened. ''Did you ever like-like any Pogue?''

JJ groaned dramatically, throwing his head back. ''Like-like? Seriously, are we in middle school?''

''Shh, let her answer,'' Kie shushed him, nudging his leg with her foot.

I raised an eyebrow, trying to play it cool, but I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. ''I mean, obviously. You and me both, the difference is mine was like in middleschool.'' I said, shrugging as nonchalantly as I could.

John B and Sarah broke into exaggerated ''oooooohs,'' but I just rolled my eyes at them.

''Wait, it's JJ's turn, right? I have an idea. Can I?'' Kie asked, looking at me for permission.

I waved her off. ''I didn't have an idea anyway.''

She tossed the hat at JJ. ''JJ, truth or dare?''

He caught it effortlessly, a cocky grin spreading across his face. ''I mean, do you even need to ask?'' He plopped the hat onto his head, leaning back like he owned the place.

Kie pointed toward the cliff with the knife she'd been using to carve into a stick. ''Big jump. Nobody's done it yet,'' she challenged.

''Oh hell yeah,'' JJ said instantly, his grin widening.

I couldn't help but chuckle. ''Oh my god,'' I muttered, shaking my head. Typical JJ.

We stood clustered near the base of the cliff, the bonfire still crackling in the distance, its orange glow lighting up the rocks. The cheers and laughter reverberated off the stone walls as JJ stood at the cliff's edge, his arms stretched wide like he was the king of the world.

''There he is,'' John B pointed, grinning up at the blonde boy silhouetted against the darkening sky.

''There he goes,'' Pope added, crossing his arms.

''Send it!'' Pope suddenly yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth for emphasis.

Cleo shook her head beside me, hands resting on her hips. ''He's not gonna do it!'' she declared. ''He's not gonna do it!''

From the top of the cliff, JJ's voice rang out, a challenge in his tone. ''Oh, I won't, huh?''

''No way!'' John B called back, shaking his head, though the knowing smile on his face betrayed him.

''He's gonna do it,'' Pope said.

I glanced between them and JJ, laughing softly. ''It's highly dangerous, zero reward? Yeah, he's definitely doing it.''

Sarah joined in, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. ''Do it!'' she shouted, and the rest of us cheered, our voices rising like the tide.

JJ stood there for a moment longer, milking the anticipation for all it was worth. He let out a whoop, his voice echoing across the water, before diving off the edge. Time seemed to slow as he twisted through the air, his blonde hair catching the moonlight. He spiraled with reckless grace, his signature flair on full display, before slicing into the water below with a splash that sent ripples across the surface.

We erupted into cheers, the sound bouncing off the rocks as we ran toward the water. I laughed as I splashed into the shallows with the others. JJ surfaced, shaking the water from his hair, his grin as wide as ever.

Pope was the first to reach him, practically tackling him in a bear hug. ''You're insane!'' Pope exclaimed, his voice filled with equal parts admiration and exasperation.

''That's why you love me!'' JJ shot back, his grin never faltering as John B joined them, clapping him on the back.

''You're gonna break your neck one day, you know that?'' John B teased.

''Nah, man, necks are overrated,'' JJ replied, shrugging off the concern. He looked over at me, water streaming down his face. ''What'd you think, Mavie? Ten outta ten?''

I smirked, crossing my arms as I waded closer. ''Eight outta ten. You lost a point for almost face-planting. Needs more style."

''Ouch, tough crowd,'' he joked, clutching his chest dramatically. ''Guess I'll have to win you over next time."

''Unless you break your neck next time.'' I retorted splashing him. The water was cool against my skin as we stayed in the shallows, splashing and laughing like the world wasn't falling apart around us. Sarah floated on her back, staring up at the stars. Cleo leaned on a rock, her head tilted as she laughed at one of Pope's dry comments. John B dunked JJ under the water, and JJ came up sputtering, swearing revenge.

For a moment, everything felt normal—like we weren't on the run, like the gold wasn't hanging over our heads, and like life hadn't dealt us all the worst possible hands. I closed my eyes briefly, letting the laughter and the ocean surround me.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

JJ AND I had managed to scrape together some makeshift spears, using sticks sharpened with his ever-present pocket knife. The gentle ripple of the creek shimmered like liquid gold, and the air was filled with the quiet buzz of insects and the occasional chirp of birds.

''Okay, Mavie,'' JJ started, standing knee-deep in the water with his spear poised. ''The trick is to move slow. You stomp around like a rhino, and the fish are gonna be halfway to the Atlantic before you even blink.''

I rolled my eyes, shifting my weight carefully on the uneven rocks beneath the water. ''Oh, I'm sorry, fishing master. Maybe you should just do it yourself, since you're so perfect at it.''

JJ smirked, his blonde hair catching the sunlight as he glanced back at me. ''Oh, I'll do it. But then you won't get to say you caught dinner, and where's the fun in that?''

''Fine,'' I huffed, gripping my spear a little tighter and trying to mimic his stance. My feet were steady, but every time I thought I saw a fish dart by, my instinct was to lunge, splashing water everywhere and coming up empty-handed.

JJ burst into laughter, the sound carrying across the water. ''See? I told you! You're scaring 'em off!''

''Then stop laughing and help me!'' I snapped, though I couldn't help the grin tugging at my lips. JJ had this way of making everything feel like less of a chore and more like an adventure—even when I was soaking wet and utterly failing at catching fish.

''Alright, alright,'' he relented, stepping closer. ''Here, let me show you.'' He moved behind me, guiding my arms to hold the spear steady. ''You gotta aim a little ahead of where the fish is swimming. Anticipate the movement. See that one? Right there.''

I nodded, focusing intently. With JJ's help, I lunged—and miraculously, the spear struck true. The fish flailed for a moment before going still. I let out a triumphant laugh, holding it up. ''Did you see that? I actually did it!''

''Yeah, yeah, beginner's luck,'' JJ teased, though he looked genuinely impressed. ''But good job, Vivi. You might just make a fisherman out of you yet.''

We spent the next hour or so wading through the water, laughing and joking like siblings. The sun dipped lower, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. As we worked, JJ started talking, his voice softer than usual.

''You know, my dad taught me how to fish when I was a kid,'' he began, his eyes fixed on the water. ''We didn't have much, but he always said as long as we could fish, we'd never go hungry. Not that he stuck around long enough to make good on that.''

I glanced at him, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. ''Do you miss him?''

JJ shrugged. ''Not really. I mean, sometimes, maybe. But I don't miss the Outer Banks because of him. I miss it because it's where I'm happy. With you guys. With my family.''

I nodded, understanding exactly what he meant. ''Yeah. I get that.''

JJ looked at me, his expression thoughtful. ''But your dad—he's still there. He cares about you, Mave. You know that, right?''

I hesitated, staring down at the rippling water. ''I don't know. Maybe. But sometimes it feels like he has another family somewhere out there, and I wouldn't even know. I was always closer to my mom. She was the one who really cared, who was there. And now...'' My voice trailed off, the ache of her absence tightening my chest.

JJ's face softened, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. ''Hey. You're not alone, okay? You've got us. And you've got your mom's smarts. She'd be proud of you, Mavie.''

I managed a small smile, grateful for his support. ''Thanks, JJ.''

We carried our haul back to the bonfire, the scent of salt and smoke mingling in the cool evening air. The others cheered when they saw us, John B clapping JJ on the back while Sarah inspected the fish with a nod of approval. Cleo smirked, tossing a teasing remark our way.

''Took you long enough. Thought we'd have to start eating seaweed,'' she joked.

''You're welcome,'' JJ shot back, grinning as he flopped down by the fire. ''Courtesy of the Pogues' finest.''

The night carried on with laughter and stories as we cooked the fish over the open flames. 

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