Chapter Text
Annie awoke to the sound of her phone ringing, she grabbed it carelessly. She managed to swipe the answer call button while rubbing her eyes with the back of her palm.
“Annie?” Sarah sounded panicked.
“Yeah? What?” she groaned, turning over onto her side.
“Where the hell are you? Wheezie just told me you got kicked out last night? What the hell happened?”
“Oh, yeah,” Annie said to the phone which was now on speaker, “He like kicked me out after saying I was misbehaving too much and did I tell you about what happened when I got back yesterday,” Annie spoke, but was quickly interrupted by her cousin.
“Where are you?”
“The holiday home,” Annie said, throwing the sheets off of her bed.
“What holiday home?” Sarah said frantically, “Since when-, Oh! The one that’s on the opposite side to the Boneyard?”
“Yep, that’s the one,” Annie let her feet swing over the side of her bed, the cold wood flooring sending shivers through her spine.
“Oh my God, Annie. Are you okay?” Sarah sniffed.
“Yeah, i’m good, just tired,” Annie said while stretching her arms, “I mean God what time is it?” Annie asked the girl on the other end.
“Um, 7:23,”
“Sarah!” Annie almost shouted, “It’s so early,”
“Annie, I was so worried. I called Kie and she said that she had like five missed calls,” Sarah spoke, “What happened,”
“Look, Sarah, I mean no offense when I say this,” Annie sighed, “But your asshole of a dad accused me of drinking this cheap ass whiskey which i’ve never even seen before and then I went downstairs after and like he got mad and kicked me out. But don’t feel bad, it’s nice here. Quiet,”
“Oh my God,” Sarah sighed with relief, “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about me, Sarah. Just call or text or whatever if you need anything. I’ll be at Tannyhill to get more stuff later,” Annie said before the two said their goodbyes.
Annie's mind was moving far too quickly for her to go back to sleep so she began to get ready for the day. After splashing her face with some cold water, she put on a bikini and over top, a denim skirt as well as a baby tee that she had stolen from Sarah last year.
Annie checked her phone while she put on her watch and bracelets. She saw that she had a few missed texts from Kie but no reply from her mother.
Kie: Girl what happened u okay?
Kie: Annie answer me
Kie: Annie come on
Kie: Message me when you wake up
Kie: Sarah just told me that you got kicked out?
Kie: Annie??????
Although she never really told her, she appreciated the friendship they had more than anything else in the world. She smiled back down at her phone.
Me: Sorry just woke up, i’m at my holiday house place by the boneyard kinda, i’ll head over to the Chateau later and meet you guys then
Me: Love ya
Annie grabbed her phone and keys, gradually making her way to the first floor of her house. She decided that she would stop over by Tannyhill and pick up the rest of her items and then get some groceries on her way back. After hearing the door click shut behind her, she turned on the music in her continental and drove off.
Annie pulled up in the drive of Tannyhill, Rafe staring her down.
“Get out of here,” Rafe shouted over blaring music which Annie refused to turn off.
Reluctantly, Annie twisted the volume switch slowly, “I’m just grabbing the rest of my stuff and leaving, all right?” she mumbled, shoving past the immature boy.
Annie carelessly shoved the remaining items in her suitcases, not bothering to sort her clothes from her books or her makeup from her chargers. The girl was so stuck in her own mind that she didn’t hear Sarah step into the room. She jolted when she felt Sarah’s hand on her back. Annie swerved her head back but hugged her once she realized who it was.
“Oh, Sarah,” Annie whispered, “It’s okay,”
“Let me help you,” Sarah said after pulling away from the embrace, “Please?”
Annie shook her head before she gave in to the pleading girl, “Fine,” Sarah gave her a reassuring smile.
They stayed silent as they packed away all of Annie's belongings which had been in suitcases just days prior. Sarah folded Annie's clothes which her cousin had hastily thrown in there just minutes before. Annie came back out of her ensuite, carrying the bottles of expensive hair treatments which she had brought over.
“Annie?” Sarah asked the girl who still looked tired.
“Mm,” she replied back, placing the bottles of shampoo and conditioner in her suitcase.
“I’m really sorry,” she whispered, looking over at her cousin who was tucking her hair behind her ear.
“Don’t be, Sarah. I mean it wasn’t your fault,” she chuckled, zipping one of her aluminum suitcases shut. Annie tested how heavy it was by yanking it off of the bed to see if she would be able to haul it down the stairs of the home.
“Yeah, but I should’ve made him let you stay,” Sarah whispered.
“Your dad is a piece of sh*t,” Annie replied, “That’s not on you,”
“He’s still your Uncle,” Sarah sighed as she spoke, “Maybe you can apologize to him then you can keep on staying here,”
“Me?” Annie pointed to herself and laughed, “I’m not apologizing for sh*t. He kicked me, a child, out of his home just because I came back late like three times,”
Sarah took a deep breath in, inhaling the air which had become incredibly tense, “Annie, that’s on you, though. Maybe my dad was right to kick you out. You’re so full of yourself,”
Annie stared at the girl who started to snap at her, “You think that just because you’re from the mainland and your dad is insanely rich, you’re better than everyone,”
Annie didn’t know how to reply to her cousin who had suddenly switched up on her.
“You’re just like your f*cking dad. You fake piece of sh*t,” Annie said, grabbing her suitcases and hauling them down the stairs, which she hoped to never see again. Sarah began to cry as she realized what she had said to the girl who was now speeding down the drive.
As she pulled up to the grocery store, she placed her card holder in her back pocket. She browsed the isles for some food that she might consider eating then made her way to the isles with detergent and soaps. By the time she had paid with her card, she had managed to accumulate 5 paper brown bags full of stuff for her new home.
Annie couldn’t help but enjoy the process of filling up the ludicrously capacious cupboards with the food she had bought and she then went on to fill her fridge with Fanta and a few bottles of vodka from the endless supply in the liquor cabinet. Annie checked her phone but there was still no reply from her mother.
-
“John B pullin’ a houdini,” JJ said with his feet splashing around in the hot tub that he bought last night.
“Yeah, where is he anyways?” Annie asked the others.
Kie was swinging around on the tree branch, waving to the girl down below.
“I’ve got my scholarship interview tomorrow,” Pope spoke with annoyance, “We gotta get this done,”
“Speak of the devil, hey!” JJ shouted out once he saw the familiar outline of John B enter the Chateau grounds, “Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything,”
“No, he did not. I did that,” Pope retorted.
“Hey,” Annie said to John B, who paid no attention to the others. He ran up the stairs to the porch and disappeared into the house. JJ looked over at Annie who just shrugged.
“Uh, what’s that all about?”
“I was gonna ask you the same question,” JJ replied to Pope, maneuvering himself out of the water.
When they headed inside, they were greeted by a frantic John B searching the house for something, opening cupboards and throwing old clothes around.
“You all right, man? What’s up?” Pope spoke rather calmly while trying to confront the manic boy.
“What are you looking for?” Kie questioned, watching him rummage around.
“Bro, what’s going on, man?”
John B pulled up one of the couch cushions and grabbed something beneath it. Annie tilted her head to get a better view of what he had just picked up. Her eyes widened once she saw the weapon in his hand,
“John B, what do you need the gun for?” JJ said, moving closer to the armed boy, “Talk to us!” he said while John B shoved him roughly onto the bed.
“John B chill!” Kie shouted.
“What are you doing?” Annoe had never seen the boy in this state before and it was clear that the others hadn’t either.
Pope tried to stand in the doorway to stop him from leaving the building but instead, he was shoved onto the table, “What are you JJ now?”
Annie helped the blond boy up while Kie checked on Pope who was more in shock than in pain.
“John B, what the hell are you doing?” Kie shouted as she ran after him, the others following closely behind, “John B, what the hell?”
They all chased after him down the stairs but he was already on the bike, ready to make a swift exit, “Ward knows about the gold,”
Annie paused at the mention of her dreaded Uncle's name.
“He killed my dad,”
Annie stayed paralyzed in her spot while the others tried to run after him but he was too quick.
“Oh my God,” Annie whispered, processing the sentences that John B had said before his getaway.
-
JJ had taken up Annies offer which she had given him earlier after he moaned about not wanting to go home. The boy had insisted on driving back to the house which made Annie feel nothing but wary, but deep down she knew she was in good hands.
“You know, I can’t believe it,” Annie sighed, letting the world go by, “Ward killing Big John,”
JJ sighed too, “Ward’s an ass,”
“Tell me about it,” Annie replied. The sunset was made up of a burning red color, as if the sky were on fire.
JJ made sure to drive fairly carefully because he knew how mad the blonde would get if he crashed her car which probably cost more than he could imagine. Annie quickly got out of the car to enter the gate code before hopping back in the car. JJ parked the car and threw the keys over to Annie who then went over to open the front door.
“Smells like home,” JJ said, stepping into the dimly lit home that was where Annie now resided. He knew his way around the maze of a house like the back of his hand.
Annie and he had spent the majority of the nights last summer sneaking around the home, stealing booze and food for their late night adventures over the island. JJ traced the marble countertops as he walked over to the designated snack cupboard that Annie had filled up earlier that day. He grabbed a packet of chips before sprawling over the couch.
“You want a beer?” Annie asked, opening the refrigerator to get one for herself.
“Yeah,” he said while munching, “Thanks,”
Annie slumped down next to him and passed him the cold beers to open. Once he had taken the lids off with his teeth, he passed one back to the girl who was staring up at the ceiling.
“How much is your restitution again?” Annie said, sipping on the beer.
“30,” JJ replied, “Don’t,”
He knew what she was like. He knew that Annie liked to show her gratitude for things or for people through money.
“Don’t what?” She said, sitting up now.
“Pay it. I can do it myself,”
“What if I already have,” she smiled. She had no idea what she was thinking when she went over to the Sheriff's Department on her way to the Chateau earlier. Kie had called her earlier and told her what went down the night before and told her all about what JJ said and what he spent the money on.
“Annie,” JJ shook his head.
“I’m sorry, I just thought it would take a lot of pressure off so that we could focus on the treasure, y’know,” She blabbered on until JJ gave her a hug.
“Thank you,” he mumbled, “I’ll pay you back I promise,”
Annie smiled back before finishing off her beer, “You got a blunt?”
Annie took a drag before she began to tell JJ the events of the morning, “Me and Sarah got into an argument,” she confessed.
JJ shook his head, “You win?”
“I don’t think there were any winners,”
The duo spent the evening laughing like how they used to last summer and JJ found himself getting lost in her eyes every once in a while. The ambient lighting in the room complemented her face so well and he couldn’t seem to peel his eyes off of hers.
Annie smiled at him as their laughter quietened down, “Come on. I’ll show you to your room,”
JJ followed the girl up the stairs, his backpack in hand. He remembered that one time when he had snuck into her room via the tree and how Annie had dared him to go downstairs and grab the supplies rather than her. He couldn’t help but think about the events of the last summer regularly: far more regularly than he would have wanted to.
“Here,” Annie said, opening the door so that JJ could slip past into the room which was situated next to hers.
“This room is bigger than my frickin’ house,” he said, throwing his bag on the bed.
“The bathroom’s just across the hall and I'll be next door if you need anything,” Annie smiled at the boy who grinned back.
“Night, Astor,” JJ said to the tired girl who retreated out of the guest room and went into her own.
He took his shirt off and changed his shorts, then laid down on the bed which he sunk into. He thought about her constantly and tonight was no different. As he turned to his side, he found himself reminiscing on her laughter and her eyes which radiated when she was happy. He could feel that jittery feeling in his heart again, the same one he had felt for the last few years but he decided that there was no way he would act on it, not again.
Annie took a shower that night, letting the water hit her skin in large droplets. She wondered how Sarah was and what had happened on John B and Ward's fishing trip. Nonetheless, tonight had probably been the most relaxed night she had had since arriving on the island. Her breathing was steady as she laid down under her sheets, the soft cotton material hugging her skin. She enjoyed spending time with him and she was so glad that she had cleared the air that day. Closing her eyes, Annie found herself thinking back to how scared and furious John B looked earlier that day. It was an emotion she never wanted to see again.
-
JJ took advantage of the free amenities that Annie was offering him. The bathroom was foggy from the steaming water that he had left running during his hour-long shower. He scrubbed at his teeth and dried off his body with the soft towel before placing it over the lower half of his body.
JJ stumbled into the corridor, letting droplets of water fall to the floor.
“Jesus!” A tired Annie said as she bumped into JJ, rubbing her forehead from exhaustion.
Annie looked up to see JJ’s wet hair messily covering his forehead, framing his face nicely. She couldn’t help but move her eyes down to his toned torso before quickly flicking her eyes back to his face.
“Watch it,” He joked, looking down at Annie who was wearing a loose silk pajama set.
“Whatever,” Annie groaned, heading down the stairs.
Annie leaned against the banister as she headed into the kitchen, turning on the coffee machine to make her morning beverage. She leaned her back against the counter, looking out of the window to see the morning sun rising into the sky. She grabbed the glass of hot coffee and downed it in one go before placing the mug in the dishwasher.
“Morning,” JJ said, now fully clothed but still with wet hair. Annie turned around and faced the boy who began drinking the milk in the refrigerator straight from the carton.
“Mm,” Annie replied, taking a bite out of an apple, “I’ll be back down in a minute,” she said. Heading back upstairs to change into some clothes. JJ waited downstairs patiently, roaming around some of the rooms in the house which he didn’t see the night before. There were a few pictures here and there of the family of three that never really seemed to be together.
“Creeping around?” Annie asked the boy who jolted from the sound of her voice, making him drop the photo onto the floor.
“Oh, um-,” he hesitated, picking it back up. JJ had no idea why he felt so nervous, like he had been caught doing something that he shouldn’t but he did. .
“It’s fine,” Annie laughed back, “Let’s go,” she dangled her keys in his face before plopping them in his hand. The boy whooped from excitement as he headed out of the front door, making sure it locked behind the girl.
-
“You’re sure he got everything?” Kie asked John B who was laying on the wooden deck. Annie looked over at Kie who was sitting next to her, seemingly defeated.
“Every bar,” he sighed back, “The whole enchilada,”
Annie grimaced at the boy who was yanking off his blue cast that he had only worn for a couple of days, “Look, it’s not like I expected a happy ending or some sh*t,” he said whilst chucking the cast away.
“John B,” Kie started.
“What, Kie? It’s a hairline fracture. Who cares?” Nobody was in a particularly good mood that day, not even JJ who was smoking a blunt.
“You should care, you’re arm is gonna be messed up for life,”
“It’s fine,” John B began to move his arm, “See?”
“Guys!” The potential silence was interrupted by Pope's voice and loud footsteps, “Oh, God. I ran all the way here,” he panted.
“You all right?”
“How was the interview?” Annie asked even though she realized that the boy was probably too tired to be listening.
“Don’t ask,” Annie raised her eyebrows after his response.
“JB,” he said through deep breaths, “Look, I’m sorry dude. About everything,”
“It’s fine,”
“But I don’t have a lot of time, and I have information that is tactically relevant. So, before I had my interview, my dad said he was going down to the private airstrip to cut palms for Cameron’s big plane,”
The others started intently listening to what the boy had to say.
“Because it was too heavy, it needed a longer landing strip to take off,” he gestured with his hands, “So, I'm there sitting in my interview thinking to myself, ‘Hm, why would Cameron need a longer airstrip to take off? What could be so heavy to weigh it down?’ Gold,”
“That’s right,”
“Exactly!” Pope said with excitement, “Guys, this is our chance, but it leaves tonight and we have to go,”
“Guys, we can’t give up now,” Kie jumped off of the wood and onto the deck.
“What’s the plan, big man?”
“We’re gonna steal that sh*t back,”
Everyone began to laugh as they headed back to the chateau. They were back on track.
Being in the twinkie meant that the radio was on 24/7. Annie thought it was cozy and last year she had begged her father for one but he refused after telling her they were tacky.
“We go in there, guns-a-blazin’, make Ward Cameron beg for mercy, abscond with as much gold as possible and vamanos, get the hell out of there,” JJ stated while rounding up some ammo.
“Send that sh*t right down the intercoastal,” John B added from the driver's seat.
“Wait for the weather,”
“Exit to Cuba,”
“Cuba?” JJ asked, “No, man, Xcalak, Jewel of the Yucatan. Lobsters so thick, mangoes and no word for money,”
“Let’s do this sh*t,” Annie said, excited to get revenge for Ward kicking her out and to avenge Big John, who let her look at books about The Royal Merchant every once in a while.
Annie stared down at her phone where she checked for any messages from Sarah but there were none. The blonde began typing again, trying to desperately reach her cousin.
Me: Sarah please call me
Me: I’m really sorry
Me: Please message me when u get this
Annie let her head lean against the walls of the twinkie while John B pulled up to the airstrip.
“What’s the plan? Broad strokes,” Kie said, running up to the weed infested metal railings.
“I don’t think we got that far,”
Annie’s fingers grasped on the metal wire, squinting her eyes as she tried to make out what was happening in the near distance.
“They’re loading up the gold,” Pope said, binoculars to his eyes before John B snatched it into his own grasp.
“There’s Ward,” John B said. After a few seconds, he took the binoculars down and away from his eyes.
“What?” Kie asked. Everyone looked at John B to see that his face had dropped.
“It’s Sarah,”
Annie gasped, “f*ck,”
“She’s with him?”
John B put the binoculars back up to his eyes, “He’s hurting her,”
“What?” Kie murmured.
“What!” Annie almost shouted.
“They’re fighting,”
Annie snatched the binoculars from out of his hands while he ran backwards, “No, no, no,”
Annie watched her Uncle Ward practically throw her into the plane while she screamed and shouted out.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Pope asked John B who was running towards the twinkie. Annie passed Kie the binoculars but the brunette didn’t have time to loo through them.
“John B, where are you going?” Kie asked, running towards the Twinkie which was already moving.
“Dude, stop!”
John B had smashed the twinkie through the metal railing so that he could make his way onto the airstrip. The tires screeched loudly and a cloud of dusty sand erupted from the floor.
“John B!”
“Come back!” They all shouted but he was out of hearing distance. Annie held her hand on her chest, trying to slow her breathing. They all watched as the twinkie caught up to speed with Ward’s plane, before John B sped ahead.
Annie looked away when she saw the twinkie park while the plane continued to zoom towards it. Once she realized that there was no impact, the sound of sirens blared out.
“Guys, I can’t get arrested,” Pope said.
“Look, we’re no good if we’re all in jail,” Kie added, jogging away. Annie stared out at the tarmac where she could just about make out Sarah's figure.
“Come on,” JJ said, pulling her by the wrist until she started to run away with the others. Her heart was pounding so loud from John B almost dying and Sarah being practically kidnapped.
The uncompleted group had found their way to a sort of warehouse where old bits and pieces had been dumped. They waited for about 5 minutes before they heard the roaring engine of Ward's plane fly up ahead.
“There goes the gold,” Pope said angrily, turning around to throw something at the wall, “f*ck!”
Annie turned around just in time to see Pope hurl a brick at the metal wall of the warehouse.
“God Damn it! sh*t!” Pope shouted, using a baseball bat to hit anything in sight, “f*ck!”
JJ, Kie and Annie stood still, watching Pope let out all of his built up anger. He continued to hit away at bits of junk, dust flying up everywhere.
“Pope!” Kie finally spoke up but her voice was almost silent over the rattling of the metal trash can that he had just thrown, “Pope!” she shouted again.
After he had finished, he slumped down on a woven couch. Annie watched his chest go up and down from hyperventilation.
“Pope,” Kie said softer this time, staring at the floor.
“Yeah, dude,” JJ started to walk towards the boy who looked like he was about to give up on everything, “I was wondering when this was gonna happen,” JJ pulled out something from his pocket, “Here you go chief. A little weed never hurt no one,”
“JJ,” Annie started, not wanting Pope to end up like the rest of them.
“Relax, Annie,”
“You know he doesn't smoke,” Kie looked down at Pope.
Pope took it out of JJ’s hands, “Well, maybe not until today,”
“Pope, yeah, what is that gonna help?” Kie began to say.
“I lost my scholarship. Walked out in the middle of the interview. It’s gone. It’s not gonna happen,”
“You did that for us?” Kie asked, almost in tears.
“No, not for us,” Pope stood up to face Kie, “For nothing,”
“I’m here for you, Pope. Welcome to my world, okay?” JJ said, slinging his arm around Popes shoulder and patting his chest. Annie sighed as she looked up to the ceiling.
“JJ-,” Kies voice broke.
“What, Kie? He’s right,” he snapped back at the girl, “It doesn’t matter anymore,”
Pope took a drag from the juul, “You don’t have to do that,” Kie said, still trying to reason with the broken boy.
“What do you care?”
Annie turned around once she heard footsteps, “Oh my God!” she said, running up to the boy in the pink hoodie.
“Is this yours?” JJ asked the silent boy who had a sheet of fresh blood on his palms.
“Who’s blood is that?” Kie questioned.
Before he could answer, the sound of sirens made all of them hide away. Annie gave the boy a concerned look which he replied to with a blank face.
“What the f*ck is happening?”
