-4-

Stella was laying in the hammock with Kiara, as the boys sat around the fire. "How much was it again?" She asks.

"Four hundred mil." Pope exhales.

"All right, let's talk about the split. Now, before we say 'evenly', may I remind you that I am the only one that can properly defend us from those grouper who were after us." JJ holds up his gun.

"You haven't even trained. You've done zero training."

"Youtube, bro! That's at least a 5% bump right there. Any objections?" They are all about to protest but JJ doesn't let them. "Didn't think so. I don't hear any, so.."

"What are you gonna do with your 100 mil, Pope?" Kiara asks.

"Pay for college in advance. And also, textbooks. Those are expensive."

"What about you Kie?"

"Yeah, what does a socialist do when she's rich?"

"Just wanna make a double album." She shrugs. "About OBX, the Pogues. You know, the way Catch a Fire is about Kingston. What about you Stells?"

"Ugh, 100 mil? I don't even know. Probably let my Aunt retire, buy us both a nice house. Then probably go to college, get out of here for a bit."

"College? Right Pope you are no longer allowed to talk to Stella." JJ exclaims.

Stella chuckles, "JJ! Pope had no influence over my decision, in a way I've always wanted to go. I just never thought I could. Like come on, I'm 18, hanging out with 16 year olds, at this rate i'm never leaving. Anyway, what about you JJ?" She turns the attention away from her.

"Actually I know what I'm going to do" JJ starts. "I'm gonna get a big ass house on Figure Eight and go full kook."

"Full Kook?"

"Yup. Gonna get a marble statue of myself and then I'm gonna get a koi pond."

Stella laughs, "I'm never visiting."

"What about you JB?" asks Pope.

"To going full kook?" He suggests, holding up his beer.

"To going full kook!" They all join in.

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

The others were off to find a computer, but Stella had to pay a visit to Barry. He owed her money, and while the royal merchant is important... she wasn't a millionaire just yet.

"Barry" Stella smiles, walking in.

"Hey Stella, what's up?" He waves from where he's sat.

"Not much just want my money" She crosses her arms.

"Ah, nothing else then?" He smirks.

"Don't be disgusting."

"Worth a shot." he shrugs, "It's in an envelope with your name on in the back" He points, not bothering to go get it for her.

"Thanks, love the courtesy, as always." Stella mumbles, walking off. She spots the envelope, and mutters something about how protected her money was.

"Hey, Country club! What's good with you, man?" She hears Barry greet, as she shoves the money in her bag. Popping her head round , she spots no other than Rafe Cameron, what the fuck.

"Should've worn a wife-beater." Rafe tells Barry as they shake hands.

Stella laughed, announcing her presence, "You couldn't beat anybody, Rafe."

He glares at her as Barry pul sout a duffle bag, "A'ight, a'ight, a'ight, let's see what we got here and voila, is that what you were look for?" He holds up a bag of white powder.

"Yeah."

"You got that cabbage?"

"So I was hoping for a little credit. Listen man-"

"You're hoping in the wrong place"

"You do know how fast I'll move that, right? Who has my access? Bro, I'll be back here in...shoot, two days, tops."

"Stella can do a day" Barry points at the girl who was smirking.

"Maybe he can give you something in the meantime... like his bike?" Stella suggests

"Stay out of this Estella-"

"No,no, no, no you know what I like her thinking, you give me the bike and I'll let this one slide. But if you screw me, it's not just me you're screwing."

"Heard you loud and clear." Rafe holds his hands up.

"You got balls kid, I'll tell you that. Two days." He chucks the bag at Rafe. Stella scoffs, heading off towards her Aunt's truck. back outside.She watches as Barry takes Rafe's bike off him, leaving him slightly stranded. He looks around, his eye handing on her.

"No fucking way." She protests.

"I mean you're the reason I don't have my bike... you owe me." He comes over.

"I owe you shit Rafe. Technically, you owe me, I saved your pathetic ass."

"Estella-"

"Don't call me that." She grits.

"It's your name, isn't it?" He tilts his head.

"Stella is fine."

Hhmm. No. What about Stelly, kind of sounds like Smelly. You know because you're a pogue-"

"Yeah Ha. Ha. Really funny Rafe. You know what." She starts the car, getting ready to drive off.

"Wait. wait. Wait Please, i'll make it up to you Ettie, but just this once." He begs. Stella looks at him, contemplating it.

"Fine... get in quick, before I change my mind." She finally gives in.

They drive in silence. It was actually quite peaceful until Rafe decided to talk. "So is this your truck?"

"No, it's my aunt's."

"Hmm"

"Why? Is it not up to your usual Kook standard."

"If I said No, I'd be lying." He smirks, earning an eye roll. "So you work with Barry?" He continues.

"Sometimes."

"Typical" He mutters.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Stella glances over.

"You're a Pogue who sells drugs, can you get any more stereotypical?"

"Says the Kook who's a massive dickhead and buys coke off of Pogues" She fires back.

"You can't tell anyone that." He refers to the coke.

"Don't worry your secret's safe with me... for now."

"Oh you're trying to blackmail me. Cute. Says the one who's friends with the certain Pogue who pulled out a gun at the boneyard."

"You weren't even there Rafe. You don't know shit."

"Well you weren't there either, too busy being a slut I heard"

Stella slams the breaks, glaring at the boy. "What did you just say?"

"You were too busy being a slut to control your friend."

"Get out." She demands. "Get the fuck out my car."

"I thought it was your aunts." He jokes. She continues to stare daggers at him and he holds his hands up in defence getting out the car.

"Fuck you Rafe"  She flips him  off before driving to meet the pogues. According to JJ's text they needed  a drone. 

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

"Right, so we're stealing a drone so that we can search for the Royal Merch." Stella asks as they drive toward their location

"Royal Merchant. and we're not stealing it Stella. We're borrowing it." John B corrects.

"Humans are the only animal that can't tell fantasy from reality" Pope recites.

"Wait, did you come up with that?"

"No, Albert Bernstein came up with it, but it applies to this whole treasure-hunting thing. "

"Oh"

"So, which is it? Fantasy or reality"

"Why are you so weird, Pope?" JJ asks,

"It's fantasy, but possible reality" Kie states.

"Treasuring hunting, equals pirates, which are real for your information, so therefore I'm going with reality." Stella decides.

"Same, reality." John B agrees.

"Virtual reality." JJ mumbles through his joint. He goes to light it but Pope takes it off him.

"Keep the signal clear."

They pull up to the garage. Stella and Kie get out as Pope and JJ start to argue.

"Hey, don't worry. you got this" John B tells Kiara. Stella gives them both a weird look, before walking towards the gates.

"Hello?" Kie yells trying to get the security's attention.

Stella waves "Excuse me?"

"Can I help you two?" The guy finally notices them

"Hi! Um, We actually have a flat tire. Could you help us out?" Kie asks.

He looks between the two of them. "Yeah." He agrees.

"Yeah?" Stella tilts her head.

"Yeah." He confirms, going to get his stuff.

"It's too easy," She smiles at Kie.

"Oh tell me about it." She laughs.

They distract him, rambling on about the tire while the boys go try find the drone. It was all going smooth sailing until a dog starts to bark

"Do you hear that?" He asks the girls.

"Hear what?" Kie smiles

"Tebow's got something"

"It's probably a racoon maybe. You know?" Kie suggests

"Oh yeah my dog loves chasing them, goes feral. Nothing to worry about." Stella lies.

"Yeah" He agrees and goes back to the tire.

Kiara, goes to flatten the other tire to waste time. "Kie, no," Stella whispers. "It's too-"

"What are you doing?" he catches her, and Stella sighs.. The dog continues to bark.

"This one looked a little low too." Kiara tries to make up an excuse but the man runs off towards his barking dog.

"Well Shit." Stella looks at Kie. "I'm not going to help them." She shrugs, walking back to the Twinkie.