Exhale, Outer Banks [ 1 ]

003. THE COMPASS

Cordelia sits next to Kie on the bench while the older girl plays the bongos. Pope is sitting in a chair across from them while JJ is sitting on a table and throwing rocks.

"Look, I'm callin' it off. All right?" John B says. "Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS."

"And you believed her?" JJ asks.

"Yes, I believe her, JJ." John B says.

"An actual cop, John B. You believed a cop."

"Look, all I gotta do is stay out of the marsh for a couple days, and she'll help me out. It doesn't help that your ass was the one shooting a gun."

"You know what I should have done, man? I should've just let Topper drown your ass."

"Yeah, because Topper was gonna drown me?"

"Sure looked like it."

"Topper was most definitely going to drown you." Cordelia butts in, earning a light glare from John B.

"I mean, have you looked in the mirror?" JJ asks his best friend.

"Tell me some more. Come on." John B encourages.

"They always win, don't they, man? Kooks versus Pogues. They always, always win!" JJ exclaims, hitting a ball. "God!'

"Look, it's okay!" Kie says, trying to calm them down.

"No, it's not okay! It is not! They don't want us to go down into the marsh. That means there's something valuable down there, and you know it." JJ points at John B. "I know you do."

"And I understand why you don't wanna go." He tells Pope. "You're the golden boy. You got way too much to risk. And you--" He turns to Kie. "I mean, you're already rich as fuck anyway. Why would you bother?"

JJ glances at Cordelia before looking back at John B.

"But you, me, and Cordi, man, we got nothin' to lose! We really don't, all right?" JJ says.

"I don't think I'd do good in prison." Cordelia mumbles.

"And I know it didn't use to be that way for you." JJ says.

"I don't wanna talk about this. I don't wanna talk about it." John B says.

"So that's it?"

"Just get out of my way, bro." John B shoves JJ aside and starts to walk.

"John B, listen to me. I have a plan. You got the key to Cameron's big boat, right?"

"No, JJ."

"There's scuba gear inside, man. We just borrow that, and then we go down to the wreck this afternoon, and that is what's gonna save you, man. You don't see rich kids going into foster care, do you?"

+++

They're all on the boat and dealing with the scuba gear to be able to stay underwater enough to inspect the boat.

"This is empty. You took empty tanks?" Kie asks. "Okay, this one's a quarter full. It's enough for one of us."

"Love it when a plan comes together." Pope says sarcastically.

"Does anybody know how to dive?" Kie asks. "Anybody?"

"Why would we know how to dive?" Cordelia asks.

"It's kind of a kook sport." JJ says, Cordelia pointing to him in agreement.

"I... read about it." Pope says.

"Great, Pope read about it, so someone's gonna die." Kie says.

"Well, he read about it, he probably knows shit. More than any of us." Cordelia defends the boy.