CH 4: The Luck of the Draw
She's just lucky we found a plastic container full of fuel. The key's were very simple to find, and the life jackets, though well hidden, were totally unnecessary.
We finished prying off the cover, and Tori just hopped in the water with the container.
"Should I even ask?"
She looks up at me on the dock. "The gas thingy's down here, right?"
What does she think this is, a car? I scoop up the fuel container and let it drip off before setting on the seat, opening the back, and dumping the liquid into it's proper place.
Tori submerged on the other side of the dock now, her clothes soaking wet. She mumbled something about fore-warning under her breath, which I ignored and stuck the key in the ignition.
"You know this thing hasn't worked since forever, right?" I ask, my hand on the key.
"Just turn it!" The girl persists. "This suspense is just killing me!"
To both our surprise, the water vehicle started up immediately.
I only came for ham and waffles, but I'd realized when I got there I also needed syrup. Tori, on a roll with the shoplifting, started to take a few more things as well. We had our bags chocked full of unnecessary items that would surely last us through the week.
Tori was acting very confident by the time we thought about leaving. Last time we tried something, she was skittish. Today was different though- sure, at first she was still a bit weary. As we took more and more things though, she really got into it.
Back on the boat, we set our bags on the seats and counted through our take. There was plenty enough food to last us the rest of the week!
"Let's get going before they change their minds and come after us, huh?" Tori suggests, and I'm quick to agree.
"I'm very proud of you today." I inform her, and she smiles.
"I learn from the best!"
I nod, and start up the engine.
…
It stalled once, and I try again.
"Um, I really think we should be going." Tori repeats, looking a little concerned.
"No, this can't be right. We're practically full, there's no reason it should be stalling like this. It, it… it was just running a minute ago!"
I try again, and this time it doesn't even sound off. A few more seconds of fumbling with the device until we get it steadily running.
"Finally." Tori sighs in relief.
I pull the gear to drive, and start toward home. The boat runs for a good three seconds before shutting down.
"Fuuuuuuck." I moan, throwing my head back against the seat.
"Jade, um… we're drifting."
I look toward the dock to see the boat was still moving, but slowing down and taking us just a tad farther from the dock.
It was either we jump now, or things get a whole lot more complicated.
Tori went first. She threw her bag across, but the items tumbled right out as it flew threw the air. She jumped, and made it across fine though.
"I'll try to catch it. Just be careful when you throw it." Tori offers.
Fuck that! I was taking it across with me. I sling the bag over my shoulder, and make a run for it.
The boat kicked further back when Tori jumped the first time, and now I was even at greater distance. I nearly lost my footing when I stepped up the seats, so I back up and try again. I take my leap…
"Yes!" I excite after landing on my feet. "Take that, karma!"
"Um, Jade?" Tori concerns. I look at her. "That's not the bag of food."
Well crap. All that work all for a bag of smelly fishing lure. What's worse was the boat was still floating away.
We swam back to it, since we were already soaking wet and there wasn't anything valuable to keep from getting damp anyway. I toss the bag up on the seat, and Tori and I hop in.
"Now what?" Tori sighs.
"We have two options"
She looks at me attentively.
"We take it home ourselves, or we pay someone else to do it."
In theory, she and I could attach the front of the speed boat to the paddle boat and hull it to the house ourselves. The only flaw with that plan is Tori's lack of excitement about all the effort it will take to actually pull a mother-fucking boat across Diamond Lake.
"What's option two? Pay someone else to do it?" She remembers. "I like that idea."
"There is, by chance, a shop that offers boat towing. It's actually close by, if I remember correctly." I explain.
"Problem solved!" Tori smiles. "Where is it?"
"The scuba shop."
"Problem not solved. There's no way they'll help us out after last summer."
Tori slumped back in her seat.
"We can at least try to talk to them." I point out. "It's gonna take a lot less energy to try and get them to do it for us than it would for us to do it ourselves."
I'll admit I wasn't exactly looking forward to pulling the thing ten minutes across the water either. Eventually she agrees, and we start toward the scuba shop.
"And it's kinda just floating along the lake now, drifting in some direction." Tori finishes.
"Unless the police found it unattended and decided to take it." I add.
The manager didn't seem to recognize us. I think he was skeptical, but he was willing to help us out.
"Thank you!" Tori excites when he agrees to give us a hand.
"Two hundred dollars." The manager finishes.
Tori looks to me, and I shrug. "It's not that bad. My grandma can afford it."
"But that's across the lake!" Tori panics. "It's gonna take us hours to walk… we'll be lucky if no one steals it by that time."
"I'm sure we can work something out… what did you say your names were again?"
Tori was about to answer, but I do instead. "I'm Jade West, and this is my friend Tori Vega."
I'm not sure she liked that I gave her real name, but at least this way we won't have to worry about them remembering us from last summer.
"Well Tori and Jade, I'd be happy to give you girls a ride while we retrieve your speed boat." The manager smiles.
"That's really kind of you." Tori smiles.
"Not a problem my dear!"
This guy had a really nice boat. I mean… when you think about pontoon boats, you're thinking basic. The one Tori and I were on now was absolutely spectacular; nicer than any boat I'd ever been on.
"Up here. My address is 117." I inform him as we reach the dock.
As we came closer, the house came into clear view. The more I looked at it, the more worried I became. Something was just… off.
"Jade…" Tori murmurs. "You did lock the door, right?"
I know I locked up tight. It seemed secure from where we were.
"I'll wait out here. You girls go grab your money." The manager informs us, already beginning to unhitch our boat from his.
We slowly walk toward the door. Pickles intercepted us before we walk inside, which caused both me and Tori to jump. When we entered, everything looked in place. I was absolutely certain I locked the door before we left. I undid every lock when we entered! What were we so worried about?
"Let's just pay this guy and see if Barb will let us stay with her for the day." Tori suggests, and I nod.
I open the drawer in my grandma's bedroom, but the money isn't there.
"Problem?" Tori intrigues.
No, she always keeps her money here. Maybe my parents took it when they left for the hospital? But why would they leave me with no means of currency?
I check the safe in the basement, the stash in the bathroom ferns… Then I tried looking in desk in the computer room.
"Where's the newspaper?" I note when I enter.
"Will you wake up, Jade!" Tori shouts spontaneously. "You've been robbed!"
She was right. I put today's paper right here before she and I left, and now it was gone. And so was the money.
"Soooo…" Tori drags as we approach the manager again.
"Girls! I'm going to need your help latching these ropes." The manager greets. "My hands are just too big."
Neither of us moves. Instead, we stare at each other and contemplate how we're going to break it to him.
"Not too chatty?" He comments. "That's fine, I was quite shy at your age. Well I'll be taking my payment now and be on my way."
"…"
He looks at me strangely. "I couldn't hear you darling, what did you say?"
"I said… we don't have the money."
He seemed more somber now, rather than angry.
"Very well girls. That's… disappointing. I suppose I'll be confiscating this, then."
The scuba manager then begins to untangle the boat from the ropes, and lowers it back into the water.
"W-what are you doing?" Tori freaks.
"You're taking our boat?" I stammer.
"Sorry girls, but I'm afraid you've left me with no choice."
"B-but we were robbed!" Tori attempts to reason.
The manager sighs. "It's not robbery, It's in trade until you give me the money you owe."
"No, she means the money we owe you." I begin to explain. "My grandma's house was robbed."
He stops.
"Well… that's a bloody shame, but fact of the matter is… despite your current financial misfortune, I still require payment."
There was really no getting around it. I get where he's coming from, but…
"But that's my grandfather's boat." I say in a final attempt to reason with the man. "If I lose it, gran will be so mad at me."
He looks between the two of us for a minute, then places his hand on his hips before speaking. "Well, you don't seem like the type to cause trouble. I'm sure this all was an accident… perhaps we could work something out."
"Th-thank you!" I say. "So, what did you want in return?"
He begins to pace up and down, until he comes to a conclusion. He looks at us rather devilishly, and I become slightly concerned.
Finally, he spoke. "Do either of you girls have experience in sale?"