Goonie Girl

Going Deeper

I brave the darkness, gripping Mikey's hand a little tighter than was probably comfortable. "Lyn, you don't like real dark places do you?"

 I shake my head though I doubt he can see me, my voice comes out a bit exasperated, "Who does Mike?" 

"Why don't you just shut your eyes and trust me then? Think about somethin' else. You can't see anyways." I swallow and take a deep breath, thinking maybe that would work. I only have my eyes closed for a few moments before I feel brightness against them.

I gasp, loosening my grip on Mikey only to feel him pull my body closer to his. We stay partially hidden in the cave as we look out to the incredible sight of a waterfall. My cheeks feel hot from Mikey's proximity. I spare a look at him and see him staring at me rather than the gorgeous, water that sparkles from the sunlight now flowing in from high above. "I'm happy you came so I'll always remember this with you." His words were brazen, but they make me blush harder as he leans forward to kiss my forehead.

"Hey, love birds, there's a whole bunch of coins over here!" Mikey's eyes light up and I nod to him letting him know that it's fine if he goes to look, I was hoping really hard for him that it was the rich stuff.

"It's a giant piggy bank!" Data laughed and went sloshing around ankle deep in it.

"Oh my god we found the gold!" Mikey's smile was bright, so I wondered into the water with him, bending down to grab some handfuls to look it.

Brand hugged his brother, "We're rich, it's silver and gold!" 

I got a lump in my throat as I started sifting through some of the coins. "Mike...guys, it's just -"

"What! President Lincoln, Washington, Martin Sheen -"

"Martin Sheen? Give me that?" My brother took the words out of my mouth, though he phrased them differently. It broke my heart to see Mikey's face drop as Stef took the coins from him, revealing that they were just old pocket change. "That's Kennedy you moron!"

"Same difference, he played him once."

Stef throws down that change, "Well, I'm thrilled to see you're using your brain."

"At least I have one!" I watch my brother jump down her throat, but I can tell with every step closer he takes to her that he's tired of the teasing, he just doesn't know how to tell her his feelings.

They continue to bicker back and for, but for once Andi has something of value to say, "Guys, all this is is a wishing well." Brand backs her up and as we all stand around and look up, we can see a perfectly round hole leading to the sky. "I always thought your money turned into your wish..."

The rest of them continue on and I walk over to Mikey, he looks utterly dejected. "I really thought we could do it, I thought we could make it." 

I offer him a sad smile, "There's still more on the map. And even though this stuff is just pocket change, probably a few hundred in pocket change thought, it's further than Copperpot made it. We still came further than a pro." I cupped his worn out looking face, rubbing my thumb over his cheek. "I'll keep going as long as you will."

He throws his arms around me and squeezes me tight, whispering, "Thank you." Everyone around us is still freaking out and now bickering over why we're even here. "We shouldn't take these should we?" He looks a little sad as he pulls away, but more determined.

"Guys!" He yells and everyone pauses to look at him. "These are people's wishes! Somebody through that in here hoping that their parents would get back together, that they could get a new car; they've thrown in here for everything!"

Stef opens up softly, looking at coins in her palm. "They're somebody else's dreams."

My brother glares at me knowing that I spurred that thought up. "Yeah? Well, this is my wish and it didn't come true. So, I'm taking it back. I'm taking all of them back." He bends down to go for more handfuls and yank him up by his shirt color. "Ow!"

"Clark, you know better than that. What did you wish for that you didn't get? You have us, you have friends, family, and the adventure of a lifetime right in front of you." His expression softens up slightly, he looks at me, still angry, but sad.

"I wished that her asshole boy-toy would have a father that didn't take away our homes, our town! But guess what, it didn't work."

"Well, it sounds like you're just giving up Clark and if that's the case I'm disappointed. We're going to find the rich stuff and we aren't going anywhere, right Mikey?" He dashes over to us, map in hand, careful to keep it dry.

"One-eyed Willy's just trying to trick us. I know it, Mouth." He has that glint in his eye again that makes me feel good every time.

"Besides, we have to get outta here for Chunk. He's probably got cops watin' for us."

Suddenly a coin clinks down into the little pond of change. We all exchange glances before looking real hard upwards.

"What the hell was that?" My brother smarts off again, for once it makes me.

Brand take the liberty of throwing it back up to see what happens. We hear someone yell down at us, it sounds familiar.

"Speak of the devil..."

"It's Troy!" Stef exclaims, I think the most excited she's ever been to hear that voice. A chorus of shouts echo through the small chamber, but Andi's get through to him.

"We're stuck, you have to send down the bucket so we can get out!"

Mikey and I exchange glances, wondering how many of our friends just wanted to escape.