Sweetheart - JJ Maybank

Chapter five

Aurora had her arms wrapped around the bottom of her pillow and her face buried inside of it. The sheets on the couch were thrown off of her onto the floor. Her head pounded furiously after the events of last night.

She wiped her eyes slowly to see John B and a sheriff walking out of the hallway. She did one of those long morning stretches that made your buttcheeks clench. She then sat up on the couch.

"Sorry to break in like this, but DCS called. They wanted me to check in on you. See how you're doin'. So, how are you, besides the—'' She pointed to the black eye John B had acquired.

"Oh, no, I'm—I'm great. Yeah, fantastic. Uh...Thanks for comin' by." John B started walking towards the kitchen with two beer bottles in his hand and threw them in the garbage.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, John B, but I heard a few things that worried me. Let me see if I can remember. Oh yeah. One of the things I heard was that your Uncle Teddy, your guardian, hasn't been in the state for three months." the sheriff said, looking up at the pictures on the wall.

"Yeah, that's false,"

"You don't have to say anything. I know it's true. I called the school. They said you used to be a good student, but now you're failin' all your classes." She picked up the end off a blunt off the table and sniffed it. Aurora stood off the couch now starting to get interested in the conversation. John B had told her what happened to his dad, but never explained what happened after he disappeared.

"No. No, I'm only failing one, and it's history. The dude's a dick. He's out for me—"

"I heard there was a fight on the beach yesterday, and a gun was involved," The sheriff started walking towards John B.

"Okay. Gun? No," He started walking past her to where Aurora was standing, giving the sheriff a pat on the shoulder as he passed. "Did I get in a dustup? Yes, but was there a gun? No. No way."

"That's okay. I know who it was. I'll get to him." Aurora gulped, slightly worried about what would happen to JJ. "All I'm worried about right now is makin' sure you're in a safe home."

"Yeah, super safe. Super sound, sturdy. You know what I mean?" John B knocked on the wood. "And, Uncle T's coming, so..." He leaned up against the wall.

"That what he told you?"

"Yeah,"

"If he is coming home, I think you should be allowed to stay." she explained.

"Thank you."

"But if I stick my neck out for you, you have to help me. Tit for tat."

John B scratched behind his ear. "What—what does tat mean?"

"Let me see, how can you help me? Oh, I know. So, a body was found in the marsh yesterday. Were you in the marsh yesterday?" She walked closer to John B.

"Yeah, we were fishin' for some drum,"

"You catch anything?" she asked.

"Nah, we were skunked."

"That's weird. Fishing's usually good after a storm. All sorts of things get stirred up. You come across a wreck yesterday?" She walked closer.

"No, you can ask Aurora. She was with me yesterday." John B pointed to the brunette haired girl next to him.

"It's true. We didn't see anything." she said, going along with the lie.

"You skimmin' just above the surface, John B. Now, down here is foster care, juvie. Pretty big drop for a smart kid like you. Up here is you and your little friends doing whatever you want. Outer Banks..." She circled her hand by her eyes. "Or foster care on the mainland." John B sat down on the couch. "You one inch above the surface, John B. If I was you, I'd start flappin' my wings. Now, you sure you didn't come across a wreck yesterday?"