𝗺𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 || 𝗷𝗷 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸

- tit for tat and tiny bandaids -

There's something about the Routledge's father that they haven't mentioned yet. The week before he went missing, he says to John,

"Bird, I think I found something. Your Uncle T's gonna come stay for a while. I might have to vanish for a bit."

So, he talks about vanishing... and he vanishes.

Everyone says he was lost at sea, but... He's still out there. Deep down, they know it.

—————————————————

Emilia gasps as she sits up in John B's bed, rubbing her eyes quickly. She can hear voices in the other room, she stretches and pulls herself up. She must've slept in with him after she hit her head yesterday. She throws a hoodie on over her underwear and bra and walks out into the kitchen, expecting the voices to be John B and JJ or something. But she thought JJ went home last night?

"Get decent, sweetie. We need to talk." She hears a voice say from behind her, she turns around quickly with wide eyes to see Sheriff Peterkins stood behind her with John B. She glances between them in shock.

"You're not JJ.." She mumbles quietly, glaring at her brother as she backs up back into his room. She quickly closes her door and lets out a large sigh. She quickly pulls some of his old joggers on and a tube top Kiara left when she got in a fight with her parents and John B gave up his room for her. She takes her hair out of her messy bun and brushes it through.

She wipes her face quickly, placing a bandage over her cut on her head and looking at herself in the mirror. She look's like a bruised mess. She sighs, slightly worked up and walks back out into the kitchen. "Uhm, hi." She says, reintroducing herself.

"Sorry to shock you two like this, but DCS called." Peterkin explains, leaning up against the doorframe in their kitchen. She mentally notes the empty bottles of beer laid out across the table. "They wanted me to check in on you guys, see how you're doin'." She says.

Melia simply just nods, sitting down at her kitchen counter, seeing Johns half eaten bowl of cereal and taking it. She helps herself to a few bites.

"So, how are you both? Besides the..." She gestures to both of their bruises and cuts.

"Oh no, we- we're great. Yeah, fantastic. Uh... Thanks for comin' by." John B says nervously, running a hand through his brown hair.

"I'm so glad to head you say that, John B, but I heard a few things that worried me." She says, standing up from where she was leant against the door. Following John B as he walks out to the hall, where the mini drinks fridge was.

"Oh yeah- One of the things I heard was that your Uncle Teddy, your guardian? Hasn't been in the state for three months." She says with ease, looking at John B sternly.

Emilia literally spits out her cereal, choking rather loudly. She quickly wipes her mouth with her hand and has a sip of water that she's pretty sure has been there, marinating for the last 4 days. Oh well.

"Yeah- that's false." She mutters, taking another bite of her cereal.

"You don't have to say anything. I know it's true, I called the school." Peterkin says, running her hands on the dusty picture frames that lay up on the wall. "They said you used to be a good student, John, but now you're failin' all your classes. And for you Emilia," she begins, Melia quickly swallowing her cereal and looking up.

"Nobody calls me Emilia." She mutters softly underneath her breath, biting her lip as Peterkin speaks.

"You have never been good in class, yet always tried. But now? You never even show up." The woman says, picking up a burnt out blunt from the table and inspecting it.