begin again || OBX

04

Vicky wiped her hands on her shirt as she rushed to open the front door.

"Miss Vicky Routledge?"the woman questioned.

"This is she... Who's asking?"Vicky frowned.

"DCS. My name is Cheryl."

"Is John B home?"

"He's out with his friends. Come on in, I was just cooking his favorite pasta,"Vicky smiled.

She stepped in with a deputy behind her.

"We're here to take John,"she said and sat down on the couch.

"Take John?"Vicky scoffed.

"I'm here now, I'm his guardian. Why the hell would DCS take him?"she folded her arms.

"Because you've been missing the past year since your father's disappearance,"Cheryl said.

"Your Uncle T is working in a Casino in Mississippi. John was by himself for a long time, living in a dirty house with no proper food and proper care and missing school."

Vicky shook her head.

"This is insane. What do you need? My paychecks? I'm here now and I can help support my brother. Have you seen the state of my house since I came back? We're fine,"Vicky argued.

"It's not up to me anymore, Vicky. It'll just be for a few weeks until his hearing and if the court decides he doesn't need to be in foster care anymore, then he doesn't have to,"Cheryl shrugged.

The door opened and John glanced between the DCS officer, the deputy and his sister in the living room. He heaved out a sigh and set his bag down by the dining table.

"They're here to take you in,"Vicky said.

"Take me in?"John scoffed.

"There's no way for you to stay with me until the hearing,"she turned to him.

"But she's here now-"

"It's not up to me, John,"Cheryl said.

John scoffed again and grabbed his bag, storming into his room to pack as Vicky packed up the food she made. She held the Tupperware in her hands and waited for her brother to leave his room.

"I'm sorry, John B..."she said.

"I'm gonna fight for you, okay? I'm gonna find a way,"she promised.

He glanced down at her hands and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'll find my way back,"he whispered.

Vicky watched him climb into the SUV and they drive away.

She disappointed her father. He wouldn't want this.

She buried her face in her hands.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I'm so glad they're still doing this,"Kiara said as the boys followed behind the girls with chairs and a cooler.

"Keep calm, carry on,"she glanced around for a spot around the grass for the OBX summer movie series.

"Back to the OBX life,"Vicky muttered.

"Aren't you glad I made you guys come?"Kiara turned to them.

"Ecstatic,"Pope said.

Vicky stayed quiet.

John B hadn't came back and her mind was running.