RIVER | JJ MAYBANK

FIFTEEN

FAMILY

"I mean, it's obvious right? A family heirloom. What better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna be back to me, right?" John B questioned.

River sat beside JJ, her head resting on his shoulder as she fell in and out of sleep. She'd cleaned up JJ's knuckles before they left, but she hadn't said a word to anyone.

"Yeah it's possible." Kie nodded, looking at John B.

"It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know-"

"Pope." John B said in a warning tone.

But Pope continued, "Deal with your sad feels."

"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels? Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, that's how I do it." JJ mumbled with a small smile with showed off his dimples. River tapped them lightly with a smile, she knew hated his dimples but she loved them.

"I'm not concocting okay? My dad's trying to give me a message." John B said adamantly. 

"If it helps you believe, John B." Kie said slowly and reassuringly.

"Look, I-I don't need a therapy session, okay? I'm not trippin' out." John B shrugged as he focused on the road.

"It's okay to trip bro, but—" JJ attempted to reassure John B, but he was cut off.

"Look, my-my dad is missing okay?" John B turned to face everyone in the back. "Missing." His eyes returned to the road. "You don't know what it feels like to have the person closest to you vanish and then have no idea what happened. Just wake up every morning wondering." Nobody missed the cracks in John B's voice.

River thought back to her dad, she never knew him, but she wondered what it would be like if she did. Would she be different? Would her mom be different? Would she be happier?

"It's been almost a year." Kie didn't take her eyes off John B.

"Hey, he could have been kidnapped. That's definitely a possibility." JJ voiced. River shook her head at the boy.

"Yeah, he could in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by KGB somewhere." Pope continued.

River straddled JJ's lap and wrapped her arms around John B's shoulders over the seat. She rested her head on his back. John B's hand gave her wrist a light, thankful squeeze.

"Absolutely, uh or Atlantis." JJ nodded.

"JJ." Kie said warningly. "Look, what did you think the message is?"

"Redfield." John B answered as River unlinked her arms from around him. Instead, she laid her head on JJ's chest and smiled at him. "Redfield lighthouse. That's my dad's favourite place."

~

Everyone stepped out of the van once they arrived at the lighthouse. Pope slung his arm over River and smiled.

"Right. You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys okay?" John B said to JJ.

"Wait, why me?" JJ questioned pointing at himself.

"Because you're not coming." Pope shrugged.

"Why?" JJ questioned, feeling slightly angry. Why should be be the one to be left behind?

"There are independent and depended variables. And you're an independent." Pope attempted to explain.

"Shut up. Shut up!" JJ shouted.

"We don't know what you'll do." Pope continued. River backed away from both Pope and JJ to stand beside Kie. She was calm and collected. River leant her head on Kie's shoulders. Kie was much taller than River, which slightly annoyed the girl but she had to deal with being short.

"Listen to me for a second. Just listen! Pope, River. You stand look out with JJ okay? If we get split up. We meet back at JJ's house." John B said looking at the four.

"Great." Kie nodded in agreement. She gave River a light side hug before walking off with John B.

"I'm gonna work in my merit scholarship essay, and I'm trying to keep felonies down to a minimum." Pope said as he looked at JJ who was throwing a ball up in the air.

"Alright, would you just shut up already?" JJ questioned. River sat in the van and pulled out her book. She looked up to JJ who was watching her curiously. "I still want to know what you're writing in that."

"You're never gonna find out." River smiled back as she continued writing.

"Is it a diary?" Pope questioned, now curious about the book that she never let anyone read.

"Nope." River shook her head. "You're never gonna get it." She smirked.

"Is it love notes for me?" JJ questioned with a smirk as she sat on the edge of the van.

"Oh my God. JJ how did you guess?" River gasped sarcastically as if she'd been caught. Her face turned blank as she turned to JJ and said, "You wish." She teased as a childish smile formed on her face.

The boys went back to to playing with the ball that JJ brought. River glanced up at them with a grin, she preferred it when they got along, compared to when they argued.

"Oh shit." Pope said as he and JJ ran back to the van, as the police cars neared.

"Is that the police?" River questioned, poking her head out slightly.

"Shut the door Ri, shut it!" JJ shouted. River was quick to shut the back door as JJ got in the drivers seat and Pope in shot gun.

"What about Kie and John B?" River questioned leaning forward, placing her head in between the boys.

"Look, you heard what they said, Cross, if we split up, meet back at JJ's." Pope said, River rolled her eyes at the fact that he used her last name. She hated it.

"But-" River started but quickly gave up. She let out an exaggerated sigh and sat back in the chair.

She hoped that both Kie and John were going to be okay, she needed them to be,

AFTER ALL THEY WERE HER FAMILY.