𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒. ᵒᵘᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃⁿᵏˢ ¹

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 19.

━ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴.

    "𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐅 I just relax on this one? It's been a long day, and a lot of weird stuff has gone down." Jj hummed from the back of the van.

    We were driving down a long and deserted road, the sun long gone in the sky, and the tinniest of stars starting to appear in the distance. My hands were covered by the tips of John B's sweater as I sat in the passenger seat next to him, and he drove with one grip on the wheel, staring out at the road ahead of us. The cold air outside was wafting through the window, and I was glad that I wore the sweater, because my fingernails were turning a deep purple underneath the sleeves.

    "You know, I'm just gonna lay low," Jj continued. He was sitting in the very back of the vehicle, behind the couch seats for an unknown reason, with a rolled up paper between his fingers. "Oh— did you want a hit of this?" He looked to Pope who was leaning against the wall across from him.

    "I keep the signal clear." Pope replied blatantly, while grabbing the paper from Jj's grasp with his two fingers, and discarding it somewhere else inside the van.

    "Dude, okay, do you understand, that your problem is that you don't get creative," Jj persisted, speaking to Pope with an annoyed tone. "If you got creative—"

    "Look— guys, I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, alright," John B cut his friend off, talking to everyone. "And wrong about everything else going on, but I misread the pin board," he looked to me.

    "And what does that mean," Kiara mumbled from behind his seat.

    "My dad is still trying to tell me something," he said. "I just know it."

    I looked away from John B, down at my hands which were folded on my legs. I don't really know why I decided to come this time, he didn't force me, he didn't pick me up, he didn't trick me. I chose to go, because I felt bad for him, and I didn't want to make him upset.

    "John B," Kiara spoke sadly, with a hint of doubt.

    "No, just— trust me on this, okay?" He only snapped a little bit, but he wasn't angry, he was smiling. "Charlie was there." He looked over at me again, but I didn't look at him.

    "Yeah, so, about that," Pope began, putting his finger up as if starting a new topic, "Why is she still here?" He said, with a surprisingly casual tone of voice.

    "Don't be so rude, Pope," Jj hit his arm lightly.

    "I'm just asking," Pope defended himself, calm.

    "Dude, you didn't abduct her again," Jj looked at John B through the rear view mirror, his head tilted to the side.

    "You have to stop with that, John B," Kiara laughed softly.

    "Stop with what," his eyes narrowed as he glanced back to his friends.

    "Abduction," Kiara responded.

    Jj sniffed, "kidnapping."

    "Forcing her against free will," Pope added.

    "Jesus, guys," John B rolled his eyes. "This time she decided to come with."

    "Well," I said quietly, looking out the window.

    "Bro, this is what? The fifth time already," Pope groaned.

    "Not important information, Pope." John B spoke.

    "Where are we even going, JB?" Jj asked, with a distracted tone.