Carolina Blue [ Outer Banks ]

XXVII

My heart sinks in my stomach as an overwhelming emotion of guilt and awareness fills my body. John B is a fugitive. First running from CPS now probably the whole sheriff's department is after him. Hell, probably all of North Carolina is looking for him.

"Damn that fella is only a teen." The chief states shaking his head as he puts a plate through the opening.

"I know right, such a shame." A server replies back grabbing the plate heading to the dinning room.

While I walk out, I can't help but rub my thumbs while I fumble with my keys to my car. The drive was short lived as I pull into the garage. I can't think as my mind wonders with hypothetical questions about John B. I knew him for a week, over his sixteen years on Earth I've meet him for seven days.

Suddenly my phone goes off with a text message. Looking at my screen, I see a message from Sarah.

- hey, I need to tell you something

- What?

- My dad and Rafe' s mom are pressing charges on John B.

- I know, I saw the news. Do they know where he is?

- No. I haven't seen him since yesterday morning

- Oh okay. I haven't seen him since the yacht club.

- What? He was at the yacht club?

- Yeah
- He told me to meet him at the docks that night

- That explains him being pissed for no reason after we got home.
- He wouldn't tell me why, but I guess I know now.

- Yeah, him and John B got into it that night. I was able to get Rafe inside tho. He was drunk and high.

- Ew.

- I know. If you hear anything lmk

- Got it :)

I turn the car off and head inside. Mom is sitting at the kitchen table on a phone call with her computer while dad Is watching the news.

"Hey I'm back." I announce renting the hall.

"Hey sweetpea," dad replies "Hey...the news is going crazy over the Routledge kid by the way he-"

"Why would Nanni press charges on him? He's basically an orphan living in a beat down fishing shack. Did you know his dad is practically dead and who knows where his mom is. If he even has one." I cut dad off mid sentence. Sitting down in the chair, my focus goes to the news as the news anchor is talking about the aftermath of Agatha.

"What makes you say that?" Dad asks looking at me before muting the TV.

"Because he's living off of the payment of rich people just to be their boat boy. I've been to his house dad. It's run down, the paint it faided and chipped, and he probably doesn't have enough money to keep him afloat after this hurricane."

"Magnolia, he stole from the ship-"

"He probably didn't have enough food! His dad has been presumed dead for almost a year. He's sixteen dad...He was probably desperate for a meal." I cut in again. Tears start to swell up a I hold them in while dad takes deep breaths.