𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒. ᵒᵘᵗᵉʳ ᵇᵃⁿᵏˢ ¹

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 45.

   "𝐒𝐎... 𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐇 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐒 your sister?" John B narrowed his eyebrows with confusion.

    With both arms, he climbed up the ladder of the HMS Pogue in the back, glancing down at me as I floated in the water. I formed my lips into a tight line, moving my arms and limbs to stay afloat in the deep end, while I stared up at him— an uncertain look on my face from his question. The two of us were in the middle of the sea, somewhere close to the Chateau, the spaces around us completely deserted.

    I had told John B about most of it. Even though it could land us in some form of trouble, I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. And it didn't help that I had showed up at his doorstep crying, either. He was the only person I was going to tell.

    Driving away from my grandparents was probably one of the hardest things I had ever done— and it felt similar to when I had driven away from the Pogues after our fight, I was feeling the same things, but more. The way they watched me leave, tears on Caroline's cheeks and Daryl's blurry eyes, it felt like I was leaving something behind. I did not know how long I was going to be away from them for. I didn't know if I was going to go back, or if I was going to stay elsewhere. It hurt to think about it.

    When I had slowed down while nearing the Chateau, the sun gone down over the marsh, I had let my bike fall into the grass out front, and I wasted no time in heading for the door. I had waited and knocked. When the door flew open to reveal John B yawning, he was one step away from making a cheesy remark, a cheeky smile on his face, as usual. But the second he saw my red eyes and puffy cheeks, his face had softened drastically. He had immediately taken me into his arms.

    For a while, we just sat in his bedroom, eating whatever junk food we could find in his cupboards. He didn't ask what was wrong until I stopped crying. It had taken me a minute to muster up the courage to actually say it, because somehow I feared that he might look at me differently. But he didn't. He had offered that we talk about it the next day, since I seemed far too tired and emotional to explain clearly. I could tell that his brain was clogged with confusion, though.

    Now, we were out in the middle of the water, with the HMS Pogue, wasting the day away under the sun. We weren't even thinking about the Merchant, or the gold. I told John B nearly everything.

    "How does that make sense," he squinted his eyes with curiosity.

    "It doesn't," I claimed with a light shrug, while swimming over to the ladder. "It doesn't whatsoever."

    I inhaled a sharp breath of air, holding it in as I ducked my head underwater. Coming back up, I grazed both hands over my hair, and wiped the droplets away from my eyes, before grabbing onto the ladder and pulling myself back up.

    "Something's off, Charls," John B declared, with an uncertain tone, as he started the boat, "Neither of those stories seem right." He said, referring to the story about my parents told by Ward, and the contrary told by my grandparents. "And Sarah just showing up to your door?"

    The motor of the boat started up, roaring loudly and bubbling the water. John B turned himself around and grabbed my t-shirt, tossing it to me casually.

    "Yeah, and I'm the one who has to figure this shit out," I said, while catching the piece of clothing at my chest, "Like, I'm right in between both sides, and I don't wanna pick either one."

    "What do you mean," he asked, with a calm voice, as he gripped the steering with one hand.

    I pulled the t-shirt over my wet hair, "I can't just live at the Chateau forever," I chuckled, while beginning to step towards the front of the boat.