something to make me stay

CHAPTER 7

"Where you sneakin off to this early?" JJ's voice echoes through the living room of the Chateau.

"Ouch!"
"Hello... John B what are you carrying?" Light floods the room when JJ switches one of the only two working lamps in the house on. John B stood near the door, a pink surfboard above his head. "Since when did pink become your favorite color?" JJ asks through a snort.

John B grumbles at him, "It's for Wheezie."

"Wheezie? Wheezie as in Sarah's half sister."

"Her sister," John B corrects. He knows Sarah hates it when people try to create a divide between Wheezie and herself. JJ doesn't seem to care.

"What are you trying to kiss up to the family now? You gonna buy Rafe coke next?"

"No you ass hat. It's her birthday and I just want to make a good impression."

"In case you forgot, you're her SECRET boyfriend. I'm pretty sure the family won't need to be impressed."

"Well actually I'm just a nice guy AND Sarah texted me saying that Wheezie saw us kissing so I need to step my game up. Now do me a favor and go the hell back to sleep."

"Yeah yeah," JJ said as he turned the lamp back off. "Good luck JB"

"Thanks man."

It was just past 6 am when John B had gotten the surfboard into the Twinkie and was nearing Tanneyhill. Sarah had stopped responding to his texts at around 2 am which means she fell asleep which made right now the perfect time to give Wheezie the surfboard without Sarah finding out. He didn't know why he wanted to keep it a secret, partially because he didn't want to make it seem like he was buttering her little sister up just so Sarah would like him more. John B was never the type to brag about the little favors he did, something his father had taught him.

Sneaking into a mansion was far easier than you could imagine. Ward being gone on a trip meant that the kids of the house always forgot to lock the doors. He'd never been inside the Cameron house, much less been in the bedrooms, which is why he felt lucky when the door upstairs had a wooden plank nailed to the door that read "WHEEZIE." He had also only then realized that it would be entirely too creepy to walk into a little girl's room. Everything seemed to be in his favor though, because he could hear whispers beyond her door.

John B fidgeted with his fingers before softly knocking on the door, listening as the whispered immediately hushed. Slowly, the door crept open, light flooding into the halls.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Wheezie! Happy birthday!" He whispered before pulling the surfboard from behind his back. Wheezie's eyes widened in shock.

"Thank you?" John B was thrown off by her confusion. "Come in here," she grabbed his hand, yanking him into her room. "You brought your secret girlfriend's sister a surfboard at 6 am?"

John B scratched the back of his head. "Yeah. I mean Sarah told me you found out and you're the only other person in her family who knows so I just wanted to get to know you I guess and make a good impression."

"Hm."

"What?"

"Nothing. You're just a lot different from Topper." John B scowled at the mention of the boy's name.

"I don't know how to surf by the way," she said when she noticed his frustration with Topper.

"I can teach you if you want. But you have to wake up early to catch good waves. Which reminds me, why are you up whispering in your room at 6 am?"