Inside the Outer Banks || JJ

9. Lighthouse

"I mean, it's obvious, right?" John B started, the five of us in the van while John B drove, the day after the incident at the Chateau, "A family heirloom. What better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna get back to me, right?"
"Yeah. It's possible." I nodded slightly.
"It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know, deal with your sad feels." Pope offered, only annoying John B.
"Pope?" JJ snapped, getting him to shut up, "Bro, you know how I process my sad feels. Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, that's how I do it."
"I'm not concocting, okay?" John B snapped, ignoring John B, "My dad's trying to give me a message."
"If it helps you believe, John B." Kie smiled softly.
"Look, I-I don't need a therapy session, okay?" John B continued, "Look, I'm not trippin' out."
"It's okay to trip, bro, but..." JJ started but was cut off by John B.
"Look, my... my dad is missing, okay? Missing." He insisted, JJ giving me a look, "You don't know what it's like to have the person closest to you vanish and then have no idea what happened. Just wake up every morning wondering..."
"It's been almost a year." Kie stated, glancing amongst us.
"Hey, he could have been kidnapped. That's definitely a possibility." JJ offered, not helping.
"Yeah, could be in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by the KGB somewhere." Pope agreed and I rolled my eyes.
"Absolutely. Uh... or Atlantis." JJ nodded, me nudging him in the side.
"JJ. Look, what do you think the message is?" I asked, moving the conversation.
"Redfield. Redfield Lighthouse. That's my dad's favorite place." John B answered as he took a turn onto the Redfield Lighthouse road, pulling up outside of it.

"Right. You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?" John B told JJ, him getting confused.
"Wait... Why me?" JJ asked as Pope turned around.
"Because you're not coming." Pope told, making JJ angry.
"Why?" JJ snapped as I took a step closer to him.
"There are independent and dependent variables. You're independent. We don't know what you'll do." Pope tried to explain, not helping with JJ's anger.
"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!" JJ growled, taking a step to Pope.
"Listen to me for a second." John B snapped, "Pope, Allie, you stand look out with JJ. Okay? If we get split up, we meet back at JJ's house."
"Great." Kie nodded as they walked away from us, JJ taking a deep breath.
"I'm gonna work on my merit scholarship essay, and I'm trying to keep felonies to a minimum." Pope said as JJ shook his head.
"All right, would you just shut up already?" JJ groaned and I smirked as he turned to me, "Do you actually believe Big John's still alive?"
"I don't think it can get ruled out." I replied, sitting on the fence that surrounded the lighthouse. "Why are you guys so set that he's dead?"
"Well, he's been gone for almost a year. And he disappeared at sea." Pope answered, JJ nodding.
"Yeah he's either dead or he ran away to another country to start a new life." JJ agreed, smirking to himself as he pulled a pre-rolled joint out of his pocket. "I'm gonna light up, you guys want some?"
"Absolutely not." Pope shook his head and I chuckled to myself.
"Yeah, thanks." I smiled as he threw me a blunt from his pocket. I lit it with a lighter from my pocket, taking a drag.
"What do you guy's think happening up there?" Pope asked  after a few minutes, forcing us all to look to the top of the lighthouse.
"Hopefully finding out something about John B's dad, or the Royal Merchant. And not doing anything to get us into trouble." I replied, as Pope's face dropped.
"Oh, shit." Pope stated, I glanced to where he was looking to see a cop car pull up.
"Fuck, get in the van!" JJ shouted as we ran over to the van, only just all getting in as Pope started moving the van.
"Where to?" Pope asked as he drove down the road.
"JJ's place. We agreed that we'd meet there." I suggested and JJ nodded.
"Yeah, I don't think my dad will be there anyway." He replied and I sent him a knowing smile from the back.

We pulled up at JJ's place climbing out of the van and walking up the pavement towards JJ's house. He paused for a moment before opening the door slowly, glancing around as we walked in. I looked at the mess, thousands of alcohol and pill bottles thrown around, especially on the coffee table.
"Wow. This is your house." I nodded, Pope shaking his head at me.
"I get it Allie! It's no Kooks house!" JJ shouted back at me and I shook my head.
"No JJ, I don't mind, that's not what I meant." I insisted back, taking hold of his hand, him pulling it away. 
"I'm going to get a beer, you guys want one?" JJ informed and we both nodded, walking out to the back of the house.
"JJ's dad... Is kind of an addict, he doesn't like to talk about it because it can get..." Pope started but I cut him off.
"Abusive." I nodded, thinking of that day I was walking past his house and heard yelling coming from inside.
"Yeah, exactly." Pope agreed as the back door opened, JJ walking out with three beers. He handed one to each of us as we sat down on the grass. 
"Hey sorry about in there, it's just..." JJ trailed off and I nodded.
"Hard to talk about. I get it." I sent him a small smile, and he smiled back at me.
"Thanks."