𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐡 - 𝐉𝐉 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤

{ chapter twelve }

[ just pretend ace is in this picture ]

Chapter twelve: should we smoke weed?

•~~~~~~~ ☼~~~~~~~•

The group of pogues were sitting in John B's van as they drove down the street, Kie in the passenger seat while the rest of the teens sat in the back.

"I mean it's obvious, right?" John B added into the conversation they were having. "A family heirloom? I mean what better place to hide a message. He had to know it was gonna get back to me, right?" He chuckled nervously, looking for some type of validation from his friends.

Pope was playing with the compass, holding it up by its chain.

"Yeah, it's possible." Kie nodded, shrugging her shoulders sadly as she noticed John B beginning to slide down the same path he was on when his father had first disappeared.

"It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help...you know, deal with your sad feels." Pope said uncertainly as he played with the rusty compass. John B was now way less protective of it after finding out the purpose of it.

"Pope?" John B stared at the steering wheel, tapping on it slightly to indicate he didn't like where Pope was going with his sentence.

"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels?" JJ looked at his friends.

"I'm not sure I wanna know." Ace looked out the window, already knowing he was going to say something gross.

"Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, that's how I do it." JJ nodded his head, a smug smile fighting its way onto his lips as Ace looked at him with disgust.

"I'm not concocting, okay? My dad's trying to give me a message." John B said sternly, looking back to make sure no one was doubting his words. At that point it seemed like he was trying to convince himself more than his friends.

"If that helps you believe, John B..." Kie looked at him softly, silently telling her other friends to be quiet about the subject as she switched her focus between him and the three others.

"Look, I-I don't need a therapy session, okay? Look I'm not tripping out." He denied as Pope and Kie gave each other worried looks. They all knew his father was a sore subject, and Ace wanted her best friend to stay out of the deep end for as long as possible, before he had to accept that the inevitable had most likely happened.

"It's okay to trip bro, but-" JJ zoned out as he tried to speak calmly, getting rudely interrupted by the brunette.

"Look, my dad is missing, okay? Missing." John B raised his voice, glancing back before refocusing his gaze on the road.

JJ bit the inside of his cheek as he looked at Ace who was sitting next to him. They exchanged worried looks, knowing John B's words were probably not the truth.