𝐹𝑜𝑜𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝐵𝑜𝓉𝒽 𝒲𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹'𝓈 || OUTERBANKS

-24-

•The Runway•
************************************************

"How's it feeling?" Pope asked as Kie was sat in a large barrel attached to a rig. Pope designed it to get the gold out of the well. It was impressive as hell if you ask me.

"Feels good" She replied looking up.

"Alright, I'm gonna take you down" He told her before lowering the barrel to the floor.

"John B pullin' a Houdini" JJ spoke up from beside me, as I walked around John B's garden collecting all the rubber rings and blow up animals. Letting the air out and throwing them in the stack I had building up.

"Yeah, where is he?" I asked throwing a deflated, blow up palm tree onto the pile.

"I got my scholarship interview tomorrow morning, we gotta get this done!" Pope told us as Kie looked at me with a big smile, the barrel lowering her to the floor. I smiled back looking up at the rig.

"Speak of the devil. Hey!" JJ spoke up, my head snapped around the garden, seeing John B walking towards his house. Ignoring us completely, like he was in a trance.

"Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything" JJ told him, as I followed after the brunette confused.

"No, he did not. I did that"

"Hey" Kie shouted from behind me.

"John B?" I asked trying to catch up with him, as he jumped up his front door steps, onto his porch. Once we were inside I saw him messing through cupboards and drawers as if he was searching for something, "Hey! What's going on? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Bro, what's going on man?" JJ asked as John B, leaned down to his couch and pulled the gun out of it. My eyes widened as everyone else spoke up in confusion too.

"John B, what do you need the gun for man?"

"Just—- no!"

"Talk to us!" JJ shouted as the brunette boy shoved him to the pull out sofa bed, walking past him.

"John B, stop it!" I shouted as he walked over to the kitchen, Pope standing in his way, causing the angry brunette to shove him into the kitchen table.

"What, are you JJ now?"

Kie stopped to make sure the other two boys were okay, as I chased him out of the house, nearly tripping on the steps.

"What the hell!" I shouted once he got onto his dirt bike, revving it twice. I rushed over and stood at his side, cupping his jaw in my hands making him face me, "Look at me, what's going on?"

"Ward knows about the gold. He killed my dad" He told me, to which my hands fell to my sides in utter shock. He looked at me for a second before revving his bike and taking off on the dirt trail, beside his house.

********

I searched high and low that day for John B, why does everyone always insist on running off? I'm sick of searching. So eventually I just sat on his porch waiting for him to return.

At some point I must've fallen asleep because it was dark out when I heard his front door open and shut, ripping me from my dream. He walked into his kitchen, as I was sat at the other side of his house, I pulled my blanket from my legs and stood up.

"Hello?!" I heard him shout, checking to see if any of us were here, I opened the door walking into his living room. There he stood looking at me with a defeated look, he looked drained, emotionally, and physically . All hope of finding his father had been shattered in just a few hours, he spoke up, his voice cracking from how hard he was trying to be strong, "Cody?"

Walking over i opened my arms for an embrace as he quickly wrapped his arms around my back, crying into my hair. I rubbed his shaking back, as he slowly began to fall to the floor taking me with him, I just sat there, cradling his head against my chest, running my fingers through his hair and rubbing his shoulder with the other hand.

*************

I helped make a tiny raft with twigs and string, allowing John B time in his fathers office. He needed the time to himself as much as I wanna be there for him, I need to give him time to come to terms with the recent news.

The sound of wood creaking behind me, told me that he was walking down the dock to me, j was sat on the end as it went dark with my tiny raft just about finished and a lighter next to me, it had a small tea-light candle in the middle, and had a boarder so that it didn't tip over easily.

The brunette boy sat next to me with his knees to his chest before handing me a photo of his father. I smiled sadly and took it gently from his grasp, placing it next to me on the dock and grabbing the lighter to light the candle.

Once his fathers photo was on the raft I gently placed it on the calm water, and watched as it floated away ever so slowly.

"You wanna say a few words?" I asked him pulling my knees to my chest too and placing the lighter back down, and looking to my side. No words left his mouth as he just shook his head looking at the raft, before leaning his head on my shoulder. I wrapped an arm around his back rubbing his arm gently, in attempt to comfort him.

**********

I woke up the next morning on the deck by John B's house, blinking the sleep from my eyes, I lifted my head from my arm. Only to realise John B had his arm around me, sitting up I slapped his arm quickly to wake him up, but also to get him off of me.

"Get up" I told him slapping his arm again, as he hadn't quite taken it all the way off me.

Once he was truly awake I stood up and pulled my now tangled messy hair into a ponytail, grabbing my sandles and looking down at the brunette boy, who was now running his hands through his hair.

"We fell asleep out here?" He asked, his voice hoarse, and barely audible. I nodded sorting my shorts out, then with my hands on my hips I looked out at the sunrise.

"I need to go, I have to get home, my brother is going back to the Bahamas tomorrow, I should probably go see him" I told John B, before helping him up.

"Yeah.... no-yeah, I'm gonna- got stuff to do, I can take you home if you want?" He asked as we both walked up the deck and back onto the sun-burnt grass.

"Yeah, thanks" I sighed walking over to the van, with a smile.

********