Full Kook || JJ Maybank ||

The Lucky Compass || part 2

Everyone is freaking out, panicking as they try to come up with a plan. Rhea breathes in and out deeply before grabbing JJ by the shoulders, forcing him to stop his rambling and look at her.

"JJ," she interrupts him, "Where is the fucking gun?"

"Gun? I, uh, I can't—" JJ splutters, unable to collect his thoughts together as the men's voices get louder and louder.

"Now you don't have the gun, the one time we need the gun?" Kie yells slightly, panicking even more, but Rhea keeps her gaze held on JJ who was still stressfully heaving.

"JJ," she says his name in the calmest voice she could manage, but it still happens to come out a little strangled. JJ catches her eyes, noticing the sheer panic in her eyes and he forces himself to calm down enough to think. 

"It was in my backpack, and then I— on the porch," he realizes, glancing up at her. She sighs in relief, letting her arms fall to her sides as John B steps up. 

"On the porch," John B repeats after him, and ushers him out, "Go, go"

"John Routledge!" a booming voice comes from outside and Rhea watches JJ skid to a halt and turn around hastily, running back to the room. He slams the door behind him and locks the door, leaning against it. 

"They're on the front porch, guys," he gulps and nearly everyone's heart starts beating faster.

"Oh we are going to die," Rhea whispers out, running her hands down her face stressfully, and Kie starts to look around the room. She quickly rushes to the window, trying to open it. 

"Guys," she says urgently, "Help me."

JJ and John B switch spots as JJ and Pope rush over to the window. Outside, the teenagers can hear the men trashing the place, yelling out John B's name.

"It's painted shut," JJ grunts, and Rhea immediately starts looking for something that might help. She spots a letter opener on John B's dad's desk and brings it over to Kie who takes it, trying to slice through the paint. 

As the men get closer, Rhea glances up at John B who still stood against the door with his eyes closed. She joins him when the door knob starts jiggling. She holds her breath as her and John B hear feel the door start to shake and the men start to swear. 

Finally, Kie manages to slice through the paint and the boys pull the window up. Kie climbs out first, then Rhea and then the rest of the boys. Rhea watches in anticipation as JJ is the last one to climb out, hearing the gun shot go off on the door just as he jumps down. She immediately reaches for his hand, the two falling behind as the others run towards the only place they could find to hide. 

The five pile into the chicken coop. Rhea's shoulder is pressed against JJ's and the two look at each other with fear in their eyes. He squeezes her hand in comfort and she closes her eyes, leaning against the wall of the coop, waiting out the men. Just as she thought they might just make it out, the rooster starts crowing. Rhea snaps open her eyes, letting out what seemed like a mix of a frustrated yell and sob. She feels eyes on her and she glances up to see JJ staring at her. She tries to hold it in, but the tears are already falling down her face. JJ lets go of her hand, a determined look on his face and grabs the rooster's neck. Knowing what was coming next, Rhea closes her eyes, unable to stop the rest of the tears flowing from her eyes. 

No one says anything for a few minutes as the men start loading up their car with Big John's research. Finally as they drive away, everyone starts to pile out of the coop. 

----

Everyone now sits in John B's van as he drives away from the chateau. Rhea plays with her fingers absentmindedly, half listening to John B as talks about the disappearance of his dad.

"I mean, it's obvious, right?" he says, head swiveling to speak to everyone sitting in the back, "A family heirloom. What better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna get back to me. Right?"

"It's possible," Kie assures him and Pope shoots her a look. 

"It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know, deal with your sad feels," he offers, the compass twirling in his hand as he spoke. Kie turns around from her seat and sends him a glare that probably scared him. 

"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels," JJ begins to speak, "dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies." 

"I'm not concocting, okay?" John B says forcefully, cutting JJ off, "My dad's trying to give me a message."

"If it helps you believe, John B," Kie tries to make him feel better, but it doesn't really help. 

"Look, my– my dad is missing, okay? Missing." John B says with conviction and no one dares to say anything to change his mind, "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."

Rhea sighs, the desperation and sadness in his voice hitting her deeper than she wanted to admit. 

"I know it's been hard John B," she finally speaks up glancing up at him through the review mirror, "I am really sorry for everything you are going through. If your dad is out there, I am sure he will make his way back to you."

John B's eyes pierce hers as he nods appreciatively, not knowing how to reply. 

"What do you think the message is?" she asks and he breaks the eye contact, staring back down the road. 

"Redfield," he replies, "Redfield Lighthouse. That's my dad's favorite place."

The rest of the drive is in silence. Finally, John B pulls in front the lighthouse. He puts his van in park before turning to JJ. 

"Right. You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?"

"Wait... Why me?" JJ looks offended. 

"Because you're not coming," Pope states.

"Why?" JJ argued. 

Pope grabs his shoulders and turns him so they are facing each other.

"There are independent and dependent variables. You're independent. We don't know what you'll do." 

"Shut up!" JJ yellls at him and looks at Rhea for support who offers him a wince for a smile, letting him know she wasn't exactly on his side. 

"Listen to me for a second!" John B intervenes on their fighting. "Pope, you stand look out with JJ. Okay? If we get split up, we meet back at JJ's house."

"Great," Rhea chimes in, dusting her shorts off as she jumps out of the van. Her, Kie and John B climb over the white fence, giving Pope and JJ one last look before walking towards the lighthouse.