𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲

sixty-one: Assholes.

    

     WHEN HE arrived home, his mom wasn't even home. But someone was here. He walked towards the kitchen, walking in to see that man. Raphael. "Of course... you're still here." He sighed, crossing his arms. "Hey, kid," Raphael turned around, smiling at him.

He has dark brown hair, just like Kai. And his facial features are similar to Kai's. "Don't call me that. Call me Kai." He said and Raphael smiled, glancing away. "You know, your mom and I chose that name together... Our first night after we started seeing each other. She asked me what I would name my kids. I said Kai for a boy, Olivia for a girl..." He says and Kai smiled. "Wow. That's touching... but I don't really care." He said and spun around, about to leave.

"Hey, what's this about a kid named John Booker Routledge? He actually murdered someone?" He said and Kai immediately turned around. "No. He didn't... He's been falsely accused because some Kook killed him. Fucking Kooks, right? They're all assholes." He said and then walked away. He went into his room right away, unpacking his clothes and taking new ones, wondering when his mom was gonna come home just to talk to her at least.

The doorbell rang and he sighed, exiting his room to see Raphael opening the front door. "Hi." He greeted whoever it was. "Oh, no... You're... the asshole deadbeat father. Hi. I am JJ, the only man that matters in Kai's life." Kai overheard JJ say as he rolled his eyes, smiling as he approached the door.

"Go away, it's for me..." He told Raphael who looked at him then back at JJ. "I'm sorry, you know this young man?" He asked and Kai nodded. "He's my boyfriend..." He said and then grabbed the door, closing it behind him and JJ. They step onto the front porch, "oh, man, I was so close to punching--" "J, why are you here?" Kai asked, cutting him off.

"Came to see my lovely boy..." JJ smiled, brushing his boyfriend's hair back behind his ear. "Anyways, I have a plan. Prison break. You in? I'm headed to visit JB right now." He said and pointed to his dirtbike. "Okay, fine... only because my mom isn't home, it's the old man and I... I don't like it." He said and smiled. "But we have to drop by the Chateau." He tells JJ who just nodded his head.

Kai heads inside, going to his room to grab his backpack. "That boy does look like bad news..." Raphael spoke before he left, making him stop and look over at the man standing by the window. "Your mom was right." He looked over and Kai just rolls his eyes.

"Yeah? And you think you agreeing with her will make me break up with him? Even her disapproval didn't make me break up with him. What makes you think your lousy opinion will make me?" He says, crossing his arms and Raphael just smiled at him.

"If you want your mom happy, you will." He said and Kai just sighed. "Whatever..." The younger male aaid, walking out the door and shutting it quickly behind him before walking over to JJ on his dirtbike, sighing softly.

"He's such a dick..." He whispered and JJ looks at him. "Are you okay?" JJ asked and Kai just nodded, looking at him. "Can we please just go, J?" He asked the boy, getting on the back of JJ's bike. "Okay, whatever you wish, baby." JJ said before he drove off on his bike.

As Kai said, they dropped by the Chateau and then headed on to the police station. They enter the building together, JJ is wearing headphones that are on full blast. "We are here to see John B Routledge." JJ exclaimed.

"No music, and get rid of the toothpick." The deputy tells him as Kai glanced at him. "I can't hear what you're saying, man, alright? These things are on full blast. Tell him." JJ nudged Kai who just looked at the cop.

"Yeah, he can't hear you. He loves his music..." He says and the cop sighs. "Well, even if he loves it or not, he still can't come in with neither the headphones or toothpick." He says and Kai looks at JJ, pointing at his ears. "Oh!" JJ said, taking off the headphones, adjusting his cap. "I mean, I thought it was a free country and all, but, uh, I guess you don't like freedom very much, now do you, cupcake?" JJ smiled at the man who grabs him, pinning him to the wall.

"Dirtbag," Kai crossed his arms. "Uh, not worth it." Plumb says, approaching them. "Good to see you, Plumb. Nice to have something in your mouth. Isn't that right, Kai?" JJ looked at his boyfriend, winking and making him roll his eyes. "Take off your hat and empty your pockets." Plumb tells the two boys.

"Yes, ma'am."

The teenagers did as told, emptying their pockets into a bin together and following behind Plumb to the visiting room. "Hey!" The two flinch and look over at man at his cell door who laughs. "Why don't either of you come in here?" He said as JJ grabs Kai's arm, pulling him closer. "Five minutes." Plumb tells them.

In the room, they sat across John B side by side, glancing at one another before looking back at their friend. JJ lets out a sigh as John B slowly looks up. The three end up laughing together, "I thought it was gonna be me." JJ laughed. "I did too." John B chuckled, "me too." Kai nods, smiling as he looked down.

"It was you."

The three boys laugh even more and then suddenly Kai's laughter dies down, looking at John B. "Welcome to my humble abode." The curly haired boy then tells them. "Yeah, when you said you had a new apartment, I had no idea." JJ says, going along with the joke.

"Yeah, it's, uh..."

"It's cozy!" Kai shrugs, glancing around and chuckled softly. "Yeah, you could say that." John B said, looking at him. "A little aluminum theme." JJ says, his hands flat on the table. "Yeah. I like to go for the cold, dark..." He trailed off. "Alone kinda theme." JJ says, nodding. "Depressing." Kai says, lookkng around. "Yeah, yeah." JJ nods even more.

"Look, I would love to sit and chitchat, but Kai and I are on the clock. And we're here for one reason only, okay?" JJ said making John B glance back and forth between them before looking at Kai with worry.

"Embrace it, JB..."

AUTHORS NOTE
jj's pupils look so dilated in this scene (when he's talking to john b)