In elementary school, JJ Maybank spent eight months talking to himself until Shailene Kincaid finally uttered a word in his presence. Little did he know it was the best spent time of his life.
Childhood best friends JJ and Shay were separated young...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Kie blasted Fleetwood Mac all the way from my stepdad's house on Figure Eight to our destination on the Cut. Kie said the house we were pulling up to was called the Chateau, coined by the owner, John B Routledge. I'd heard his name before, especially after Big John's disappearance. Lee once mentioned that John B worked on the Camerons' boat when Mom and Ken were looking for someone similar for Ken's yacht. Not that they ended up hiring him. While my parents were always looking for ways to mimic the Camerons, they'd never be that on the nose.
There were two other boys joining us, but Kie didn't mention their names and, for whatever reason, the idea of asking made me nervous.
When Kie parked her car beside a large VW van, I expected her to get out of the car immediately, eager to go meet her friends. Instead, she turned off the engine and shifted to look at me. "We go when you're ready, okay? Look around, take in the area. As long as you need, alright? I don't want any part of this to be overwhelming for you."
I took shallow breaths and kept my eyes forward, away from Kie. "Do the boys know..."
"I texted. Told JB that you have selective mutism. They won't pressure you, alright? And they're good guys. I think you'll like them."
"So I don't have to..."
"You don't have to say a thing. They're funny, too. You'll be laughing all night. I guarantee it."
I smiled slightly. "Can we get out and... just look around for a bit."
"Of course. Whatever you need."
Kie hopped out and met me by my door. She took my hand and led me around, familiarizing me with the area. I saw faint silhouettes of two people out by the dock, but they didn't make a move to invade my tour.
"The house was Big John's," Kie explained. "When he disappeared, John B stuck around. His uncle is supposedly his legal caretaker, but JB's mostly been living alone, supporting himself."
"How old is he?" I asked.
"Sixteen. Same as us."
My eyebrows furrowed. "How is he allowed to do that?"
"He's not. DCS has been... catching on. Lightly threatening him with foster care. We've been waiting to see how it'll all play out." Kie pulled me by my hand over to a large tree with a hammock hanging on either side of the truck. There were more plastic lawn chairs in front of them and an empty fire pit. "The guys hang here a lot, have bonfires, drink, all of the above. Then, there's the dock. Down there is John B's boat. The HMS Pogue. Feel free to laugh, the name is ridiculous."
I laughed lightly before I heard a voice behind me. "Don't mock the Pogue now, Kiara," John B said. I turned around as he made his way towards us, five cans of beer in his arms. "Shailene, right?"
"She goes by Shay," Kie filled in. I smiled up at her.
