Back At It

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We managed to get John B back to the Chateau, luckily he was still breathing, he just blacked out.  But boy, it was a jumpscare. 

I woke up in the guest room, to someone staring at me, I jump out of bed when I realize it was a cop.  "Get decent sweetie, we need to talk." I rushed out of bed to follow her, as I'm leaving the room I look in the mirror to make sure I look decent. I unruffle my summer dress from last night and comb through my hair with my fingers. I then quickly run out to follow her, and we found John B in his room, half awake. 

We are now in the main room of the house. "Sorry to break in like this but DCS called, they wanted me to check in on you both. See how you guys are doin'. So how are you, besides the--" She asks John B, about his beat-up face. 

"Oh, no, I'm-- I'm great. Yeah, fantastic. Uh...Thanks for comin' by." John B smiles, just a tiny bit. 

"I'm so glad to hear you say that John B, but I heard a few things that worried me. I know you've been living on your own for a while, but now you're living with a 15-year-old girl. Who is basically under your protection? Let me see what else I can remember. Oh, yeah. One of the things I heard was that your Uncle Teddy, your guardian, hasn't been in the state for three months." She looks at a picture of Teddy on the wall. 

"Yeah, that's false." John B grimaces. 

"You don't have to say anything." She replies. "I know it's true, I called the school." She waves him off.  "They said you used to be a good student, but now you're failin' all your classes. I don't want you bringing this young lady," She points at me, "Down the same path." She picks up a used cigarette off the table, sniffing it.

"No. No, I'm only failing one, and it's history. The dude's a dick. He's out for me--" John B complains. "By the way, it's summer, a new year is starting-" Peterkin cuts him off. 

"I heard  that you enrolled Ms. Lydia here into school for next year, kudos to you, and I also heard that there was a fight on the beach yesterday, and a gun was involved." She looks between the two of us. 

"Okay. Gun?" He looks at me laughing and I laugh back. 

"No," I shake my head. 

"Did I get in a dustup? Yes, but was there a gun?" John B nods at his first sentance but then shakes his head at the second. 

"Nope," I answer, shrugging. 

"That's okay, I know who it was. I'll get to him. All I'm worried about right now is makin' sure you both are in a safe home." Shit, JJ will get in trouble, better warn him later. 

John B scoffs, "Yeah, super safe. Super sound, sturdy. You know?" He taps on the table. "And Uncle T's coming back, so..." 

"That what he told you?" She asks. 

"Yeah." John B widens his eyes. 

"If he is coming home I think you should be allowed to stay." 

"Thank you." 

"But if I stick my neck out for you, you have to promise me that Lydia will be cared for and not put into your Pogue nonsense. Second, a body was found in the marsh yesterday. Were you guys in the marsh yesterday?" She looks right at me. 

"Yeah, we were fishing for some drum," I reply. 

"You catch anything?" She asks John B. 

"Nah, we were skunked." He looks at me. 

"Strange. Fishing is usually good after a storm. All sorts of things get stirred up." She then looks back at me. "You come across a wreck yesterday?" 

"No," I answered slowly as if I was thinking about it. 

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