One Stupid Thing

1:2:7

Early this morning, John B offered to take me home along with the empty tanks that we had used yesterday. I know that my family will be pissed when I get home, but when weren't they pissed at me? Might as well have some fun while I'm at it. 

"Hey, John B. Thanks for taking me home," I say to him. He has been in kind of a mood ever since we found his father's compass.

"It's not a problem. I had to return the tanks anyways," he says solemnly. He drives the boat with one hand and fiddles with the compass in the other.

"Look, you don't have to worry, okay? I'm not going to rat you out," I say. "On one condition."

He looks over at me curiously, and I can tell that he is willing to do whatever it takes to not get fired. "What?"

"You better keep me updated with this whole father-wreck-mystery thing."

He gives me a look, as if he thinks that it will be a problem.

"Please! There's nothing here for me. I had so much fun with you guys yesterday. And besides, you guys could use my help, you can't doubt that."

John B looks over at me and just shakes his head with a slight smile on his face. "Okay, fine."

"Oh, and don't be worried about Sarah. For once, I am apart of something that she isn't and you bet that I am savoring every single moment of it."

John B goes silent. Could he possibly share these naïve feelings for my sister? No, that's impossible. He is better than that.

We approach the dock at Tannyhill. John B ties off his boat and grabs the tanks while I hop onto the Druthers.

"John B, follow me," I say to him. He nods and continues behind me. I walk around the boat to the central cabin and slide the glass door open. That's when I see Sarah, fast asleep on the couch inside.

"Shit," I whisper under my breath and quickly step back outside the doorway.

"What is it?" John B asks with wide eyes. He copies me and presses back against the wall.

"Sarah, asleep," I mouth and point towards the cabin. I press my index finger to my lips, signaling for silence. He nods. I turn and tip-toe into the cabin. John B follows behind me, but he is the opposite of quiet. The tanks clank and hit one another as he walks.

I look back at him with wide eyes. "John B!" I whisper, frustratedly.

Sarah shifts and mumbles in her sleep, "Wheezie, shut up."

I turn back around, sigh, and continue forward, but the more John B walks, the louder he is. One of the tanks clank against a wall, waking Sarah. I quickly run through the next doorway and hide. How would I possibly explain to Sarah what I was doing with John B? I can't let her see me.

"God," she says, clearly annoyed at being woken up. "You aren't Wheezie."

John B laughs nervously. "Correct. Yeah. I'm sorry."

Sarah just sighs. "What are you doing?"

I swear, John B, if you blow my cover...

"Uh... I'm just dropping off some scuba gear. What are- what are you doing here?"

"It's our boat. It's also the only place with air conditioning." Sarah says. She's right. The Druthers is the only place on Tannyhill's grounds with A/C at the moment and it isn't surprising to me that Sarah would take advantage of that.

"Right."

"Did you um...top up the tanks?" my sister asks him.

"Uh.... No. No, power's down, so the compressor's were off." John B clears his throat. It is so easy to see through the guy's bullshit, even when you can't see him. I can hear the lies.