One Stupid Thing

2:5:56

JJ explained the plan to me as the rain began to ease up. To my disappointment, his plan is more of a solo operation. One that requires JJ to be, well JJ. So, I reluctantly agree and watch him drive off on his dirt bike.

When I return to the dry, comfortable indoors, the only person I find is Sarah. Pope and Kie must have ran off to work on their own plans. Sarah sits at the tiny, round, dining room table, frustratingly texting on Kie's phone. She looks up at me and her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Hey, what are you doing here? Kie and Pope said you went off with JJ," she asks me.

"Oh, yeah. I was going to, but it's best if he does the first part of his plan alone," I shrug.

Sarah signs and looks back down at the phone. She groans in annoyance. "Ugh, come on, Wheeze. Answer me." She pauses and sighs once more. "Is it still pouring out there?"

"Oh, uh, no. It's actually pretty sunny now."

"Oh, perfect. Thank God. I need some fresh air so I can actually think straight." Sarah stands up and heads straight out the door and down the dock to the gazebo at the end without ever looking up from the phone.

I change into a set of dry clothes, discarding my rain-soaked ones in a laundry basket, before heading out the door and walking to stand beside her. I lean over, rest my elbows on the wooden railing, and look out at the marsh. It's always more alive after a sprinkle. It is only when she sniffles that I realize she is crying.

"Sarah. Hey, hey, hey. What is it?" I ask her. The tears on her face make her windswept hair stick to it. She slumps over with her head in her hand.

"I can't believe I actually thought that Dad would come clean. I-I thought that he loved me," she sniffles

"Of course he loves you Sarah. He always has and he always will, but unfortunately, his love for you is outweighed by his desire and greed."

"This whole situation is so... so frustrating," she sobs. Her whole body shudders along with it. "I keep thinking about John B locked up in that cold place all alone and I feel so enraged. It should be Rafe in there, not him."

"You can say that again," I groan. "Hey. We're going to get him out of there, okay? Somehow. We will do whatever it takes. And besides, JJ's already on it."

"Oh God. Does he actually have a plan that won't get us all arrested or killed?" she asks me, looking up.

"For once, yeah, kinda."

Kiara's phone vibrates and Sarah frantically enters the passcode. "It's Wheezie," she says. "Finally." I watch as her eyes scan the text message and wait patiently for answers. "I-I've gotta go." She turns tail and starts heading up the dock.

"Wait, Sarah! Where are you going?" I ask her. She stops and turns to face me.

"Deach's Point. Wheezie said to meet there in a few hours," she tells me with a sniffle.

"Well, do you want me to come with you? Because I will."

"No, no. It's fine. It won't take me long. At least, I don't think it will. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," I agree reluctantly. I give her a quick hug and she hurries off to the meeting place without any hesitation. Now it's just me at the Chateau. Kie went home to see if her parents would agree to help pay for a new attorney for John B and Pope went off to search for his family's key. It makes me feel a bit useless just sitting here and not doing something to help my friends, but I have no idea what else I could do.

I head inside the Chateau and look around at the place. It's messier than I remember it being, but I suppose that it was the last thing any of us were thinking about in these chaotic times. If I can't do anything to help John B escape, the least I can do is make sure he has a clean house to come home to when he gets out.