Depths

Above the Surface

A loud knocking on the front door pulls Harli out of her sleep. Blinking open her eyes and rubbing them with the palms of her hands she allows them to adjust to the sunlight pouring through her light blue curtains. Once she hears the front door open she jumps to her feet and throws on a pair of shorts before braving opening her bedroom door. The likelihood that John B is awake after the night he had is unlikely, which means someone else probably opened the front door, which also means she forgot to lock it last night before bed.

Opening her door just a crack to see outside into the living room she catches a glimpse of the Sheriff standing over John B's sleeping form, waiting for him to wake. Panic overtakes her as she quickly turns from the door in hopes that the Sheriff didn't see or hear her. Then her breathing nearly stops when she hears the Sheriff speak.

"Get decent, sweetie. We need to talk." The Sheriff eyes John B as he blinks his eyes open, startled at his visitor. "And Harli, I know you're in there. Why don't you come on out."

Harli internally curses as she squeezes her eyes closed, slowly turning her back away from the door where it was previously pressed against. She slowly opens the door and steps out into the living room where Sheriff Peterkin and John B are currently standing.

"Sorry to break in like this, but DCS called." Peterkin glances around the chateau, taking in the mess of half-empty beer bottles and junk food lying around. Harli's heart rate instantly quickens. "They wanted me to check on you. See how you're doin'." Her gaze settles on the two teenagers, now standing side by side. "So, how are you besides the..." She points to her own face, finger circling her eye, referring to John B's shiner.

"Oh, no, I'm... I'm great. We're great. Yeah, fantastic. Uh..." John B stutters.

"Yeah, we're good. Thanks for coming by." Harli chimes in, cutting off John B's poor lying.

"I'm so glad to hear you kids say that, but I heard a few things that worried me. Let's see if I can remember." Peterkin pauses as if she's trying to remember this information that was given to her. "Oh, yeah. One of the things I heard was that your Uncle Teddy, your guardian, hasn't been in the state for three months."

"That's false..." John B starts to defend, but is cut off.

"You don't have to say anything. I know it's true. I called the school. They said you used to be a good student, John B, but now you're failin' all your classes. At least Harli's passing."

"No. No, I'm only failing one, and it's history. He's a dick. He's out for me..." John B is once again cut off by the Sheriff.

"I heard there was a fight on the beach yesterday, and a gun was involved."

"Okay. Gun? No. Did I get in a dustup? Yes, but was there a gun?" John B walks passed her with a trash bag now in his hand as he begins to pick up the trash around the house.

"No, there was no gun." Harli chimes in, helping John B with the trash.

"That's okay. I know who it was. I'll get to him." Harli's face falls upon hearing that the Sheriff already knows that JJ was firing a gun on the beach. Her heartbeat quickens again and her only thought is getting to him to warn him. The last thing they need is JJ getting arrested. "All I'm worried about right now is makin' sure the two of you are in a safe home."

"Yeah, super safe. Super sound, sturdy. You know?" John B taps the entryway table with his fist.

"Uncle T's coming, so..." Harli chimes in only to also be cut off by the Sheriff.

"That what he told you?" Peterkin questions, and both teenagers mumble out their answers while nodding their heads. "If he is coming, I think you should be allowed to stay." Relief washes over them both as they sing their thank-yous to the Sheriff. "But, if I stick my neck out for you, you have to help me. Tit for tat."