SUNBURN | JOHN B ROUTLEDGE

017

"He had to know it was gonna get back to me, right?" John B quickly turned to look around before diverting his eyes back to driving. The Pogues were still silent and shaken up from the Chateau invasion. 

"Yeah, it's possible." Kiara said. 

Pope wasn't as convinced as the rest of the Pogues, "It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know, deal with your sad feels." He found it hard to believe that a summer of fun and helping out his dad, has now turned into a mysterious hunt for Big John. Gabriella turned to Pope who was sitting behind him, shaking her head, trying to tell him to stop and let John B have some faith. 

"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels. Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, that's how I do it." JJ took another hit of his juul. 

"I'm not concocting, okay? My dad's trying to give me a message. Look, I-I don't need a therapy session, okay? Look, I'm not trippin' out." John B's grip tightened slightly around the steering wheel.

JJ tried to provide some solitude to his friend, "It's okay to trip, bro, but-"

"Look, my-- my dad is missing, okay?" John B still didn't want to believe that his father, a guy who knew more about the ocean, the water, than anyone else could die in that same water. "Missing. You don't know what it's like to have the person closest to you vanish and then have no idea what happened. Just wake up every morning wondering." 

The twinkie was silent, JJ and Gabriella could feel what John B felt, deeply. Having her mom leave and not knowing her real father. Sure, it was different. John B had more time with his loved one before he went missing, but it still hurt having someone leave and not getting that closure. 

"I know what it feels like, John B." Gabriella whispered. 

 Trying to lighten the mood, JJ and Pope began to throw around random theories about what might have happened to Big John.

JJ started, "Hey, he could have been kidnapped. That's definitely a possibility."

Pope smiled, a half-laugh escaping his lips. "Yeah, could be in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by the KGB somewhere."

"Absolutely. Uh... or Atlantis."

John B glanced in the rearview mirror, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth despite the heaviness in his chest.

"What do you think the message is? Does Redfield ring a bell?" Gabriella asked John B, sending daggers to JJ and Pope to shut up. 

"Redfield. Redfield Lighthouse. That's my dad's favourite place." John B pulled over in front of the lighthouse. Gabriella swung the passenger door open, jumping out, opening the side door for Pope, JJ and Kiara to exist.

John B began to explain the plan, telling JJ and Pope to stay clear and watch out, "If we get split up, we meet back at JJ's house." As Kiara, John B and Gabriella jumped over the fence, she could hear the conversation of JJ and Pope, laughing to herself at their adorable friendship dynamic. 

"I'm gonna work on my merit scholarship essay, and I'm trying to keep felonies to a minimum."

"All right, would you just shut up already?"

The blue and white lighthouse loomed ahead, a towering sentinel that had stood the test of time for centuries. Weathered by the elements, it stood proud and resilient against the crashing waves below. Its paint was chipped in places, revealing layers of history beneath the surface.

Kiara, John B, and Gabriella approached the entrance, pushing open the heavy wooden door and stepping into the dimly lit interior. The cool air inside was a stark contrast to the heat outside, sending a shiver down Gabriella's spine. They began their ascent up the metal spiral staircase, each step echoing in the narrow space. The cold metal handrail was their guide, a reassuring presence as they climbed higher and higher. The stairs seemed endless, but finally, they reached a small landing with a door. John B knocked, and moments later, it swung open to reveal a white, chubby man with small glasses. He squinted at them suspiciously.