Slipping Through My Fingers | John B Little Sister

Chapter 8

Lu sat on the roof of the Chateau. Knees pulled up to her chest. She slowly ate the apple that Pope had brought for her. The cuts on her fingers stung slightly from its juice and she smacked her lips together at its sweetness. 

Her keen eyes scanned the perimeter. For burly men with guns, for Peterkin and the deputy with the angry eyes, for Cheryl, for her mother, for John B. Lu's breaths felt shaky in her chest, as if they were rattling about in there without the confines of her lungs. 

It's not supposed to be like this. 

The Chateau was supposed to be an impenetrable fortress of marshlands and fallen oak trees. It was supposed to be for her. For her dad, for her brother and for his friends. Not for anyone to knock down doors and shoot through windows. It was supposed to be for bonfires and playtime. 

Lu's eyes trailed over towards Kierra as she sat herself cautiously in a black plastic tub. She took another bite of her apple as Pope began hiking the tub up, using the pulley system he had been arranging all morning. 

 Kie waggled her fingers up at Lu, grinning playfully at her as she rose higher and higher.

Lu waved down at the older girl. Apple still in hand. 

Her breaths felt a little more steady. It was nice to see everyone again.

"How's it feeling?" Pope asked Kie, watching as she tugged experimentally at the ropes. 

"Feels good." She affirmed. 

They were planning something. Obviously. Lu hadn't asked, because she already knew the answer. Something about gold. Probably. Lu didn't really care anymore. 

Lu was the first to see him. 

Gone was the still body that lay on floor of the Twinkie just a couple of nights ago. John B stalked bare foot through the grass and woodchips. A black cast on his wrist. A dark scowl on his face. 

"John B pulling a Houdini." JJ jibed obliviously, legs still swinging in the hot tub. Lu didn't really know what that meant. 

"Yeah, where is he?" Pope complained, lowering Kie down but shooting a searching glance about the yard, "I've got my scholarship interview tomorrow."

"Speak of the devil, Hey!" JJ finally spotted the boy, waving him over excitedly. Apparently no longer pissed at him. "Dude, I set up the entire winch to pull up the gold and everything."

"No he did not." Pope shut down quickly, running over to intercept John B before he could reach the house, "I did that."

"John B?" Kie questioned, noticing the tensed line of his shoulders as he practically barged through the veranda of the Chateau.

Lu didn't move from the roof. She closed her eyes. The doors of cabinets opened and closed frantically. Shouts for John B to 'talk' and to 'chill out' whispered through the walls. Someone was slammed into a table. 

"John B what the hell are you doing?" Kie's voice rang out, and Lu opened her eyes just a crack to watch her brother barrel out of the house. Gun in hand. 

She ducked her chin quickly behind her knees. Only her eyes peeking down as he quickly mounted JJ's dirt bike.  

"Ward knows about the gold." He shouted out over the revving engine. He glanced back at his friends. "He killed my dad."

Lu dropped her apple into the gutter.

John B's eyes shot up at the sound. The siblings stared at each other for a long moment. Both of them shocked. Both of them furious. Both of them hurt.