Adore You // JJ Maybank

Part 2.2

~Lighthouse~

"I mean it's obvious right?" John B started, "A family heirloom. What better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna get back to me right?"

JJ and Shaye just got back from the beach when John B said they needed to go somewhere. So there they were sitting in the back of the van with damp hair and faint smiles. "Yeah it's possible" Kie said as Shaye sighed.

John B was still holding onto the hope that Big John was alive, but it's been nine months. Shaye let go of that hope a long time ago. "It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know, deal with your sad feels?" Pope suggested.

"Pope?" John B warned as JJ interrupted.

"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels. Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies. That's how I do it. " He said smiling

Shaye just snorted and kicked him in the side as he smacked her leg away. "I'm not concocting, okay? My dad's trying to give me a message."

Sitting up, she said. "I know you want him to be out there, John B. And trust I wish with all my heart that he was too. But it's almost been a year. Maybe we should working on the DCS situation instead?"

Kie shot her a warning look as Shaye raised her hands in surrender. "He's out there, Shaye. I know it." John B said looking at her in the mirror.

"If it helps you believe John B," Kie started.

"Look, I don't need a therapy session, okay?" John B interrupted sounding frustrated, "I'm not tripping out."

"It's okay to trip bro" JJ added

"Look my dad is missing okay? Missing. You don't know what it's like to have the person closest to you vanish and then have no idea what happened" He said making eye contact with Shaye, who immediately looked out the window, trying to hide her watering eyes. "Just wake up every morning wondering."

"Hey he could've been kidnapped. That's definitely a possibility." JJ suggested grabbing Shaye's hand. He could tell she was hurting just as much as John B.

When Big John went missing it was one of the worst times in JJ's life. Seeing the most important people break down was hard to witness. John B may have been in denial, but Shaye was a realist. There were days that after her and her mom fought, Shaye wouldn't even leave her bed. He was there for her through it all, but it broke him to have to see her like that.

"Yeah, could be in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by the KGB somewhere." Pope added

"Absolutely. Uh... or Atlantis" JJ said

Kie looked at him weirdly. "JJ. Look what do you think the message is?" She said turning back to John B.

"Redfield" John B answered, continuing to drive. "Redfield lighthouse. That's my dad's favorite place."

They arrived at the lighthouse and everyone got out. "Right. here's whats gonna happen. You're gonna post up and look out for bogey's, okay?" John B said to JJ.

"Wait.. Why me?" JJ asked pointing to himself.

"Because you're not coming" Pope answered

"Why?"

Pope put his hands on JJ's shoulder. "Because there are independent and dependent variables. And you're an independent variable. We don't know what you'll do."

"Shut up, shut up" JJ interrupted getting frustrated.

"Listen to me for a second." John B looked at them. "Pope, Shaye, you stand lookout with JJ. Okay? If we split up, we meet back at JJ's house."

"Great" Shaye said agreeing as she leaned against the van.

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

"Alright would you just shut up?" JJ asked playing with a hackie sack.

Shaye laid down in the grass and looked up at the sky, enjoying the sun. Pope sat down beside her, as JJ continued to mess around a little ways off. "How you doing Shaye?" He asked looking down at her.

Smiling up at him, she said. "I'm pretty good, Pope. How about you?"

"Good, good. But I have a question for you."

"Hit me" Shaye answered closing her eyes again.

Pope leaned against his elbows, making sure JJ was out of earshot "I know we've had this conversation before, but I'm still confused as to why you haven't told JJ about your feelings for him."

Shaye didn't even react to the question. Pope was the only one who really knew how much she loved the boy, she hadn't even told Kie. "Just like I've said before Pope, he doesn't have feelings for me. I'm not gonna ruin our friendship by saying it and making things awkward." She answered with her eyes still closed.

"That's not true because you literally have him wrapped around your finger but okay." Pope said as he watched JJ.

Shaye didn't answer as she laid there. JJ didn't like her. He flirted with every girl he met and she was no different. Sure, they were really close and had little moments. But she doubted they meant as much to him as they meant to her.

Suddenly, police sirens blared behind them as she sat up immediately. "Uh guys? Maybe we should leave" Shaye suggested as they nodded their heads in agreement.

JJ got in the driver's seat, Pope got in the back, and Shaye took up passenger as they sped off, going to JJ's house.

Hey! Do you guys like it when I take longer to update but also give longer chapters, or when I update quicker with shorter chapters?