INDIANA II JJ Maybank (Outerbanks)

chapter fourteen

"I mean it's obvious right? A family heirloom. What better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna get back to us, right?" John B asked them as they were all sitting in the van. Once again driving to where ever John B was taking them.

"JB, I'm not really sure if dad planned out to put the compass in Scooter Grubs ship wreck because he knew we might steal Scuba gear from your boss and then dive for it." Indi told him.

"But it's possible." Kie nodded.

Indi was laying on her back in the back of the van. Her head rested on JJ's lap as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know-" Pope spoke up, also from the back of the van together with Indi and JJ.

"Pope." John B warned him as Indi shoot him a glare. She still didn't know if she should believe her father was dead or alive. At the same time, if John B believed, she didn't want other people to crush his hopes.

"You know how I process my sad feels?" JJ asked them. "Dank nugs, the stickiest of ickies and Indi's hugs. That's how I do it." JJ said with a small smile as he looked down at her and she sent him one back.

"I'm not concocting okay? My dad is trying to give me a message." John B told them.

"If it helps you believe John B." Kie told him.

"Look, I- I don't need a therapy session, okay? I'm not tripping out." John B said. "Ind you believe me right?"

"Yes." She lied. Her dad had been missing for 9 months now, so the only logical reason would be if he was dead. And if he wasn't she would want a damn good explanation as why her father never returned back to her and her brother.

"It's okay to trip bro, but-"

"Look, our dad is missing okay? John B cut JJ off and turned back to us. "Missing." He turned to the road again. "You don't know what it feels like to have the person closest to you vanish and then have no idea what happened."

Indi knew exactly how it felt like. It was a feeling she would never wish upon anybody, not even Topper.

"It's been almost a year." Kie said as she had her eyes fixed on John B.

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

"Yeah, or he could be in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by KGB somewhere." Pope said.

"Absolutely, or Atlantis." JJ joked. Indi sat up removing her head from his lap. JJ frowned at the loss of contact. Indi got mad at him because he started to joke around with Pope about her fathers disappearance.

"JJ." Kiara warned him, "What do you think the message is?" She asked John B.

"Redfield. Redfield lighthouse. That's my dads favorite place."

The van stopped in front of the lighthouse and they all got out of the van.

"Right. You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?" John B said to JJ.

"Wait, why me?"

"Because you're not coming." Pope told him.

"Why?" He asked again.

"There are independent and dependent variables. And you're an independent." Pope started to explain his logic.

"Shut up!" JJ yelled. "Shut up!"

"We don't know what you will do." Pope finished.

"Listen to me for a second! Just listen! Pope you will stay here and stand look out with JJ okay? If we get split up. We meet back at JJ's house." John B said.

"Later Losers." Indi laughed as she started to make her way over to the lighthouse.

"Ind you aren't coming with us, you are also look out." John B told her.

"What why do I have to stay back?"

"You see, you are also an independent variable." Pope started with his bullshit again.

"If this is about dad, I want to come too." She protested.

"Ind, look just stay here please. You can come with us next time." John B pleaded.

"Fine." She scoffed and walked back to JJ who put his arm over her shoulder and leaned on her.

"Great." Kie nodded as her and John B started to walk away.

"I'm gonna work on my merit scholarship essay, and I'm trying to keep felonies down to a minimum." Pope said as he turned to the both of them.

"Alright, would you just shut up already?" JJ said to him. Pope moved to the back of his van, probably writing his essay.

JJ started to play with a hacky sack as Indi was still frowning.

"You know this is so unfair." Indi said to him.

"What?" He asked her, "That we get left back again?"

"Exactly, why do I always have to stand look out or am not allowed to do cool stuff." She frowned. They started kicking the hacky sack back and forth.

"Do you have weed with you?" She asked him.

"You wanna smoke?" He asked her.

"I mean if you're up for it."

"Now?" He asked her.

"No, we can meet up later."

"Is this you asking me on a date?" He smirked at her.

"Well do you want to?" She asked him.

"How could I ever turn down a beautiful girl like you." Indi laughed at his statement.

"You got yourself a date then." She smiled at him. Before he could say anything else, he was cut off by sirens coming down the road.

"Is that the police?" She asked him.

"Yes. Come on!" JJ took her arm and dragged her over to the van as she got in the back of it. She shut the door after her and JJ started the car.

"Wait what about the others?" Indi asked them.

"Look they said, that if we get split up we meet at JJ's, so everything will be alright." Pope told her as they drove off before the cops could catch them.