On Top//Topper Thornton

seven

We all sit in John B's van on the way to somewhere. He hasn't bothered to mention where. Pope is staring at the compass as he sits in the passenger's seat.

"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 me, right?" John B reasons.

"Yeah. It's possible," Kie agrees.

"It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know, deal with your sad feels," Pope offers.

"Pope? Bro, you know how I process my sad feels. Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, that's how I do it," JJ states.

"I'm not concocting, okay? My dad's trying to give me a message" John B insists.

"If it helps you believe, John B..." Kiara trails off.

"Look, I... I don't need a therapy session, okay? Look, I'm not trippin' out," John B tells us.

"It's okay to trip, bro, but..." I start.

"Look, my... 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. Just wake up every morning wondering," John B tells us.

"It's been almost a year," Kie reminds him.

"Hey, he could have been kidnapped. That's definitely a possibility," I offer.

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

"Absolutely. Uh... or Atlantis," JJ adds.

"JJ. Look, what do you think the message is?" Kie asks.

"Redfield," John B states. We pass the sign for the lighthouse. "Redfield Lighthouse. That's my dad's favorite place."

We stop in front of the lighthouse and get out of the car. John B turns to look at JJ. "Right. You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?"

"Wait... Why me?" JJ asks.

"Because you're not coming," Pope states.

"Why?" JJ asks.

""There are independent and dependent variables." Pope says. "You're independent. We don't know what you'll do."

JJ yells at him, "Shut up!"

John B interrupts them, "Listen to me for a second. Pope and Ash, you stand look out with JJ. Okay? If we get split up, we meet back at JJ's house."

"Great," Kie says.

Kie and John B start towards the light house.

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

JJ starts to toss around a hacky sack. "All right, would you just shut up already?"

"Hey, don't be mean, JJ. Some of us aren't born criminals," I remark.

JJ gives me a look. "Some of us don't have Daddy's money to make things go away."

I shrug my shoulders. "What else should I spend Daddy's money on?"

"Seriously you got drunk and puked on Shoupe's shoes and all you got was a verbal warning," Pope reminds me.

"Hey. I got grounded," I remind him.

JJ makes a face. "And that lasted all of two days before you got bored and ungrounded yourself."

I smile. "Not my fault y'all were having a kegger that night."

Suddenly I hear sirens wailing in the distance. I groan in annoyance.

"Oh, shit," Pope mutters.

The three of us book it to the van. We don't wait around for Kie and John B before we take off.

We drop the van off at John B's. JJ and Pope head to JJ's while I head to the Wreck. I promised Kie I would help her and her parents with the storm damage. I don't need to work, but I like to get out of my empty house.

When I get there Kie is nowhere to be seen. Her dad had to go get her from somewhere. He seemed pissed off when he left. I'm fixing a crack in the wall when Kie walks in.

"Whats up. Where you been?" I question.

Kie sits down on one of the bar stools. "With John B."

"This whole time?" I question.

"You guys did ditch us so..." Kie reminds me.

I make a face. "Yeah sorry about that."

"After you guys left us at the lighthouse and before he got hauled in by Shoupe," Kie explains.

"He got hauled in by Shoupe?" I question.

"That's why my dad is so angry. He bailed John B out," Kie explains.

I step down from the ladder and walk towards Kie. "And here I was thinking it was just my presence in his restaurant." Kie doesn't look amused. "What else happened?"

Kie takes a deep breath. "John B kissed me."

I sit down next to her. "I'm sorry I don't think I heard you right. Could you say that again?"

"We were walking back from the lighthouse trying to avoid the cops and John B kissed me," Kie tells me.

I smile slightly. "What did you do?"

"I told him no Pogue-on-Pogue macking," Kie tells me.

I shake my head. "What is it with you and that stupid rule anyway?"

"Is not stupid," Kie insists.

"Kind of is," I counter. Kie gives me a look. "You can't always help who you have feelings for."

"Says the one dating a Kook," Kie remarks. I give her a look. Kie sighs. "I just... You can't tell anyone okay?"

I hold out my pinky finger. "My lips are sealed."

Kie wraps her pinky around min. "Thank you," Kie tells me. "How are things with you and Topper?"

"We're good." I frown slightly. "Well we were before JJ pulled a gun on him."

"I can imagine that would put a strain on your relationship," Kie offer.

I sigh. "I was really making progress with him. He was finally coming around to you guys being my friends. He says he worries about me."

"Do you believe him?" Kie questions.

I nod my head. "I care about him Kie."

Pope walks through the front door. "Lets go."

"Where?" I ask.

"The cemetery," Pope states.

"This whole dead body thing is getting a little out of hand, Pope," I tease.

"Why are we going there?" Kie questions.

"John B is back on the compass," Pope explains.

I stand up. "Alright. Kie you coming?"

"Have fun without me," Kie tells us.

"Why aren't you coming?" Pope asks.

"Ask John B," Kie states.

I head out the door with Pope.

"Kie says she's not comin'," I state.

"Why not?" JJ turns to look at John B. "What'd you do to her, John B?"

"Shit." John B grips the steering wheel. "Hang on. I'll deal with it."

Pope and I get in the van as John B tries to talk to Kie.

"Ash, you know what John B did?" JJ asks.

"Oh, just some juicy secret I can't tell either of you," I tease.

"Come on," Pope remarks.

I shake my head. "Nope. I pinky promised."