Strawberry Sunscreen - JJ Maybank - Outer Banks

Chapter 13 - The Lucky Compass || Part 1

"Sarah Cameron saw you putting the scuba gear back?" Elizabeth asked John B as the two sat in the living room of the chateau. John B put his head in his hands, running his right hand through his hair. The two had just woken up, and were sitting on the couch in the living room.

"She told me she wouldn't say a thing," John B explained. "You know, you could always talk to her, make sure she stays quiet?"

"JB, me and Sarah aren't on the best of terms right now," Elizabeth stated, mentioning the fight that took place at the kegger between the kooks and pogues. "She barely forgave me for yelling at her and sold me out to her parents. Not to mention that she doesn't trust me since I'm with you guys."

"You're right, I shouldn't have asked that," John B apologized.

"It's okay. She's just feeding off of my brother's energy of hating me," Elizabeth claimed. "Plus, I have you guys, right?"

Elizabeth's phone began to ring from beside her. She picked it up, saw who was calling her, and placed it back on the table with the screen facing down. Only a few cell towers had been repaired, so the signal would have been weak regardless. "You're welcome to stay here as long as you want, you know," said John B.

"Yeah," Elizabeth sighed. "I've been meaning to thank you. I just don't feel like going to the Cameron's and I definitely can't go home. It's exhausting."

"You never did tell me what happened between you and your mom," John B inquired. "You don't have to tell me, but if I can help, I'd like to."

Elizabeth sighed, "It's not a big deal, really. I just really hated school. I wanted to transfer so badly, so I'd do whatever I could to get in trouble. So, I got into a fight. That was my last strike with my mom. The school, however, kept me there because of my relationship to my family. Kooks never get punished. So, I took the first chance I could to leave here for as long as I could-- Australia." The girl felt tears begin to accumulate in her eyes. She turned away from John B before she could wipe her eyes and continue the conversation. "Ever since my dad left her, she has tried to change me. She blames me while she sticks her nose in her work all day and does nothing to help us besides bring in cash."

John B gasped lightly, "I didn't know your dad left." Elizabeth nodded at him.

"He cheated on her. I was the one who caught him. I think she believes that I should have never told her-- that maybe her husband would still be around and she would still be blissfully unaware," explained Elizabeth.

"You were watching out for your mom," stated John B. "I would have done the same thing."

Elizabeth nodded, "After the fight she made me stay with Sarah, Rafe, Wheezie, Rose, and Ward while she figured out what to do with me. Wheezie and Sarah are great and Rafe was bearable but staying in another family's home with their parents acting as your own is freaking weird."

"My Uncle T tried to parent me for a while. I think it was as weird for him as it was for me," explained John B. The girl let out a soft chuckle. The boy, noticing the heaviness in their conversation, decided to try to lift the weight. "So, tell me you won the fight."

Elizabeth smirked, "Oh, JB. It was absolutely no competition." The two shared a laugh. Elizabeth smiled down at her shoes as she reeled in their conversation, happy that she had finally been able to open up to somebody other than Sarah and Kiara. While it seemed as if every kook knew her story, only a few actually knew the real one and understood her.

John B leaned back, "I'm always around if you need to talk. Don't keep everything inside. That's exhausting, trust me."

Elizabeth pursed her lips, "I could say the same to you." John B let out a breathy laugh but he didn't argue. He was guilty of the same thing.