Strawberry Sunscreen - JJ Maybank - Outer Banks

Chapter 22 - Parcel 9 || Part 1

"I'm sorry. You're staying where?" Kiara asked John B as she cleaned up tables at the wreck. Elizabeth walked behind the girl, trailing with a tray of dirty dishes. John B had finally been released from the hospital to Ward, who was somewhat fostering the boy in his own home.

"Tannyhill," responded John B, bracing himself for Kiara's harsh words.

"So you're living with Sarah Cameron," ranted Kiara, still pacing around The Wreck.

"Okay, look, the only reason I'm living there is because her dad bailed me out, right?" John B asked rhetorically. "And it's way better than foster care, which, by the way, is where I was about to go if Ward didn't--"

"So uh-- can I still stay at your house or does Ward plan on adopting me too?" Elizabeth asked. John B chuckled and nodded his head.

"Didn't he already try that?" JJ grinned at the girl who backhanded his shoulder playfully.

"Hey, so do you have a membership to the clubs now?" Pope asked John B, smirking at him.

"I don't know, Pope," John B responded.

"What about those golf carts they drive around? You get one of them?" JJ asked the boy, who shook his head.

"Does it come with a sweater-vest, or do you have to buy one on your own?" Pope asked, sitting down at the table.

"When will John B get more from Ward? As the son or as his daughter's boyfriend?" Elizabeth asked, tilting her head and raising her eyebrows at the boy. John B glared back, knowing that she was just fueling the fire.

"Look, you promised. You said you weren't with her," Kiara pleaded.

"Bro, just own it. She got you," JJ stated, shaking his head and pursing his cut lip.

"Look, if you wanna hang out with her, that's fine," Kiara began. "But I'm letting you know now that I'm not doing anything with Sarah." Kiara had been shaken up by the recent events, and Sarah kissing a nearly unconscious John B scared her the most.

"I'm all set without her too, honestly." Elizabeth began. "John B is now compromised."

"Do you guys see her here?" John B asked the group. "No, right. Okay. A little focus would be fantastic. We've got the map, right?"

"It's out of whack 'cause the guy was ganja'd when he drew it," JJ explained, tracing his pencil along the coastline.

"Maybe to understand it we also need to get high. It's like method acting," Elizabeth began, causing JJ to chuckle. Pope shook his head at the girl, refocusing back on the map.

"It's 'cause the coast has changed," stated Kiara knowingly.

"So we just have to look for landmarks that haven't changed," explained Pope.

"What about the old forts?" John B asked.

"Battery Jasper," Kiara began.

"Sounds like a road trip to me," stated Elizabeth, grabbing the keys to the van from John B's hands. "Get in losers, I'm driving." Elizabeth, despite not having driven a vehicle as big as the van, took only a moment to gauge the gas and brake as she drove them to wherever the group directed her. The girl had never driven out this far, but she had blurry memories of playing around here as kids.

The group gathered by a marsh, looking over a mass of land. They all sat around the van, apparently also known as the Twinkie, whilst discussing where they should go next. After their search for a stone wall led to the discovery of the Crain house, the group halted outside of the walls and stared in.