Carefree || JJ Maybank

Chapter Six

There's something about our father I haven't mentioned.

The week before he went missing, he says to us, "Bird, I think I found something. Your Uncle T's gonna come stay for a while. I might have to vanish for a bit."

So, he talks about vanishing, and he vanishes. Everyone says he was lost at sea, but John B? He still believed he was out there. Everleigh on the other hand, knew he was gone.

The day after the kegger, Sheriff Peterkin entered the chateau, without Everleigh and John B even knowing.

"Get decent, sweetie. We need to talk." She starts, "Sorry to break in like this, but DCS called. They wanted me to check on you. See how you're doin'. So, how are you, besides the..." She points to her own eye, referring to his black eye from Topper.

"Oh, no, I'm... I'm great. Yeah, fantastic. Uh, Thanks for comin' by." John B replies nervously.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that, John B, but I heard a few things that worried me." She starts talking again. "Let me see if I can remember. Oh, yeah. One of the things I heard was that your Uncle Teddy, your guardian, hasn't been in the state for three months."

Everleigh grabs her wrist, "That's false." John B replied again, pulling Everleigh's hand from her wrist.

Everleigh hadn't washed her face after the party last night, she had faint mascara streaks running down her cheeks. Her eyes were puffy and red. She'd hardly slept.

"You don't have to say anything. I know it's true. I called the school. They said you used to be a good student, but now you're failin' all your classes." She cuts him off.

John B rolls his eyes, "No. No, I'm only failing one, and it's history. He's a dick. He's out for me."

"I heard there was a fight on the beach yesterday, and a gun was involved." Peterkin interrupts again.

Everleigh froze at the thought of JJ, pressing a gun to the back of Topper's head.

"Okay. Gun?" John B asks.

"No." Everleigh says barely loud enough.

"Did I get in a dustup? Yes, but was there a gun?" He scoffs. "No. No way."

"That's okay. I know who it was. I'll get to him." She says confidently.

Everleigh rubbed her eyes, JJ couldn't get in trouble. His dad would be pissed. She was the only one JJ talked to about his dad. He was an abusive drug addict and alcoholic.

"All I'm worried about right now is makin' sure you're in a safe home." She says.

John B scoffs again, knocking on the table, "Yeah, super safe. Super sound, sturdy. You know? Uncle T's coming, so..."

"That what he told you?" She interrupts again. "If he is coming, I think you should be allowed to stay."

"Thank you." He agrees.

"But if I stick my neck out for you, you have to help me. Tit for tat."

"What. What does tat mean?" He stutters.

Everleigh hold in a giggle, of course he knew tit but not tat.

"Let me see, how can you help me? Oh, I know. So, a body was found in the marsh yesterday. Were you in the marsh yesterday?" She asks.

Everleigh's head quickly turns towards the sheriff, "Yeah, we were fishin' for some drum." She speaks up.

"You catch anything?" She asks Everleigh.