CASTAWAY ⚓ R.C, J.M

FIVE

"That makes more sense than what I was thinking." Harley let out a small smile. "Thank God you're in my life. I'd be waiting for weeks for JJ to explain that if you weren't here."

Both their eyes laned on the blonde boy who was swinging around the compass like it was a yoyo. John B had decided he didn't want to be near the compass at the moment, he didn't want to see it or look at it. He'd given a lame excuse that they could all see through. Harley knew the reason was because it made him think of their dad and it was upsetting. 

"JJ, stop swinging it around. Put it away somewhere," Kiara hissed at him smacking his knee. 

Harley reached for her empty glass on the coffee table. "Do you want a drink," she asked Pope.

He declined, so she nodded and walked into the kitchen. Her eyes found John B's still form as she placed her glass in the sink. John B had been leant against the counter for a while now, his eyes settled intently on the mint green cupboard doors. 

"JB?" Harley nudged his arm to get his attention. She stepped back to give him room to shift back into the moment.

His eyes flickered to her. "Are you talking to me again?"

His tone didn't hold sarcasm or malice, that didn't stop Harley's frown from returning. She had the right to be annoyed with him.

John B had let JJ get in his head and somehow let JJ convince him that he, JJ and Harley had nothing to lose. He had been roped into stealing diving gear from Ward Cameron and disobeying Peterkin by going into the marsh. It was the same reoccurring joke that wrote itself between the trio, the comedian being JJ. The blonde had promised her hours ago that DCS wouldn't take her and John B away, yet he encouraged John B to risk it all and like an idiot John B did. 

"You shouldn't have stolen those air tanks from Ward. He's your boss who has been extremely nice to us since he heard our dad went missing. What if he finds out?" Harley folded her arms. "And we shouldn't have been in the marsh. You said Peterkin came here interrogating you and warned you away from the marsh and you know that she pulled me and JJ over to give the same warning. What if she finds out we were out there today?"

It could take something as small as those two men going to the sheriff to tell her they spotted a bunch of kids out in the marsh. She'd know immediately because Shoupe and some other cop had seen the others. 

Harley had to get in the water and hide by the side of the boat to avoid getting seen. JJ had held her hand for as long as he could before Shoupe climbing aboard meant he had to move away from sitting by the edge. At that point Harley had to sink beneath the surface and that was a whole other thing. That's when her memories started playing tricks on her and the name Renfield struck a chord. Then if John B hadn't swam to her and given her air she probably would have had to swim to the surface and reveal her presence.

"Harls, have some faith in me. Ward won't find out. I'll get the gear back first thing tomorrow, before he can realise it's gone." John B placed his hands on Harley's shoulders and squeezed gently. "Don't worry about Peterkin. Nobody knows me and you were out there. It's not like there's cameras out there or anybody watching. The big man upstairs, maybe, but that's it. He's not exactly going to snitch, is he?"

Harley rolled her eyes at his stupid joke and had to tilt her head down so he couldn't see her smile.

He chuckled and pulled her into him.

Harley didn't want to be mad at John B, she loved John B too much to cause any rifts between them. 

"Ha. I got you laughing."

"Yeah, because you're an idiot," she laughed and shoved him away, rolling her eyes at his stupid grin.

Like any other annoying older brother, John B caught Harley in his hold and ruffled her dark tresses. His teasing laughter urged her to retaliate, though as usual she didn't have the strength. Eventually, he let her shimmy out of his hold, her giggles subsiding so she could smack his arm.