𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒, 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴

𝐯. boat in the marsh

Red threw her hands up in protest, "Really dad? That's not fair!"

"I don't care if it's 'fair' Reding, I've barely seen you lately since you've been out of the house so much."

"Because I'm a teenager dad! You need to stop treating me like a child." Red told him.

"I'm just trying to keep my options open." He shot back.

"Well I'm not an option, I'm a lady," Red said. "I've barely gotten to see my friend's lately because I have to babysit Bennie."

"Is that your problem? Bennie's old enough to take care of herself, and he has a brother for that. And a mother."

"She's 12, dad." Red raised her voice. "And Topper and Cynthia are barely home. So please, let me do this!" Silence sat in between the Depuy and Red, who pleaded with her eyes.

"Be at the dock, 1:15." He demanded, finally agreeing.

"Thank You, dad." Red let out a sigh of gratitude as the man exited the room, leaving Red to throw on a swimsuit and an oversized Navy t-shirt hanging down from her shoulder and put her hair in a low ponytail at the back of her head.

Soon enough, Red was out of the door and sneaking around the island to the cut, more specifically the Chateau, where she was intending to meet her friends.

She heard voices from out back, so she went through the messy house and onto a porch area where she met familiar faces.

"There she is!" Kie cheered, approaching her and throwing her arm around her shoulder, leading her to a two-seater couch area where she played the bongos lightly.

John B hesitantly paced the room, Red was aware they were probably talking about something rather heavy before she had entered, most likely DCS or the boat she would soon be on the hunt for.

"Look, I'm callin' it off. If we go through with this, we're gonna get caught. Plus it's not like it's a secret anymore.

"What do you mean it's not a secret?" Pope asked from a chair in front of the two girls.

"You saw the way everyone looked at us yesterday when Scooter's body was found. And it doesn't help that Bennie piped up about it.

"Wait, wait, wait, slow down. Bennie knows? Who told Bennie?" Red spoke up, confused.

"Nobody! That's the problem, if it's obvious to a 12-year-old, then it's obvious to everyone else."

"Yeah but we're talking about Bennie Thornton. Hate to call you out man, but Bennie is not just a 12-year-old, she's a freaking lie detector, man." Said JJ.

"I said I'm calling it off!" The boy spits out. "All right? Peterkin said, if I stay out of the marsh, she'll help me with DCS."

"And you believed her?" The blue-eyed blonde spoke up from a table, which he sat throwing rocks from.

"Yes, I believe her, JJ." John B stated, clearly annoyed by the context of the conversation.

"An actual cop, John B. You believed an actual cop?" JJ complained, continuing with his rocks.

"Look, All I gotta do is stay outta the marsh for a couple of days, and she'll help me out." John B explained. "It doesn't help that you were the one shooting a gun."

"You know what I should have done?" JJ asked. "I should've just let Topper drown you."

John B rolled his eyes, "Yeah cause Topper was gonna drown me."

"Sure looked like it." Said JJ, walking towards the group.

"Funny."

"I mean have you looked in the mirror recently?" Asked JJ, referring to the black eye and bruises all over his face.