Beautiful summer

eight

"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light" ~Dumbledore

Skylar sat in her car watching as John b was chased by two men running into a gate getting shot back by the electricity. She watched as one of the men reached in his back pocket pulling out a gun as he edged closer to the Routeledge boy. "Hello boys" Skylar smiled walking up the gate, distracting the man who had a gun pointed at John b as he crouched over his body.

"It's a nice day. Maybe not the day to kill anyone" she suggested, shrugging slightly as John b threw his head back, closing his eyes relieved someone was there to save his life. "That's great, well you better get going now" she made a gesture with her hands indicating to the two men to go away.

"Get in my car now John b" she ordered worried for what the boy had gotten himself involved in. She knew his dad was missing, dead, she knew people spiralled out of control when their loved ones disappeared from their lives but she refused to watch it happen to John b. If he tried even the slightest she knew he'd have a good future ahead of him. Better than hers.

"What the fuck have you done" she questioned not giving him a minute to breathe when he sat down in the passenger seat of her car. "I could have a death compass" he groaned stretching his back out while running his hands down his face. Skylar's face fell in shock, staring at the Routeledge boy whose face stayed the exact same as if he hadn't just admitted something completely insane.

"Excuse me" she cried blinking over and over again going through in her head what he had just told her. "We found this compass, it was my dad's. But even since we've had it those guys have been after me. They ransacked my house" he explained making it sound as if the whole thing was a completely normal daily occurrence.

"Get rid of it" she got straight to the point not talking her way around this one. "What" John b pieced his brows together not expecting the girl to say that. "Get rid of it" she repeated herself but talking slower than last time so John b would be able to hear her clearly.

"John b I am not watching you fall apart over a compass, if you die I will feel as though I need to take the blame because you told me about it. Get rid of it or I will" she ordered rolling down the window hinting at him to throw it out. He stared at her for a second waiting for her to laugh and tell him it was a joke but she did no such thing.

"Now" she shouted watching as he reached into his pocket looking down at the compass hesitating for a second before throwing it out the car, Skylar driving off before he could get out and change his mind. She drove up the Chateau, John b thanking her for the lift home but she wasn't done yet.

She got out the car with him walking into the house to see pictures, cans of beer, food, paper, everything on the floor thrown around. "Clean up time" she sung picking up one of the pictures and hanging it up on the wall where the rest of the other frames rested. She grabbed a handful of pizza boxes, cans and blank pieces of paper taking them outside and throwing a lit splint on them watching as John b brought out more to throw on the fire.

"You don't want that" Skylar questioned looking down at the frame he held in his arms, pictures of his family covering it. "Nah it's useless to me" he smiled throwing it in with the rest of the stuff watching it burn.

"What are you doing" Skylar cried when John b picked up a stick pulling the wooden frame from the fire slamming his foot down on it to put the fire out. He crouched down by the frame pointing to the name Olivia R. Routeledge as if he'd suddenly just realised something.

"What" Skylar questioned piecing her brows together trying to figure out what was wrong with the boy. "I have to go" he panted grabbing his keys from his pocket racing over to the Pogue van leaving Skylar stood by herself clueless. "JB" she called walking after him, standing in front of the Pogue van to stop him from going anywhere.

"Sky move out the way" he cried leaning his head out the window waving his hands around desperate to get somewhere. "No, I want to know what's going on" she shouted crossing her arms over her chest tapping her foot on the ground as she waited for answers from the boy. "Another time, I have to go" he shouted slamming his hand on the side of the door trying to indicate to the girl that he was in a rush.

"Mmmm no I want to know now or I'm coming with you" she bargained with the boy causing him to put his head back into the van slamming it down on the steering wheel. "Get in" he huffed leaning over to open the passenger door, Skylar walking over and getting in looking over at him for answers.

"I have to pick JJ, Pope and Kie up first" he deadpanned letting the girl know she wouldn't be finding anything out until everyone else was there.

*********

"Let's ride" JJ smiled having his final hit of the joint before putting it out walking over to the van with Pope, both of them stopping when they noticed the brunette girl in the front. "Skylar" JJ asked looking to John b to make sure he wasn't imagining the girl sitting there. "Hey J" she smiled her hand hanging out the window a cigarette placed between two of her fingers.

"Come on get in" John b hurried the two boys up who continued to stay staring mouths agape at the Conley girl who wasn't even looking at them anymore. "Is she in on this now" Pope questioned when he got into the back of the Pogue van poking his head through the gap in the seats looking between Skylar and John b.

"No" John b answered before Sky could, Pope now completely confused as to why Skylar was joining them, for once Pope Heyward did not have an answer to his problem. "I saved his life" she blurted out John b snapping his head round in a panic. He wasn't planning on telling his friends he'd recently been held at gunpoint but thanks to Skylar's mouth he now didn't really have a choice.

"Excuse me" Pope yelled, John b chewing the inside of his cheek, driving the van faster so someone would have to go in and get Kiara before he'd have to explain. "Some guys had a gun held up to him" she continued talking JJ and Pope shouting around in the back of the van while John b slammed his foot down on the brake causing everyone to slam forward.

"Ow" Skylar cried rubbing the back of her neck in pain while John b ordered Pope to bring Kiara out. "You were shot at" JJ raised his brows taking his turn in poking his head through the two seats staring at the two teenagers who sat in silence. "No I was not shot at, Skylar scared them off before they could" he huffed pushing JJ's away from his causing the blonde boy to fall back onto the seats in the back.

"She says she's not comin'" Pope called out to the group sat waiting in the van John b scrunching his face up with regret. "Why not? What'd you do to her, John B?" JJ questioned remembering the two were left at the lighthouse earlier alone, they'd been flirting non stop for the past couple weeks so it was pretty obvious John b had fucked something up.

"Shit. Hang on. I'll deal with it." John b sighed running up the steps of the wreck leaving JJ, Pope and Skylar sat in the van, silence surrounding them, the only noise being Skys lighter clicking open and shut.