I continued taking shots throughout the night, hoping to get his face out of my head. After a few hours, I'd had enough. Every time I looked over my shoulder he was there. I needed to leave.
I started walking back in the direction of the exit, stumbling on debris on the beach as I made my way back to the road.
"You okay there?"
I turned around to meet the eyes of the brunette boy from earlier, the boy who's had his eyes on me all night. As I looked into his eyes, I knew he was exactly who I thought he was. My stomach sank.
"No, thanks. I'm fine." I said, stumbling again. Soon shaking my head at my response, realizing it didn't really make sense.
Shaking my head caused me to lose balance and stumble toward the boy a little. He grabbed onto my arm to help stabilize me. I quickly pulled my arm from his hands. "I'm heading home." I said, keeping my head low to avoid him recognizing me.
"Let me give you a ride, you shouldn't be driving."
"That's exactly why I'm walking." I said. I turned to give him an annoyed look in hopes he would get the idea, and back off. But instead feeling a wave of nausea pass over me.
"Oh no" I muttered to myself before quickly pulling my hair back with my hand and puking in the grass which surrounded the small gravel parking lot outside the boneyard.
I felt the brunette boy grab my hair for me, which I should protest against, but due to puking again, I accepted his help.
"I saw you with Luke all night, you know him?"
"What are you stalking me? First you invite yourself on my property, then watch me all night, now ask about who I was with?" I say, standing up and wiping my mouth. He hands me a bottle of water, which I take and swish the water in my mouth before spitting it out, getting rid of the taste.
"Well, aren't you conversational." I rolled my eyes at his sarcastic comment, and began walking down the road, already feeling much more sober due to both this interaction, the water, and throwing half of the alcohol up.
"I'm John B." He said from behind me. The name struck me, I felt my stomach drop again. Instantly wanting to get home and away from him.
"And I didn't ask." I responded, hoping my rude nature would get him to give up and leave me alone. I knew as soon as we realized who each other were, I wouldn't be able to let go of him again.
"And I'm walking you home."
"I'm fine, John, really." I sighed, "I am very capable of taking care of myself, thank you."
"Vienna, you're drunk. And you shouldn't be walking home by yourself and-"
"You know my name?" I cut him off, turning back to him.
"What?"
"My name. You just said my name." I said, pointing a finger towards him.
He stayed quiet, avoiding my eyes.
"What are you actually stalking me?" I joked, knowing that was not the reason he knew my name, but I continued to play dumb, hoping he would think he had the wrong person.
"No, I'm not stalking you." He sighed out.
"Do you not remember me?" He asked, a sense of hurt in his eyes. I debated lying, saying I had no idea who this boy was, but knew eventually he would get it out of me.
I stay quiet, silently studying the boys face. His eyes couldn't meet mine, he looked everywhere but at my face. I narrowed my eyes, trying to read what he was thinking.
"Look John, I don't know who you are or what your plan is here. I don't give a shit who you know or knew. You don't know me and you won't. Leave me alone. I never asked for your help. You have the wrong girl. I have no idea who you are." With that I began walking away.
"Vienna please." He grabbed my shoulder, "I know you remember, how could you not?"
John Booker Routledge, of course I remembered him. Son of John Routledge. My fathers childhood bestfriend. My dad grew up here, met my mother while she was vacationing, and moved back to the mainland when they had me. Everything changed about nine years ago, Mother said Big John started going crazy looking for a shipwreck, that he was never the same. That was part of the reason we never traveled here as a family anymore, it hurt my father to see John the way he was becoming, at least that's what my mother told me whenever I'd ask why he went away. She said they didn't want us around. But, Dad would still travel back here, only always by himself, telling me it was dangerous now. He would always check on the Routledges and lend him money.
I began walking back towards my house, knowing he would follow me.
"He went missing about 9 months ago."
"Your dad is missing?" I asked him. He nodded his head, as we arrived at my house. I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door, inviting John in.
"Are you sure?"
I nodded.
"What happened to him?" I asked
John smiled at me, making his way inside and sitting on the couch. I quickly moved my guitar and journal, sitting on the couch opposite him.
"They say he got lost at sea" John said.
I chuckled at his comment, causing him to look me.
"Oh come on, that can't be true. My father told me all the time how Big John was the 'best captain he knew'." I said, putting air quotes around my fathers words, "Don't act like that isn't true. Your dad was one of the most skilled captains. So what actually happened?"
John smiled at me, "people think I'm crazy and in denial. But you're right, he's the last person who would get lost at sea. Plus, him going missing three months after your parents die seems like too big a coincidence."
I nodded my head, confused with where he was taking this.
"I don't remember much of you or your mother you know, only your dad" he started, "he would always come to check on my father. Your dad would come and help out, he had more money then we'd ever have. My dad stopped working once they became infatuated with the Merchant."
I furrowed my eyebrows, "The shipwreck they were after." He clarified, noticing my confused state.
I wasn't confused about the Merchant, though, I knew that's what Mr. Routledge studied. I was confused why John said they, as if my father had part in it.
"Your father always looked out for me, my father became distant a few years into it. All he cared about was the ship." He shook his head at the memory, "your father would come, and he would mostly be with my father. But, when he wasn't, and my dad worked alone, he'd also always make sure I was taken care of. He'd stock our groceries and would take me fishing, just like he did when we were younger."
He meets my eyes, "I got in a fight with my dad right before he went missing. I asked him why he couldn't be more like yours."
I can see the hurt in this boy, and instantly regret my words from the day and my attempt of trying to push him away, realizing he's experienced almost everything I have.
"John-"
He cuts me off, "you don't need to apologize, V. It's fine, I've had time to deal with it." I smiled at the nickname he always used for me. I nodded, understanding not wanting the pity.
"You know he talked about you all the time. He really did love you."
"I know" I mumbled, feeling tears, but instantly pushing them back as I refused to cry in front of him.
"He would always talk about your music." He motioned towards my guitar.
"Yeah well, I don't do that anymore." I wiped my hands on my shorts, standing up and making my way to the kitchen. "Water?" I asked.
He shook his head before asking, "what do you mean? You were playing today, on the deck."
"I still play, but I don't write music anymore. I haven't for about a year."
"Why not?"
"Look John." I turned to face him. "I understand you were close with my dad. But, I'm not him. I'm here because I don't know who I am anymore. Not without them." I explained. "This is the only place I remember feeling happiness. I know they felt it here too. I feel closer to them here, that's why I'm here. For them and for myself. Not to make friends and tell everyone my sob story. I knew we were close when we were little, but that was like ten years ago, we're different people now."
"Vienna, I understand. Please, don't push me out. You don't need to explain your story to me, I already know it. I owe it to both my father and yours to look after you."
"I don't need looking after."
"Look," John said, taking out a letter from his wallet. "Your father wrote this to me a week before he died. Read it." He pushed the letter towards me, a pleading look in his eyes.
Hesitantly, I took it. Setting my drink down on the table.
Johnny Boy,
I don't know when the next time I will see you or your father is. Please read this carefully and hold onto it.
I'm afraid something is going to happen to me, and if it does, promise me you will watch over Nennie. I know she will end up down there when her mother and I are gone, which I fear will be soon. We left her the house on the marsh, but we don't have much else to give her.
She doesn't know I had part in the Merchant, and that I came to help your father. She doesn't know. The Merchant is out there. Support your father.
You're a good kid, JB. Don't forget it.
Love your father. Time is limited for us all.
Hope to see you soon,
Keep her safe, and stay safe yourself.
Mr. Miles.
My hands shook as I read the letter. For the second time tonight, tears formed in my eyes. This time I let them drop.
"Vienna..."
"Why would he write to you. He knew he was going to die, and he wrote to you? Not me? He left you a note instead of his own daughter?" I shook my head, backing away. "How did he know he was going to die."
"I don't know, I was going to ask. It's all strange." He shook his head as well. "That's why I wanted to see you. It's been nearly a year since I heard they passed, I thought you weren't coming. I think he wrote to me because I knew about the Merchant, and he thought you'd come here. He knew we would eventually cross paths again."
"How did he know he was going to die?" I muttered again, more to myself. I tuned out John, none of it made sense.
"What?" John questioned.
"That's what doesn't make sense." I shook my head, again. "Both of my parents died in a car accident. How would he know?"
"There's people that were after our fathers, I know it. My father is the last person who would get lost at sea, like you said. I know neither of their deaths were accidents."
I sat down at the table, taking all of this in. Laughing slightly at the irony. I came here to find happiness, to leave this all behind. Only to be met with worse.
I sat at the table for a while. And John let me, silently sitting across from me. At first I hurt. I felt lost. The place I was relying on giving me happiness was giving me nothing but confusion and more pain.
Then I realized, I'm meant to be here. My fathers death was no accident. He left me nothing but this house on purpose, and wrote to John B for a reason.
Realization suddenly hit, and I ran up to my bedroom.
"Vienna?"
"Come up here!" I called back down. "Now!"
I could hear him as he raced up the stairs. I wrestled through my vanity, trying to find what I was looking for, making a mess.
"Vienna? What's going on?"
I ignored the boy as I kept digging through my belongings. I knew it was here somewhere.
"This!" I grabbed it, holding it up to him. "This! Does this mean anything to you?" I held the necklace out at him.
"My mother gave me it the day she died. Right before they left in the car. I was always so confused why she gave me a necklace on a random day, engraved with random letters."
I flipped the necklace over for him, the necklace had a small compass on it, and an R in the middle. On the back, the letters JB were engraved.
"I never knew what the letters meant. The R, that must be for Routledge." I flipped it on the front, point to the R. Then flipping it back, point to the other letters. "And the JB, that's you. I just never knew why she gave this to me. I hadn't thought of you in years, I just realized these are your initials. Why would she give me this?"
All he did was meet my eyes, then grabbed my arm and started pulling me out of the house and down the street.
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