𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿.

nine.

   I sit in the back of the twinkie silently as everyone talks about whatever the hell it is they're talking about and try to ignore that an hour ago JJ killed our rooster.

   Out of the corner of my eye I see JJ's jaw tick and decide to tune back into the conversation.

   "Look I'm not tripping out!"

   "It's okay to trip bro-"

   "Look my- my dad is missing okay? You don't know what it's like to have the person closest to you vanish and then have no idea what happened. Just wake up every morning wondering."

   I squeeze the ripped leather of the seat, "John B."

   He glances up to the rearview, making eye contact with me.

   "John B! John B!"

   I kick a pile of clothes on the ground, "Jesus this place is a pigsty."

   I find John B on the couch, the same place he's been for the past week. I sit down next to him, shoving his shoulder, "alright this has gotta stop, get up right now. We're going to fourth period."

   "No we aren't, you are," he groans.

   I frown, "John B I know it's hard but-"

   "Actually you don't know!" He sits up, shrugging my hand away from him, "None of you have any idea so just leave me the hell alone!"

   I narrow my eyes at him, "how the fuck do you think getting adopted works? I love my dad but I had another before him. I had a sister and a brother. And one day I was just alone. So yes, I get it!"

   "Sorry," he mumbles.

   The car goes quiet until we park outside the lighthouse, everyone climbing out. John B steps forward and starts to explain, "alright you're gonna post up and look out for bogeys okay?"

   JJ narrows his eyes, "wait why me?"

   "Because you're not coming."

   "Why?"

   "JJ there are independent and dependent variables and you are a dependent-"

   "Shut up-"

   "Guy's just listen to me!"

   I watch as the boy's bicker, exchanging glances with Kiara.

   "Alright! Pope and Cat you stay and look out with JJ, if we get split up we meet back at JJ's house okay?"

   I sigh, "Great."

* * *

   I sit on the top of the twinkie with JJ as Pope sits inside working on his scholarship essay. We swing our legs in sync and sit in silence for a moment before JJ breaks it.

   "What- What were you and John B talking about, when he said that stuff about his dad?"

   He asks tentatively, probably because he thinks it's a hard topic for me to talk about but I've mostly gotten over it.

   "Up until I was eight I lived with my dad, his wife and my three half siblings, but one of them was just a baby. I don't really remember much but one day he and his wife got into a big argument about me and he had to take me back to my mom's house," I sigh, "she wasn't there so I ended up at an orphanage."

   JJ nods, his lips pursed like he's thinking really hard, "is that why- why you and John B were together so much right after his dad left?"

   I shrug, "I mean I guess so, we were already together a lot before then. Our situations are different but we both had dads disappear on us I guess."