𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿.

fifty one.

   I glare at the ringing phone.

   After the third ring, I pick it up, "John B?"

   My friends stop their arguing and look over at me.

   My hands shake, "are you okay? We'll come back for you right now-"

   "No don't worry about it- look it's way to hot- get out- obx-"

   His voice glitches on the other line, "Obx? What-"

   Sarah takes the phone from me, putting it on speaker, "John B are you okay?"

   "Yes everything's fine, I found-"

   "Thank god he's okay, John B we can't hear you."

   The phone keeps glitching out, the line cutting. Sarah lets out a frustrated sigh, throwing the phone down.

   "You guys think he found his father?" Cleo asks.

   "He's been missing for over a year," Pope says, which I'm assuming is his subtle way of shutting down the idea.

   I don't blame him.

   "Should we go back?"

   I shake my head, "he said we'll meet in the obx."

   Sarah nods, "she's right, go-"

   "Sarah-"

   "I said go!"

   She storms off, below deck. I stand, looking over my shoulder at JJ, "you okay?"

   He gives me a nod and I go to follow Sarah. I find her sitting on the edge of the boat, her feet in the water. I take a seat beside her, letting my own bare feet dangle.

   I'm just realizing I left my shoes on that dock with Rafe.

   I rest my head on Sarah's shoulder, intertwining my arm with her's. I feel her rest her cheek on my head and let out a sigh.

   "Are you okay?"

   "I should be asking you that, rooming with Rafe and all."

   So Kie told her.

   I don't even know how to talk about what happened.

   Me and Rafe, it's complicated.

   "Ready to see your dad again?"

   I smile, "ready is an understatement."

   At the silence that follows my comment I can tell what Sarah's thinking about. She has nothing back in Obx, nobody.

   I pick up my head, my eye's finding her's, "you know you're more than welcome at my place, right? You're my sister, my dad knows that. He really likes you."

   She smiles, "really?"

   "Sometimes I think he likes you more than me."

   She grins, dissolving into that famous Sarah Cameron smile.

* * *

   I stand on my porch.

   Everything is just how we left it.

   Bear picks her head up, looking lazily towards me. I expect her to ignore me like normal but she stands, strutting over to rub against my legs.

   She missed me.

   I nod to myself, slowly pulling open the screen door. I push open our front door, the lock is broken like it was before I left, JJ kept breaking it until my dad made him fix it again.