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''Bro, you know how I process my sad feels—dank nuts and the stickiest of ickies. Works every time,''

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I LEANED AGAINST the window, watching the trees whip past as John B steered the van through the narrow, winding road. Kiara was up front beside John B. Behind them, JJ and I sat side by side, with Pope squished in next to us, gripping the compass like it held every answer in the world.

''I mean, it's obvious, right?'' John B started as he glanced over his shoulder at us. ''A family heirloom. What better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna get back to me, right?''

Kiara shrugged, offering a faint smile. ''Yeah, it's possible.''

Pope raised an eyebrow. ''It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help... you know, deal with your sad feels.'' His tone was gentle, but he didn't sugarcoat it.

I bit my lip, unable to ignore how much Pope's words mirrored my own thoughts. I wanted to believe John B's dad was out there, too. But after almost a year without a trace, I just... couldn't see it. My dad might leave me alone for days, sometimes weeks at a time, but nine months without a word? My mind couldn't get there.

JJ, sensing the tension, spoke up. ''Bro, you know how I process my sad feels—dank nuts and the stickiest of ickies. Works every time,'' he joked, nudging me with a smirk.

''Yeah, that's very reassuring,'' I replied, rolling my eyes and he just grinned wider.

John B glanced at him in the rearview mirror, undeterred. ''I'm not concocting, okay? My dad's trying to give me a message.'' His jaw tightened as he faced forward, gritting his teeth slightly.

Kiara's voice softened. ''If it helps you believe, John B...''

He exhaled sharply, his grip tightening on the wheel. ''Look, I— I don't need a therapy session, okay? I'm not trippin' out.''

''It's okay to trip, bro,'' JJ replied, leaning forward to catch his eye. ''But—''

''Look—'' John B cut in. ''My dad is missing, okay? You guys don't understand what it's like to have the person closest to you just vanish.'' He shook his head, pressing his lips together. ''And then have no idea what happened.''

The van grew quiet. I wanted to reach out, to tell him that I understood, but words stuck in my throat. I felt his pain. After all, I'd been waiting for answers about my mum for years. But before I could speak, John B looked at me, his expression softening for a moment.

''Except for you, Mimi,'' he added. ''I know you get it.''

''Thanks,'' I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.

He continued. ''You just... wake up every morning wondering.'' His words hung in the air, and I could hear the ache in his tone.

Kiara, turning her gaze from the window, looked at him with concern. ''It's been almost a year, John B.''

JJ piped up. ''Hey, he could've been kidnapped. That's definitely a possibility.'' He shrugged, trying to inject some lightness.

Pope joined in, holding up the compass with a serious face. ''Or he's being interrogated by the KGB on a Soviet sub somewhere.''

''Or in Atlantis,'' JJ added.

Kiara twisted around, fixing him with a stare. ''JJ, seriously.'' Then she looked at John B, her expression softening. ''What do you think the message is?''

John B hesitated for just a moment, glancing at the compass in Pope's hand. ''Redfield,'' he said simply, his gaze locked straight ahead.

The others exchanged glances as he continued, his voice dropping to a murmur, like he was speaking more to himself than to any of us. ''Redfield Lighthouse. That was my dad's favourite place.''

John B's dad had always been a mystery, and if there was even the faintest chance he'd left something behind... I wanted to see it.

''So we're going there?'' I asked, leaning forward to get a clearer look at his face.

''Yeah,'' he nodded firmly. ''We're going to Redfield.''

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

THE WIND HAD picked up as we arrived at the lighthouse. I pulled my hoodie tighter around me as John B turned to JJ.

''Right, here's what's gonna happen,'' John B instructed. ''You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?''

JJ's brow furrowed. ''Wait... why me?'' he asked, genuinely thrown by the command.

Pope folded his arms, letting out an exasperated sigh. ''Because you're not coming,'' he replied matter-of-factly.

''Why?'' JJ's voice rose in protest.

Pope shrugged, as though he'd already had this argument with himself. ''Look, JJ, there are independent and dependent variables. And you're an independent.''

JJ's face scrunched in confusion. ''Shut up,'' he grumbled.

Pope shrugged again. ''We just... don't know what you'll do.''

''Shut up, Pope, just shut up!'' JJ shouted.

Before they could spiral further, John B stepped between them, turning to Pope. ''Guys, listen to me for a second! Pope, you stand lookout with JJ, okay? If we get split up, we meet back at JJ's house.'' He looked from one of them to the other, making sure they both understood.

I raised my hand slightly, leaning forward. ''Well, if Pope's staying, I'm not going in there,'' I stated.

John B turned to me, confusion flashing across his face. ''Wait, why?''

I rolled my eyes, shooting him a smirk. ''I'm not gonna interrupt your date, duh,'' I teased, catching Kiara's knowing grin as she overheard.

''Great,'' Kiara muttered under her breath with a small nod.

''I'm gonna work on my merit scholarship essay, anyway,'' Pope announced. ''And I'm trying to keep felonies to a minimum.'' He dug around in his bag, pulling out a notebook and pencil as if to prove his point.

JJ, meanwhile, had found a half-deflated soccer ball abandoned nearby and was kicking it back and forth, each kick sharper than the last. ''All right, would you just shut up already?'' he muttered, still not quite over the earlier spat.

''Don't throw a tantrum, John,'' I quipped, watching JJ as he played with the ball.

''Oh, come on, Mimi, don't start,'' JJ groaned, although he couldn't quite keep a smile from pulling at the corner of his mouth as I sat down beside Pope.

Settling down beside Pope, I pulled out my phone and tapped open Flappy Bird, letting the game distract me as Pope hunched over his essay, muttering bits of his writing aloud under his breath. JJ leaned over my shoulder, squinting at the pixelated screen.

''Girl, you are not just playing this old, stupid game while there's so much better stuff to do,'' JJ mumbled, shaking his head as he watched my bird plummet for the third time in a row.

''Hey, what's wrong with Flappy Bird?'' I retorted while Pope chuckled beside me.

JJ snatched the phone from my hands, his fingers immediately tapping at the screen. ''Give me that—'' He was focused, already trying to beat my high score.

''You know what—'' I started to protest, but a piercing wail of sirens in the distance cut me off.

Pope's head snapped up, eyes widening. ''Oh, shit,'' he muttered as a police car pulled up at the edge of the lot.

''Guys, go, go, go!'' Pope urged, scrambling to his feet as we all ran for the Twinkie. JJ threw himself into the driver's seat with Pope sliding in beside him while I dove into the back.

''Turn here!'' I called, grabbing onto the seat as JJ whipped around a corner. ''Right, then left—now!'' The van rocked as he followed the directions, and I couldn't help but glance at him. JJ was grinning, somehow enjoying the thrill of the chase. ''Are you seriously amused by this?'' I muttered.

He chuckled, swerving sharply to avoid a pothole. ''You know it, Vivi!''

Eventually, after what felt like a lifetime of tense turns and gravel crunching under the tires, the police car veered off in another direction, giving up the chase. We turned back to the lighthouse to find Kiara and John B already standing outside waiting for us. JJ got out of the drivers seat to sit beside me while John B took the wheel again.

JJ exhaled, leaning back against the seat with a grin. ''You mind if I just relax on this one?'' he asked, pulling out a joint and holding it up with a tired but satisfied smirk. ''It's been a long day, and a lot of weird stuff's gone down. I'm just gonna lay low.'' He paused, holding the joint out to Pope. ''Oh, did you want a hit of this?''

Pope made a face, pushing JJ's hand away. ''I keep the signal clear,'' he declared with a shake of his head.

JJ sighed dramatically. ''Dude, okay, do you understand that your problem is that you don't get creative? If you got creative, then—''

''Look,'' John B interrupted, cutting JJ off. ''I— I know I was wrong about the lighthouse, all right? And, and pretty much wrong about everything else going on. But I— I was right about one thing.'' He paused, his gaze intense as he looked back at each of us, his conviction unwavering. ''My dad's trying to tell me something.''

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