EDEN and John B. had always been there for each other.

She still remembers the two met—that one fateful recess in the middle of third grade.  Eden had just gotten into making bracelets and decided she could make a few extra bucks—as if she didn't have enough money to begin with—by selling some.

She'd been sitting out on the bench for almost half the recess, and had nothing, nada, in her money box.  Depressing, right?  Her little eight year old heart was shattered—because, little ol' her didn't understand the way of business—and she was about to sulk away when a scrappy looking kid came running up, a five dollar bill in his outstretched hand.

Of course she already knew who John B. was, but that day was the day that a true friendship started out between the two.  Where John B. and Eden became John B. and Eden.  A few days after that, JJ was in the picture—it was hard to just get John B.,  JJ was a package deal—but the blonde and her would never have the bond that her and the Routledge shared.  He was her first real friend, and that would always mean something.

He was the one to help her to the office when she broke her arm playing soccer in the seventh grade, or to cheer her up when her boyfriend at the time—Atlas Henderson—broke up with her for some Kook girl in the tenth.   

And Eden showed the very same amount of support to him.  She was the one who gave him advice on which girls liked him—John B. never knew when to make a move—and who he should go for, or, more recently, to comfort him after the death—disappearance—of his father.

Now, at first, Eden had hope that Big John was truly just lost at sea.  But, after nine months of virtually nothing, she was almost sure, and she hated to say it,  that he was truly gone.   Her and the Pogues had tried to get through to him that his father, if not dead, was long gone, but they were always met with John B.'s denial.

He always denied any sort of saying that Big John was gone.  Somewhere, even if he knew there was only a small chance of it being true, John B. believed his father was alive and would find his way home.  So, at the sight of Redfield carved into his father's belongings, John B. could only hope for the best.

And who was Eden to tell him to stop?

"I mean, it's obvious, right?" the brunette boy questioned from the drivers seat of the Twinkie, "A family heirloom.  I mean, what better place to hide a message? He had to know it was gonna get back to me, right?" 

Eden looked at her friends, all three of which having a weary look upon their faces.  They'd tried to keep believing in the dream that Big John was coming back, but it was getting rather difficult now.  

Kiara spoke up hesitantly, "Yeah. It's possible."

Pope was next, with a less positive answer, "It could also be possible that you're concocting wild theories to help, you know—" The boy he'd been speaking too spoke his name in a warning tone, but Pope ignored and finished his sentence, "—deal with your sad feels."

"Thank you, Pope." Eden muttered, looking over at the boy who'd just spoken her own thoughts.

"Bro, you know how I process my sad feels. Dank nugs and the stickiest of ickies, thats how I do it." JJ stated with a small smirk on his face.

Eden shrugged, "I usually put on Titanic and just make bracelets for three hours straight.  But, I did dye those strands of my hair out of impulse that one time—"

"I'm not concocting, okay?" John B. took the conversation back to where it originally had been, "My dad's trying to give me a message."

"If it helps you believe, John B." Kie spoke gently, trying not to upset the boy.

Clearly, her attempt at keeping him calm didn't work, because the way John B. snapped back showed he was getting slightly irritated, "Look, I-I don't need a therapy session, okay? Look, I'm not trippin' out."

"It's okay to trip, bro, but—"

"Look, my—my dad is missing, okay? Missing. 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 day wondering...." John B. replied, keeping his eyes on the road so he could avoid his friend's sympathetic stares.

Kie's mouth fell into a straight line, "It's been almost a year."

"Hey, he could have been kidnapped." JJ suggested, trying to lighten the dim mood that had fallen across the group, as he always did, "That's definitely a possibility."

Pope added, "Yeah, could be in a Soviet sub getting interrogated by the KGB somewhere."

"Absolutely." JJ agreed, "Uh....or Atlantis."

"JJ,"  Kiara sighed in annoyance before turning back to John B., "Look, what do you think the message is?"

John B. was quick to reply, "Redfield. Redfield lighthouse. That's my dad's favorite place."

Driving right past the entrance sign—which specifically said closed on it—the five of them filed out of the van, eyes set on the towering lighthouse above them.   John B. glanced for a moment before coming right up to JJ, "Right. You're gonna post up and look out for bogeys, okay?"

The blonde's eyebrows furrowed together and he pointed to himself, "Wait...Why me?"

"Because you're not coming." Pope stated the obvious.

"Why?"

Pope sighed before replying, "Look, JJ, there are independent and dependent variables.  And you're an independent variable—"

"Shut up Pope! Just shut—"

"We don't know what you're gonna do!"

"Just listen to me for a second! Just listen." John B. stopped the two boys from continuing their argument, "Pope, you stand look out with JJ.  Okay? If we get split up, we meet back at JJ's house."

"I'm gonna work on my merit scholarship essay," Pope announced, "and i'm trying to keep felonies down to a minimum."

"I really don't feel like watching over you two dipshits."  Eden sighed, running right past the two to meet up with Kiara and John B. at the fence blocking them from the lighthouse. "Good luck on that essay, bubs!"

Climbing over the fence, the three Pogues made their way into the lighthouse.  It was just as huge on the inside, and Eden had to let out a scoff as she saw the amount of stairs it held, " Holy shit.  I hope you two don't mind stairs."

"Remind me what we're looking for again?" Kiara agreed, mouth agape as her eyes trailed up.

John B. simply replied, heading towards the stairs. "We'll know when we see it."

"On and upwards." Eden muttered, beginning her journey up the stairs, John B. in front of her, Kie behind.   Hand on the railing, she dragged herself up, eyes looking all over the lighthouse.  It looked old, and during their hike up, she was sure she heard something fly past them.

After about ten minutes of walking, they were eventually met with a black door, and John B. hesitantly knocked on it.  A moment of silence followed, and the brunette turned towards them with a, 'Nobody's home,' before hearing the door creak open.

A man with a ginger beard opened the door, and looked around at the three, an unimpressed look on his face.   Eden gave a small wave and spoke up, "Hi, me and my friends are, uh, here for the lighthouse."

"The lighthouse is closed." the man answered, closing the door in their faces before anyone could say anything else to change his mind.

John B. spoke again next, hoping the man was still listening from the inside. "Actually, we....we aren't here about the lighthouse.   We're here about the, uh.....the Royal Merchant."

The door opened again, and the man reappeared. "Then you came to the right place."

Letting them in, the three filed into the lighthouse, listening in on what the man had to say about it.   Eden was amazed at the view it gave—you could perfectly see the beach, as well as the forests that surrounded it.  It was all so bright.  "Wow, this view is.....great."

"I know more—Watch your step here—about the Royal Merchant than anyone else in Kildare County." The man began, "Now, the Merchant disappeared in the graveyard of the Atlantic in 1829."

"With four hundred million." John B. muttered.

The man patted John B. on the shoulder, "You're a bit of a Merchanteer yourself, huh?"

"Uh....something like that."

"Well, follow me." the man replied, beginning to walk towards a different spot, "I wanna show you somethin'."

The man continued to speak about the Merchant's location, eventually leading the three back inside to look at a map, pointing around as he spoke. "Right here is where the Point used to be. My calculations say the Merchant's right about there, down about 1,000 feet."

"That's what my dad used to say." John B. replied, before noticing the rangers small look.  He came up closer to the man, "Yeah, I know this is weird, all right?  Do you know anything about this?" The man stayed quiet, so John B. continued, holding open the compass, "Look, it—it says Redfield in the back, in my dad's handwriting. Yeah, I don't know why I'm here, but I feel like I'm supposed to be here."

John B. spoke a few more words, but the man suddenly bolted away from the three teens, up towards the very top of the lighthouse.  Eden furrowed her brows, and followed after her friends as they chased after the man.  Clearly, he knew something, or he wouldn't be reacting this way.

"Wait a minute.  Look....Look, man, I know this is weird.  I just thought, hoped, maybe you would know something about this, all right?"

Kie spoke up next, trying to convince information from the man. "Sir, you won't believe what he's been through in the past twenty-four hours.  I mean, threatened, shot at, home invaded."

"Home invaded?"

"My rooster was killed." John B. muttered before continuing with the ranger, "Look, man, my dad wanted me to talk to you, okay? So, if there's anything you could think of that would help us, please, just tell us, okay?"

John B. grabbed the man's shirt and Eden let out a slight warning.  The last thing they needed was to get kicked out. "John B."

"If you know anything, just—"

Of course, Eden's hopes of not getting in trouble were crushed as the man picked up his walkie and spoke into it. "Wanda, I got three kids on drugs up here at the lighthouse.  Call the police."

In a sudden movement, John B.—who'd been trying to snatch the walkie from the man—had smashed his hand into the glass surrounding causing the man to groan in pain.  

"What are you doing?" Kie exclaimed, eyes wide.

John B. also had a wide eyed gaze, "It was an accident, okay?"

"Doesn't matter." Eden muttered, watching as the ranger had began to furiously bleed from his hand.  She put a hand on John B.'s back, lightly pushing him back towards the stairs. "Let's go, let's go."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to—" John B. tried to apologize as Eden shoved him towards the stairs, "Oh shit."

Going down the stairs two at a time, the three Pogues rushed outside, eyes searching for the Twinkie.  But, instead of seeing it parked and ready for take off, it was already speeding away from the lighthouse.

"Seriously?" Kie breathed.

"Those assholes!" Eden panted, flipping off the car as it drove away. 

The three of them then darted for the right, jumping right back over the fence and away from the police sirens .

Eden was now walking right beside her two friends, eyes glazing across the sunny sky.  They'd managed to out run the police, and were now finding their way back to the blonde's house by foot.

"Hey, look. You've got to admit, that was kind of promising." John B. spoke up, "I mean, my dad, the Royal Merchant, the ranger, the Royal Merchant.  I mean, coincidence? I don't—I don't think so."

"It's his job to know about ship wrecks, John B." Kie replied.

"Okay, but the Royal Merchant?"

Eden let out a frustrated sigh, "Only the most famous ship wreck, JB! Of course he knows shit on it."

Kiara added, "Redfield's one of the most common names in the Outer Banks.  That could mean anything.  Look, as a wild goose chase goes, this is a really good one."

The brunette boy wasn't losing hope, not yet. "Look, I don't know.  Maybe we missed something at the lighthouse.  We—we should go back."

"Because that would be our best idea yet." Eden snapped back, crossing her arms. "You smashed his hand into the glass.  He's never gonna let us in again."

"On accident." John B. responded, saying every syllable. "But, you believe me, right?" He looked at the other girl next to him aswell, "Both of you do, right?"

Kie bit her lips before answering, speaking what had been running through everyone's mind during the car ride to the lighthouse. "I think there might be some light to moderate concocting going on at this point.  Look, uh, I get it."

"Eden, please do not doubt me on this." John B. looked to his friend with a frown. 

She gave an apologetic look to the brunette, "I'm sorry, John B.  I really am.   Your right, this whole Redfield thing definitely isn't random.  It's gonna lead to something, I know it will and we're eventually gonna get there.  But, your father? I—I don't know how accurate that really is.  I think you're just creating this huge goose chase in the hope that your dad will be at the end."

"You miss your dad. I know, we know." Kiara states,  gesturing between her and her friend. "But, like Eden said, I don't understand why he would put a clue on a compass—"

"'Cause he knew it would come back to me." John B. stated, before allowing Kie to wrap her arms around him in an embrace.  When they pulled away, Eden would have showed him a sign of comfort too, if it wasn't for the fact that his mouth was pressed to Kiara's.

Eden's mouth went into an 'O' shape, and she quickly turned away with an unimpressed look on her face.  When she told John B. it was clear that Kie was into him, she didn't mean 'immediately kiss her'.  And if that was his plan, why now? 

Just as quickly as their lips connected, Kiara backed away with an awkward expression. "Uh...What was that?"

"You."

Eden let out a laugh, but quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.  Now was not the time to make fun of John B. for getting rejected.  She could hear a few more um's and uh's coming from the two, before he eventually started apologizing to Kie.

"Oh, God, I'm an idiot."

"No, it's okay.  No, it's okay."

As the two continued to awkwardly apologize and speak to one another—yes, Eden had no choice but to hear Kiara totally friend zone John B.— she could feel the tension growing in the air.  Eventually they'd fallen silent, and Eden turned around again, causing both teens to look at her, mouths open to talk.

Eden raised her hands innocently, "I didn't see a thing between you two......but that was uncalled for."

John B. was about to snap back when a siren sounded, and a familiar voice yelled out, "Routledge.  I got you, son."  Kie stepped behind the boy, taking the compass so he could lift his hands without revealing anything. "Now, why don't you just be chill and not make me chase you? Hands where I can see 'em."

John B. did comply, and within a few minutes, Eden was sitting in the waiting room of the Police department, Kie right besides her as they waited for John B. to get sent back out.    The two girls stayed silent—Eden didn't want to bring up the kiss, but she'd definitely talk to John B. about it later.

Plus, Shoupe was standing right beside them, watching the two's every move, so Eden thought it'd be better to keep quiet until they were gone.   And within the next five minutes, they were.  Kie's dad had been called—thank god it wasn't Isla—to come and retrieve them, and he seemed rather pissed to be doing it.  Eden would be too.

Storming out from the station,  Mr. Carrera was going off on Kiara, causing the two brunettes to stay silent behind her.  It wasn't unusual for the Carerra family to be arguing, as she was in the same position as Eden.   Mike and Anna—half Kook, half Pogue—would rather have their daughter hanging around with Kooks rather than three ragamuffin boys, who definitely didn't meet the expectations they wanted.

Eden thinks—well, she's actually very sure—that she's the only friend of Kie's that Mr. and Mrs. Carrera approve of.  If Kiara get's sent to duty at The Wreck—aka her parents'way of getting her away from the Pogues—Eden is more than likely to get the girl out of it by convincing Mike somehow to let her off.  If Kie's trapped at home, Anna usually allows Eden in to visit as, the two won't get into any trouble.

Taking the brunette from her thoughts is the stern, and rather annoyed voice of Mike Carrera, "Eden, do you need a ride back?"  All he wanted to do was get back to his restaurant, but he still gave her the option if she needed it.

"Oh, no, I'm okay, Mr. Carrera." Eden softly said, giving a one sided smile towards the man.  Kie and John B. were still talking, so she decided to get his mind off the two for a few more seconds, trying to buy them more time. "I appreciate this, Mr C.—"

"Don't thank me." He snapped, giving her a narrow eyed glance before his eyes flicked towards his daughter and the brunette boy. "Kiara."

The Carrera girl turned away from the boy, muttering a small apology before getting into her fathers truck with a small frown.  Kie gave a small wave, to which Eden returned, before finally driving off with her father.

John B. let out a sigh before beginning to walk away, not even bothering to wait for his friend.  Eden gave an eye roll before running up to him, walking right in time with him.  "So, are we gonna talk about the kiss?"

"Nope." John B. replied flatly, "You didn't see anything, so there's nothing to talk about."

Eden scoffed, "There is a lot to talk about bubs."  After the silence her comment was meant with, she continued talking. "For one, I can't believe you just kissed her like that."

"You're the one who said to go for it!" John B. fired back, slightly upset that he'd gotten friend zoned with his friend.

"One, I am not the one who said go for it, JJ was the one who asked why you didn't try with her." Eden replied, "Two, why'd you go for it then? The mood was clearly very down, and I was standing right next to you.  Third wheeling is not on my to do list."

John B. kept on staring ahead as if he didn't want to talk anymore, but he continued the conversation anyway, "I don't know, Eden.  The moment felt right when I didn't, but it clearly didn't to Kie, so it all backfired."

"Well no shit it backfired." Eden laughed, "You got completely friend zoned."

John B. slightly cringed at the word, "Don't say it.  You make it sound like the worse possible outcome."

"It was the worst possible outcome." She answered,  "And, you just don't like it because you've never been friend zoned by someone in your life.  All the girls want you, and they're like 'Oh, John B.'"

John B. shook his head, "You sound just like JJ, you know that?"

Eden shrugged, "I'm gonna take that as a compliment.  Besides, he's not wrong."

"Well, you are." the brunette said dryly, "I have been friend zoned before, by you.  We were thirteen.  I clearly remember that."

Eden nodded, "Yeah, I sure did, but, you didn't get so depressed afterwards.  You just moved on and the next day we were talking as if you didn't try anything.  You weren't so.....depressed, like you are now."

He sent her a narrow eyed glance, "I am not depressed."

"Whatever you say, JB."

The two then kept walking in silence until John B. walked across the street to slightly wash off.  Eden didn't mind as she waited the twelve minutes it took him, leaning against the wood deck beside the small shack area.

When he finally returned, he seemed in a rush.   Eden furrowed her brows as she caught up to him, "You seem in a rush? Got plans?"

John B. didn't look at his friend as he replied, "Ward Cameron wants to see me."

"Is this about the tanks?" Eden pursed, "I thought you said Sarah didn't tell anyone."

"That's what she promised."

Rushing off towards the boating dock, Eden allowed the brunette to run ahead.  If Ward wanted something, it was probably important—and probably had something to do with Sarah telling her father about the tanks.

In Eden's opinion, Kooks were untrustworthy.  They'd always rat someone else out—especially Pogues—if it meant they got the upper hand.  And they always caused trouble—remember the beach party? If Sarah ratted John B. out, Eden was going to be more than pissed.  That job was his only source of income, and if he lost it, then he had no money.   He'd be starving as Sarah bought another pair of designer shoes.

Spotting Ward cleaning up his boat—My Druthers—the two brunettes walked up towards him silently.  Eden tried to keep a good posture—for once, one of her mothers constant reminders came in handy.  Whether or not Eden actually cared for Kooks, she'd always been one to try and leave good impression, but maybe that was just Isla rubbing off on the girl.

Ward didn't look back at the two, but seemed to notice their sudden appearance, "Have a seat, John."

Eden had to fight back the urge to laugh at the way he called him John.  Somehow, John just seemed a little too formal for the person John B. was. 

Ward Cameron slightly glanced towards Eden, "It's nice to see you, Eden."

"Nice to see you too, Mr Cameron." Eden spoke as if the two had actually had a conversation before.  She wasn't surprised that Ward spoke to her, though.   Back when her mother lived in Figure Eight, they were probably good friends—the same way that all Kooks were.

"How's your mother been?"

Eden replied, trying to stay professional. "Good.  But, I'm not home too often, so I wouldn't know."

Ward finally turned around, "Mind stepping out for a minute?"

"Will do." She gave a firm smile and backed up,  slightly patting John B. on the shoulder and muttering a small, 'good luck' under her breath.   She left the boat, walking a little away's before leaning against one of the wooden pillars on the dock.

Eden watched closely to the conversation, trying to see which way it was going.  There wasn't any major sign of emotion on either on their faces, but towards the end of their talk,  Eden could slightly see John B.'s face fall.

But, that small drop told Eden everything. He lost the job.

"Don't tell me he—"

"Fired me?" John B. scoffed, walking up to his friend, "Yeah, he fired me."

Eden sent a glare towards the My Druthers as she walked at John B.'s side, "You have to be kidding me.  That is so unfair.  Does he not realize that you don't make any money without him?"

"I'm sure he does, but clearly, he doesn't seem to care about that." John B. muttered before falling silent again.  Eden, seeing how upset he was about this, didn't continue and just followed on beside him, silently trying to be there for him.

A sudden voice caused Eden to tense together.  Sarah Cameron; the tattletale.

"Hello, Eden." Sarah's voice perked up, bag of Skinny Pop in her hands.  Eden didn't reply, and Sarah gave an eye roll, having expected that answer from the brunette.  "Hey, John B." she casually spoke again, expecting a small greeting back from him, or at least a smile.  But, she was left stopped in her tracks as John B. brushed right past her as if she wasn't there to begin with.

"I'm—I'm sorry, that's it?" Sarah asked, a certain tone in her voice. "Not a, 'Hey, how you doing'? Or 'kiss my ass'?"   At those words, John B. finally acknowledged her, and came storming up to her, a pissed look set on his face.

"'Your secrets safe with me'?" John B. mimicked the girls prior words, staring directly at her.

Sarah took a minute to remember what he was talking about, "What secret are—Oh, that secret."

John B. allowed himself to slightly raise his voice, finally allowing all his compressed anger to fire out.  It was her fault he lost his job, and she needed to know how much it really meant for him. "I just got fired because of you.  And I know you can't imagine that, but some people need jobs so they can eat." He smacked her bag of Skinny Pop out of her hands before stalking away.

"What the fuck?" Sarah exclaimed, furrowed eyebrows as she tried to figure out what the hell John B. meant.  She hadn't told anyone, so why was he blaming her?

John B. came right back up in the blonde's face, spitting out, "You are exactly who I thought you were, Sarah Cameron."

When he finally came back to Eden, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders, saying the words, "Never trust a Kook,"  as her eyes glared at the back of Sarah Cameron's head.

Kie had always called Sarah a spitting cobra.  She lures you in with her charming smile, and pretty personality, but then stabs you right in the back without another thought.  Now, Eden had never gotten the pleasure of actually knowing the blonde, but based on what had just happened, she supposes Kiara's words aren't far from the truth.

mara's misc!

so, once again, i have mixed feelings about this chapter.  i hate how much dialogue is in it because i like writing multiple paragraphs filled with action rather than 2000 sentences filled with filler dialogue? idk if that makes sense but....

eden really had nowhere to be, so i just kinda sent her off with john b. (and kie).  i need to actually write her bonding with someone else other than jb for once, but they're my babies so it's never gonna happen.

also, i think i'm gonna make saturdays my official update day for summertime sadness.  i can usually have a chapter done by then, and if not, i usually have enough free time to finish them.  (my goal is usually up by saturday before 6pm).

hope you enjoyed!<333