𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐒𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑, 𝗃𝗃 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖺𝗇𝗄

8: "𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝."

"Look, for nine months, everybody's tried to get me and Y/n to believe our dad's dead."

As thunder rumbles in the distance, the Routledge siblings lay together, side by side on their hammock at the Chateau. Y/n rested her head on John B's bare chest, looking at their father's compass in her hand.

"They say we're in denial. Whatever."

John B moves his gaze away from the sunrise, looking at the compass in his sister's hand, watching as she opens it up with a small smile. He looks down at her, a smile growing on his face as they both thought of their missing father.

"Denial's underrated. You should try it sometime. It's highly effective, and it's only denial if you're wrong."

Y/n's eyes flutter shut as she cuddles more into her brother's side, John B taking the compass from his sister's hand. Upon seeing her slightly sleepy figure, he places a kiss on her head before resting his head on top of hers.

She hadn't gotten much sleep. To be fair, neither had John B. They hadn't stopped talking about their father and the compass. He was glad his little sister was finally getting some sleep in her.

"It doesn't make any sense. Our dad is the last guy who would ever get lost at sea. This compass coming back to us, our father's compass, which was passed down for generations, it's a sign. Our dad's still alive, and we're gonna find him."

***

Later that day, John B was sleeping on the couch in the Chateau after returning from the Cameron's boat to give back the empty tanks. Y/n was still sleeping on a chair in the same room, just slightly a few feet away from her brother.

The siblings were woken up by a loud bang on their front door, but neither of them bothered to move as their eyes fluttered open.

"DCS! I know you're in there!" A deep voice shouts from the door.

Upon hearing the familiar name, John B sits up slightly, Y/n doing the same. All of a sudden, a loud bang at the window, beside John B, is heard, scaring the shit out of the siblings, more John B than Y/n. Both look over, seeing a familiar head of blonde hair crouched down.

JJ laughs. "Gotcha, slick."

Y/n groans loudly, grabbing the pillow beside her. "JJ, shut up." With that, she chucks the pillow at the window, John B quickly ducking so the object wouldn't hit him.

The Maybank boy slightly flinches when the pillow his headed in his direction, but continues to laugh when the pillow hits the glass before landing on John B's head. Y/n groans again, only wanting to go back to sleep.

"Sorry, princess." JJ chuckles, sending her a wink.

***

The Routledge siblings and the Maybank boy found themselves sitting in the van together, JJ and John B in the front, Y/n in the back, headphones covering her ears, blocking out the boys conversation as music blasts through.

"I'm just saying, I don't understand why you don't at least try with Kiara. She clearly likes you." JJ informs, continuing their conversation. "She's sketching about you diving, then she kissed you, bro."

"She kissed me on the cheek." John B reminds. "It's not like we were making out or something."

"Don't pretend that you don't notice. I see it in your eyes." JJ points at his eyes. "You're like, "I kinda like that", and you start blushing."