THE PICTURE OF YOU -rafe cameron-

018; the old map

"Look who survived" JJ called out loudly as John B walked into the restaurant, throwing his hands up in the air as to celebrate the sight of his best friend. "Alive and well" John B chuckled, his gaze flickering between the cast on his arm and his friends. "It's good to see you man" JJ urged with a smile, making John nod his head. "Did they just release you from St. Olive's?" Pope questioned. "Uhm... no" John B trailed, walking over to sit down by the counter where Kiara was standing, "it's a long story"

"Hey, do you want a milkshake?" Kiara asked John B, seemingly a little off, "I was gonna go and make some for the others". John B looked up at the kook gone pouge girl with the brown curls upon her head, agreeing with a faint nod of his head, "yeah that sounds great". Kiara nodded once, a little coldly, "vanilla?"

"Yeah, vanilla"

"So are you alright?" Myra the asked John, sitting down at the same table as Pope, JJ lingering around, "I heard that you fell from the Hawk's nest". A faint chuckle slipped past John's lips as he gazed around, "yeah I'm fine, a broken wrist and a concussion can't take me down". Myra heard JJ laugh, but she didn't find it amusing at all. "Did Topper really push you?" she continued. "I don't know, I hardly remember anything if I'm being honest" John B shrugged, "but if he did, I should probably thank him". Pope furrowed his eyebrows and JJ leaned forward a little. "Come again bro" JJ exclaimed confused, "that kook, who might I add not only is an asshole but looks like one, pushed you off a watchtower and gave you a cast and a concussion and you wanna thank him? Have you gone insane? I mean dude... did you lose your brain in the fall or what?"

"Yeah the cast sucks and my head hurts but all of this has totally saved me from the DCS" John B explained, leaning against the counter, "they're gonna leave me be from now on". This sounded like magic to the three pouges hanging around the nearby table, or perhaps more of a magic trick. "And how exactly did a broken wrist and a concussion make the DCS back off? That sounds more like a thing that they would wanna to look into actually" Pope argued. "Ward Cameron took care of it" John B mumbled lowly, making JJ choke on his own saliva. "Ward Cameron took care of it?" he questioned, looking wide eyed at his best friend, "how? What? Why?"

"He's my new legal guardian"

"What the fuck" JJ croaked out, not fully believing John B "Kildare islands emperor Ward Cameron, Sarah's dad, is your new legal guardian?". John B gazed around, clearly uncomfortable with how loudly JJ was talking about this. "Yes" John B answered shortly. "What happened to uncle T?" JJ questioned, his hands on his hips. "Well uncle T is great, but he isn't here right? Look JJ, they were gonna take me away alright? I can't have that, Ward offered to help me out, I had to take it" John B sighed. "Yeah but why?" Pope asked, a little suspicious. "I down know why" John B sighed again, getting fed up with the conversation, "but does it matter? Its not like I'll stay there forever, it's only temporary, until my dad comes back"

The room fell silent. No body dared to question John B when it came to his dad being gone, it was a touchy subject. Pope glanced down at his hands, drawing in a sharp breath. JJ rolled on the balls of his feet, letting his arms fall to his sides. It wasn't until Kiara walked out of the kitchen with a tray of their milkshakes, clearly having heard their whole conversation, that the tension in the room was broken. "I'm sorry" she spoke, clearing her throat as she walked past John B, "you're staying where?"

"Tannyhill"

John's answer was direct, like it was the most simple thing in the world. Kiara did not seem impressed in the slightest. "So you're living with Sarah Cameron?" she asked with disgust clear in her voice as she turned to face her friend. "Okay look..." John B trailed, gazing at Kiara before she walked off. Myra watched as John B buried his head in his right hand, slowly rubbing his forehead and the bridge of his nose before he went on, "...the only reason I'm living there is because her dad bailed me out right? And it's way better than foster care, which by the way is where I was about to go if Ward didn't-"