Here is the last part of chapter 12, as it ended quite abruptly:

A little less than a week later, Brooke and John B are driving home from lunch and a Costco run to get provisions for the writer's retreat Samantha's is hosting at their house. Brooke had intentionally asked John B to help with the grocery run so they could talk about independent living.

Brooke realized how silly it was for her to be surprised when John B declared he would be in the independent living program by the time he was fifteen and a half. She is, after all, the one who suggested it—telling John B they would help him make his case. At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do; it would ease the tension for the time being and John B would likely decide to keep living with them.

Brooke thinks back to when Samantha first started living with her; in an effort to convince Sam to live with her she offered her the opportunity to come and go as she pleased, only to very quickly become uneasy with a fifteen-year-old coming home at two in the morning. John B living completely on his own at fifteen stirs up the same feelings of distress.

Chapter 13

Brooke's thoughts of how to begin the conversation about independent living are interrupted when John B asks, "Wait, are we going to stay at the house during Sam's writing workshop?"

"No. I was thinking we could go back to the Outer Banks that way Sam and her friends can really focus."

"But that weekend is JJ's half birthday."

"Says the hater of half birthdays," Brooke said with a grin.

"I think it's a bit lame, but JJ is really looking forward to it," John B said.

"Really!" Brooke said failing to keep the shocked tone from her voice entirely. "He told you that?"

John B shrugged and looked out the window. "I can just tell."

"We'll make it super fun! A full day off school on Friday and then we will do whatever he wants on Saturday. When you get a chance, can you email me some gift ideas?"

"Sure."

Brooke glances over and sees John B snacking on a big bag of gummy worms. "Hey, buddy, those are the 'book worms' for Samantha's writer's retreat. You have to stop eating them unless you want to go all the way back to Costco to buy more."

"Can't you just buy more at the grocery store?"

"I could, but those are Sam's favorite brand. She is really into writing with them since Julian went way over the top and filled her college dorm with ten huge bags to inspire her to be a 'bookworm.' We can stop at the next gas station though if you want more gummy worms."

"No, it's cool—thanks," John B said.

Brooke nodded. She realized they were ten minutes from home and if she was going to discuss independent living, it had to be soon. "In three months, you'll be fifteen and we have not really discussed the independent living program since your first weekend."

"Oh, yeah. I went online and looked up the program. I need to complete some sort of assessment with you guys," John B said talking rapidly. "Basically, I have to make a plan and show how I am going to stick to it. The chateau is already paid off and, in my name, so I will just need to pay the taxes and utilities. I can get a part time job. I have the director for the county's phone number, and I even left a couple of messages, but she hasn't gotten back to me."

"You already left a couple of messages?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah, she probably isn't getting back to me because I'm a kid," John B said. " I...I've been meaning to ask you if you could call her."

"You know what, there's a rest area in two miles. Let me pull over so I can give you my full attention, okay?" Brooke said. She knew teenagers were supposedly most comfortable talking in the car, but John B would be less comfortable if they ended up in an accident.

"Yeah, sure," John B responded.

When they pulled over, Brooke said, "I'll call her. But are you sure you want to go through with it? What about revisiting the idea when you're sixteen and we could continue to be your foster parents until then?"

"But that wasn't the deal," John B said.

"I know, honey."

"Look, I really appreciate everything you and Julian have done for me and for JJ. Honestly, I was under the impression that all foster parents were horrible, but you guys are actually pretty cool. I mean Julians, like the opposite of cool, but you know what I mean. But that doesn't change the fact that I take care of myself."

"I know you can take care of yourself, but you shouldn't have to. Not to mention Julian and I love having you and JJ around. Would you consider giving it some more time," Brooke asked gently.

"Brooke, I'm not going to do that."

"How are you going to pay for things? Or get around?—"

"When JJ turns fifteen, he's going to apply. So, we can live together in the chateau and split costs."

"Well, the part about JJ is news to me," Brooke said trying to keep her tone measured.

"If you're going to do it for me, why wouldn't you do it for him?" John B asked, raising his voice.

"At the moment, I'm not even sure I'm going to do it for you?" Brooke said, raising her voice as well.

"What the fuck, Brooke-"

"Language," Brooke snapped.

"Right, because that's the problem and not your lying."

"When I told you about independent living, you were talking about running away. I was short sighted and only thinking about how to prevent that. But fifteen is so young-"

'You let Sam go and live with her mom at fifteen."

"That was different, I made that decision because it was obviously in Sam's best interest, and I do not think you living alone at fifteen is in your best interest" Brooke says. "Although, I do think that if any fifteen-year-old could do it, it would be you."

Later that night, John B and JJ were smoking a joint at the park. The joint was procured from JJ's cousin Ricky when Brooke brought John B and Jamie to the Outer Banks shortly after Christmas.

John B takes a long hit and then glances around to make sure they are still the only two people at the park. Handing the joint to JJ, John B said, "Yeah, so then I pointed out that she let Sam go and live with her mom at the same age. Brooke said that was different because it was in Sam's best interest, or whatever. Then we didn't really talk for the rest of the ride home. She's trying to smoke me out."

"I'm pretty sure Brooke is not trying to give you free weed, JB."

"No shit, man. I meant she's smoking me out by not bringing independent living up. She knows the director isn't going to call me back, so she is waiting for me to bring it up again."

"Wouldn't that be the opposite? Like she is smoking you in?"

"Whatever," John B said. "The point is we may have to do this without Brooke's help. I could really use some of your outside of the box thinking."

"Yeah. It's just...what choice do we really have. And living with Brooke and Julian is kinda cool," JJ says. John B raises his eyebrows. JJ breaks eye contact and begins spinning the rings on his fingers. His phone dinged and he looked down. "Oh, dude, it's a text from Brooke asking where we are."

"Wait for it," John B says glancing down at his phone. A sew seconds later, his phone dings as well. "Annnd there it is."

"Remember when Kie's parents would be up her ass and she was always complaining about it?" JJ asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm beginning to see what she was going through," JJ sighed. "It's so much harder to drink weed and smoke beers when you don't have a supervision-free home."

John B laughed and then gave him a skeptical look. "JJ-,"

"What?" JJ asked. Trying to hide his defensiveness by taking a long drag.

"Getting messed up would have been a lot easier, dumbass, if you didn't immediately get our stash confiscated and broadcast that you were a stoner with you attention-seeking behavior."

JJ grins, flips him off, and hands the joint back. "If it wasn't for me, we wouldn't have a stash in the first place." JJ glances down at his phone and sees a text message from Julian coming in and holds the phone up to show John B.

"We better get going," John B said handing JJ some gum and hand sanitizer. "They are going to send out a search party if we don't make it home soon."

"Hey now, we still have a quarter of this baby left. Let me text Julian back and buy us another twenty minutes or so."

"Okay, but I'm setting a timer. Hey, is that guy jogging Nathan?" John B asked.

"Fuuuuck…it is," JJ whispered as he stuffed the joint out and tossed it in the garbage. Then both boys started walking away.

"Act natural," John B hissed into JJ's ear.

"JJ, John B?" Nathan called, jogging over to them.

"Hey, Nathan. It's good to see you," JJ said with false bravado.

"It's good to see you guys too. What are you up to?" Nathan asked.

"Nothing much, just about to head home," John B said.

"Cool! I was actually about going to your house too. Julian is setting up a drone with a camera for me that I'm going to attempt to use," Nathan said failing into step with them." Brooke mentioned that you guys are trying to get into the independent living program. That's an interesting choice-"

"Brooke was the one who suggested it and told us she would help me in the first place," John B said. "Also, didn't you emancipate yourself from your parents at 17?"

"I did. But my parents weren't Brooke and Julian," Nathan said.

"Brooke and Julian aren't our parents either," John B said.

"You're right. I know how hypocritical I sound," Nathan agreed. " But they care about you guys, and they are two of the best people I know. I've known Brooke for practically-"

"Look, this isn't really your business," John B said.

Nathan nodded, "Okay. I respect that."