Mr. Big Head
John B barely remembers the trip home, but once he sees his jetty he pulls up along side it and ties up his boat. He hops out and sluggishly makes his way up to his house. He knew JJ couldn't have made it back yet so he'd have the house to himself and his depressed thoughts. He could use a drink or ten, he thinks as he makes his way up the porch stairs and into his house.
He grabs an open box of crackers sitting on a shelf nearby, hoping it's not empty.
"Hey buddy," a voice startled him and he sees his social worker sat on his couch. He groans. Just what he fucking needs right now.
He sets his backpack down as he curses. "You know Cheryl, it's kind of a bad time for a check-in."
"Not a check-in. We're here to take you," she says matter-of-factly.
"Today? Really?" John B stared her down exasperated. Internally he panics. Could the day be any worse?
"It's just for a few weeks until your hearing," she states.
"No, no, no. Cheryl, look, I'm not going into foster care okay?" He tells her as he buries his face in his hand, a headache forming in his frontal lobe. Then he slams his hands on the table angrily. "I'm not gonna be a part of your little system." He shook his hands at the words system to show what he thought of her system.
He heard a radio beep behind him as a large man in a cop uniform stepped out behind him from where he must have hid in the hall.
"John B, this is Deputy Thomas," Cheryl introduced and John B's panic grew. He stood up and moved away from the deputy. "He works with juveniles for the sheriff's department." John B stopped in front of Cheryl who is now standing, unable to keep his expression from begging her not to do this. She continued. "Look, I know Uncle T is down in Mississippi working at a casino. He hasn't been here in months."
"What?" John B scoffs, debating his next move while trying to rein in his emotions. He starts to make a run for it but the deputy moves to block him and he turns back around. "No, see, that's my nightmare right there. Look, I- I- I-" John B stutters as he thinks quickly, "I want an emancipation."
"Emancipation from who? There's nobody here but you," Cheryl shakes her head at him.
"Uh asylum then," John B says. He can't go to foster care!
"On what grounds?" Cheryl asked patiently. His desperation grew.
"On- on solid grounds. On holy grounds. Look, I feel real— real prosecuted right now by you and-" John B looks back at the cop who was just staring at him. "especially Mr. Big Head over here. What are you looking at bro? What're you gonna do? You gonna tase me?"
John B went to make a run for it again but the cop blocked him again.
"John!" Cheryl yelled at him.
"Oh yeah you wanna dance huh?" Deputy Thomas smiled at him threateningly.
John B tried to outmaneuver him but the man caught him and restrained him. "Come her you little-" the cop gritted out as John B struggled in his hold.
"No no no no I didn't do anything!" John B called out angrily trying to get away. "Cheryl get your dog off!"
"That's enough!" Cheryl yelled.
"Okay okay okay" John B finally relented when he realized he want going to escape this way.
"Relax John," Cheryl told him as John B was lowered to the ground.
"Okay okay I give up," John B said, wanting the cop to get off him.
He was finally let up off the ground and under the cop and Cheryl's supervision, he was allowed to pack a backpack. He angrily stuffed a few important keepsakes and necessities into his bag. He then looked up, grabbed a photo, and moved to stand in front of Cheryl's face, photo held up for her to see.
"See this, Cheryl? You know who this is?" He asked her angrily. "Yeah this is my dad. And do you know what he wanted? He wanted me to stay here, at home, and you're taking me away from him. Do you understand that?"
"It's the law John B" Cheryl replied sternly.
"The law," he scoffed as he grabbed his bag and walked out into the hallway followed closely by the cop so he couldn't run. He was forced into the backseat of the deputy's SUV.
He didn't even get to say goodbye to JJ. He wished he hadn't let her walk away earlier.
He nearly choked at the thought of not being able to see her again. Who would protect her now that he was gone? This can't be happening, he nearly sobbed.
He looked down at the picture of his dad as he leaned his head against the half rolled window. Suddenly an idea came to his mind. Hope bloomed in his chest once more.
He continued looking at the photo of his dad as he brought it up higher and let the wind carry it out of the window. "No stop stop stop! Please stop!" He begged, hoping the they would fall for it. It was his last hope even if the chances were small. "My picture! It's the last picture of my dad. Please."
"Not gonna happen kid," The cop denied vehemently. Asshole.
"Come on, Cheryl. Just stop the car," John B begged again knowing Cheryl was his only hope.
"Tom," she waivered.
"Please. That's all I've got left," John B added, praying for a miracle.
"Pull over," Cheryl ordered Tom.
"You want me to pull over?" Tom asked, obviously not wanting to.
"Just pull over," Cheryl told him again.
"Thank you," John B said impatiently as the car rolled to a stop. The deputy got out and walked down the street to look for the picture.
"Cheryl, can I help him look? Please?" John B asked.
"He's got it," Cheryl denied.
"This idiot. He's not looking in the right place. It's gonna get trashed. Cheryl, please," he begged again, laying it on thick. "It's my final keepsake of my dad. Are you really gonna let that happen?"
Cheryl looked back at the deputy and at him and he could see her giving in.
"Please," he pleaded. "I'm begging you."
Cheryl sighed and JJ knew he had her. "Make it quick."
She unlocked his door and John B almost felt guilty for playing her. Almost. "Yes ma'am"
He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door. "Thanks Cheryl," he said with a smirk, then laughed as he booked it and ran the opposite direction of the deputy. "Later Thomas! Ha ha!"
John B ran across the road and hopped over a fence so he couldn't be easily followed. He doubted Mr. Big Head would be able to hop over it even though it was only about three quarters of his height.
John B ran as fast as he could. He recognized an old coworker and stopped outside his yard where he spied a bike leaned up against the fence.
"Hey, what's up Jorge?" John B greeted, breathlessly.
"What's up bro," Jorge looked up at him curiously.
"Hey look there's a snow leopard," John B pointed unable to think of anything else as he snatched the bike and pulled it up over the fence. He could hear Jorge yelling.
"Sorry," John B spoke hurriedly.
"What the hell," Jorge raged at him, as John B got a running start and mounted the bike.
"I'll return it I swear!" He called back to Jorge who was climbing over the fence to chase him.
"You better," Jorge exclaimed still angry.
"I'll leave it at the park!" John B promised.
"Come on dude," Jorge complained as he gave up the chase knowing it was futile.
John B pedaled like never before, even jumping a tall picket fence using a ramp some kids had set up in a yard. It's all about committing.
"Hey!" He heard a female voice call out before he found himself flying from his bike when he rode it right into a chain. He hit the ground hard. That hurt.
"Who put the chain there?" He groaned out loud from where he was sprawled on his back over the pavement. Pain rippled down his back and side and he squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds as he waited for it to pass.
"Did you just yeet over that chain?" The girls voice got closer which he now recognized as Sarah Cameron. She seemed to be everywhere he went. It was weird.
"Oh." He groaned again as he forced his head up to see the damage. There was blood seeping through his side.
"Oh my god. Holy shit. Your shirt," Sarah jabbered, now standing over him and kneeling next to him to pull back the bloody cloth. A nice long cut was revealed.
"Yeah that's not ideal," John B groaned again. This day really had it out for him. He needed to get out of here before Deputy Tom found him. He was still too close to where he'd escaped for comfort.
"That's not good at all," Sarah agreed, eyes worried at the blood seeping out of the wound.
"Hey could you take me to the hospital?" John B asked. He was sure he'd need stitches anyway.
"Right now?" Sarah asked in return. Obviously.
"Yeah right now. That's be fantastic," John B muttered back as he warily looked around to make sure there was no sign of Cheryl or Mr. Big Head.
"Yeah, okay," Sarah agreed quickly. "Okay, we'll, you have to get up." She stood up and grabbed his arm to help.
John B sighs knowing it's gonna hurt but decides to rip the bandaid quickly and pushed himself up. "Three two one. God."
He determinedly followed Sarah to her car gritting his teeth against the pain and climbed in her passenger seat. He leveled the seat back a bit so he wouldn't be seen as easy through the window.
Once Sarah was buckled into the driver's seat he asked her nervously hoping she wouldn't rat him out, "Hey, do you — do you see a car? Like a— like a cop SUV? Blue and white maybe?"
Sarah looked confused but she looked around. "Yes," she replied after a second. "There is a blue and white cop SUV."
"Shit," John B cursed. Maybe it was a different cop? "Do you see a guy with no neck?"
"There is a guy," Sarah answered as she looked behind them. "He in fact does not have a neck. There's a woman with him."
"What are- what are they doing?" John B asked her, not wanting to risk peeking for himself. Not that he thought he could move f he wanted.
"They're… um…" Sarah started as she put the car in reverse to get a better view.
"Can you— can you just go please?" John B asked firmly, not wanting to risk it and wanting get far away.
"That's- that's what I'm doing," Sarah defended.
"Thank you. Thank you," John B mumbled.
"They are stopped at the dead bike," Sarah told him as she switch gears to drive forward and away from the area.
It was quiet for a few minutes as Sarah drove and John B felt relieved despite the pain. He got away and oddly, he owed that the the kook Princess of all people. A bad day just became a weird one.
"Why are the cops after you?" Sarah asked John B as she drove him to the hospital. "What, did you rob a bank?"
"It's probably better if you don't know," John B told her not wanting to drag her anymore into his mess.
"What are you, like a fugitive John B?" Sarah questioned in disbelief. She just wouldn't let it go, John internally groaned.
"I don't know. More like a refugee or something," John B said. His back pain had calmed down and he kept peering behind them to make sure they hadn't been followed. He knew he couldn't actually go to the hospital or they'd find him. He recognized where they were though and he needed to check. "Hey you know what? Don't take me to the hospital. Just take a left please. I gotta do something."
Sarah listened to him surprisingly. "All right."
She drove left and he signaled her to stop. He hopped out of the car and scanned along the road. Soon enough, he found what he was looking for. The photo of his dad lay abandoned in the street and he hurriedly picked it up and returned to the car.
"Hit it sacho," he told Sarah excitedly. He can't believe he actually pulled off the escape with the help of the kook princess and that he'd got his dad's photo back as well. Perhaps his luck was turning. "Come on come on come on!"
"Okay okay!" Sarah laughed as she drove off and for once she thought her laugh was real.
