XVI.   we stick together

If word had gotten out that Dylan pulled a gun on some Kooks, her life would be over. The Cameron's and Thornton's were powerful people. The entire island was basically wrapped around their finger. 
Although Logan Jennings was a powerful man, he could never compete with the power of Ward Cameron. Her nerves were high the entire next day but she tried to ease them by being with her friends.

Logan was outside talking to Heyward and Dylan stood inside the shop with her friends. "Don't let it get in your head, bro. Three of them and two of us. That's some typical kook shirt right there." JJ stated.

"Hell yeah." Kiara agreed.

He wrapped his arm around Dylan. "Let's not forget our little helper over here," he said with a smirk.

Dylan rolled her eyes. "Please stop bringing that up while my dad's here."

"I'm just so proud of you, my little detective lady. I did not think you would actually use it," JJ laughed and Dylan pushed his arms off of her. She went around the counter and stood beside Kiara. "Pope, what was your thought process, using your head?"

"I don't know, man. I just kind of acted off instinct," Pope explained. "I was a cornered animal."

"A cornered animal that almost got killed." Dylan reminded him.

He lifted his head and smiled at her. "And you saved me."

Her face went red. "Aww, is my DJ getting flustered?" Kiara teased and poked her side.

They laughed. Dylan flipped her off.

"Hey, Pope, someone here to see you," Heyward announced and he and Logan came back into the shop.

Shoupe came walking in and all the teens faces dropped. "Evening, officer." Pope greeted with uncertainty.

"What's going on, Shoupe?" Logan asked the man.

"I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property. Keep your hands on the counter where I can see em."  Shoupe announced.

Dylan's eyes went wide.

"What?" Heyward questioned.

"Okay, hold on." Logan said and held his hand out.

Shoupe walked in Pope's direction and Dylan automatically tried to block him. "No."

"Young lady, get out of my way."

"Whoa, Shoupe, what'd he do?" Pope's dad intervened.

"Take a look at the warrant." Shoupe answered.

"You're just arresting my boy?"

"No, no, you can't." Dylan said quickly.

"Dylan, stay back." Logan warned her.

"What's the proof?" JJ asked over the commotion.

Shoupe put Pope into handcuffs. "Be careful with him!" Logan warned the officer.

"Shoupe, are you listening?"

". . . Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"How much did they pay you, man?"

Terror showed up on Pope's face and he found Dylan's eyes. She shook her head and her eyes shined with tears. "No, stop, you can't take him!" She pleaded.

Shoupe started taking Pope away and they all followed him. "Stop!" Dylan cried out.

Logan grabbed her arm. "Dylan, stop."

Her heart dropped to her stomach. Not Pope. Not him. He had so much going for him in life. He still had his scholarship interview. As she watched him be pulled away from the officer, every bad thought possible coursed through her head. This wasn't all on him. She had every part of it as he did.

Just as she was about to say something, JJ stopped her. "It wasn't him! It was me."

It went dead silent and all eyes fell on JJ. Dylan shook her head quickly. "JJ, no."

"It's okay, DJ. He tried to talk me out of it, but I was mad because he and Dylan had just been beaten up. I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit."

Dylan immediately looked up at her father and shook her head. "No." She repeated.

JJ looked at Pope. "I can't let you take the blame for somethin I did. You've got too much to lose,"

Pope shook his head. "JJ, what are you doing?"

"I'm telling the truth. For once in my goddamn life,  I'm gonna tell the truth. I took his old man's boat, too."

"What the hell?" Heyward said in disbelief.

"JJ, stop—"

"Stop, Dylan!" He exclaimed. JJ looked at Shoupe. "He's a good kid. You know where I'm from."

Shoupe scoffed. "Yeah."

Logan glared and stepped forward. "Okay, let's hold
on—"

"It's okay, Mr. Jennings," JJ stopped him and smiled.  He looked at Pope again. "This was all me."

"That's the whole truth?" Shoupe asked, looking at Pope.

"Whole truth, swear to God."

"I know what you think, damn it! I'm asking Pope."

Pope stared at JJ with begging eyes but the blonde wasn't going to back down. He slowly looked over at Dylan, who was clutching her dad's arm. They both knew JJ was smarter than what people thought and that he could handle himself. Pope had too much to lose. "Yeah, that about covers it." He uttered and immediately felt guilty.

Dylan closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath.

Shoupe took the handcuffs off and Pope and put them on JJ. He put him in the back of the truck. When they left, Pope started to freak out and he threw his hat onto the ground. "Shit!"

"Pope. . ." Heyward said and they watched as the boy took off. 

Dylan looked up at her dad with teary eyes. "Please, dad, you have to do something."

"What is going on, Dylan?" The man demanded.

"I-I can't explain it. Please, you have to help him." She kept begging them man and shook his arm.

"Okay, okay," Logan said pulled her into him. "I'll go the station, okay? I'll get this figured out."

This wasn't supposed to happen. None of it. And it was all because of Rafe Cameron.

Dylan was curled up on the couch when she heard the front door open and shut. She leaned up and saw her father. She immediately got up from the couch. "Dad? What happened?"

Logan let out a sigh and held his hands up. "I couldn't help him, Dylan."

"What?"

He walked over and sat her back down the couch. "I went there and talked with the sheriff. I asked him for all the evidence and the best I could was a plea bargain but he has to pay restitution," her father explained.

"R-Restitution? How much?" Dylan stammered.

"25k."

"Oh my God." She breathed out and put her face in her hands, feeling sick.

Logan looked hesitant to continue. "His father showed up."

Dylan immediately looked at him with wide eyes. "What? Luke showed up?"

He nodded and by the look on his face, it wasn't a good time. She shook her head. "No, no, daddy you don't understand. JJ didn't do this,"

"He confessed, Dyl—"

"I was there, dad!" She admitted. "Okay, I was there with them when it happened. W-We were angry at Rafe and Topper for what they did to me and Pope and we helped Pope sink the boat. It's not JJ's fault, daddy."

Logan listened to her explain and he shut his eyes tightly. "Dylan Celeste, you know better—"

"I know, daddy, I'm sorry," she quickly said with watery eyes. "But we can't let JJ take the fall for this. You know what his dad will do."

"I know, okay? I know," Logan said and grabbed her hands. "I can't try to help him as much as I can but Dylan, I'm not going to let you confess to being there. I can't do that, okay? You're my daughter."

"But JJ—"

"I will talk to your mother about JJ, okay? I need you to just be calm and not say anything."

Dylan nodded. "Okay. . . God, I can't believe this is happening."

Her father rubbed her back. "You sure you don't want me to kill those Kook assholes?"

She let out a breathy chuckle and she leaned her head on her father's shoulder.