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"You say all I ever do is just control your life

But how you gonna lie like that, how you gonna lie like that?"

Lie

NF

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Chapter 8 - Secrets Aren't Safe

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After an hour of waiting, I couldn't take it anymore. I convinced JJ to give me a ride in the van to the police station.

"What's the plan?" He asked me, taking off his seatbelt.

I shake my head, buckling him back in like a five-year-old. "Oh no, you're not coming with me. I have to do this alone."

"I'm not just dropping you at the police station and driving away. I can't remember a time the cops ever helped anyone on the cut. I don't trust them."

"JJ, do you trust me?"

JJ he hesitantly picked his next words, "I only trust the pogues."

"Okay good. My aunt, the one that I'm staying with, works in the police department. She'll let me in and I can ask about John B and Kie. I will meet you back at your house before you know it."

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I walked into the police station seeing the secretary at the front lobby, "Hello, I'm here to see my aunt, Sheriff Peterkins."

"Oh! You must be Sammy! Nice to meet you!" She gushed, holding a hand for me to shake out the window that divided the lobby from the reception area.

"Yes, I'm Sam. I just need to speak to her quickly." I gave her my reason for popping up.

"I think she's in a meeting at this moment, but you can wait inside if you want, I just need a form of ID."

"Oh, of course," I said, pulling my license out and giving it to her. I held my breath as she overlooked it, running it through the system. I leaned over the window that divided us, subtly trying to see if anything suspicious popped up.

"You're all set, Sam Peterkins!" She said with a bright smile, handing my ID back.

"Thank you." I smiled, pulling the door into the main part of the station open. I walked past many office doors, a series of deputy names written on the doors. I stopped when I came to one labeled 'SHERIFF PETERKINS'. The shades were down, preventing me from seeing anything inside, but when I leaned into the door, I heard voices.

"Nothing in the OBX goes without me finding out about it." I recognized my aunt's voice. "Just like how I know you've been hanging out with my niece."

I winced at the exposed relation that I had failed to mention to them. It wasn't a total lie, it never managed to find its way into a conversation.

"Who are you-" He started before he stopped to put it all together. "Sam's your niece?"

"Since the day she was born." My aunt said matter of factly.

"Some people risk more than foster care on the mainland. If she follows your path, some demons she's been running from are gonna catch up to her. I can only protect her so much." My aunt exposed more about me in a few seconds than I had in the past few days. "For both your sakes, give me the compass and I'll drop the charges."

I couldn't take it anymore and I burst through the door. "Really?"

"John B, if you ever reconsider, you know where you can find me." She tried to wrap up their conversation in an instant.

"How could you?" I question her.

She stands up straighter, "Everything I do is to protect this town and protect your new friends, believe it or not."

"How is separating me from my friends protecting the town? How is threatening John B?" I fired at her, growing angrier as I looked at her, face to face.

"You didn't come home last night. I had to find you myself. That's when I got the call about some trouble on figure eight. The last thing you need to do is make a mess for yourself. I'm risking a lot for you, taking you in and deleting your missing person's report." She started speaking in hushed tones for the last part, Not wanting her coworkers to hear. "Do you know the kind of trouble I could get in for that? If someone finds out what I did, you'll be on the next flight back to the Golden State. And you'd risk it all for what? For some kids you just met? I'm protecting you from another month in the hospital?"

John B's eye caught mine, pinched with worry. I shook my head, shuttering at the memory, "This is not the same."

"Continue down this road and it could be." She pointed at the two of us. "Now, you've caused enough disruption in my office for the day.

She walked over to me, taking a walkie out of her belt. "Take a radio, channel 3 is only for you and me. They will work without cell towers."

She put the radio in my hand and I spitefully turned it off as she watched. "Don't wait up for me, tonight."

"Sam! Samantha!" She called out twice but stopped when she saw the scene she was making.

I ran to catch up with John B, he had just gotten outside and was talking to Kie beside a truck.

I jogged over to them, and Kie wrapped me in a hug. "What are you doing here?"

I let out a nervous breath, about to tell her when the man inside the truck yelled out. "Kiera, get in the car!"

She gave us an apologetic look and got into the passenger's seat. I heard the man, who I assumed was her father murmur, "See what happens when you hang around trash? You get dirty."

When the truck was out of sight. John B turned to me, "Something you forgot to mention?"

"I didn't expect you to find out like this." I used as a stupid defense.

He scoffed, getting closer to me in his anger. "Were you ever going to tell us?"

"This is exactly why!" I point out, seeing his reaction. He took a step back, regaining a bit of his calming nature. "Would you have given me a second look if you knew I was related to the Sheriff?"

"She's already on our backs because of the compass. Adding her niece to the mix just makes us even more of a target." He exasperated.

"I know, but I have just as much to lose as you do," I explained, desperately to keep him from walking away from me. "One wrong move and I'll be sent back to California."

By mentioning it sparked the question into his mind, "What happened in California? Why were you in the hospital? Why did she have to delete a missing person report?"

"You don't have to worry about that. It's just another reason I didn't want her involved." I brushed it off.

"Tell me." He declared.

"John B-"

"Tell me and I'll keep this whole Sheriff situation between us." He cut me off, "Pope might like that we have someone to help out if we get into trouble. Kie might try to see positive in it but she'd hate you lying to her. And JJ..." He told me and I bought my eyes to meet him. "The kid's, been through a lot and not once have the cops in this town cared enough to help a kid from the cut. He's not one for liars either."

"I'll tell you." I agree. I didn't like being given the title of a liar but I couldn't fight it. "Just not here."

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