______________________________________

The Pogues followed the group of people down the street. Estrella's heart thumped as she looked around her for any sign of JJ. Though, she knew he had definitely been here. Stores were completely destroyed with power lines hanging. Glass crunched under their feet from broken windows.

"Go home if you don't want to go to jail!"

"Holy shit." Charlotte mutters looking around at the destruction

"Do y'all see him?" Estrella asks

"No." Pope says

"Get the hell home!"

"Where is he?" Estrella groans

"I don't know." Sarah says

"He has to be close."

"Everybody go home!"

John B looked around and thought for a second, "I think I know where he's going, guys. Hey, follow me."

"Okay. Following you." Kie says

"Let's go."

•••

Estrella ran up toward Zeasy's office. The door was wide open and destruction could be seen from outside. The cop's had the building surrounded. Making her more anxious.

"Shoupe. Shoupe." John B calls out

"Hey, Shoupe." Pope says. Another officer comes up and pushes them back, "He's not gonna do anything."

"If they don't have badges, keep them back. For your safety and ours. If you're not in uniform, stay back." Shoupe says before holding the megaphone up to his mouth, "All right, JJ! This is what I was talking about, son! You've gone too far, and we've got a serious situation! I told you this shit would happen, and here we are! I need you to put down any and all weapons you may have, or you will get shot. And I don't want that! So just come on out with your hands up."

He gets no response and after a moment, speaks up again, "JJ, listen up, son-"

"No, you listen up, Shoupe!" JJ yells. Estrella's heart rate spiked at the sound of his voice. Her eyes bounced around in hopes of seeing him, "I'm not just gonna come out there so you can take what's ours and let them win again."

"Yeah." The crowd screams

"It was ours, fair and square! So I have a right to fight for what's mine."

Kie grabs Estrella's arm, "Estrella, you have to tell him to come out."

Estrella knew she should. She knew all of them wanted nothing more than for JJ to come and for this to end. But she also knew that JJ was hurting and this was his way of letting it out. He had taken too much for too long.

"He's gonna get himself killed, Estrella, please." Charlotte says noticing Estrella's silence

Estrella lets out a shaky breath. Despite herself, she shook her head, "JJ! Can you hear me? Just do what they say!"

"No!" He yells. Estrella's heart nearly stopped when his voice cracked, "I'm done kissing the feet of people who've taken from me my entire life!"

"He's not gonna listen." Kie says turning to John B, "You have to do something."

"Shoupe, he broke a window." John B says

"Shoupe, you cannot shoot him!"

"JJ!" Estrella yells

"Y'all might have given up. But I'm not done fighting." JJ says

"Shit, JJ, please." Estrella pleads

"So Shoupe, you want me..." He calls out, "you're gonna have to come get me."

"JJ, just come on out!" Shoupe says as the crowd continues cheering, "Listen to Estrella and come out of the house!"

Estrella's head snaps over as she hears fireworks explode. Sarah calls out, "JJ!"

"What are we doing?" Another officer asks

"JJ, come out now! JJ!" Shoupe yells. Another explosion is heard, "What the hell was that?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm on you! I'm on you!"

"I've got a bead on him, Sheriff." An officer says

"JJ, come out! Now!" Shoupe yells

"God. They're gonna shoot him." Kiara says

"Kie, shut up. Don't say that." Estrella says

"Where's Pope going? Where's Pope going?" Charlotte says grabbing Estrella's attention

She turns as Pope runs off. Her brows furrow, "Pope, stop! What are you doing?"

"Pope?" John B says

"Where's Pope going?" Sarah says

"Pope." John B and Estrella yell

"Hey!" Pope yells before tackling an officer

"No! Stop it!" Estrella yells as she runs over, "Stop it! Pope!"

"Get him!" An officer says before they grab him

"Hey, stop it! No!" Kie yells

"Let's go!"

"Get off!" Pope says

"Let him go." Kie yells as other officers push them away

"Let him go. Let him go." The crowd chants

"Shoupe! What the hell?" Sarah says as the handcuff Pope

"Stop! Shoupe!" Estrella yells

"You got him?" Shoupe says

"Leave him alone!" Charlotte yells

"Let him go! He didn't do anything!" Kie screams as they shove him into the car

"You come with me. We're going inside." Shoupe says to an officer as they walk in, "JJ! We're coming in! I need you waiting with your hands up."

"Pope!" Kie yells

Cleo walks up to the window, "Pope. We'll come back for you, okay?"

"Here's Shoupe." Someone says

Estrella turns as he comes down the steps. John B holds his hands out, "What the hell is going on? Where's JJ at, Shoupe?"

"Never mind that." Shoupe says, "Your buddy over there assaulted an officer while he was performing his duties. All right? That's a felony."

"He had his gun out for no reason."

"You're in a world of trouble, Pope." Shoupe yells, "Book him."

"He's not here. He vanished." An officer mutters, but Kie overhears

She turns to Estrella, "He's on foot. We've gotta find him."

As the others run off, Estrella stays planted in her spot. Her eyes stuck on the police car Pope was thrown into. The vehicle starts and drives off slowly. Her eyes then flicker over toward the office JJ had been in.

"Estrella!" John B calls out running over. He steps in front of her and places his hands on her shoulders, "Hey, we're gonna find him, okay? And we'll get Pope out, but we have to go."

"Why would he do that?"

John B didn't know which she had been talking about, but he shrugged anyway, "I don't know."

She looks up at him, "It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

His face softens, "I know, but we'll figure it out. We always do."

She lets out a shaky breath and nods solemnly, though she couldn't bring herself to believe it. John B nods along with her, "Come on."

______________________________________