CHAPTER ELEVEN: YOU SLICK BITCH!

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following the entire disaster, we all kind of went our separate ways. i was with kie. later on, we had the obx summer movie series, which was something that happened every year. the pogues and i all usually went, but john b was mia. however, the other four of us were still going; kie's wishes. jj and pope weren't thrilled about it because they wanted to lay on the down low, but whatever.

"back to obx life," kie sighed happily, "you know? aren't you glad i made you come?"

"ecstatic," pope cleared his throat.

"i'm very excited. just wind down, a break from all the craziness," i glared at the two boys, knowing exactly why they didn't want to be there.

"my couch was pretty comfy, i'll be honest," jj sat the chairs down.

"get drinks with me?" kie asked as i nodded.

"hey, uh, can i get two pepsis please?" kiara asked the vendor as rafe walked up to us. great, just who i wanted to see.

"hey kie, elsie. hey, what's up? how are you girls?" the putrid voice called out to us.

"i'm fine."

"good, good. oh elsie, what happened to your foot?" he looked down at my boot, acting like he had no idea.

i stepped closer to him, gritting my teeth, "you know exactly what happened to my foot, rafe. why are you bothering us?" i realized that kie would ask me what i was talking about later, but she was going to find out eventually.

"well elsie, tell your boy that we know what you and him did," rafe had his fists clenched.

"i don't know what you're talking about rafe. whatever happened, it wasn't us. we're not stupid enough to try and go against a goddamn kook when they've got everyone in their corner, okay?"

"i'm sorry, what are you talking about?" kie stepped in.

"oh, ask one of your pogue friends. they'll know," he had a menacing look on his face, "bye," he said as we walked away.

"douche," kie mumbled, "so, uh, are you going to tell me what that was about?" she looked at me.

"i will, kie, i promise. but not here. later," i answered as she rolled her eyes.

"our good buddy rafe just paid elsie and i a visit. practically threatened her," she nudged me, "and this one isn't telling me what it was about, so i was hoping that one of you would care to explain?"

"um, where is he?" jj shyly inquired.

"right there," kie replied as we all turned around, seeing rafe, topper, and kelce all looking at us.

"great, the whole death squad," pope's voice faltered as jj manually turned his head around.

"don't stare bro. just warning you bro, if they corner me, i'm coming out swinging, okay? slice and dicin'. i'm on edge right now," jj explained, "if that doesn't work, i got this right here," he held up his bag.

"we just gotta stay in the group," pope decided

"like a school of fish."

"can't leave the school."

"i'm sorry jj, please tell me you did not bring a gun here. jj, there are kids," kie snorted.

"no! kie, i didn't bring the gun. everything's fine, okay?"

"wow, thank you. that's really convincing, i love that jj. founding principle you guys, no secrets amongst pogues. what is rafe talking about?"

pope leaned in close. "kie, it might go down tonight."

"what does that mean? might go down tonight? what did y'all do?"

i heard jj whispering something to pope, but i couldn't quite here what from the spot on my towel laying down in front of them.

"guys, let's talk later," i sat up.

"fine," kie commented as pope and jj nodded their heads. on the towel, i had my sunglasses on, staring at the sky as opposed to the movie. some time passed by, and we were all quiet, paying attention to the movie.

"jj?" i hear pope whisper, "i gotta take a piss."

"hold it," jj's leg was bouncing up and down like he was anxious.

"i can't hold it. i drank too much soda."

"it's too exposed. they'll totally see us," jj said.

"yeah seriously, you trying to get yourself noticed?" i whispered just loud enough so the boys could hear.

"i gotta go," pope looked back at the kooks, "they're blocking the bathrooms."

"come here, i know where," jj hesitated as the two of them got out of their seats.

"hey, where y'all going?" kie asked the boys.

"we gotta wring it out," jj explained as i cringed.

"you gonna hold it for each other?" kiara asked as i laughed at her comment.

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"elsie. we gotta go," kie tapped me as we went behind the movie screen. sure enough, the kooks were going at it with jj and pope, and the pogues were clearly not winning.

"let go of him topper, you fascist asshole!" kie hit topper with the bag as i went over to rafe and jj. i jumped on rafe's back and began to choke him. he pried my hands off quite easily as i fell to the ground, my bad foot taking all of the weight. he thought i was done though. wait a minute, i thought.

using the metal boot to my advantage, i kept kicking rafe in the side, him hissing in discomfort each time. he was trying to keep a hold on jj while also trying to knock me over. i groaned slightly with each kick, it hurting a bit. finally, he let jj go. i went over to topper, who had a good hold on pope. i repeated the kicking motion as rafe pulled kie off of topper's back. rafe threw kie to the ground as pope asked her if she was okay. jj was busy with kelce. out of the corner of my eye, i noticed kie's hands falling on jj's gun, and then pulling out his lighter. jj was still getting choked by kelce i attempted to help, but kelce kicked me, resulting in me falling onto the ground.

kie ran over to the movie screen, lighting it on fire. soon enough, the entire thing burst into flames.

"kelce, let go of jj!" kie yelled. he threw him to the ground as he coughed harshly.

"you good?" kie asked pope, helping him off of the ground, "we're okay."

"you're a freaking idiot."

jj took my hand and hauled me off of the ground.

"are you okay?" i immediately asked, hugging him.

"elsie. you know i'm good. what about you?" he looked down at my foot; he saw what i did.

"i'm fine now," i huffed, lying about the throbbing in my foot. he knew me better than to trust my words though.

"you're allowed to say it hurts. hop on my back," he crouched down so i could do as he said.

"come on guys," kie said, her arm slung on pope.

"you're a badass, you know that?" jj asked me, carrying me.

"so are you," i rested my head on his shoulder.

-

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"don't let it get in your head," jj said. it was the next day, and jj, pope, kiara, and i were at heywards. john b was still mia, but he'd come back. luckily, she still hadn't badgered us about the whole rafe thing, but we were expecting it soon.

"what was your thought process with using your head?" jj questioned pope, referring to the fight at the summer movie series.

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

"hey pope," heyward barged in, "there's someone here to see you and one of your friends." behind him came in officer shoupe. shit.

"evening officer," pope politely greeted him.

"i have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property. hands where i can see em'."

"who?" heyward asked.

"pope heyward and elizabeth waters." i stood up from my spot next to the blonde haired boy. shit. he rested his hands on my shoulders and massaged them comfortingly.

"wait, wait, wait. shoupe, what'd he do?" heyward asked the police officer.

"look at the warrant," he grabbed pope's hands and put them in cuffs.

"you're arresting them?" kie looked at the officer in shock.

"be careful!"

"shoupe, are you listening?"

"anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law," shoupe took me away from jj and put me in handcuffs, "you have the right to an attorney."

"how much did they pay you, man?" jj got up from where he was sitting. jj, heyward, and kie all followed us outside.

suddenly, i hear jj yell from behind me, "it wasn't them! it was me."

"jj, don't do this," i tried to pause him as he put his finger up to my mouth to shush me.

"they tried to talk me out of it. but i was mad because he had been beaten up. and her foot was broken by one of em', and she was basically assaulted," jj announced, pointing to me.

"come here, gorgeous," he still managed to say to me as i walked up to him, ignoring the officer's request of staying put.

i gulped as he gently moved my hair where i'd been hiding the intense marks rafe left on me. they all looked at me with sympathetic glances, and on top of that, kie seemed raged.

"that's what-" kie started and i cut her off with a simple yes.

"and that's not from one of us pogues. no permission. you see, i was so sick of those assholes from figure eight that i lost my shit. i can't let them take the blame for something I did," he defended us. sure, i didn't want to go to jail, but it was better me than him; he had his father to come home to. besides, i'd do anything for my friends, even if i distinctly said not to do it in the first place. if that meant going to jail for them because they had more at stake, then so be it.

"you've got too much to lose pope."

"jj, what are you doing?"

"i'm telling the truth. for once in my goddamn life, i'm gonna tell the truth," jj smiled, "i took his old man's boat, too," he added to the lie.

"jj, come on-" pope tried to talk.

"just shut up pope! just shut up. he's a good kid. and she is too. you know where i'm from," he turned to look at the officer.

"yeah, this was all me."

"thats the whole truth?" shoupe interrogated.

"whole truth, swear to god," jj butted in.

"i know what you think, damnit, i'm asking them."

"yeah, that about covers it," pope answered with no hesitation.

"elizabeth?" shoupe looked at me seriously.

"elsie," jj corrected, him knowing how i hated my regular name. my father used to call me that. jj stared at me, practically begging that i lie and say he did it. cause he knows me too well. he knows i'd feed into a lie and turn myself in before he went to jail. he knows me better than i know myself.

"i-yes. he's telling the truth," i sighed, defeated, as jj looked at the ground. shoupe began to remove the handcuffs from pope and i as he placed them on my boyfriend instead. they began to escort him into the police car.

"wait, please, shoupe. can i just talk to him for a minute?" i put on my most emotional-looking face, ready to act.

"what do you want kid?" he inquired sharply.

"can i just, have a word with him, for a minute?" i let a fake few tears slip down my cheeks. sure i was upset, but i knew that i'd see him soon. the officer shook his head instantly, so i pulled my hair from my shoulders again so that the marks on it were prominent and eye catching. "see, after the encounter, jj was the one that helped me. he usually is one of the first ones to help me with everything. you see, i never got to personally thank him, and i'm just asking for a minute of your time."

"sure, but make it quick." he sighed as jj and i went to a more private spot. i wiped the tears immediately, my act working out.

"you slick bitch," he hummed, knowing that my remarks to the officer were all just an act, "such a badass, i'm proud."

"jj. i was fine with taking the blame. you have your dad to come home to," i reminded him as he sighed.

"i know. elsie, you were the one telling us not to do it. that's not fair," he shook his head, "don't worry. i'll see you soon angel," he smiled, looking at me up and down. i looked to make sure nobody was watching before pulling him in for a deep kiss. i was on my tippy toes and he was still stuck with his hands behind his back. "let's go," he said as we walked back to the police car.

"thank you officer," i let out a weak smile as he bit his lip, nodding.

"i'm going to look into your case ms. waters," he said, which had me caught off-guard.

"no, no, no. don't worry about it," i insisted bitterly, "a waste of time. they have money to hide behind, you guys will realize that sooner or later." shoupe nodded, seeming like he actually understood what i was referring to. he hopped into the police car and drove away with jj in the back.

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