AFTER THE FIGHT AT THE MOVIES, THEY HEADED BACK TO THE CHATEAU. John B was still nowhere to be found, and they were beginning to grow worried.

"He's probably just getting drunk somewhere, drowning his sorrows," JJ assured them as he plopped down on the couch and pulled out a blunt before lighting it. "He'll be fine."

"That's convincing," Bree muttered, sitting down beside him and shaking her head when he offered the blunt to her as Kie rummaged through the cabinets for a first aid kit.

Pope hopped up on the counter and rubbed his neck. "I cannot believe that just happened."

"They're all assholes," the Callaway girl added, leaning back on the couch and curling her feet up next to her. "And that is why I broke up with Rafe today?"

"Thank God," he groaned back.

Kie chuckled as she pulled out some cups to look in the back of the cabinet. "Finally. I was wondering when you were gonna do it." Bree looked over to JJ to see what his reaction was, expecting some sign of relief on his face, but he just stared at the ground with an unreadable expression

The Carrera girl finally found what she was looking for and beckoned the Heyward boy over to her as she made her way to the bathroom. "Pope, get over here. We need to wash you up first. Bree, you get started on JJ."

"Yes, ma'am," the brunette responded, saluting her friend as she tossed the first aid kit at them. Luckily, JJ caught it before hit her smack dab in the middle of her face. "Thanks."

"No problem," he replied, and then he handed the kit to her.

She opened it and pulled out an alcohol wipe package. She pulled one out and looked up at him before deciding that she would start with the cut on his cheek. "This is gonna sting a little bit."

She pressed the wipe to his face, causing him to inhale sharply. He didn't say anything, but his hand shot up to cover hers. She froze a little at his touch as chills ran up and down her arm, but she kept moving. His palm moved with hers as she wiped the blood off of his cheek. Once she was done, she paused, keeping her hand on his cheek, and the wipe slipped from her fingers and landed somewhere on the couch.

His fingers intertwined with hers gently as her hand slid down to his neck just below his ear as her thumb landed next to his mouth. She rubbed slowly up and down his jaw. She realized how close his face was to hers, and her breath hitched in her throat while his fanned across her lips.

He slowly began to lean in, and she did as well when all of a sudden, the bathroom door flew open. The two jumped apart as Kie and Pope stepped out into the room. 

"Are you guys okay?" the Carrera girl questioned with furrowed eyebrows when she saw their flustered faces.

JJ nodded quickly and without hesitation. "Yeah, we're fine."

"Completely fine."

《✵》

"THAT WAS AWESOME," JJ EXCLAIMED EXCITEDLY THE NEXT DAY. They were all at Heyward's helping out since a lot of the employees called in sick that day. The Maybank boy looked at Pope who seemed discouraged. "Don't let it get in your your head, bro. There's three of them and two of us. That's some typical Kook shit right there."

Kie nodded. "Hell, yeah."

"What was your thought process, using your head?" the blonde questioned with raised eyebrows and an amused smile on his face.

"I don't know man. I just kind of acted off instinct, all right?" the Heyward boy shrugged as he made his way behind the register. "I was a cornered animal."

Then, Heyward walked in, causing all of them to look up at him, and Bree grew worried when she saw the nervous expression on his face. "Hey, Pope, there's someone here to see you."

Shoupe.

"Evening, officer," Pope greeted politely as the man walked in and the rest of the teenagers straightened up in worry. Kie didn't even know what happened, but she had a pretty good idea that it wasn't good.

"I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property. Keep your hands on the counter where I can see 'em," the officer informed him, and both Pope and the Callaway girl turned to look at JJ who just shook his head. Shoupe looked at Kie who was standing in between him and the felon. "Young lady, out of my way."

Heyward furrowed his eyebrows. "Woah, woah, woah, woah. Shoupe, what'd he do?"

"Take a look at the warrant," the officer told him as he grabbed Pope's hands and held them behind his back so that he was able to handcuff him. The boy was so in shock that he just went along with it. Resisting would do him no good.

When the man began to get rough with the boy, Bree was scared that he was going to break his arm, so she yelled, "Be careful!"

"Sorry, you're arresting him?" Kie asked with a shocked voice.

"You're just arresting my boy?" his father questioned, growing angrier by the second. When the man didn't answer him, he shouted, "Shoupe, are you listening?"

Shoupe just ignored all of them and continued to cuff Pope and tell him his rights. "Everything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney."

"How much did they pay you, man?" JJ quizzed, and they all continued to ask him angry questions as he led Pope outside and toward the car.

Shoupe was about to put him in the deputy vehicle when a look crossed the blonde boy's face, but it was too late when Bree realized what he was about to do. He spoke up, causing all of the heads to whip toward him. "It wasn't him! It was me."

The brunette girl sighed, "JJ..."

"He tried to talk me out of it, but I was mad because he'd just been beaten up," the Maybank boy explained, ignoring her, and they all knew it was a lie. He kept going though. "I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit. I can't let you take the blame for something I did. You've got too much to lose."

"JJ, what are you doing?" Pope questioned, confused.

JJ responded, "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 exclaimed from next to him, upset that the blonde boy's stupid actions almost got his son arrested, oblivious to the fact that JJ was lying.

The son seemed conflicted. "JJ, come on."

"Just shut up, Pope! Just shut up," the Maybank boy ordered him, and then he turned back to Shoupe with a solemn expression. "He's a good kid. You know where I'm from."

"Yeah," the officer nodded.

JJ looked at Pope while speaking to the man, offering a small smile. He just stared back at him with a shocked look on his face, not believing that his friend would actually do this for him. "This was all me."

"That's the whole truth?" Shoupe asked, turning to the Heyward boy expectantly for an answer.

JJ replied for him when he refused to answer. "Whole truth, swear to God."

"I know what you think, damn it," the deputy exclaimed, glaring at the Maybank boy before turning back to Pope with raised eyebrows. "I'm asking Pope."

The two boys stared at each other for a moment, and Bree could tell that Pope felt horrible about what was happening. However, JJ just gave him a nod, signaling that it was okay and that he truly wanted to take the blame for it.

"Yeah, that about covers it," the Heyward boy confirmed after a moment.

They were all silent as they watched Shoupe take the handcuffs off of Pope and put them on JJ. He pushed the boy into the truck roughly, but right before he did, the blonde boy shot an apologetic look at the Callaway girl who was standing about a yard behind him, still in shock.

The vehicle pulled away, and they all watched it leave. Once it turned around the corner and was out of sight, Heyward spoke up, "Pope..."

"Shit!" the boy yelled, pulling his hat off his head and throwing it to the ground angrily. He then stormed off in the opposite direction.

"Pope?" Heyward called, walking over to where his son was just standing before reaching down and grabbing the orange cap. When he didn't respond, he repeated, "Pope!"

Bree just ran a stressed hand through her hair as she glanced at Kie. "Fuck."

AUTHOR'S NOTE

i am so sorry because this is such a short chapter. i promise i will make it up to you, and the next episode is midsummers. so, you know what that means.