The sound of the sirens of police cars made Bali gasp awake, coming off of JJ's lap in a panic.

"Hey." the blonde spoke, scaring her a she looked back, "Bal, it's okay. It's just us, they passed."

Bali recalled the night and fell back into his lap, shutting her eyes as JJ rubbed her head softly. The radio played of John B's name, the search for him after Ward claimed John B had been the one to kill the sheriff. When John B told her about Rafe, Bali hadn't been able to believe it at first. She knew Rafe was capable of plenty of violent crimes and horrible words, but murder? It took a while for it to sink in.

Kie turned the radio off.

"Let's game this out. Maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all, but who are the cops going to believe?" JJ asked as Bali sat up, JJ taking her place in laying across her lap with a joint in his hands already, "Ward Cameron or us? So the accuser is a bigshop developer, kind of lord of the island, got the governor on speed dial, kind of person, and the accused is John B, who is pretty much a homeless 16-year-old boy at the moment."

"Thanks." John B said back.

"Shit." Pope cursed as he rubbed his forehead.

"Okay, man. Yucatán, all right? I'm saying that's the only option." JJ spoke up as he looked over at John B.

"You're not leaving, JJ." Bali spoke up.

"What other options do we have?" JJ questioned her quickly.

"Enough with the Mexico bullshit." John B snapped at him in pure exhaustion. "Sarah will bail me out."

"She did witness the whole thing." Kie added in.

"Yeah, and so did Rafe. He's not gonna side with his sister, who he's constantly put down against so naturally can't stand, when it comes to who killed Peterkin." Bali spoke up bluntly as John B looked her way, "Just being honest here, John B."

"You think she'll snitch on her brother?" Pope question.

"Who knows, she might." Bali said back as JJ sat up from her lap and looked over at John B.

"Not happening, bro. Okay?" JJ asked as he blew smoke from his mouth, "We've gotta get you off the island."

"The ferry. It's the only way." Pope added in behind JJ's words.

"Yeah, exit stage left while you still can." the blonde spoke up again as he looked down at John B, "Before the entire island is on lockdown."

The sirens heard as Kie sighed, "Guys, just get down."

The five ducked down as the cop cars passed.

"Sarah's not a pogue, John B." Pope informed him, making Bali roll her eyes.

"Yeah. You can't stay here, man." JJ said once again as he rolled over and laid in Bali's lap again.

Bali didn't say much, not when she was worried about her best friend, her new best friends, and her ex-best friend all at once.

"JJ." John B said as he looked over at the blonde. Bali got out of the car five minutes ago and headed off to grab them some food from a nearby store. JJ hummed, "Whats up with Bali?"

JJ took his hat off his face and looked over at him, "What?"

"You and Bali." he said again with a half grin, "Whats going on?"

"Bali? Nothing. Why? Is she into me?" JJ tried to play it off causally, glancing his way.

"JJ, cut the shit." Kie said with a look of disbelief, "You know there's no secrets among pogues."

"I'm not keeping any secrets." JJ lied as he put his hands up, "Cmon, look at her. She's gonna get married to some rich Kook and in two years she's gonna forget that I was even in her life, dude."

"No she won't." Kie shook her head, "Bali isn't just gonna abandoned us."

"No, she's gonna do better though." JJ shook his head, the harsh truth finally off his chest as he put his hat back on.

When Bali walked back toward the car, she saw people crowding the car. Pope honked from the inside as JJ hung out the window, "Bal, cmon!"

Bali looked around at the amount of people, grabbing hold of a small stand infront of the store and knocking it over as fruit rolled everywhere. It got a few people's attention as they backed away from the car. Bali gave a wave, "Go! I'll fine you!"

Pope listened and drove off. Bali took off in a sprint through the farmers market before anyone could put her and the car together.

Bali knew where she was going, she knew it the second she started running. The black dress with the small cherries on it clung to her from her sweat, standing in front of the Cameron house hold. Her house was streets away, but she came here because she was worried. Bali looked at the side of the house, the large oak tree brought back plenty of memories.

Her and Rafe use to climb up there to hid the drugs from Sarah finding out if she tried to barge in on them. They've climbed up there so many times that Bali knew where to step when she climbed up, avoiding the weak branches and crawling across the large one. She climbed over the small balcony, knocking on the window. Sarah looked over from her bed, crying as she ran over, "Bal."

Bali shhed her, climbing into her window as Sarah clung to her. Bali hug her back as she cried, "It's okay, i'm right here."

"My dad locked me in here." Sarah whispered through her cries, "Rafe killed the sherif-"

"I know, John B is on the run right now. He's okay though, for now." Bali said as they pulled back, whipping Sarah's face, "Are you hurt?"

"No, i'm okay." Sarah sniffled as she held onto her, "Where were you?"

"With the pogues, your dad is framing John B for the murder." Bali said as she took a deep breath, "I can't believe Rafe killed the sheriff. Holy fuck."

Sarah's face fell as she watched Bali start to pace and run her hands through her hair, "Bal, calm down."

She knew the look and it scared her.

"Everything's just at a, like, eleven right now and I need it at a six." Bali spoke, shoving Sarah off of her as she tried to hold her, "I just- I just need to calm down a little, just take a little something."

"Hey, Bali, hey." Sarah grabbed her face, "Look at me, look at me. We're okay, just breath, you can do this without anything."

"Sarah, just a little something isn't gonna kill me." Bali said as she headed for the door, "Rafe's gotta have something, I know he does."

"No, no." Sarah grabbed her and held her on the door, "Look at me. Look at me, Bal. Think, use your head for a second. This isn't you, you know this. We're together, i'm with you, you can do this."

Bali leaned onto Sarah as she inhaled, coming back as Sarah had her, shutting her eyes as Sarah held her tightly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Sarah said as she held her, rocking slightly, "We're in this together."

"Sarah, I really need to talk to Rafe." Bali said as she pulled back, getting an alarming look, "Not for drugs, I swear. I just need to talk to him, about what happened. Maybe I can get to him."

"He's not gonna listen." Sarah shook her head.

"I know." Bali said back with a nod, "But I still need to try."

"You'll come right back?" Sarah asked with a nod, "Do you swear?"

"I swear." Bali nodded her head, "I'm not leaving you."

Sarah hugged her again as Bali climbed out the window and balanced on the ledge until she got to Rafe's room.

"Rafe." Bali said as she opened his window, looking around the empty room, "Rafe."

A hand on her arm made her gasp, turning and finding Rafe with a finger to his lip. Bali slapped his arm, "Are you insane? You almost gave me a heart attack."

"What are you doing here?" Rafe asked her in disbelief. Bali grabbed his arms and pulled him toward the couch, the same one she over dosed on, "Do you know? What happened?"

"Look at me." Bali said, grabbing his chin, "Are you looking?"

Rafe nodded as Bali began to talk again, "Rafe, you can't let this happen. You did something, you can't let someone else take the fall for you. It isn't fair, especially not in this situation. You need to use your head, look at me."

Bali grabbed his face and stared at him, "I know you know what the right things is, I know you do."

Rafe's eyes watered, "Do you know why I did it? Why I killed Peterkin? I had to."

"Why?" Bali tried to understand.

"I was protecting my dad. He was gonna get shot, the sheriff had a gun on him." Rafe spoke as his tears fell, "I saved him. I did it. No one else. Not Sarah, Bal, me. And he still doesn't-"

Bali pulled him into a hug as Rafe cried into her shoulder, muffled by the cherries on her dress. Bali rocked him slightly, rubbing his back. He'd cried to her about his dad in this very spot before, only difference was they were both high as hell, "It's okay, I know."

"I just wanted to protect him." Rafe repeated. Bali shut her eyes, holding the back of his head, "He was gonna get himself killed."

"Be quiet." she begged him, not wanting to hear anymore and take his side. John B was still being framed for a crime Rafe committed, no matter what he did it for and if it was accidental or not. Only issues was Bali carried, and she wanted to protect the both of them somehow. Rafe sniffled as he pulled away, Bali whipped his eyes, "What are you gonna do?"

Rafe shook his head as he looked away. Bali held his face again, "I believe in you, I swear. I'm trusting you, Rafe. Please, just do what's right."

She cried for him and for what was happening. Rafe let her arms go as she stood up, "You're leaving me?"

"I can't stay here. Your dad knows I know, if he finds me here he'll kill me." Bali said as she walked over and hugged him again, pulling his head to her chest for a second, "I'm sorry for leaving you so much, I really am."

He didn't say anything, he just let her go.

•

kylie speaks

really out here breaking
my heart every time they
have a scene together.

bali doing the "look at
me" *grabs face* thing
to rafe and then sarah
doing the "look at me"
*grabs face* thing to bali
is 100% symbolism but
i'll let y'all figure that one
out in the comments'

yk MAYBE there is a
book in my drafts
for after i finish
writing s2 about a prologue
book to this one about balis
life with rafe and
sarah and her time in
rehab and conner and all that
and then lead up to her and jj
at the hotel and how they got
together and leading up to
the beginning of this book.