John B's arrested didn't take long. Layla wasn't a fan of police but she had to give it to them, they worked fast. They took him, beaten and bruised, his court date the next day. The pogue sat on his side of the court, Sarah taking it really hard as she cried, hand latched onto Layla's as the Winters girl bounced her leg anxiously and bit at the inside of her mouth.

"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statue section 14, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty." the judge spoke, hitting her gravel as murmurs echoed through the court.

"The death penalty?" Layla spoke out loud in disbelief, "The death penalty?"

"Layla." Henry tried to calm her down when he noticed his nieces voice rising. Raymon sat on Ward and Roses side, watching his daughter make a scene, only helping his case for when they'd have their court date in just a few hours.

"Your honor, he's seventeen!" JJ rose to his feet as well, voice rising, "John B, we're gonna figure it out."

"Just hang in there, love! I promise!" Layla called to John B, watching as he started to get drug away.

"John B! John B!" Sarah rushed forward toward him.

"You're only making this so much easier, Henry." Raymond spoke as he caught Henry's arm, "The judge will remember this. Remember how you were the one to put her in the same room with a murderer."

"Get your hands off me." Henry yanked his arm from the older mans grip, "We'll see how that plays out later today, won't we?"

"Guess we will." Raymond spoke, catching Layla's eye as she gave a hurt expression, "I'll see you soon, sweetheart."

"God, I hope you fucking rot!" the anger for the judge, everyone on Wards side, her father, herself, getting the best of her as she lunged at her father. Gasp went through the court as they saw, gapping her way.

"Hey, Layla!" Shoupe called when he saw her, "Don't do this, kid. I wanna help."

Pope latched onto Layla, holding her back while she glared at her father, finger pointed, "You will never, ever care for me again."

"We'll see about that one." Raymond nodded his head, "Some fit guardian, letting you walk around with that boy."

"Because sending her to a church camp and locking her up to change who she is is so much better." Henry spoke as Raymond walked off, "Let them figure out what really happened to Alicia and we'll see what guardian is really fit for her!"

Raymond's body went stiff at the words, pausing before he continued to walk out with Ward.

"Is this a joke? Like, are we in hell?" Kie spoke, the teens walking out of the court house together while Henry trailed back with the same lawyer that was working their case.

"Should have never came home." Sarah cried, walking next to Layla as she rubbed her back.

"They're gonna kill him, guys. I know it." JJ huffed in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry for what you and your family have gone through. Thank god the system works." Hugh, a Kook who own one of the country clubs, spoke as he walked with Ward.

"Can you please shut up?" Kie snapped as she stepped forward, "Of course you think the system works because it was made to protect you and people like you."

"He'll have his day in court. A jury will decide." Hugh said back, clearly not expected her to jump in the way she did.

"He shouldn't even be in court! You should, cause you're a murderer." Kie pointed a finger at Ward.

"And you're loser son." Layla added in, "I was there!"

"You weren't there." Raymond cut in.

"I was! I saw it!" She yelled back.

"Hey, it's not worth it right now, it's not." Sarah cut in as she wrapped a hand around Layla's arm.

"I know you're upset. I understand you're upset, okay?" Ward approached Kie with a fake look of sympathy, "I know he's got you fooled. He's got you all fooled."

"No, i'm not just upset!" Kie shouted as she stormed forward, going for Ward as officers jumped in and held her back.

"Don't touch her." Layla argued with the male officer that latched onto Kie, "Let her go, now."

He did after Shoupe showed, Kie grabbed Layla's hand tightly.

"You wanna get arrested? Get out! You need to go." Shoupe spoke to them sternly with a serious look in his eye.

"Come on, it's not worth it." Sarah walked toward Kie and Layla, grabbing both their shoulders.

"It's not a coincidence that your daughters sitting with us!" Kie yelled over her shoulder.

"I fucking hate the system." Layla spoke in disbelief, storming away toward Henry's truck they all rode in.

"I'm gonna testify under oath. I was there." Sarah spoke as the rain poured down outside of the chateau, "I just need to get a hold of my sister."

"Sister?" JJ scoffed in disbelief.

"Kie, do you have your phone?" Sarah looked her way as Kie tossed it her way, "Wheezie is the only other person that knows Rafe wasn't home that day."

"Wheezie?" JJ gave a look of disbelief.

"JJ, she's trying here." Layla defended her girlfriend.

"I don't know what else to do. I got us into this mess. I'm gonna do my best to get us out." Sarah walked into the chateau, panicking and stressed to the max. Layla considered following her but couldn't do so, staying slummed in the chair and squeezing the bridge of her nose.

"Wheezie? Yeah, that will work." JJ laughed in disbelief with a shake of his head, "Well, she's right about one thing. We gotta do something."

"Look, my court date is today. If it goes as planned, maybe I could bring something up about John B." Layla tried to reason with her horrible idea, "I don't know what else I can do!"

"He's held captive by the enemy right now, maybe even scheduled for execution." JJ continued to rant on in clear stress, pacing horribly around the porch.

"Then what's the plan? We start by kidnapped Shoupe?" Kie asked in disbelief, raising her voice in annoyance.

"Maybe. Like, that's not the worse idea actually." the blonde boy pointed out.

"That's worse then my court plan!" Layla said in disbelief. Anger, for not JJ, but just in general, echoing through her words.

"That is actually the worst idea i've ever heard." Pope added in.

"It's pretty bad!" Sarah called from inside.

"You know? Please, just stay out of this." JJ leaned his head into the window to give her a look, "Okay, Pope, look, we've been doing everything your way, and how has that been working out?"

"Okay, okay, so what's your plan?" Pope rose to his feet with a dumbfounded expression, "You gonna storm a jail, guns-a-blazing?"

"JJ, it's the police. We can't just do things as we wish with them, come on." Layla said his way, waving her arm around, "That's not how this works. Maybe we can start a protest, or something, I don't know. But it's not just this simply plan we can make. It's the police! The law! They could put us in jail too, kill us."

"Jesus, Layla! I know that, okay? But we can't just not doing anything. Do you really think some protest infront of the jail is gonna do anything? You standing up in your court date?" Jj argued with her. And they rarely did, the two or them, they were usually always on the same page, "All i'm trying to get you to understand is they got our boy. Are we just gonna sit here and do nothing? No! We're gonna go get his ass. We're gonna do something about it!"

"JJ, we're not storming a jail. It's not happening." Pope tried to reason, leaning down slightly on his level.

"Fine, man. Sit in your comfy chair. Do nothing." JJ scoffed in disbelief as he grabbed his hat, "I'm gonna see what I can do. Make something happen, even if I have to do it by myself."

Layla squeezed the bridge of her nose again as JJ stormed out into the rain, starting up his dirt bike and storming off, "All right, well, i'm gonna go do this my way."

"What is your way?" Pope gave a look, "What is this plan you have?"

"I have a court date later to determine where I live and if I can get away from my dad or not!" Layla spoke loudly, her voice echoing in the porch, "It's bad timing but it's still important! My lawyer knows John B's lawyer, maybe I can make something happen with her."

"Layla." Kie tried to get her to stay, but Layla was walking into the chateau and grabbing her bag.

"Look, i'm gonna go talk to my lawyer. Do you want to come with me?" Layla asked Sarah, pulling her backpack on, "She's gonna prep me for my case later and i'm gonna talk to her about John B."

"I've gotta go meet Wheezie." Sarah spoke, looking at Kie's phone, "You're gonna do fine though, don't worry."

Layla didn't mean to sound selfish, but she was scared as hell for her own court date and really wanted support there with her, "Yeah, I know. Call me later?"

•

kylie speaks

poor bby. i'll go
go here court date
with her.