𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐍𝐄 , 𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑
𝟑𝟗:𝟒𝟎-𝟓𝟎:𝟎𝟎
𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨: 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 » 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘦𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩

❦

The next day, Kie, Pope, JJ and I help out in Heyward's fish shop. Correction, Kie and Pope do the hard work while JJ and I sit next to each other on the counter messing with a bouncy ball.

"Don't let it get in your head," JJ speaks up, the cut on his lip from Rafe splitting more each time, "Just typical kook shit."

"Hell yeah," Kie agrees as she hands a customer their change from the till.

Heyward marches in, the anger in his face causing the teenagers to furrow their bored and he calls, "Hey, Pope. Someone here to see you."

Deputy Shoupe walks in, one hand holding his waistband and the other holding his radio on his shoulder. Shit, shit, shit.

"Evening, Officer," Pope says, trying his best not to stutter.

"I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property," Shoupe declares, walking over and pulling out a pair of handcuffs. He walks behind Pope and grabs both of his wrists. Pope turns his head nervously to us, his eyes wide and worry etched all over his face. JJ slowly shakes his head, his jaw clenched as we watch Shoupe grab Pope's arms.

"Wait, wait, whoa. Shoupe, what'd he do?" Heyward questions, throwing his towel over his shoulder.

Pope Heyward is a golden child, mostly. Even though he hangs out with us, who are the complete opposite, he's the one who tries to keep us all surfaced preventing us all from doing some stupid shit. But, to everyone's surprised, this time Pope did the extremely stupid shit.

"Take a look at the warrant," Shoupe mutters.

I jump off the counter, my face screwed up in disgust and confusion, "So, what? You're just gonna arrest him?"

"Be careful!" Kie shouts, when she notices how rough Shoupe is being while he drags the boy out of the shop.

"Anything you say or do can be held against you." He ignores us, just focusing on arresting Pope, "You have the right to an attorney."

JJ stands up, throwing his head back in annoyance while his brain searches for a way to get out of this, "How much did they pay you, man?" He asks loudly.

We all follow quickly behind, shouting and yelling to try and stop him from taking Pope. Yes, he did it. But they also attacked him just because they wanted some measly beers. But, I don't see Rafe or Topper being arrested for assault.

"Shoupe, stop!" I yell as we reach the cop car, "Please!" I glance back at JJ stood still just outside the door of the shop, his nose flared and the cogs in his mind working hard like usual.

"It wasn't him!" JJ yells loudly, causing everyone to stop and turn, "It was me."

"JJ," I hiss, shaking my head but he ignores me, keeping his eyes trained on Pope and Shoupe, "What the fuck are you doing?"

He trudges over to us very slowly, rolling his jaw, "He tried to talk me out of it... but I was mad because he'd just been beaten up. I was so sick of those assholes from Figure Eight that I lost my shit."

I grab his arm when he passes Kie and I, "J, are you insane?"

He shakes me off, once again ignoring me, "I can't let you take the blame for somethin' I did, Pope. You've got too much to lose."

Pope glances at me, noticing the stray tear running down my cheek before looking back at JJ, "What are you doing?"

"I'm tellin' the truth," He replies quickly, "For once in my goddamn life, I'm gonna tell the truth. I took his old man's boat, too."

My eyebrows furrow while Heyward shakes his head in disbelief.

"JJ, come on-" Pope starts.

"SHUT UP, Pope. Just shut up." He swallows and looks at Shoupe, "He's a good kid. You know where I'm from."

Shoupe nods, "Yeah."

"This was all me." JJ mumbles, pursing his lips.

"That's the whole truth?" Shoupe asks Pope, tilting his head.

"Whole truth, swear to god." JJ answers for him, his eyes staring right back into the police officer's.

"I know what you think, damn it," He snaps at the blonde, "I'm asking Pope."

Pope's lip quivers just before he nods, "Yeah, that about covers it."

Shoupe takes the handcuffs off Pope and moves them onto JJ and only then does he finally look at me. I stare at him in disbelief, my eyebrows cinched together.

"I'm sorry," He mouths, trying to ignore my utterly destroyed face, "You'll be okay." Before he can say anything else, Shoupe opens the car door and shoves JJ roughly inside, blocking my view of him.

"Dumb motherfucker," I mutter, "Dumb, dumb, dumb motherfucker." I sink down onto the stone step and hang my head low between my knees, my hands raking through my hair.

"Ava, I'm so sorry," Pope says before running off, throwing his hat onto the dusty floor out of anger.

Kie runs after him while I stay sat down, my fingers tapping against my knee anxiously.

"Are you okay, Ava?" Heyward kneels down in front of me, his head tilting down so he can see my eyes. He inspects me closer, noticing the anger seething through my eyes, "Pope never told me that you and JJ were together."

I raise my head, sniffing, "Oh, yeah, we're not. It's just a thing."

"A thing? My marriage started with a thing," He chuckles, raising up before offering me a hand and pulling me up from the stone slab.

"Really?" I raise a brow.

"Yeah," He nods, smiling at the resurfaced memory, "A highschool thing."

"That's sweet," I wipe my tears again, "I should probably go and, uh, find them."

He nods as I walk off glumly, my hands running frantically threw my hair while I squeeze my eyes shut in annoyance. Sometimes I hate how loyal JJ is.

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A short chapter today cause i'm tired af

SORRYYY <3