"Joey, get in. Please." John B begged as Joey sat outside of the hot tub.

"Do you know how many germs are in hot tubs?" she gave a look of disbelief. "That's a big no."

"You see, I didn't think I was gonna miss that nagging germ thing in my ear all the time." John B nodded his head, leaning next to her with a grin. "I so did."

Joey grinned. "Well, I didn't miss you."

"No?" he cracked a grin at her. "Not even a little."

"Not even a little." she shook her head, throwing her empty cream soda can at him. John B hopped out of the hot tub to sit with her, cracking another one open. "Hows it feel to be home?"

"Comforting." he admitted, handing the can to her. "Kinda worried though."

"Yeah, I get that." Joey nodded her head, looking toward the rest of the pogues as they laughed and had a good time in the hot tub. "It's gonna be okay though. Somehow, we're gonna figure it out."

John B looked over at her with a little grin. "Sorry about the hot tub."

"No, it's all good." she shook her head. "I did miss you, by the way."

"I knew you did." he nodded with a flashy grin in her direction. "I missed you too."

Joey gave him a half grin. "I almost drowned, twice."

"Twice?" he gapped. "And you survived both times? Woah, I didn't know you had it in you."

"Shut up." she rolled her eyes. "Sarah's brother actually was the cause, both times."

"Rafes a fucking psycho." he nodded his head, taking the can from her. "We're gonna get him back though. For sure. I'm sorry I wasn't here."

"It's okay. I survived, right?" Joey shrugged, leaning on her elbow as it dug into her knee. "I'm just glad you're home. Even when i'm hating you, at least I knew you were okay."

John B held the can back to her. "You glad to hate me again?"

Joey snatched the can with a smile. "Totally."

"Totally." he mocked her, tossing his towel at her head.

"I never made good grades in school. When I get out, I act like a fool. They say I come in the party and cause a commotion. I'm smooth, yeah, they call me lotion." Popes freestyle had the two looking over, sharing a look, before laughing with the rest of the pogues.

"Well, that's my que." Joey joked, standing to her feet. "I'll be back in the morning."

"You're leaving?" JJ hung out the side of the hot tub. "Come on, JoJo. You're the life of the party."

"I gotta do something." she waved them off, giving John B one more hug. "Peace out, Pogues."

"Love you!" Kie called as Joey headed off, getting multiple goodbyes in the process.

"Top." Joey called as she threw rocks at his window. "Top, open up. It's me."

Topper opened his window, walking out to his balcony. When he saw it was her, he exhaled. "Come to return all my moms stuff?"

"I'm really sorry." she gave a pleading look up at him. "Can we just talk? I'm gonna explain it all to you."

"Don't bother, Kelce called." he rolled his eyes. "So glad to know John B and Sarah are alive, thank you for sharing that information with me."

"I wanted to tell you." she looked up at him in guilt. "It was just risky, I tried to tell you at that hotel with the computers. Can you come down here?"

"It's late, i'm tired. You know, from being gone all day long and then being left." he shrugged in annoyance down at her. "By the way, I paid for that boat you stole. Figured you didn't have 200k laying around."

Joey held the keys up. "I brought them back."

"It's not the point." Topper called down to her. "Was that the entire reason you came with me? For John B?"

"Topper, I love hanging out with you." Joey gave him a pleading look, because apart of her had gotten too use to him being so sweet to her. "You're my best friend."

"A best friend wouldn't run out on me like that." he argued with her. "I'm tired, I wanna go to sleep."

"I'm sorry." she tried one more time, swallowing. "I know I was shitty, and a really bad person. That's on me, I take complete responsibility for it."

Topper nodded his head. "Okay, Josephine. Night."

He shut the window, Joey frowned. "Top?"

But, he didn't open up again. Joey looked down, biting the inside of her mouth. The porch lights cut out, leaving her in the dark by the faint lit up water fountain.

"Have a good morning." Joey gave a small smile to the customer that walked in, getting a bouquet of flowers. They gave her a wave, walking out. Joey sighed, touching the scratch on the counter that she caused. She'd planned to go to the chateau after her morning shift, only having to be open two hours until Mr.Moony came in.

But, Pope had ran in. "Joey!"

"Pope, what's wrong?" she looked in a panic, shutting the register quickly.

"John B got taken in!" he panicked, holding his chest. "They've got him in jail!"

"What? When?" she circled the counter with wide eyes. "Is he okay?"

"No, they beat him up pretty bad!" Pope spoke in a panic. "I don't know, we gotta go now!"

Joey ran with him, panic setting in. She called Mr.Moony quickly, explaining the circumstances.

"John Booker Routledge, pursuant to the North Carolina statute section fourteen, you are charged with murder in the first degree with aggravated circumstances. If convicted, the maximum sentence would be the death penalty." the woman spoke up as John B stood in his orange jumpsuit. Joey stood up in a panic, her heart in her stomach as her eyes filled up.

"John B!" she called out.

"Your honor, he's seventeen!" JJ called out as he stood up. Chatter escaped over the court room as the judge tried to reason, "Hey, John B, we're gonna figure it out."

"John B! John B!" Sarah called as she rushed past the crowd of people. The deputy held her back suddenly.

"Stop! Don't touch her!" Kie said as she got Sarah back.

"It's gonna be okay!" Joey called in a panic, hoping to meet his eye. "We're gonna get you out, John B! Don't worry!"

"Is this a joke, are we in hell?" Kie spoke in disbelief as the crowd of people began to speak on the matter of how justice was served and that John B had deserved it.

"I should have never come home." Sarah cried as Joey rubbed her back.

"They're gonna kill him, guys. I know it." JJ added in as they grouped together.

"This is so fucked." Joey rubbed her heart when it started to pick up. "I feel like literally smashing faces in."

"Sorry for what you and your family have gone through." Hugh, a man that worked at the Country Club, apologized to Ward as he walked out, "Thank god the system works."

"Can you please shut up?" Kie snapped as she walked forward, speaking loud enough for them to turn and look, "Of course you think the system worked 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 as he stuck his hands in his pockets.

"He shouldn't even be in court! You should, cause you're a murderer!" Kie shouted as she pointed at Ward with a harsh glare, "You have a lot of nerve showing up to court."

"I know you're upset." Ward began before he was cut off.

"Shut up, Ward!" Joey yelled in his direction. "You shut the hell up!"

"I understand you're upset, okay?" Ward asked, directed toward Kie, "I know he's got you fooled. He's got you all fooled."

"No, im not just upset!" Kie yelled as she lunged for Ward, Shoupe and another Deputy jumping in to hold her back.

"Show some respect!" Ward shouted their way.

Joey pushed through the officers as they were worried about Kie, Ward not seeing her either as they were focused on the rest on the pogues. He was met with a fist to the left jaw. "How's that for respect!"

"Joey!" JJ called in a panic, an officer grabbed her. "Hey, get the hell off her!"

Joeys face collided with the side of the cop car with a wince. "Get off of me!"

"Let her go!" Kie called.

"We're gonna take her in, boss." the officer looked to Shoupe, cuffing Joey. "Maybe that'll teach her to keep her hands off people."

"Joey!" Pope called for her again. "Don't say anything."

Joey didn't say anything, knowing she was already in enough shit as she was shoved into the back of the police car.

"Look at you." Shoupe walked to Joeys cell. "This is your second time here in the past week."

"Shoupe, you know this is bullshit." Joey stared at him. "John B didn't do it."

"Hey, enough." he warned her to be quiet. "You can't go around punching people, either. You made bail, community service for two weeks."

"Who bailed me out?" Joey looked in confusion, rubbing her wrist from the too tight hand cuffs. Shoupe ignored her, pulling her arm as he lead her out to the front, pushing the door open.

"I don't wanna see you back here again." Shoupe looked at her. "You wanna end up like your old man?"

Joey looked at him. "You know about him?"

"Records say it all." he said back. "You keep acting like this and you're gonna take his cell one of these days. Get outta here."

Joey rubbed her wrist, turning back. She blinked at the sight. "Topper?"

He exhaled, standing by his car. "You seriously got arrested?"

Joey jogged down the steps. Topper shook his head. "You're punching people now? At a court house? Do you have any clue what kind of-"

He was cut off by her arms wrapping around him, holding on tightly as her head pressed into his neck. Between John B's arrest, their fight, feeling shitty, and the fear of being arrested, this time alone, Joey was convinced all she needed was physical affection. Topper exhaled, hugging her back. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Joey exhaled, shutting her eyes. "You didn't have to bail me out."

"Well, what's a little more money spent on you, right?" he rubbed her back as they pulled back. "Come on, this place is gross."

"Yeah." she agreed. "I didn't even touch anything and I can feel the germs on me."

Topper nodded his head. "Let's go home. Take a shower."

Joey frowned. "I'm sorry about Charleston, Top."

"Yeah, I know." he nodded, his blonde hair looked even brighter in the sun. "I still want a better explanation."

"You'll get one." she promised with a nod. "I promise."

Topper scanned her face over. "Let's go home, Jo."

•

kylie speaks

the way they both refer
to toppers house as home
is easily my favorite and most
slept on thing in the entire
book.

i love angry jojo.