𝟎𝟗𝟖.                             𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞

fight for this love         ────         cheryl

☀︎ 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐯

𝖤𝖵𝖤𝖱𝖸𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖬𝖠𝖪𝖤𝖲 𝖲𝖤𝖭𝖲𝖤．

Whether JJ wants to believe it or not, he can't deny that everything Luke just told us makes a ridiculous amount of sense.

For him to be Larissa Genrette's son, that makes a lot of sense. I knew that when I looked at that oil portrait of her in the Genrette house, I felt this strange familiarity with her, and it was because I've been staring into a mirror of her eyes for the past eleven years of my life. I've been staring into her son's eyes for eleven years, those eyes being the first part of him I fell in love with.

Wes Genrette, he figured it out. He realised that JJ was his grandson, and now he won't ever get the chance to see him again. While Wes realised that familiarity, we obviously can't ignore that Chandler Groff already knew he was staring at his son that day on Goat Island. Not only was he looking at his son that day, he was also looking at his daughter.

Groff didn't say a word, not to either of them, and now they both know about their relation to Chandler Groff but not to each other. I am the only one who knows that Emory and JJ are blood related, that they share the same biological father. I hold another secret from JJ and Emory when they've both been lied to their entire lives. I'm just as bad as those who have lied to them.

You know what makes the most sense of all? JJ being Emory's brother. I mean, come on, they're similar in the way they talk and act. They constantly bicker with one another, fighting over the smallest of things while grinning like fools, taking serious pleasure in pissing the other off. Just like friends do. Just like brother and sister do.

JJ Maybank wasn't supposed to be a Maybank. Horrifyingly enough, he was supposed to be a freaking Groff. Let me tell you, that does not have the same ring to it, thanks. Nor does Emory Groff, and I'm sure they'd agree with me on that.

Sitting here, letting Luke's news sit on me, I think about how, if JJ had been raised in the life that he was supposed to have, I likely would've never known him. John B and I never would have had a best friend since the third grade. I wouldn't be in love right now. JJ would cease to exist in my circle if he had been a Kook. That thought alone scares the crap out of me.

I lift my gaze to the boy I'm damn lucky to have met, finding he has his back to me. Since running away from the lighthouse and away from Luke, we've not spoken to each other. If JJ doesn't want to speak, he doesn't have to, but I hate this silence. I hate that, even for a moment, he thinks he can't confide in me when I know he must have a raging amount of questions and thoughts.

I lift myself up, stepping into his orbit. The letter is still clutched in his hand, and part of me thinks he's trying to figure out if he should believe what Luke was saying. Admitting it can't be easy, not when he's seen Luke as his dad his entire life, never truly knowing where he came from. I can't even begin to understand what he must be feeling and thinking, but I want to understand. I want to be there for him. I need him to let me in.

I join his side, and I reach my hand out to graze his cheek. "Hey," I whisper, watching him refocus. "You okay?"

He glances at me, though he has such a faraway look in his eye that I want to wipe away, though I don't think I can do that. "I-I don't know."

I smile sadly, watching his face lean into my hand. "Come here," I murmur, bringing my hand down his face and around to the back of his neck.

I then step closer to him, and I crush my weight into his. My arms lift and wrap around his neck, and I feel a ton lighter the moment I feel him lift his own arms to hug me in a much-needed embrace. The moment I'm enveloped in his arms, I feel him relax instantly. His head falls, burying into the crook of my neck as I bring one hand up to his hair, pushing my fingers against the base of his skull as if to relieve any pressure he feels.

I want to take all the pain away, execute it and dump it in the water or burn it until it explodes. Hell, I want to pass off his pain to somebody who deserves it like his father or... his father. Hm. That's going to get confusing, much like Emory now having two dads being confusing.

I feel JJ exhale, finding that he's breathing heavily like he's trying to stop himself from getting too worked up over something he isn't even sure he believes in. Though, as I hold onto him, I feel like he's trying to tell me that part of him does believe what Luke said.

"Do you believe him?" I ask, dragging my other hand down his back in gentle, pressing circles.

"I don't know." He brings his head back, arms still secured around me. "I-I don't know, Sunny." He inhales and exhales, chest heaving as his breathing shakes.

I touch his face again, our eyes finding each other's. "It's okay," I voice, my tone low.

"Do you believe him?"

I gnaw on the inside of my cheek, the weight of his question looming over me as I'm not sure how to approach it. If he doesn't believe, what's the point in knowing that I believe Luke wasn't lying. My hand drops from his face, our eyes still very much attuned to one another's.

"I-It doesn't matter what I believe, JJ. It's about what you believe."

He scoffs lightly, bringing himself back, taking all his warmth and comfort with him, and I fear I've said the wrong thing. "Of course it matters what you believe, Brooke." He pulls his cap off his head again, digging his fingers into the material, indicating to me that he's starting to get upset. Although, he isn't one who cries easily, instead choosing other methods to suppress his sadness. "You heard him, Brooke, so do you believe him?"

"I-I don't know, JJ, I──"

"You do know," he shouts, surprising me. "Don't lie to me, Brooke. Please don't lie to me." He drags his fingers through his hair, agitated, and I find that I am part of the reason for his agitation. I'm causing him all this frustration and pressure, and I hate that I'm doing so. "I-I can't have you lying to me, alright? N-Not you."

There's only one thing he doesn't know, but I'm not the person who's supposed to tell him that. No, I can't be responsible for telling JJ and Emory that they're related. That's not fair. Obviously, he doesn't know anything about that, so he doesn't know I'm lying about that.

No, he wants to know if I believe Luke which I feel almost too ashamed to admit.

"JJ." I step forward, going to him as I don't want be the cause of his panic. I don't want to hurt him more than he's already hurting.

He pulls back, and I try to ignore the squeeze of my heart as he steps away from my touch, though I can't ignore something as painful as that. "Do you believe him?" he repeats, eyes focused on me.

I can't lie to him about this. If he wants the truth in regard to Luke, I'll offer him the truth.

"Yes."

He pulls his eyes off him, looking out to the water, his lips pressed into a thin line as I watch his throat work, emotion obvious on his face. The HMS Pogue is sitting still on the water as I brought him into a hug rather than letting him steer us home as there's all these things we need to discuss without the pressure of everybody else. Although, maybe talking about it was a bad idea.

I taste blood on my lip. I feel pain in my palms. I'm biting down on my lip anxiously, and I'm digging my nails into my palms to relieve the anxiety prickling my skin. He's not looking to me, making me realise that the single word of yes was not what he wanted to hear nor what he expected to hear from me.

I need to explain it. I need him to understand it── my reasoning to believing Luke.

"JJ," I mutter, stepping towards him, but he still doesn't spare me a glance. "I know this must be a lot for you. It's crazy, I know, t-to think that you're related to..." I swallow my words, letting him fill in the blank. "I don't think he'd lie about something like this, JJ. It's a big thing to lie about, you know, so... so I just don't think he would."

"You don't know him like I do, Brooke." He's right, I don't know Luke in the way JJ does, but there was something in the way Luke talked that made me believe him, and I can't quite put my finger on what. "All my life, he's just used me. He's using me now, don't you see that? He's using me to get a quick buck or some shit, that's what this is. I-I can't be Groff's son, Brooke. There's..." He presses his hand over his heart, his breathing deep, and I step forward once again just as he sucks in a sharp, aching breath.

The back of my eyes burn, knowing what it means when he attempts to rub away the pain he feels in his chest as I've beared witness to his anxiety attacks in the past. "JJ."

He lets me in this time, allowing me to slide my hand into his that rests over his heart. Together, we feel the rapid beat against our fingertips, his own anxieties and worries eating up at him in a way that has him quite literally shaking.

His head shakes, eyes squeezing shut as he continues to inhale sharply and exhale shakily. "I-It can't be true, Brooke. It..."

"I know," I speak softly, squeezing his hand so he can feel something. "I know, baby. Just breathe for me, okay?"

Another staggered breath slips past his lips. "I'm not..." His son. A Kook.

"I know," I whisper. "Look at me, JJ."

His eyes reopen instantly, our eyes finding their home in the mix of brown and blue. I let myself smile, relieved to see those eyes looking to me instead of away. With my other hand, I pull his face down until his forehead rests against mine. Keeping my eyes on him, I inhale carefully, exhale slowly, needing him to mimic me. "Breathe for me, JJ. Slowly."

"Sunny." His voice cracks, bringing a similar crack to my own heart. "I can't... I'm not..."

"I know." I step even closer to him, sliding my arm over his shoulder while our hands remain intertwined over the beating of his heart. "I know, JJ. It's okay." My fingers push into his hair again, forcing him to bring his head down to rest upon my shoulder again. "It's okay. I've got you."

His arm lifts weakly, and he pulls me into him once again, embracing me tighter than before. Although, unlike before, I feel his breathing settle, no longer feeling so forced and harsh. "Slow breaths, okay?" I close my eyes, moving my fingers through his hair as another method to soothe him. "I've got you."

His arm squeezes my torso, making sure I remain practically glued to him. "I-It can't be true," he says more to himself than to me as he speaks softly quietly, I barely hear him.

"If you need to believe anyone, JJ, believe me, okay?" I lean my face into his head, body curling into his as he tightens his hold on me again, not that I thought that was possible. "Believe me, JJ. Don't think about Luke or Groff, okay? Believe me when I say that we'll figure all this out, I promise. If it's the last thing I do, I will make sure you get your answers."

While, deep down, I already know that truth, JJ deserves to hear it from the man himself── Chandler Groff. Well, that's if he even bothers to give JJ any answers as he looked him in the eye just last week and didn't say a goddamn word, not to him or Emory. Also, Emory deserves to know the entire truth.

They'll get their answers even if the truth is already clear.

"I believe you," he whispers, voice delicate against my skin. He then brings his head back but his forehead remains to mine, his eyes also locked on mine. "Until then, can we, uh, keep this between us?"

I touch his cheek, nodding. "Between us."

Shortly after that, JJ continues to steer us back to the house where we're greeted by Kiara and Emory── JJ's sister, though neither of them know, of course, and I can't be the one who shares that truth.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Kiara asks, coming out of the garden with Emory behind her. I don't think anybody else is back yet, not that I expected them to be just yet. Although, they must be on their way back from Charleston as we speak, right?

"Long story," JJ replies, looking to me. "Where are the others?"

Emory's eyes narrow on us, like she can see right through us. "What's going on?" she inquires, looking from me to JJ, her arms crossed.

"Just saw my dad," JJ answers, and I think that'll be the only truth he'll share. For now, that is. It's not that he doesn't trust Kiara and Emory, I just think he isn't quite ready to declare the bullshit truth to everybody else.

Kiara's eyes widen, jaw slack. "He's back?"

"Yup. Been holding up at Barracuda Mike's, I guess," he tells, a shrug in his shoulders.

"Ah, Barry Mike," Emory recalls, knowing Barracuda Mike from when we saved Kiara from Kitty Hawk.

"Well, he's not trying to come back here, right?" Kiara sounds panicked, like Luke really has any kind of power to swoop in and steal this place out from under us. "He didn't say anything about this place being his?"

JJ shakes his head, knowing Luke can't just do something like that. "No, no. It wasn't about that."

"Because the town council thing's tonight," Kiara reminds which, I'll be honest, I forgot all about. I mean, with everything that's just happened, you can't exactly blame me for forgetting about some stupid council meeting that I didn't even want to attend.

"Right. Yeah."

Before anyone can say another word, we catch the Twinkie rolling over, acting as a barrier from Emory and Kiara asking any further questions. When JJ wants to discuss the truth, I'm sure he'll discuss it. Until then, I just have to remain quiet and act like I don't know about JJ and Emory being literal brother and sister.

Shouldn't be too hard, right?

"They're back." Kiara turns away, heading to greet the gang who are beginning to get out of the Twinkie. Emory, on the other hand, hangs back for a moment, looking at JJ strangely.

"You sure everything's okay?"

JJ hums, though he doesn't sound very convincing. "Yep." He claps his hand against hers, the two sharing the famous Pogue handshake. I stare at them, eyes flickering between them to see if I can see any similarities look-wise.

Safe to say, they both inherited their looks from their mothers.

"Brooke?" I refocus, finding them both to be looking at me.

I swallow. "Hm."

"You good?"

I force a smile, nodding firmly. "Yep."

I quickly turn away before they can question me, moving to greet the others who look... rough, especially Pope and Sarah who literally looked like they've crawled through a fucking sewer. "Find it?" JJ asks, also joining me.

"Mission failed on all fronts," Pope informs, looking like somebody smacked him in the face with a loss.

My face scrunches, a little disgusted as I catch a whiff of something not good. "What's that smell?"

"You so don't wanna know," Pope replies, stepping by me.

An hour later, we're gathered on the deck of the shop, Sarah and Pope both showered and dressed into cleaner clothes. We're listening to Pope drone on about the hell he and the others went through in Charleston that I'm lowkey glad I wasn't there to witness.

Little do they know, JJ went through a rough experience of his own back here on the island. We all went through hell, it seems.

"It's a catacomb," he announces. "It's got a bunch of skulls and everything around it."

Emory grins wickedly. "Sick."

"And the weirdest part is, there were other people down there looking for the same thing we were looking for," Pope tells.

"It wasn't just other people," Cleo adds. "It was the man that killed Terrence."

"Lightner?" Cleo hums in agreement.

"Oh, yeah, and there were rats. Like, so many rats," Pope complains, both he and Sarah looking traumatised over that fact.

You could say JJ and I dealt with a rat ourselves in the form of Luke Maybank.

"Hate that I missed that one," Kiara deadpans.

"I used to have a pet rat," Emory comments, leaning against a wooden post, catching the strange glances from our friends, myself included. "What? He was cute... in his own way."

"What was he called?" I ask.

"Ratty." I snort out a laugh, not finding that name to be awfully creative, though it's definitely an Emory thing to do── have a rat and name it something simple and silly. "What? I was, like, eight."

"I can't believe you had a pet rat," Sarah utters, literally shivering at the thought.

I glance to JJ who sits beside me, finding him to be completely silent, not even cracking a smile at Emory's pet rat from when she was eight. He's just fiddling with his cap, completely caught up in his own head.

"Where'd you two run off to?" John B asks, finally capturing his attention.

I touch his hand, hearing him clear his throat before he answers John B. "I was, uh... just trying to help out the team," he rushes out. "Quick cash grab. Yeah." I nod along, hoping I can help validate the story. "But the plan fell through, 'cause it was Barracuda Mike." I see Emory and Kiara look to one another, obviously trying to figure out why JJ didn't just say he was with Luke. They'll find out one day.

"Yeah, Barracuda Mike. I'm not surprised that didn't work out," John B comments, believing it.

"Yeah, should've known," I scoff, dropping my head.

"Listen, I'm, uh, super sorry about the rat stuff and everything, but we have that bullshit zoning hearing coming up tonight, and we don't have any money for a lawyer." John B shows off the piece of paper that bastard Zeasy had given us which, naturally, we scribbled curse words over in sweet retaliation.

Kiara bobs her head. "Obviously."

"Any ideas are welcome." He refolds the sheet of paper, looking for some kind of miracle from us.

"Oh, yeah, let me just study up on real estate law in one day. You know, I'll just──"

"That sounds like a lot of sarcasm we don't really need right now, Pope, okay?" John B interjects.

"Sorry, I was just rat swarmed..."

"At least it wasn't by Ratty. He was mean," Emory talks, shaking her head softly. A sigh slips past her lips. "Ah, Ratty."

"I know," JJ speaks up. "How about we find this Zeasy guy, tie him up, place a gun in his mouth, and demand him to revoke this shit?" There's no way he just suggested something like that.

"Ooh, yeah." I snap my head away from JJ, looking to Emory, the similarity between their attitude damn obvious right now. "I like that idea."

JJ nods in her direction. "Thank you."

God. The moment they discover they are brother and sister, I fear they'll be damn insufferable── more insufferable than they are right now when placed together.

"No," I say, holding my hands up. "I hate this guy, yeah, but we can't do that."

Emory pouts, slumping against the wall. "Such a buzzkill, B."

"Yeah, Sunny, come on."

John B jabs a finger in Emory's direction. "She's right, we're not doing that." He then looks to JJ who is, of course, not pleased about not executing his idea that would just be absurd.

"How about we call people?" I suggest, the idea springing to me. "The whole island is pissed about what they've been doing, right, so we get everybody over there, pack the house, rally the troops." I see my brother humming along, my friends── even the crazy siblings, Emory and JJ── nodding in agreement. "We could actually have a shot at winning then."

JJ nudges me gently. "Yeah, the more the merrier, right?" His hand squeezes my knee. "I could get the surf squad out there. From the beach."

"I'll go with you," I decide, not having anywhere else I need to be other than with him.

"Hey, Pope. Maybe we call some of your family. Maybe Uncle Roger," Cleo suggests, holding her hand out to him.

"I'll, uh, hit up my dad too," Emory adds, though she doesn't seem convinced that he'll listen to her. "See if he'll get off his drunk ass to join us."

Kiara frowns, placing a reassuring hand on her arm. "Oh." She pushes her hand into her pocket. "Speaking of family, this is gonna sound insane, but Rafe came by."

"Oh, right." We watch Kiara step over to Sarah to hand off some kind of business card. "He's an infuriating kind of hot, don't you think?" We each look to Emory, faces scrunched and puzzled. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm very gay, but I can appreciate a good looking guy, alright?"

"Brother, Emory," Sarah grimaces, taking the card from Kiara. "What is this?"

"Some kind of business card. He said he wanted to help," Kiara explains, stepping back to rejoin Emory. "Don't shoot the messenger."

"I'll kill y'all if you shoot the messenger," Emory utters, speaking loud enough for each of us to hear. 

"Rafe Cameron, CEO," Sarah reads, eyebrows strung together in confusion. "CEO of what?"

"Of being infuriatingly hot," Emory chimes, once again earning eye rolls and groans.

"Whatever. I'll hit him up. Maybe he can help us."

"I seriously doubt that," I say, though part of me does hope he can help us as he's as Kook as they come, and we definitely need Kook support.

"Alright. Let's do this shit. Let's save Poguelandia."

──────────────────────────

𝖠𝖥𝖳𝖤𝖱 𝖱𝖮𝖴𝖭𝖣𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖴𝖯 𝖠𝖲 𝖬𝖠𝖭𝖸 𝖲𝖴𝖯𝖯𝖮𝖱𝖳𝖤𝖱𝖲 𝖠𝖲 𝖯𝖮𝖲𝖲𝖨𝖡𝖫𝖤，we joined said followers into the courthouse, pleased with ourselves that we'd managed to wrangle a lot of people to fill our side. JJ and I sought out the surf crowd who I found to be the loudest bunch of people ever, but we gathered them regardless.

Now JJ and I are walking hand in hand, prepared and ready to face whatever is thrown our way.

Also, not to brag, but we look hot.

As I'd consider this to be a special occasion, I chose to dress myself up a little. My hair, while short and difficult to style, is natural and wavy, half pulled back with a small butterfly clip. I slipped on a yellow sundress that falls down to my ankles, a small split travelling up one leg. And, of course, paired with the outfit are my battered, taped-up, dirty Converses.

The previous anxiety I felt when Terrence died, when I discovered Luke's news, and when I realised JJ and Emory were related, is still at the surface of my chest, though it's not as strong as it was before. Sure, my worries will never entirely disappear as I'm nervous about how this hearing will go.

I think my hand is sweating in JJ's, and it's not because it's warm in here. No, it's actually quite cold, but my body doesn't seem to understand that, instead boiling.

"You look beautiful," JJ whispers in my ear, bringing me out of my head. I turn my head to him, unable to stop the undeniable shade of red that crawls up my neck.

I press my lips together, smiling. "Thank you."

For one shining moment, I want to just pretend that JJ hasn't been handed a massive bomb about where he comes from. I want to pretend, that for one minute, all can go our way and that we'll be okay if that's possible. I want that to be possible.

"Hey." Emory claps her hands on our shoulders, forcing her way between us. "Isn't that your kid?"

I know who she's talking about before I hear the chipper voice of Matilda. "Brooke!" She comes barreling over, dressed in baby yellow dungarees. She crashes into me, arms lifting to embrace me and, naturally, I return the hug, but I can't help but question why she's here.

I look to JJ who looks the same as I do── confused as to why Matilda is here at some court hearing. Regardless, he looks to Matilda with his most sincere smile. "Hey, Tills."

She separates from me, waving up at JJ with the sweetest grin. "Hi, JJ."

"Kid, what are you doing here?"

"I'm showing my support," she beams, placing her hands on her hips and standing like freaking Superman.

Sarah appears from behind me. "Matilda!"

"Hi, Sarah!" Matilda moves towards Sarah, also hugging her which isn't unsurprising as those two hit it off the best when I brought Matilda to the house. Who Matilda, of course, didn't hit it off with is none other than my scowling brother who stands beside Sarah.

The little girl spots him. "Matilda," he greets, speaking to her like she's an enemy.

Matilda steps back from Sarah, nodding up at him. "John B," she replies, speaking in the same monotoned voice.

"Y'all are weird," Emory comments. "Did the uncle thing really freak you out that much?"

John B pins Emory with a hard stare. "Shut up."

"He's just scared of me," Matilda states matter-of-factly, her arms crossing over her chest. "Right, John B?"

John B places a hand upon her head, turning his hand to subsequently turn her away from him. She giggles, letting him shove her forward gently and away, him and Sarah following behind her so they can sit down with Matilda.

Pope, Cleo and Kiara have already found seats at the front as, of course, this whole charade is for us. "Well, she might be the youngest supporter," Emory comments, looking over her shoulder at Matilda who sits in between Sarah and John B, chatting and laughing to Sarah while John B watches her with narrowed eyes.

"Definitely the youngest," I say, peering around to see that there's not many younger people in the crowd, making Matilda the youngest by a long shot, though we need all the support we can get, so while this can get rowdy, I'm glad she's here.

"Well, I best go save her from your brother," Emory says, stepping back. "Let her sit with her cool Aunt Em."

Shit. I just realised that if JJ and I ever have kids of our own, she literally will be Aunt Em.

"I can't believe she came," JJ speaks, bringing me back to the reality we're in once again. He places a hand on the small of my back, guiding me forward and towards our seats.

"Well, she's our biggest supporter," I tease, seeing her now laughing with Emory.

She fits right into our crew, doesn't she?

JJ and I sit down, and I let my eyes wander over the opposite side of the courthouse, finding there to be a big divide── that concept of Kooks vs. Pogues rearing its ugly head once again. I skim my eyes over the crowd, eyes landing on Topper and Ruthie who, funnily enough, is sporting a nasty bruise to her jaw.

I look away, nudging Emory who I find is already looking towards Ruthie, the pair sharing a glare. "Nice handy work, Em."

Emory grins, proud of herself. "Thanks, B."

"Did your dad show up?" I ask, knowing we can talk as the mayor isn't quite ready to begin. People are still filing into the courthouse, joining their respective sides.

Emory shakes her head, looking forward. "No. He was passed out on sofa. Didn't even wake when I shook him. Thought he was dead for a second."

"I'm sorry," I say softly, sad for her.

She shrugs it off, though it obviously bothers her. "It's whatever, right? We rounded up a good crowd either way."

She's not wrong about that. I'm impressed by the turn out── so impressed that I think we actually have a chance of winning this thing, if it's something you can win. I don't know what the correct terms are, not in a court of law.

I spot Kiara's parents who, excluding Emory, aren't a huge fan of us, but they're here to support us nonetheless despite teetering on that line of Kook and Pogue. Like I've said, I appreciate the support, so however they feel about us doesn't matter when all we need is numbers.

I feel JJ's hand slide against my thigh, forcing me to bring my attention to him── the gorgeous boy on my right. "Hi, you."

He grins, tongue dragging across his teeth. "Hey, Sunshine." His hand squeezes my thigh, sending about a thousand jolts up my entire body.

"Ugh, gross," Emory grimaces, earning matching scowls from JJ and I. "Get a room."

"We are in a room," JJ bites out.

Emory doesn't look impressed, not in any way. "A different room, genius."

Insufferable, I swear.

"Okay," I speak from in between them, placing my hand over JJ's that rests over my thigh. "Let's be nice. We're on the same side here, guys."

"Hey, I think they're starting."

As suspected, the Mayor waited until everybody had joined together in the courthouse and the double doors had been shut before he began the hearing. "Before we move on with the rest of our agenda, I want to remind everyone to maintain civility and decorum throughout the rest of these proceedings. We're one island. Why don't we all try to act like it?"

"Who's this old bastard?" Emory asks, keeping her voice dangerously low.

"The Mayor, Em." She scrunches her face up at that realisation, slumping back further into her chair.

"Language," Matilda chimes, her voice low.

Emory digs into the pocket of her shorts, coming up with five dollars. "Sorry, kid. You're gonna hear me curse a lot." She slaps the money into Matilda's open palm.

"Any disruption will warrant expulsion and potential charges. Understood?" Conveniently, the mayor looks directly at us when he says that which, let me just say, I'm offended by.

"Guess I shouldn't yell fire," I utter under my breath, dragging my fingers over JJ's knuckles to calm both myself and him down.

With a single nod to the Mayor, he proceeds. "Without further ado, we'll go on the reports of our Council Members, starting with our Council Member Lawrence."

Lawrence, another old bastard, speaks up from his chair. "Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Agenda eight-A, ordinance thirty-one, zoning for property located at the end of Roger's Point Road."

I look to JJ, finding him to be using his free hand, that isn't laying on my thigh, to carve 'P4L' into the wood in front of him. Well, at least if shit goes wrong, he's left our mark in some way.

Lawrence speaks up again, bringing JJ to a stop just as he finishes the final letter. "Mr. Mayor, we have a resolution from the town of Pelican expressing support for the rezoning of multi-use land on the East side of the island, including the aforementioned Roger's Point Road property."

I'm sorry, what? They have a resolution? As in, they already have a decision── a plan already drawn up about rezoning our home, about rezoning Poguelandia?

"Wait, did he just say they already had a resolution?"

"The council is voting to recommend allocating the amount of sixty thousand dollars to begin to transition that said property..."

"How are they already voting?" Kiara asks.

"...and rezoning request. And with that I turn it over to Council Member Chet."

Another old grey-haired bastard begins to talk, following on from old bastard Lawrence. "I'd like to say, uh, we are lucky to have the help of Mr. Zeasy." Chet gestures to Zeasy, and I hear fucking claps from the Kooks for this dick who quite literally makes me feel sick to my stomach with the way he nods and grins in response. "Who has been active with developing the island and has been a resource for us. Thank you."

"I appreciate that, Chet. Thank you."

I shake my head, glaring daggers at this old bastard too. Seriously, what's with all the grey-haired dicks in this room? "Bastard."

"I bet you wish we had a lawyer now."

"No. I wish I had a fish bat, more like," JJ replies, and I squeeze his hand tightly, trying to ease some of that anxiety that's eating at him.

"Seriously think we should've gone with JJ's plan of putting a gun in that son of a bitch's mouth," Emory pipes up, wincing when Matilda gasps. "Sorry, kid. I told you."

JJ tilts his head. "Thank you, Em."

Emory holds her fist up, as does he, and they hit their fists over my lap. "I got you, dude."

"You two need to shut up," John B hisses.

Emory crosses one leg over the other, shrugging. "Whatever. This is bullshit."

"But before we move on, we are scheduled to hear from some members of the community, beginning with a representative from the occupants of the Roger's Point property, which used to be the Maybank property."

"Anybody feeling brave?" Kiara inquires.

"Oh, I'll give those dicks a piece──"

"Anybody but you," I interrupt, grabbing Emory's arm before she gets up.

"Fine." JJ stands. "I got this." Just like I did with Emory, I grasp his hood and force him to sit right back down before he says something that will make everything much worse.

"Yeah, you two definitely aren't getting up there," Pope speaks, and both Emory and JJ scoff.

"Fine," they both grumble, sinking into their seats.

I take JJ's hand, bringing his arm back to rest over my thigh, my hand squeezing his tightly as some fleeting act to soothe him. While he's the bravest out of us all, maybe second to straight-to-the-point Emory on my left, it would not be in our best interest to get him up there with all the Kooks just sitting there, begging to be cursed at, especially that smug bastard Topper.

"Somebody else has to go up," Pope insists.

"Then who?"

"Can I do it?" Matilda asks, and I find that so ridiculously sweet that she'd want to help us out in such a way, though she's not a resident of our property nor old enough to get up there.

"You can't even see over the podium," John B snipes.

"Get me a stool," she demands, challenging him.

"Okay, no," Sarah laughs, grasping John B's hand. "Sorry, Matilda, you can't speak. You don't live at the property." She frowns, falling back against her chair. "Thanks, though. That's very sweet."

"Pope," Kiara votes, knowing he's smart enough to get us out of this pickle.

"No, no way. I hate public speaking." He shakes his head, looking down towards me. "What about you, Brooke?"

While I'm not afraid of speaking in front of a crowd, I'm not exactly the biggest advocate for defending things in a crisis. While I love our house, I'm afraid the presence of these Kooks will absolutely knock me into wanting to fight each and every one of them until I feel satisfied.

"Hm. No." I glance at my brother. "What about the male version of me?"

John B scoffs. "Your better half?"

"More like my biggest headache," I bite out.

"Okay, enough bickering," Kiara interrupts. "John B, you good to do it?"

"Uh, sure," he replies casually. "Seeing as somebody is afraid..."

"Oh, you──"

Applause breaks out as my brother raises his hand, indicating that he will be speaking. "John Booker Routledge," the Mayor speaks, encouraging John B to rise from his seat, moving past us to reach the podium. Once there, he taps his hand against the microphone a few times. "Please state your name for the record."

"I am John Booker Routledge."

I snort out a laugh, clapping my hands. "Woo!"

"Damn, right!" JJ cheers, eliciting more applause and cheers from the Pogue side of the crowd.

"Look, I-I'm... I'm not a lawyer, by any standard... but honestly, this doesn't make any sense," John B begins, speaking for everybody in that regard. "I mean, w-we bought the property at auction, and we have a fully functioning business and have had for some time. A-And now you have a motion for rezoning on our property? And if it passes, we lose our business. And we lose our home." The home that we, collectively, worked hard to build for our family, thank you.

"Because of some bullshit!" JJ calls out.

"Yeah!" Emory shouts, hands clapping together. This encourages several other people to stand and shout in agreement which, in turn, causes disruption.

The Mayor bangs his gavel to silence the shouting. "There will be order in this room! Take your seats!"

Mike Carrera stands, defeating the purpose of what the Mayor just said, but he instructs those who stand to sit down, bringing a small wave of embarrassment to my best friend who sits with her head in her hand.

"Mr. Routledge, you can continue," the Mayor presses.

After a beat, John B follows on from his previous words. "As most of you know, my sister and I lost our father last year, as did Sarah." The courthouse falls quiet at that, and I find that I hate the silence a lot more than the disruption as it gives me the time to remember my father's death when, for the past eighteen months, I've done everything possible to forget it.

I had nightmares for some time after Dad died as watching the life disappear from your father's eyes never quite leaves you. I would wake up in the middle of the night, sweating and screaming whenever I was reminded of my father dying and bleeding out right before me. I can still recall what it felt like to feel his hand go limp in mine as the life left his body.

Sarah lost her father too, as you know, and the three of us just had to deal with our grief as best we could, though none of us knew how to actually do such a thing which is why we threw ourselves into building up Poguelandia.

The only time I grieved Dad was in the dead of night while JJ slept beside me, though he was witness to many of my lesser than fine nightmares. He managed to always comfort me right back to sleep afterwards, though the pain of the nightmare still ran deep.

I miss my dad, I do. Despite all he did, I do miss him as, at the end of the day, he was still my dad. He was still the guy whose eyes and last name I had. Now he's just... gone.

"All we're trying to do is rebuild a home. That's it," John B talks, and we each applaud in agreement. "Sir, with all due respect, we're not looking for a handout. We just wanna keep our home, alright? And we don't want to get it taken from us for some stupid club! I-I mean, how is that legal?"

The Pogues begin to shout, defending our cause against the Kooks who also begin shouting at us. I even think Matilda starts to shout, though she's outnumbered by several dozen Kooks who demanded we shut up. We just clap for my brother who, unsurprisingly, spoke our minds perfectly.

I cast a glance to the Kook side of the courthouse, noticing Zeasy stand up. Shit. "Excuse me? Excuse me? Mayor?" Another strike of the Mayor's gavel has everybody silenced as Zeasy steps forward. "Excuse me. May I speak?"

Emory cracks her injured knuckles beside me. "I wouldn't recommend it, oldie."

"Absolutely," the Mayor allows.

"Thank you, Mayor. There seems to be a misunderstanding, okay? And I think I need to clarify," Zeasy speaks, moving away from his seat and going towards the podium.

"Seriously, if we had just gone with the gun idea," Emory mumbles, head shaking.

"Mr. Routledge, you have the floor. Are you willing to let Mr. Zeasy speak?"

John B grabs the mic, pulling it closer to his face as he replies. "If you can explain it a little better, Dale."

"Like Chip and Dale?" Matilda quips, earning a small laugh from Sarah.

Zeasy nods towards my brother. "Excuse me, son. You can stand right here."

"Thank you, sir."

Zeasy takes the floor or whatever, the mic now to his face. "So, what the, uh, current occupants of the land don't seem to understand is that there is an injunction to invalidate the most recent sale," Zeasy reveals, turning around to face the crowd, looking straight on.

"Invalidate? What does that mean?"

"There was a pre-existing promissory note from the original owner that was in the process of being finalised when the land auction took place," Zeasy reveals, and several people boo in response. "The bank... wasn't legally allowed to go to auction."

"Bullshit," JJ curses, and I watch Emory slap another dollar bill onto Matilda's hand.

"We have a promissory note right here from the original owner, signed before the auction, and finalised by Judge Holden." Zeasy points over to Topper's grandfather, resulting in applause from the damn Kooks.

"What's with all the old, white dudes?" Emory's head shakes, eyes glaring into the crowd and straight at Topper's grandfather. "Fucking bald bastard." Two dollar bills are given to Matilda again.

"That means our sale was invalid," Pope tells, though we figured as much.

"How can they even do that?"

"And where is the original owner, and can he validate the authenticity of this document?" the Mayor asks.

"Yes, he can. He's right here." When Zeasy points to the back of the courtroom, I already know who we're about to face before we avert our gazes to the he that's ruined any chance of saving our home from these thieving bastards.

Sitting right at the back of the courthouse── on the Kook side, might I add── is none other than Luke Maybank. He stands up, revealing himself to the crowd and to the Mayor. "Who's that?" Emory asks, not explicitly knowing who this motherfucker is.

"JJ's dad," I tell her, though he's technically not his biological father.

She bites down on her lip. "Motherfucker. Doing this to his own son?" Oh, if only you knew, Em.

"I'm sorry, J," Luke apologises, though I think it's a little too late for that. JJ looks away, staring straight on, and I lift my hand to his shoulder, still scowling at Luke as I'm appalled he'd do such an inhumane thing to his son, biological or not.

"Can he do that? Is he not a fugitive?"

"Isn't it obvious? He signs away the promissory note, and in exchange, he gets amnesty."

"I'm putting the gun in your dad's mouth," Emory speaks up, turning back to the front, looking like she needs to attack somebody again.

"Be my guest," JJ grumbles.

"Now, hang on, unless I'm mistaken, when this all shakes out, you nice young people will all be compensated, of course," Zeasy tells us like that's supposed to be good news. Those who are on our side begin to complain yet again, ourselves included as we don't want whatever he's giving out. "And the land will be a club for all."

"Oh, vomit," I bite out just as the Kooks begin to cheer and clap, acting like this is the greatest news on Earth which, to them, it is. The Pogues begin to yell, their voices attempting to rise over the cheers of the Kooks, forcing the Mayor to hit his gavel yet again.

"Order in this room!"

Kiara shoots off her seat. "How can you say that? After they do it to us, they're gonna do it to all of you! This is theft!" She moves away, heading towards the podium. "You know it, I know it!"

"There will be order in this meeting room!"

"No!" she bellows.

"Woo!" Emory cheers for her girl.

"Fuck it." I lift myself up, heading straight for the podium where Kiara moves out my way, obviously seeing that I'm a women with a mission── a mission to get my words out and yell because we have every right to do so.

I grab the microphone harshly, looking directly at Luke who remains at the back of the courthouse. "Hey, you motherfucker!" I point towards Luke, wishing I could just knock the lights out of him. "I don't even know how you're doing this nor why you're doing this. He's your son! How the hell can you do this to him?! You should be ashamed of yourself because JJ loved you!" I avert my attention to the Kooks just as I feel somebody grab my arms. "You should all be ashamed!"

"Bailiff, clear this hall!" the Mayor demands.

The cops are closing in on me, going to shove me away. "No, get away from me." I feel two hands grasp me, pushing me. "Get away from me!"

"Hey, get the hell off her!" John B steps in front of me, wedging himself in between myself and the cops, protecting me and Kiara. "Stop!"

I hear Mike Carrera yelling for his daughter. I hear Heyward attempting to defend us and his son. I hear my friends fight for us, even Matilda whose voice is louder than I thought it could be. I hear the yells and fights from our side of the crowd. Regardless of the fighting, I feel myself being shoved out and away from the podium, no longer having the freedom to speak despite this being America.

I turn away, my brother still behind me, and I shove open the gate. I look to where I was previously sat, no longer noticing JJ. I then lift my head, finding him to be walking down the length of the aisle and away from us. "JJ!" I call out, moving past several people who stand in my way. He doesn't acknowledge me, just shoots his father a cruel look whilst walking by him. "JJ!"

Just as I barge through several people, I hear glass smashing. My eyes widen, watching as my boyfriend gets grabbed by a cop who attempts to shove him down onto the ground. "JJ!" I scream, continuing to push and shove at everyone in my way. "Get off him!"

Looking down the aisle, I watch JJ fight with all the strength he has. With the grip one cop has on him, JJ is able to bring his legs up and kick another cop to stop him from reaching him which results in him knocking into some other Pogue. JJ then turns to the cop that was previously grabbing him, flipping him clean over onto the floor before sending a jab to his face.

Shoving away a Kook that dares to step into my path, I rush forward to find another cop nearing JJ, this one with a baton in his grasp. He hits JJ on the back, causing him to hit the ground. "JJ!" Thankfully, before the cop can get another hit, a Pogue goes to tackle him to the ground, forcing him away from JJ.

"JJ!" I finally reach him, and I notice him walking backwards down the aisle, his eyes trained on me. I shove him towards the door, instructing him to run. "Go! Get out of here!"

JJ runs toward the door, prepared to get out of here, but a cop comes up behind him, tackling him through the courthouse doors, bringing them outside where they barrel down the brick steps.

"Shit!" I sprint out of the courthouse, finding two cops slamming JJ onto the hood of a cop car, forcing his hands behind his back. "JJ!" I shout, feeling somebody grab me harshly. "Let go of him!" A cop shoves me back, attempting to keep me away.

Just as I'm about to fight this cop away from me, I watch as JJ somehow breaks himself free, his elbow flying up and into the cops face. A great sense of pride rushes through me, though it's quickly squashed when I watch a cop get ahold of him, finally able to shove him into the back of the cop car. "No!" I fight, pushing the cop away from me that was just holding me.

I rush to the cop car, banging my hand on the windows to steal JJ's attention. "We're getting you out!"

Suddenly, I hear another crash which brings my eyes over to a Pogue smashing his foot into the back window of the car, actually cracking the glass. "Go, go!" Our friends gather at the back of the cop car, each of us ready to yank JJ back.

"Back up! Back up!" JJ yells, instructing us to keep a safe distance as he brings his own foot up, kicking out the remaining glass.

He then crawls through just enough before Pope and John B reach out to grab his arms and pull him safely out. He's okay, I realise, though he now needs to run for his life. "Okay, okay, go! Go!" John B shoves JJ forward, telling him to run now that he's on his feet.

"Go!" Emory urges, also shoving him.

Each of my friends demand he leaves, though not a single part of me can let him leave, not when he wouldn't leave me in a time like this. "I'm going," I say, more to myself than to anyone else, though everybody gets the gist of what I'm doing when I start to move away from the group, breaking out into a jog.

I begin to rush after him, hearing my brother call out for me, but I don't stop. This is the only time I'll ever run voluntarily── when it's to a boy named JJ Maybank.

"JJ!" I yell, catching up with him.

Running alongside one another, he grasps my arm tightly. "Sunny, what the hell are you doing?"

"Following you!" I shout, knowing we can't exactly chit chat when we need to basically run for our lives and escape.

"You're insane!" he yells, slipping his hand into mine, pulling us along.

"No. I'm just in love with you, you idiot!"

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❀ soph speaks

omg i'm excited for you to read the next chapter

i'll give you a lil spoiler because im nice like that heheh . . .

let's just say,, our boy gets down on one knee (not in a dirty way, but in a very romantic way)

hehe

hope you enjoyed this chapter,, it was very long i know but it was fun

emory & jj will find out soon enough,, they just don't find out together if that makes sense?

thankyou so much for reading!!