Outer Banks Series Rewrite - A JJ Maybank x reader story

Chapter Nine: The Bell Tower

Warnings: swearing, guns, drugs. High!Pope

"Put your hands on your head." Sheriff Peterkin's voice rings across the space, her gun pointed at Ward.

"Susan, I told you he lost his goddamn mind." Ward laughs. "I'd do what she said." He looks at John B.

"She's talkin' to you, Ward." John B murmurs.

"You're under arrest for the murder of "Big John" Routledge," Peterkin says, moving closer.

The sound of a gunshot ricochets through the air, Sarah's scream following it.

"No!" I shout, lunging forward as JJ grabs my waist and pulls me back.

We watch on in shock and horror as Peterkin's body falls to the ground, revealing Rafe, a smoking gun in his hands.

I've never watched someone die before. Never felt so helpless in my entire life. I watch in shock as John B hurries to Peterkin's side, trying to stop the bleeding.

"We need to get out of here." JJ whispers, starting to pull me away.

"We... we have to help John B..." I whisper, struggling against JJ's hold.

"Baby, there's nothing we can do right now." JJ's arms go around my waist, lifting me up.

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"There goes the gold," Pope mutters, glancing at the sky as the plane flies over. "Shit!" He throws off his hat, kicking at objects in the storage space. "Fuck!"

"Pope!" Kie gasps in shock.

"Goddamnit!" Pope roars, picking up an old baseball bat. "Shit!" He growls, slamming the bat into an old tv. "Damn it!"

"Pope!" Kie frowns. "Pope, calm down!"

Pope stops, staring at the floor as he hyperventilates.

"I was wondering when this was gonna happen." JJ steps forward, pulling a blunt out of his shorts pocket. "Here you go, chief. A little weed never hurt no one."

"JJ." I scold. "You know he doesn't smoke."

"Well, maybe not until today." JJ shrugs.

Pope takes it, sighing. "I might as well. I lost my scholarship. Walked out in the middle of the interview. Every... it's gone. It's not gonna happen."

"You did that for us?" I ask softly.

"No, not for us." Pope leans forward, letting JJ light the blunt. "For nothing."

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"John B, what are we doing at the police station?" JJ frowns, sitting in the backseat of the van, holding me in his lap as I sleep.

"Somebody's gotta tell them what happened." John B mutters.

"All right. I'm just gonna be real with you right now." JJ sighs. "You might end up in the lion's den, but you don't go there on purpose. It's fundamental. Just like my old man always told me, you should never trust cops, no matter what the circumstance is."

"Your old man's an abusive liar." John B snaps.

"I agree with JJ." Pope mumbles. "Fuck the police."

"You goin' to the dark side now?" John B frowns.

"When's the last time the police helped us?" Pope slurs.

"Peterkin looked out for me, all right?" John B huffs. "Tried to, at least."

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"Kie! Start the car!" John B shouts, sprinting out of the police station. "Start the car, Kie!"

"What?" Kie frowns, sitting up. "John B? What did you do?"

"The cops!" John B leaps into the car. "Go! Drive, Kie!"

"I'm going! I'm going!" Kie throws the car into drive, pulling out of the parking lot.

"Pull over!" A cop shouts, driving after us.

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"Let's game this out." JJ whispers, leaning back in the front seat of Kie's car. "Maybe you guys can help, being the smart ones and all, but... who are the cops going to believe? Ward Cameron or us?"

"So the accuser is a bigshot developer, kind of lord of the island, got the governor on speed dial kind of person," I start. "And the accused... is John B, who is... pretty much a homeless 16-year-old boy at the moment." I sigh, glancing at John B.

"Thanks." He mumbles, curled up in the trunk of the car.

"Yucatan, all right?" JJ looks at him. "I'm saying that's the only option. What other option do you have?"

"Enough with the Mexico bullshit!" John B snaps. "Sarah will bail me out."

"She did witness the whole thing." Kie nods.

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We didn't see John B or Sarah for a while after that. But the search for him was all over the news, along with the bell tower burning down, which I'm sure had something to do with John B and the gang of Kooks after him.

At that time, we didn't know when we would see John B again. We all climbed into bed that night, hoping that the next time we saw him, it would be under good circumstances.

We couldn't have been more wrong.