PETRICHOR ━ pope heyward

- SIX -

WARNING: descriptions of gore and dead bodies

Before it even hit 10 o'clock in the morning, Frankie was up and getting ready for the day. Past Summers, he had a habit of going to bed late and waking up even later, but the thought of getting to see Pope in the morning had him in bed before midnight. He was bathed and had just finished breakfast when it turned to the next hour.

Dressed in a North Face t-shirt and another pair of khaki shorts, Frankie put on his favorite flip flops and left his house. His eyebrow was split from the night before, but it was scabbed over and healing perfectly fine. He shut off the generator connected to the house and turned on the engine to his golf cart, looking forward to the day.

By the time he got to Heyward's Seafood, JJ and Kiara were already there. Apparently the employee scheduled to work hadn't shown up, so everyone was inside helping Pope and his father fill orders. Having no experience running a cash register, Frankie was set up by the order book, writing down lists as they came in.

Pope was walking around with a determined look on his face, jumping at small noises and seemingly unsettled overall from the fight the night before.

"Don't let it get into your head," JJ said after Pope nearly jumped out of his skin when the cash register popped open. "They didn't outnumber us, but they fought dirty. Typical Kook shit." With a second thought, JJ glanced at Frankie who looked up from writing. "Sorry, Frank."

Frankie scoffed, "None taken."

"What was your thought process?" JJ asked, turning his attention back to the other boy.

"Using your head?" Kie added with a smirk.

"I don't know, man, I just kind of acted off instinct, alright? I was a cornered animal." Pope's explanation wasn't far from how Frankie felt. Being backed into the movie screen, nowhere to go because there was a Kook staring you down from every other direction. Pope head butting Topper was probably what saved them from all getting their asses beat.

"Hey, Pope," Heyward called, walking into the main shop from the outdoor section where he was sorting grocery orders, his voice sounding odd. "Someone's here to see you." Everyone looked up and Frankie paled when he saw Deputy Shoupe walk into the building. Oh, shit.

"Evening, Officer," Pope croaked from behind the counter. Shoupe just walked forward, slapping a paper down on the front counter.

"I have an arrest warrant for felony destruction of property." Everyone in the room froze and Pope turned around to look between Frankie and JJ.

"What?" Heyward spat.

"Keep your hands above the counter where I can see 'em." Pope lifted his hands, his eyes glued to Frankie's. Shoupe walked around the counter and stepped right between the two boys, grabbing Pope's hands and pulling them behind his back.

"Woah, Shoupe, what did he do?" Heyward asked as Frankie stood paralyzed, unsure of what to do with himself.

"Take a look at the warrant." Shoupe nodded toward the paper on the counter, holding Pope by his crossed wrists and leading him out into the shop. His foot caught the corner of the divider and he almost tripped, but Shoupe just kept pushing him.

"Be careful!" Frankie finally said, his voice raised as his brain struggled to catch up with what was happening. Shoupe pressed Pope up against another counter, grabbing the handcuffs from the holster on his belt.

"You have the right to remain silent, everything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law..." Shoupe continued stating Pope's Miranda rights as he cuffed his wrists and everything around Frankie felt like it was moving much slower.